Health sciences libraries’ subscriptions to journals: expectations of general practice departments and collection-based analysis
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5195/jmla.2018.282Keywords:
General Practice, Science Libraries, Health, Periodicals as TopicAbstract
Objective: The aims of this study were to (i) assess the expectations of general practice departments regarding health sciences libraries’ subscriptions to journals and (ii) describe the current general practice journal collections of health sciences libraries.
Methods: A cross-sectional survey was distributed electronically to the thirty-five university general practice departments in France. General practice departments were asked to list ten journals to which they expected access via the subscriptions of their health sciences libraries. A ranked reference list of journals was then developed. Access to these journals was assessed through a survey sent to all health sciences libraries in France. Adequacy ratios (access/need) were calculated for each journal.
Results: All general practice departments completed the survey. The total reference list included 44 journals. This list was heterogeneous in terms of indexation/impact factor, language of publication, and scope (e.g., patient care, research, or medical education). Among the first 10 journals listed, La Revue Prescrire (96.6%), La Revue du Praticien–Médecine Générale (90.9%), the British Medical Journal (85.0%), Pédagogie Médicale (70.0%), Exercer (69.7%), and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (62.5%) had the highest adequacy ratios, whereas Family Practice (4.2%), the British Journal of General Practice (16.7%), Médecine (29.4%), and the European Journal of General Practice (33.3%) had the lowest adequacy ratios.
Conclusions: General practice departments have heterogeneous expectations in terms of health sciences libraries’ subscriptions to journals. It is important for librarians to understand the heterogeneity of these expectations, as well as local priorities, so that journal access meets users’ needs.References
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Additional Files
- Appendix A: Invitation email
- Appendix B: Online questionnaire
- Appendix C: Illustrative list of fifty-seven journals
- Table 3: Subscription offerings to the 44 journals on the reference list for the 36 university health sciences libraries in 2015
- Table 4: Adequacy between the demand for journals by general practice departments and their access through health sciences libraries in 2015
- Table 5: Cross-checking between the ranked list of 44 journals identified by university general practice departments and previously developed lists
