Issue: 41(1) February 2015. Original articles Pages 3 – 10
Skye P. Barbic
Faculty of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada; Social Aetiology of Mental Illness (SAMI) Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR) Initiative, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada; [email protected]
Karen Roberts
Post Doctoral Fellow; SAMI CIHR Strategic Training Initiative, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada; [email protected]
Zachary Durisko
Post Doctoral Fellow. SAMI CIHR Strategic Training Initiative, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada; [email protected]
Cheolsoon Lee
Department of Psychiatry, Gyeongsang National University Hospital, School of Medicine, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, Republic of Korea; Social Aetiology of Mental Illness (SAMI) Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR) Initiative, Centre for
Rosemary Yachouh
York University, Faculty of Health, Toronto, ON, Canada; [email protected]
Jason Guriel
Evidence Exchange Network, Toronto, ON, Canada; [email protected]
Kwame McKenzie
Professor of Psychiatry University of Toronto, Medical Director Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, CEO Wellesley Institute, Toronto, Canada; [email protected]
Abstract
Abstract: Introduction: Peer-reviewed journals in psychiatry are the primary source of new information for researchers and clinicians. New evidence is emerging faster than ever.
To maintain the highest standards of practice, clinicians and researchers need to make sense of the latest research.
To facilitate this, papers need to be clear, concise, and highly readable. Clear communication is especially important in fields like psychiatry, which brings together many different research
approaches. The aim of the study was to assess the readability of the most prominent journals in psychiatry.
Method: We tested the readability over time of articles from eight of the most widely cited psychiatric journals. We sampled
504 articles from different issues and years of publication (2002-2013) and looked at their Abstracts, Introductions, and Discussion sections using five validated readability metrics.
We also compared the readability of psychiatry journals to general medicine journals for the year 2013.
Results: The readability level of all psychiatry journals was “very difficult” across time. Psychiatry journals were harder to read than general medical journals (P<0.001).
We found that the strongest predictors of poor readability in psychiatry journals were high impact factor, article type (review), and high number of words per sentence. The Discussion was the most readable section of psychiatry papers,
followed by the Abstract, and Introduction.
Conclusion: Psychiatry articles require a high level of effort because they are difficult to read. Authors and editors should strive to make articles as readable as possible. This may increase the uptake of evidence and improve practice
Abstract (Spanish)
Introducción: Las revistas de Psiquiatría con revisión por pares (peer-review) son la principal fuente de nueva información para investigadores y clínicos. La nueva evidencia está emergiendo más rápido que nunca antes. Para mantener los más altos estándares de la práctica, los clínicos y los investigadores necesitan tener conocimiento de las últimas investigaciones. Para facilitar esto, los artículos deben ser claros, concisos y de fácil lectura. La comunicación clara es especialmente importante en campos como la Psiquiatría, que reúne muchos enfoques diferentes de investigación. El objetivo del estudio fue evaluar la facilidad de lectura de las revistas más importantes en el campo de la Psiquiatría
