Electronic academic periodicals on medical topics: social and communicative approach

The article is devoted to academic periodicals on medical topics; the article emphasized on advantages of the electronic journals such as efficiency, accessibility, and quick search capabilities. The peculiar features of electronic periodicals are hypertext format; dynamic character; general availability for a wide range of readers worldwide; electronic database and indexation systems profiles that increases website traffic as well as viewing figures of the articles. The electronic form tolerates the possibility of fast updates to the site; quick search options; release of articles after submission on an on-going basis, as well as the possibility of editing the articles even after publication. In the context of social and communicative approach, the article determines relevance of satisfying information needs of academic community by means of electronic academic periodicals, including ones on medical topics.

The listed periodicals are analyzed according to the following criteria: language of the periodical, publication frequency, access mode, article size, peer reviewing, editing, impact-factor, requirements to articles, structure of articles, text structure of scientific article, general requirements, form of manuscript submission, and website of the periodical.

As a result of the research determined that requirements for authors of scientific editions electronic medical topics, which are published in Ukraine, Russia, Belarus, attention is paid to the structure and design of articles as opposed to the publications Britain, France and Germany.

Based on the results of the research conducted, the author determines that there is more attention paid to structure and layout of the articles in general requirements for the specialists who want to publish their papers in journals on medical topics that are published in Ukraine, Russia and Belorussia, comparing to the journals that are published in Germany, Great Britain, and France. On the contrary, editorial boards in Western European journals give more attention to legal, financing, interest conflict prevention issues as well as adherence to the ethical rules. There is subscription basis for the access to the British, French and German journals, although the authors may pay for complimentary access for their readers. In addition, it is easier to send articles to the British, French and German journals, as the authors have to send one copy of the paper by email or to use special submission service.