Journal

From WikiMD's Wellness Encyclopedia

Journal (medicine)

A journal in the field of medicine is a periodical publication intended to further the progress of science, usually by reporting new research. Medical journals can be broadly divided into peer-reviewed and non-peer-reviewed journals.

Overview[edit | edit source]

Medical journals are published regularly to communicate new research to clinicians, medical scientists, and other healthcare workers. This helps medical professionals keep track of the latest developments in their field. Most medical journals are highly specialized, although some of the oldest journals publish articles and scientific papers across a wide range of scientific fields.

History[edit | edit source]

The first medical journals were established in the 17th century. The earliest was probably the New England Journal of Medicine, which was established in 1812. The British Medical Journal was another early publication, first published in 1840.

Types of articles[edit | edit source]

Medical journals publish a variety of article types, including original research, reviews, and opinion pieces. The exact format of a published article will depend on the type of article and the journal's specific style guide.

Original research[edit | edit source]

Original research articles are detailed studies reporting original research conducted by the author(s). They include a hypothesis, background study, methods, results, interpretation of findings, and a discussion of possible implications.

Reviews[edit | edit source]

Review articles provide a summary of research on a certain topic. They are often written by leaders in a particular discipline after invitation from the editors of a journal.

Opinion pieces[edit | edit source]

Opinion pieces in medical journals are usually written by the senior members of a profession or academia and provide a personal perspective on a particular issue, innovation, or research.

Peer review[edit | edit source]

Before a paper describing this research is published in a medical journal, it generally goes through a peer review process. In this process, the journal's editors send the article to other, often anonymous, reviewers who check the article for accuracy and assess the validity of the research methodology and procedures.

See also[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]


Journal Resources

Contributors: Prab R. Tumpati, MD