Document Selection Criteria

MOSAICO Database
“Models of Health and Traditional, Complementary, and Integrative Medicines in the Americas”

Document Selection Criteria

1.    Coverage

The MOSAICO database (Models of Health and Traditional, Complementary, and Integrative Medicines in the Americas) is a specialized database on the subject of Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicines and related health practices (TCIM). This database includes conventional and non-conventional documents of a technical-scientific nature, produced in or on the region of the Americas, according to the criteria described in this Guide.

The content of the MOSAICO database aims to reach health professionals in general, be it clinical practice, research, education, management and/or policy makers.

1.1 Thematic Coverage

The MOSAICO database covers the whole area of ​​Traditional Medicines, Complementary Medicines, and Integrative Medicines (TCIM), collecting all types of medical systems, health models, health practices and related therapies. The TCIM theme includes the aspects of health promotion, disease prevention, treatment, clinical care, as well as public policies, education and research. The documents, included in the MOSAICO database, can be developed from other areas of knowledge, not exclusively in the area of ​​health, if their knowledge object is related to the TCIM.

The concept of “traditional, complementary and integrative medicines” used for this database groups together a series of medical systems, therapies, health practices, which have in common a comprehensive view of the human being, health and disease. Some of these medical systems are part of the ancestral traditions and knowledge of ancient cultures, and others are modern medical systems that promote a holistic vision of life, health, disease processes, care, self-care, recovery, rehabilitation, and even, of death. (For further expansion of the subject see “Thematic structure”).

In general terms, the thematic coverage of the database is expressed, in documentary language, in the DeCS – Health Sciences Descriptors. It is a controlled vocabulary spectrum that helps documentalists to analyze the content of documents to be included, as well as to recover them later. (The VHL TCIM is advancing adjustments to the DeCS in the TCIM theme).

Therefore, whenever  content can be described using one or more of the specific descriptors of the TCIM area in DeCS, it must be considered for inclusion in the MOSAICO database.

The DeCS is a translation into Portuguese and Spanish of the Medical Subject Headings (MeSH), produced by the U.S. National Library of Medicine, with an expansion for Public Health (SP), Homeopathy (HP), Science and Health (SH) and Health Surveillance (VS).

1.2 Time Coverage

There are no time restrictions, although preference is given to more recent material to contribute to the database timeliness.

1.3 Geographic Coverage

TCIM documents in the context of the Americas Region are to be included, regardless of the nationality of their authors or country they were published, as well as documents produced by the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO), its Programs, and Specialized Centers.

Documents about the Americas region published in countries outside the region can also be included, provided the document has not been indexed in Medline.

1.4 Language Coverage

Documents written in Spanish, Portuguese, English, and French – PAHO official languages – will be considered for inclusion, although documents in other languages and dialects can also be included.

In the case of documents with versions in several languages and physically separated, as frequently found in documents of the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO), all versions can be included.

2.    Type of Literature

The main rule for selection is:

A document will be considered for inclusion in MOSAICO whenever its content refers to Traditional, Complementary, and Integrative Medicine (TCIM) and it may be described by using one or more the DeCS descriptors.

Satisfied the essential condition and respected the limits of geographical, chronological and language coverage, the following points should also be considered:

a) Content quality

The content of the documents must be of a technical-scientific nature, preferably basic or applied research, conducted with the rigor of the scientific method, and technical and regulatory documents from government agencies or international organizations

b) Validity and importance of the content

The documents included in the MOSAICO database should be useful for: decision-making in health (establishing a diagnosis, prescribing a treatment, accepting or rejecting a technology, defining policies, etc.); elaboration of projects or establishment of programs (statistical, socio-economic, cultural information, etc.); resolution of specific problems of the country or region; use as reference or query; personal training (educational materials for courses, seminars, etc.); evaluation of activities, procedures, services, systems, methods, etc.

