[Bibliometric indicators, subjects analysis and methodology of research published in Spain on epidemiology and public health care (1988-1992)].

BACKGROUND

To describe Spanish scientific output in epidemiology and public health through the bibliometric indexes utilization and with regard to subjects, design and statistical methods employed, as well as its appropriateness, importance and funding.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Descriptive, longitudinal and retrospective study over 594 originals published in Spanish medical journals and listed in the Spanish Medical Index (Indice Médico Español) during the 5 years period 1988-1992.

RESULTS

The average autors by article was of 4.9 and the Lotka's index, for the authors that publish articles on the topic, was -2.92; 82% of the authors have a productivity index equal to zero. Almost 70% of the articles are signed by an isolated institution, being a hospital in 51% of the cases. The journal that publishes most articles on the topic is Medicina Clínica. The average references by article is about 24. The Price' index is 36.5% and the isolation' index is 36.2%. "The non AIDS infections", the descriptive designs and the lack of inferential statistics methods, characterize the content of the articles. Regarding to the criteria established by the study, more than half of the analyzed research (56.5%) was appropriate and almost a fourth (22%) could be considered that was about important topics.

CONCLUSIONS

Concerning bibliometric indicators, research on epidemiology and public health in Spain does not seem to differ from other medical specialties. The epidemiology as scientific method is widely used over the medical specialties, something which could explain the wide dispersion of scientific literature on this topic. There seems to be a certain lack of agreement between the research topics and the real health problems of Spain.