[Impact factor and quality of scientific publications on Microbiology: the example of the Spanish Journal of Chemotherapy].
BACKGROUND
The impact factor of a journal is the quantitative analysis of the number of citations obtained during a specific period of time. This currently is the standard tool to measure the quality of the publication and a way to evaluate the research trajectory of a scientist.


METHODS
Search for bibliometric indicators: Journal Citation Reports, SCImago Journal Rank and Potencial Impact Factor for the Spanish Medical Journals of the Instituto de Historia de la Ciencia y Documentación López Piñero (IHCD). To identify criteria of editorial quality, of visibility and of spreading by reviewing databases such as the Online Regional Information System for Scholarly Journals from Latin America, the Caribbean, Spain and Portugal (LATINDEX), SciELO (Scientific Electronic Library Online), DIALNET and the Collective Periodical Publications Catalogue of Spanish Healthcare Science Libraries, known as C17.


RESULTS
For the first time, the Spanish Journal of Chemotherapy appears in the 2009 edition of JCR, previously by joined the two spanish journals Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases and International Microbiology, both ranked at a lower position. While calculating factors of national and international impact of the five publications included in the category of Pharmacology and Pharmacy as part of theproject initiated by the IHCD, the Spanish Journal of Chemotherapy showed the best results.


CONCLUSIONS
The Spanish Journal of Chemotherapy obtained good results in analysed bibliometric indicators, positioning it at the top of the ranking of Spanish medical journals. A good spreading helped to maintain visibility on the publication in the editorial field.
Carabantes
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Departamento de Enfermería de la Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain. dcaraban@enf.ucm.es
D055811:Journal Impact Factor; D008829:Microbiology / Q000639:trends*; D010506:Periodicals as Topic; D013030:Spain