A QUANTITATIVE RANKING OF THE BIOMEDICAL INFORMATICS SERIALS

We have developed a quantitative serial ranking system based on multip le citation analysis techniques, library use statistics, expert opinio n, and selected distinguishing publication characteristics. Evaluation criteria categories include: average Science Citation Index (Impact F actor, Immediacy Index, Total citations) rankings from 1987 to 1992; c itation source counts of multiple ''core'' biomedical informatics publ ications; a questionnaire sent to American College of Medical Informat ics Fellows; publication delay; distinguishing characteristics (e. g., subscription cost, total circulation, year established, places indexe d, affiliation with a professional society, major biomedical resource library holdings); and the total number of interlibrary loan requests to the U. S. National Library of Medicine. The top serials were Comput ers and Biomedical Research, MD Computing, Methods of Information in M edicine, Medical Decision Making and Computers in Biology and Medicine .