Issue: IeJSME 2019 13(2)

Impact factor and other citation metrics: The impact on scholarly writing

Authors: Pei Kuan Lai, Sivalingam Nalliah, Cheong Lieng Teng, Nicole Lee Ping Chen.

ABSTRACT

The impact factor (IF) of a journal, first proposed by Garfield has evolved over the years as an evaluation tool for comparing scholarly journals. Over the past few decades, the utilization of IF has extended beyond the tool for acquisition of journals in libraries and proxy for quality and importance of published journals. Nowadays, IF has been widely used as a surrogate for article quality, assessment of individual researcher’s achievement, criteria to secure tenure and job promotion, as well as evaluation tool for the application of research grant or funding. This review addresses the historical perspective of IF and its evolution, the controversial issues leading to the manipulation by journal editors or authors, and followed by some of the interventions to overcome the manipulations and controversies. IF itself has many drawbacks and shortcomings worth addressing as they will lead to bias as a citation index. The scientific community should pay attention to call for a better citation metric which will prove to be an improved yardstick of science. This paper also covers on other citation metrics and their emerging usages as parameter for evaluation of scientific publication quality.

Keywords: Impact factor, bibliometry, citation metrics.

Citation: IeJSME 2019 13(2): 4-11

DOI: https://doi.org/10.56026/imu.13.2.4

Developments in the implementation of sugar-sweetened beverage tax in Malaysia – A narrative review

Authors: Sangeetha Shyam, Snigdha Misra, Megan Hueh Zan Chong, Rokiah Don.

ABSTRACT

The high and growing prevalence of obesity in Malaysia is a public health concern. There is a growing effort towards creating an environment that supports healthy lifestyles through instituting appropriate public health policies. The Sweetened Beverages Excise Duty is a recent initiative in this direction that was enforced on July 1st, 2019. In this status update, we trace the developments in the implementation of the tax. This paper collates the preparatory considerations preceding the implementation of the tax, the proposed objectives of the tax, its format as reported in the media. The early sentiments expressed by the stakeholders in the duration leading to the implementation and immediately after (10 days’ post-implementation) the enforcement of the duty are also presented here. This preliminary information will be useful to evaluate the effectiveness of this newly introduced Sweetened Beverages Excise Duty in Malaysia.

Keywords: Sugar tax, obesity, Malaysia, sugar sweetened beverages, policy.

Citation: IeJSME 2019 13(2): 12-22

DOI: https://doi.org/10.56026/imu.13.2.12

Pre-independence medical journals in British Malaya: A content analysis

Authors: Cheong Lieng Teng, Kean Ghee Lim, Chun Yiing Ang, Soo Yin Chan, Edwin Keat Song Sam, Jason Chee Siang Wee, Yee Chiing Ong.

ABSTRACT

Introduction: This study aims to describe the content of several pre-independence medical journals published in
British Malaya.

Methods: The content of five journals were retrieved from National Library of Singapore e-resources and print collection of the Reference Library, Institute for Medical Research, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The content of these journals was classified and descriptive analysis performed.

Results: The five journals identified were Journal of the Straits Medical Association, Journal of the Malaya Branch of the British Medical Association, Malaya Medical Journal, Malayan Medical Journal and Journal of the Malaya Branch of the British Medical Association (new series). A total of 81 issues with 873 articles were retrieved. Almost one-third of articles were concerned with these topics: malaria, mosquito control, beri-beri, tuberculosis, sexually transmitted diseases, helminthiasis, leprosy and cholera. One-fifth of the articles were case reports and 95% of the articles were written by single authors.

Discussion: The content of these journals is a good resource for those who are interested in the history of medicine – it provided substantial details on the state of public health and chronicled the medical writings of medical workers in British Malaya. It illustrates well the introduction of Western medicine to tackle health problems that arose from the interplay of immigration, poor environmental sanitation and economic exploitation.

Keywords: British Malaya; Health care; History of medicine; Journals.

Citation: IeJSME 2019 13(2): 23-26

DOI: https://doi.org/10.56026/imu.13.2.23

Community awareness and perception of smoking ban at eateries in Pedas, Negeri Sembilan

Authors: Wei Fern Siew, Davasooria Selvamani, Umais Memon, Xiaoxuan Liu, Sze Shian Wee.

ABSTRACT

Malaysia has enforced a nationwide smoking ban to the public at all eateries on the 1st of January 2019. A survey on the awareness and perception towards this ban among adults was carried out in Pedas, Negeri Sembilan. Preliminary findings were assuring. A total of 91.3% (n = 347, N = 380) of the respondents were aware of this ban. Among the respondents, a low percentage of them were smokers, 29.2% (n = 111). A median of 285.5 respondents (75.1%, IQR = 58.25), including the smokers, perceived that this ban brings about health benefits to self and their family when environmental tobacco smoke exposure is curbed.

Keywords: passive smoking; smoke exposure; legislation; adults; rural area.

Citation: IeJSME 2019 13(2): 27-31

DOI: https://doi.org/10.56026/imu.13.2.27