A medical journal is a

peer-review Peer review is the evaluation of work by one or more people with similar competencies as the producers of the work ( peers). It functions as a form of self-regulation by qualified members of a profession within the relevant field. Peer review ...

scientific journal In academic publishing, a scientific journal is a periodical publication designed to further the progress of science by disseminating new research findings to the scientific community. These journals serve as a platform for researchers, schola ...

that communicates

medical Medicine is the science and Praxis (process), practice of caring for patients, managing the Medical diagnosis, diagnosis, prognosis, Preventive medicine, prevention, therapy, treatment, Palliative care, palliation of their injury or disease, ...

information to physicians, other

health professional A health professional, healthcare professional (HCP), or healthcare worker (sometimes abbreviated as HCW) is a provider of health care treatment and advice based on formal training and experience. The field includes those who work as a Nursing, nur ...

s. Journals that cover many medical specialties are sometimes called general medical journals.

History

The first medical journals were general medical journals. The first English-language general medical journal was '' Medicina Curiosa'', established in 1684, but it ceased publication after only two issues. The first medical journal to be published in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

was '' Medical Essays and Observations'', established in 1731 and published in

Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...

; the first to be published in the United States was ''

The Medical Repository ''The Medical Repository'' was the first American medical journal, founded in 1797 and published quarterly, with some interruptions, through 1824. It was printed by T. & J. Swords, printers to the physics faculty at Columbia College in New York ...

'', established in 1797. Among the oldest general medical journals that are still in publication today are ''

The Lancet ''The Lancet'' is a weekly peer-reviewed general medical journal, founded in England in 1823. It is one of the world's highest-impact academic journals and also one of the oldest medical journals still in publication. The journal publishes ...

'', established in 1823, and the ''

New England Journal of Medicine ''The New England Journal of Medicine'' (''NEJM'') is a weekly medical journal published by the Massachusetts Medical Society. Founded in 1812, the journal is among the most prestigious peer-reviewed medical journals. Its 2023 impact factor was ...

'', established in 1812. Specialty-specific medical journals were first introduced in the early 20th century. In 1999,

Medscape Medscape is a website providing access to medical information for clinicians and medical scientists; the organization also provides continuing education for physicians and other health professionals. It references medical journal articles, Con ...

launched ''

Medscape General Medicine Medscape is a website providing access to medical information for clinicians and medical scientists; the organization also provides continuing education for physicians and other health professionals. It references medical journal articles, Con ...

'', which became the world's first online-only general medical journal.

General medical journals

Journals that are recognized as general medical journals include ''The Lancet'', the ''New England Journal of Medicine'', and the ''

Annals of Internal Medicine ''Annals of Internal Medicine'' is an academic medical journal published by the American College of Physicians (ACP). It is one of the most widely cited and influential specialty medical journals in the world. ''Annals'' publishes content releva ...

''. In 2009, the three highest-ranked general medical journals by impact factor were ''

JAMA ''JAMA'' (''The Journal of the American Medical Association'') is a peer-reviewed medical journal published 48 times a year by the American Medical Association. It publishes original research, reviews, and editorials covering all aspects of b ...

'', ''The Lancet'', and the ''New England Journal of Medicine''. The ''

BMJ ''The BMJ'' is a fortnightly peer-reviewed medical journal, published by BMJ Publishing Group Ltd, which in turn is wholly-owned by the British Medical Association (BMA). ''The BMJ'' has editorial freedom from the BMA. It is one of the world' ...

''s web editor, Tony Delamothe, has described the BMJ as a general medical journal. ''

The Medical Journal of Australia The ''Medical Journal of Australia'' (MJA) is a peer-reviewed medical journal published 22 times a year. It is the official journal of the Australian Medical Association, published by Wiley on behalf of the Australasian Medical Publishing Compan ...

'' is the only general medical journal in Australia, and the ''

Canadian Medical Association Journal The ''Canadian Medical Association Journal'' (French ''Journal de l'Association Médicale Canadienne'') is a peer-reviewed open-access general medical journal published by the Canadian Medical Association. It publishes original clinical research ...

'' has been called the leading general medical journal in Canada.

Criticisms

Richard Smith, the former editor of the medical journal ''

the BMJ ''The BMJ'' is a fortnightly peer-reviewed medical journal, published by BMJ Publishing Group Ltd, which in turn is wholly-owned by the British Medical Association (BMA). ''The BMJ'' has editorial freedom from the BMA. It is one of the world ...

'', has been critical of many of the aspects of modern-day medical journal publishing. Critics of medical publishing have argued that problems related to gaming of citation and authorship are prevalent in the field, as many authors did not actually contribute to the articles that their names are on, many contributors to the articles are excluded from authorship, and strategic and unnecessary citations are prevalent to boost scores.

References

{{Reflist Medical literature

History

General medical journals

Criticisms

See also

References