[Bibliometric indicators of research in primary care (1988-1992)].
OBJECTIVE
To describe Spanish scientific production in primary care by means of using bibliometric indexes.


METHODS
Spanish scientific production which was published in medical periodicals and indexed in the Indice Médico Español during the years 1988-1992.


METHODS
446 articles published in thirty-four different medical journals.


METHODS
Descriptive, longitudinal and retrospective study.


RESULTS
The number of articles slightly increases over the complete time of the study, principally in 1992. 98.4% were written in Spanish language. The average number of signatures per article is about five. Most of the authors are family doctors or interns of the medical specialty. In 76.46% of the cases, the articles were signed by only one institution. The majority of them (38.56%), were done in teaching units of family medicine. Barcelona is the most important producer of articles (20.2%) and 78% were published in the Atención Primaria periodical. The average number of references slightly increases during the whole period and is about 17 references in the five years studied.


CONCLUSIONS
The scientific production on primary care seems to have an exponential increase according to Price's Law and it is concentrated in the Atención Primaria periodical. Most of authors are family doctors or interns of such specialty, who work in units of family medicine. Collaborative studies among institutions are uncommon. The number of signatures and the use of references were found to be similar to other medical specialties.
Alvarez Solar
M
M
Area de Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Universidad de Oviedo.
López González
M L
ML
Cueto Espinar
A
A
D015706:Bibliometrics; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D011320:Primary Health Care; D012106:Research; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013030:Spain
Indicadores bibliométricos de la investigación en atención primaria (1988-1992).