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The H-Index Scholar is a bibliometric index that measures the productivity and scientific impact of the academic production in humanities and social sciences by professors and researchers at public Spanish universities. The methodology consisted of counting their publications and citations received in Google Scholar. The main features and characteristics of the index are explained. Despite technical and methodological problems that Google Scholar might have as a source of information, the authors estimate that they do not affect substantially the calculated h and g indexes, probably being the error lower than 10%. The total population analyzed was 40,993 researchers, but data are displayed only for 13,518 researchers, the ones located in the first tertile of their respective areas.

A theoretical and practical survey about the two level description and the analytical cataloguing is presented, based on the correct comprehension of bibliographic unit and its inter-relation with other units of a varied nature. This concept is analysed in terms of the terminology used. The different ways of implementation that the two level description and analytical cataloguing can adopt from the point of view of physical, bibliographical and informative characteristics of the document are studied. A comparative chart between the particular characteristics of the document and the method of analysis to be applied in each case is shown. Estudio teórico-práctico de la Descripción en dos o más Niveles y de la Catalogación Analítica partiendo de un requisito previo: la correcta comprensión del concepto de Unidad Bibliográfica y su interrelación con otras unidades de distinta naturaleza. En primer lugar se analiza terminológicamente dicho concepto. Después se pasa al estudio de las distintas modalidades de ejecución que pueden adoptar la Descripción en dos o más Niveles y la Catalogación Analítica en función de las características flsicas, bibliográficas o informativas del documento a analizar. Se finaliza con un «cuadro comparativo de correspondencias» entre circunstancias que concurren en el documento y método de análisis a aplicar en cada caso.

From the data given freely by Thomson Reuters in ScienceWatch.com, production and citation rankings of the top 25 world science countries are presented. The development of Spain is discussed in detail.

From the information provided for free by Thomson Reuters in ScienceWatch.com, production and citation data of the scientific disciplines are analyzed for Spain, determining the relative weight of each one both nationally and internationally throughout the past 10 years.

Google Scholar is a search engine that specializes in scientific information and in the identification of the citations that academic papers receive, making it a strong competitor for other citations indexes. For this reason, several studies have attempted to evaluate its capacity as a bibliometric tool. Due to this interest, we present an introduction to its use and the advantages and disadvantages versus Scopus and Web of Science. First, its way of collecting information and features of its interface are analyzed. The following section describes the results that Google Scholar generates. Thirdly, we analyze the coverage of information sources and the different document types to be found, showing how this coverage universe offers different citations versus other products. Finally, we specify the standardization problems of Google Scholar and offer a number of precautions that must be taken into account when using Google Scholar as an evaluation tool.

The wide variety of bibliometric information resources offered for free by Thomson Scientific’s ScienceWatch.com are presented, and their major applications within scientific libraries are described.

A statement of the article Visibilidad internacional de las revistas iberoamericanas de Bibliotecología y Documentación is presented.

Objective: Application of Institute for Scientific Information (ISI) Journal Selection Criteria (JSC) to Archives of the Spanish Society of Ophthalmology. Methodology: Information about the journal, as well as instructions for authors, were sampled through 24 issues (2003-2004). ISI criteria were converted into quantitative indicators and applied to the journal in question and by extension to other Spanish medical journals. Results: Compliance with international standards: Article titles (means of 7.3 keywords, 2 descriptors, 1.4 MeSH headings), author affiliation (included in 100% of cases, 21% error rate), bibliographic references (12% error rate in abbreviated journal titles), titles in English (8% translation error rate), abstracts (196 words average, 100% structured), keywords (4 words average, 1.2 coincidence with MeSH). External peer-review system is mentioned but no annual information is given on results. There was a 228-day delay on average between reception and acceptance and a 35-day delay betweenacceptance and publication. The journal covers 87% of ophthalmology research articles published in Spain. International scope: 57% of editorial board members publish in international journals of impact. National scope, but low presence (11%) of foreign authors. Citations to relevant international literature accredited by ISI journals are included. The journal appears in leading biomedical databases. Citations: 133 international citations between 1998 and 2005. Its impact factor potential (0.165) is superior to the last journals listed in the JCR under the heading of «Ophthalmology». Editorial board citations: 261 for the 2000-2004 period. Conclusions: Archives is an excellent means of communicating research results. It is the dominant dissemination channel for published and visible ophthalmology in Spain. Its international projection is good and the impact of its contents shows promising results (Arch Soc Esp Oftalmol 2006; 81: 245-268).

Due to the strict selection process applied to its indexed journals, Medline is the most prestigious database in the Health and medicine field. The aim of this paper is both to analyze its selection criteria and translate into indicators that can be applied to Spanish medical journals willing to enter the Index Medicus. Analysis samples and methodology to apply obtained from the five groups of criteria considered by Medline (namely, Scope and coverage, Quality of contents, Quality of editorial work, Production quality and Audience) are proposed. A list of qualitative and quantitative indicators related to the five groups of criteria used by Medline is presented; namely, journal scientific output in the national and international context of the discipline, citation, analysis of the editorial committees, the editorial process and the peer-review system, indicators on compliance with the Vancouver guidelines, journal layout and informational quality, attractiveness, audience, journal visibility and interest as regards Medline goals.

