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The services of medical libraries and information centers has changed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aims to identify the innovative services of medical libraries and information centers during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this scoping review, PubMed, Web of Science (WOS), Scopus, ProQuest, Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts (LISTA) databases were searched to identify case studies and case series. After screening the identified studies, 18 studies were selected. The results showed that the main users of medical libraries and information centers during COVID-19 were health care providers and recipients, researchers, organizational staff, and ordinary library users. Innovative services during the COVID-19 were also provided in these libraries, including distance education services, virtual information services, virtual guidelines, providing information resources, and evidence-based response to treatment teams. To provide these new services, medical libraries used traditional, semi-traditional, and modern information and communication technologies such as telephone, email, online library platforms, e-learning, and social networks. Medical libraries and information centers changed the way they provide services in the face of the COVID-19 crisis. Analyzing the services provided during this period can provide a model for policymakers, and medical librarians and information professionals to improve their services. The information presented here can be used to inform library services during future, similarly critical situations.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Libraries, Medical , Library Services , Humans , Pandemics , Information CentersABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The aim of the current study is to determine the Comparison of intellectual structure of International Journal of Preventive Medicine (IJPM) with Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) based on author keywords and index terms of Scopus database and the degree of compatibility among these two groups of keywords. METHODS: This study was carried out using a co-word technique, which is one of the bibliometric methods. The study population consisted of 1104 articles published in IJPM and indexed in Scopus database. After retrieval the articles, data for co-word analyses was extracted using UCINET and VOSviewer software applications and centrality criteria. Then, the compatibility of author keywords and MeSH terms was examined by Jaccard's similarity index. RESULTS: During the investigated years and among 2402 author keywords, on average, 561 author keywords (23.36%) were exact matches, 417 author keywords (17.36%) were partial matches, and 1424 author keywords (59.28%) were not matched with the terms contained in the index. Author keywords matching or not matching with index-term categories formed the largest portion of partial match keywords. CONCLUSIONS: The use of MeSH as a standard tool by medical journals for the selection of keywords in scientific publications could improve the visibility and retrieval of articles, and increase the number of citations and journals' impact factor.
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BACKGROUND: Reference citation analysis and reference publication year can help to demonstrate the historical context of a research field. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the most important historical publications regarding depression prevention. METHODS: This was a bibliometric study carried out using reference publication year spectroscopy (RPYS) method. Data gathering was carried out using Thomson Reuters Web of Science in the period of 2007-2016. A total of 17,043 records were retrieved which were uploaded as full record and cited references in plain text format. Then modified data were analyzed using RPYS.exe software. RESULTS: Distribution of cited references in the area of depression prevention based on publication year revealed nine peaks in the twentieth century in years 1921, 1935, 1944, 1977, 1983, 1990, 1994, 1999, and 2000. Moreover, our analysis showed that some peaks occurred in the 21st century in years 2001-2005. CONCLUSIONS: Researchers have investigated depression prevention with physiological, epidemiological, biological as well as physical approaches. Furthermore, created criteria for measuring depression in different target societies have played an important and vital role in depression prevention.
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BACKGROUND: This study aimed to use social network analysis (SNA) indicators and clique analysis to investigate collaboration between different departments and research centers in Journal of Research in Medical Sciences (JRMS) in 2012-2016. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was a scientometric study using micro- and macro-indicators of SNA to investigate the performance of departments and research centers in JRMS. The population consisted of 1073 articles published in JRMS in 2012-2016. Ravar Matrix, UCINET, and VOSviewer software were used for data analysis. RESULTS: According to the productivity and triple centrality indicators, "Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics," "Department of Pathology," and Department of "Internal Medicine" allocated the first three ranks. Analyzing the cliques of co-authorship network for departments and research centers showed that this network consists of 19 cliques with at least 7 members in each clique. Furthermore, only 30 nodes (8.90% of all nodes in the network) had the presence in minimum clique size of at least 7. CONCLUSION: Given the importance and position of scientific collaboration in medical research and its effect on other performance indicators such as efficiency, effectiveness, and number of citations, it is necessary for policy-makers to propose new strategies for improving scientific collaboration.
