The procedure for selecting core journals

The Medical Information Center of the Jikei University School of Medicine selected 168 core journals from our foreign journal collection in March 2003. Because the cost of subscribing to foreign journals is high, we are often unable to renew subscriptions. The procedure for selecting core journals is as follows. 1. research on frequency of use and impact factor of foreign journals; 2. determining selection criteria; 3. asking library-users about which core journals should be selected; 4. investigating journals recommended by library users; and 5. re-evaluating the core journals. With this process, 168 core journals were selected.