Information use by molecular biologists: Implications for library collections and services

This article reports on findings from a citation analysis of publications o f a group of university molecular biology faculty. The study examined the f ormats and disciplines of materials cited in published articles to determin e the nature of information used in their research. Citations in molecular biologists' publications are overwhelmingly to journal articles, with the l argest number of citations to journals that class in biology. The specializ ation displays a very high level of immediacy with a citation half-life of referenced articles just over four years. Ranked lists of journals cited pr ovide insights to support library decision-making. The authors explore impl ications for library information services, collection development and manag ement, and the potential for electronic services to this population. This r esearch provided data on a local user population and also identified a meth odology that may be utilized in other settings.