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BACKGROUND: The study aimed to assess interdisciplinary communication among various Educational and Research Departments of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences (IUMS) in clinical medical sciences using social network analysis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was carried out using scientometrics method and interdisciplinary communication network analysis. Interdisciplinary network of 1298 articles in medical sciences published in Journal of Isfahan Medical School was evaluated using macro- and micro-level criteria of network analysis. Ravar Matrix, UCINET, and VOSviewer software were used to analyze the interdisciplinary network of medical sciences articles. RESULTS: Findings showed that "Students Research Committee" and "School of Medicine," the affiliations of the medical students in general practice with scores of 272 and 197, "Epidemiology and Biostatistics," "Community Medicine," and "Internal Medicine" with 170, 101, and 99, respectively, possessed the first ranking of productivity index in scientific communication. Furthermore, in betweenness centrality index, "Epidemiology and Biostatistics" (3427.807), "Students Research Committee" (2967.180), and "Community Medicine" (1770.300) have an appropriate position in the network. Based on the centrality index, "Epidemiology and Biostatistics" (22.412), "Students Research Committee" (22.185) as well as "Community Medicine" and "School of Medicine" (both 21.554) acquired the least amount of distance with other nodes in network. CONCLUSION: Given the increased specialization in medical fields in recent years, communication between researchers with various specializations and creation of interdisciplinary or multidisciplinary departments had turned into an undeniable necessity. Therefore, communication between educational or research departments can facilitate the flow of information between researchers; and consequently, the top ranking departments in this study had more participation in scientific production of IUMS and getting more scores in annual evaluation by scientometrics department. This network analysis showed that researchers in various medical fields closely collaborate with each other and are able to connect with <2 intermediates.
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BACKGROUND: Scientific collaboration is among the most important subjects in scientometrics, and many studies have investigated this concept to this day. The goal of the current study is investigation of scientific collaboration and co-authorship patterns of researchers in the field of library and information science in Iran between years 2005 and 2009. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The current study uses scientometrics method. The statistical population consists of 942 documents published in Iranian library and information science journals between years 2005 and 2009. Collaboration coefficient, collaboration index (CI), and degree of collaboration (DC) were used for data analysis. FINDINGS: The findings showed that among 942 investigated documents, 506 documents (53.70%) was created by one individual researcher and 436 documents (46.30%) were the result of collaboration between two or more researchers. Also, the highest rank of different authorship patterns belonged to National Journal of Librarianship and Information Organization (code H). CONCLUSION: The average collaboration coefficient for the library and information science researchers in the investigated time frame was 0.23. The closer this coefficient is to 1, the higher is the level of collaboration between authors, and a coefficient near zero shows a tendency to prefer individual articles. The highest collaboration index with an average of 1.92 authors per paper was seen in year 1388. The five year collaboration index in library and information science in Iran was 1.58, and the average degree of collaboration between researchers in the investigated papers was 0.46, which shows that library and information science researchers have a tendency for co-authorship. However, the co-authorship had increased in recent years reaching its highest number in year 1388. The researchers' collaboration coefficient also shows relative increase between years 1384 and 1388. National Journal of Librarianship and Information Organization has the highest rank among all the investigated journals based on collaboration coefficient, collaboration index (CI), and degree of collaboration (DC).
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BACKGROUND: Co-authorship is one of the most tangible forms of research collaboration. A co-authorship network is a social network in which the authors through participation in one or more publication through an indirect path have linked to each other. The present research using the social network analysis studied co-authorship network of 681 articles published in Journal of Research in Medical Sciences (JRMS) during 2008-2012. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was carried out with the scientometrics approach and using co-authorship network analysis of authors. The topology of the co-authorship network of 681 published articles in JRMS between 2008 and 2012 was analyzed using macro-level metrics indicators of network analysis such as density, clustering coefficient, components and mean distance. In addition, in order to evaluate the performance of each authors and countries in the network, the micro-level indicators such as degree centrality, closeness centrality and betweenness centrality as well as productivity index were used. The UCINET and NetDraw softwares were used to draw and analyze the co-authorship network of the papers. RESULTS: The assessment of the authors productivity in this journal showed that the first ranks were belonged to only five authors, respectively. Furthermore, analysis of the co-authorship of the authors in the network demonstrated that in the betweenness centrality index, three authors of them had the good position in the network. They can be considered as the network leaders able to control the flow of information in the network compared with the other members based on the shortest paths. On the other hand, the key role of the network according to the productivity and centrality indexes was belonged to Iran, Malaysia and United States of America. CONCLUSION: Co-authorship network of JRMS has the characteristics of a small world network. In addition, the theory of 6° separation is valid in this network was also true.
