Persistence of Supplementary Resources in Biomedical Publications
Author Information
Author(s): Nicholas R. Anderson, Peter Tarczy-Hornoch, Roger E. Bumgarner
Primary Institution: University of Washington
Hypothesis
How persistent are supplementary data links in biomedical publications?
Conclusion
Supplementary data must be stored by journals or credible institutions to ensure long-term access.
Supporting Evidence
- 71-92% of supplementary data links were accessible since 2001.
- 93% of inaccessible links were located outside the journal of publication.
- Only 83% of links in full-text manuscripts were available approximately a year after publication.
Takeaway
This study looked at how often links to extra data in research papers still work. It found that many links stop working over time.
Methodology
The study evaluated 655 supplementary data links from PubMed abstracts and 162 full-text manuscripts published between 1998 and 2005.
Potential Biases
Some links may have been temporarily down during the evaluation period.
Limitations
The sample size was relatively small and may not represent all biomedical publications.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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