In the last few years the ISI databases have become not only an essential instrument for information retrieval but, due to the bibliometric indicators they offer, they are also a basic tool for institutional, journal and researcher assessment in the majority of the world. These databases index the most productive and influential journals. For these reasons it is important to know the criteria employed by ISI in its journal selection process. The goal of this paper is to bring attention to these criteria, offer a methodological guide to help scientific journal editorial managers conform their publications to these criteria to improve their chances of being indexed by ISI. The ISI criteria can be structured on four main layers: basic journal standards (timeliness of publication, fully descriptive article, titles and abstracts, complete bibliographic information for all cited references, full address information for every author, and use of peer review); journal thematic coverage; international diversity (sponsorship, editorial team, authorship, references cited, journal audience, library and database presence); and citation analysis (international citation, journal impact, editorial board member impact and publishing author impact). Every one of these aspects is analyzed and the procedures for their testing and improvement if necessary are explained.

The Revista Española de Salud Penitenciaria must reply a several demands to develop into a great journal in its field.

Objective: Application of Institute for Scientific Information (ISI) Journal Selection Criteria (JSC) to Archives of the Spanish Society of Ophthalmology. Methodology: Information about the journal, as well as instructions for authors, were sampled through 24 issues (2003-2004). ISI criteria were converted into quantitative indicators and applied to the journal in question and by extension to other Spanish medical journals. Results: Compliance with international standards: Article titles (means of 7.3 keywords, 2 descriptors, 1.4 MeSH headings), author affiliation (included in 100% of cases, 21% error rate), bibliographic references(12% error rate in abbreviated journal titles), titles in English (8% ranslation error rate), abstracts(196 words average, 100% structured), keywords(4 words average, 1.2 coincidence with MeSH). External peer-review system is mentioned but no annual information is given on results. There was a 228-day delay on average between reception and acceptance and a 35-day delay between acceptance and publication. The journal covers 87% of ophthalmology research articles published in Spain. International scope: 57% of editorial board members publish in international journals of impact. National scope, but low presence (11%) of foreign authors. Citations to relevant international literature accredited by ISI journals are included. The journal appears in leading biomedical databases. Citations: 133 international citations between 1998 and 2005. Its impact factor potential (0.165) is superior to the last journals listed in the JCR under the heading of «Ophthalmology». Editorial board citations: 261 for the 2000-2004 period. Conclusions: Archives is an excellent means of communicating research results. It is the dominant dissemination channel for published and visible ophthalmology in Spain. Its international projection is good and the impact of its contents shows promising results (Arch Soc Esp Oftalmol 2006; 81: 245-268).

An analysis about spanish publication output´s international visibility between 1995-2004 is presented

Objective: This is a critical descriptive study of the situation of cataloging as an academic discipline within Library and Information Science studies in Spain. Material and methods: The descriptive analysis of the sectional contents of the general and specific guidelines of the degrees of Diplomado (three-year degree) and Licenciado (fiveyear degree) in LIS and the curricular programs of the Spanish university schools or departments. Variables analyzed: The denomination and content descriptors of the course offerings and credit hours. The test-retest method was used, with a qualitative processing of data. Results: General data is given about the studies in LIS: their introduction, the universities that offer them, and the degrees awarded. Cataloging is considered an obligatory core subject matter, and is represented by several courses that present important differences insofar as their denominations, their credits, and their character from one curricular program to the next. The average credit requisite for obligatory courses in cataloging in Spain is 14 (1 credit = 10 class hours), and 19.7 if electives are also considered. At present, this discipline is undergoing a reform that will produce important changes as a result of the adaptation of university studies to the common framework of the European Union.

In this empirical study of a sample of catalog records I investigate the implications for information retrieval of the rules for choosing author access points in online catalogs. Aims: To obtain data that can be used to inform a revision of current cataloguing rules, and to propose more functional criteria aimed at improving the retrieval of information located on the basis of author names. Material and methods: A total of 838 records from the Biblioteca Nacional Española (Spanish National Library) were examined to analyze the use of authorities as access points. Authors were classified as creative or non-creative to facilitate the analysis. The variables investigated were author source location, potential author access points, actual entries used in the record, and loss of potential entry points. Results: A total of 3566 potential author access points were identified (mean of 4.25 per record). The title page yielded 57.3% of all potential access points, the table of contents yielded 33.5%, and other sources accounted for the remaining 9.1%. A total of 2125 potential authors were not used as access points in the records (overall loss of 59.5%).Atotal of 960 authors named on the title page were not used as entries (30.23% loss). In works with up to three authors per responsibility function, 24.8% of the authors were not used as entry points. In works with more than three authors, 75.2% of the potential access points were unused. Discussion and conclusions: A significant proportion of potential access points from the table of contents and the title page went unused. If the access points from these sources were used, author indexes would be more complete and accurate, and retrieval with online catalogs would be more efficient. I suggest that losses for creative authors were caused by neglect of the table of contents as a source of entries, strict application of the rule of three, and other specific factors. Losses for non-creative authors were caused by ambiguities and gaps in current cataloguing rules for choosing added author entries. The findings support the urgent need to revise cataloguing rules for author access points to make them more flexible, more practical, and more in line with actual responsibility functions and types of authorship.

Empirical study of the implications of the rules for the choice of access point during online cataloging with the purpose of collecting data for the revision of criteria used and developing more functional applications to improve retrieval of information by author name.

To evaluate the adjustment to international standarts about periodicals presentation and to evalue editorial quality in the journal Progresos de Obstetricia y Ginecología.

Editorial quality, diffusion,and bibliometric indicators of the Revista Española de Enfermedades Digestivas is described.

The treatment of corporate authors for cataloging purposes requires research and classification.