The development of a data base of published biomedical journals in Italy. (Ministry of Health n. 99017)

Manuela Delfino*, Luigina Lazzari*, Paola Mozzati**, Alessandra Giani**, Claudie Bella**, Antonella De Robbio***, Dario Magnuolo***, Antonella Bozzano****, Patrizia Gradito****,  Cristina Ferri****
*Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna - Brescia
**Istituto Ortopedico "Gaetano Pini" - Milano
***Seminario di Matematica dell'Università di Padova
****Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Toscana e del Lazio - Roma
biblioteca@bs.izs.it

Which sources of information do medical, paramedical and veterinary personal consult for their research? Where can they obtain bibliographic information? International scientific production is surely the main source. However 75% of the Italian literature is not included therefore. Informatic tools are not available for Italian scientists to access this information. The lack of space and areas in which scientific data are collected reduces the importance of the research carried out and endangers a rich culture already threatened by anglo-american predominance.

Our researchers tend, more and more, to publish in foreign journals.

The lack of consideration, on the part of the Italian institutes, for their biomedical literature hinders Italian research and penalises the large spectrum of users who wish to access to information in their own language.

If one writes in Italian or in Italian biomedical and veterinary journals there is a delay in the diffusion of the scientific message, which becomes further aggravated if the journals are not available on the Internet.

What should be done?
 

The answer

The data base of the published biomedical journals in Italy! ...whose aims are:
- to guarantee access to diffuse and comprehensive information relative to biomedical, clinical, veterinary, zootechnical and environmental material produced in Italy;
- to give emphasis to Italian publications within the biomedical and veterinary fields making them available on the Internet;
- to, as a consequence, invert the migratory flux of publications by Italian researchers, clinicians and veterinary scientists from international to Italian journals at the moment in which they become part of the international biomedical archive.
 

Institutes involved

Administered by the Library of 'Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna' based in Brescia, the following institutes partecipate in the project: the Library of 'Istituto Ortopedico Gaetano Pini' di Milano; the Library of 'Seminario di Matematica dell'Università degli Studi di Padova'; the Library of 'Istituto Zooprofilattico del Lazio e della Toscana' based in Roma.
 

Set-up time

The project officially started 1st February 2001 and will last for two years.

The creation of a data base of published biomedical and veterinary articles in Italy, which is comprehensive, precise and punctually up-dated with the intention to be manteined in the long term.
 

Intended users

The intended users of the project are all employees within the biomedical and veterinary sector:

- doctors, veterinary doctors and biologists;
- paramedics;
- patients;
- research scientists;
- recent graduates, post-graduates and other university employees;
- librarians and computer scientists within the biomedical and veterinary fields;
- the research institutes and whoever is interested in using the Internet to divulge and receive bibliographic information.
 

Disciplinary spheres

Apart from specialised biomedical and veterinary journals, the  related areas listed below are covered in the data base:

• health service assistance and administration; 

• alternative medicine;

• nursing;

• social-health problems;

• environment, hygiene and pollution.
 

Development of the project

Having chosen suitable software, two objectives should be considered:

1) the creation of a data base containing bibliographic records of the biomedical journals published in Italy;
2) the creation of a data base containing the index of the above included journals from 1995 onwards.
The biomedical journals will be catalogued and indexed according to international standards.
To establish an electronic archive with a system of Information Retrieval as an open platform so that data can be exchanged between regional and national systems already existing.
Searching will be possible in a free language for each of the words used.
Consultation of the databases will be possible via searches on-line using the Internet.
 

Set-up phases

- Inventory of the Italian biomedical journals
- Creation of the data base of the journals
- Analysis of the Italian journals present on international data bases
- Choice of the journals to consult
- Contact with editors
- Creation and implementation of the data base of the published journals
- Publication of the project and loading it into the Internet. 
- Conclusion of the project, controlling and analysing feedback