Le SIGAPS « système d'interrogation, de gestion et d'analyse des publications scientifiques » et la médecine palliative en France

Bibliometric assessment leads to strategic goals for scientific publications. In France, the SIGAPS' software has established an almost exclusive standard. The purpose of this study is to evaluate relationships between SIGAPS and palliative care publications indexed in databases. Methods are handling the software and informatics' database research. The main item used is “palliative” which include as well palliative medicine and palliative care than the French médecine palliative. In French, the best SIGAPS' score would be 4 in a palliative medicine journal and would rise to 12 if accepted in a generalist practitioner revue as La Presse Médicale. In English, the best expected SIGAPS' score would be 24. The same item “palliative” was applied to a search in Science Direct database: none of the 50 first results belongs to an indexed publication in SIGAPS. But a French publication trusts the first 15 answers. SIGAPS' software has influence on the choice of a journal for scientific publication, based on its economic weight. SIGAPS acts as the English language leadership and minimizes emergent specialities as long as they are not recognized as a disciplinary field. SIGAPS acquires in France a monopolistic place in scientific medical evaluation and its economic influence is magnified by the individual professional strategies. In conclusion, medicine palliative cannot ignore SIGAPS, can use it if necessary but must not be ruled by SIGAPS. Publication in French journals is important to build a culture, a common framework and knowledge.