Note: The stakeholders of the TCIM Americas Network in each country may include in the MOSAICO database the significant and representative national scientific and / or technical production that deserves to be internationally disseminated, provided that it meets the other criteria in this guide.

2.1 Periodic Publications – Journals

The journals to be included in the MOSAICO database will be selected by the Network stakeholders, following the most specific criteria that can be defined by the network. For example, only regular journals will be included, which are still published and not journals already interrupted. Journals that are already indexed regularly by the Medline or LILACS databases should not enter the MOSAICO database, while the purpose of this database is to complement documents on TCIM to the databases that are already included in the database. the VHL, such as Medline and LILACS.

 a)      Selection of journal manuscripts

The selection of articles for each number of journals selected for the MOSAICO database should be considered for inclusion:

• Original articles, with expressly indicated title and author;
• Review articles, updates, and case reports;
• Comments or discussions about original themes or articles, with defined authors and/or titles. If the discussion does not have defined authors, it should be considered as part of the article and its page numbering included in that of the article;
• Editorials that can be considered special scientific articles, generally followed by references;
• Papers presented in scientific events and published in journals. If only the abstract of the paper presented in a scientific event is published, it should not be analyzed in separate. In such case, the document should be included in its entirety and indexed according to the event’s general theme;
• Letters to the Editor, of significant content and that are equivalent to “small manuscripts”;
• Interviews with significant scientific content.

The following should not be considered for inclusion:

• Editorials that are only introduction to the journal themes, generally signed by the editor;
• News;
• Translations or reprints;
• Reproductions of articles already published in national and/or international journals;
• Personal editorials, letters, interviews and dialogues, without significant scientific content;
• Abstracts in general: of journal articles, monographies, papers presented in scientific events, etc.;
• Monography review;
• Drugs or equipment advertisements;
• Administrative reports or information about scientific events (Conferences, Congresses, Seminars, etc.);
• Financial and administrative reports.

b)     Selection of journal manuscripts – Offprints

An offprint is part of a larger publication (in this case, of journal articles).

In the case of articles published in journals that are not indexed in Medline, LILACS or MEDTICAM, the manuscript can be included in the MEDTICAM database as “offprint”, when it meets its general criteria.

For example, the article:

• The state of the integrative medicine in Latin America: The long road to include complementary, natural, and traditional practices in formal health systems.
  Authors: Paulo Caceres Guido; Alejandra Ribas; Marisa Gaioli; and Adriana Macchi.
  Published in: European Journal of Integrative Medicine, Volume 7, Issue 1, February 2015, Pages 5-12.

This is a journal published outside the Region of the Americas, it is not indexed in Medline or LILACS, but it is by Latin American authors and it deals with the topic MTCI. Therefore, the article can be registered in MOSAICO as an offprint.

2.2  Monographies

The monographs that are in accordance with the above-mentioned selection criteria, published in the countries of the Region of the Americas, must be considered for admission to MOSAICO.

The monographs can be analyzed in their entirety or by chapters (analytical), allowing the use of the full potential of the information system in the bibliographic description and content of the chapter or part.

Different editions will be considered as independent records. Reprints of the same edition should not be considered as new records. Reprint information can be added as a “note” in the record.

2.3  Papers presented in scientific events

Papers presented at scientific events: seminars, conferences, meetings, congresses, etc., may be included in the MOSAICO database, whether published in parts or gathered in the Annals of the respective events.

If in the Annals  only summaries of the works are published, they should not be made analytical for them. In this case, the Annals must be recorded in the whole (monographic level) and indexed by the general themes of the event.

2.4 Manuals, guides, etc.

This type of publication, is aimed at the practice of the MTCI generally, health professionals are proposed on procedures before specific situations of attention to health. They should be included and analyzed preferably at a monographic level.

2.5 Thesis and Dissertation

MOSAICO will include PhD, Master, or postdoctoral theses, as well as other graduate levels, either stricto sensu or lato sensu.

2.6 Technical scientific reports

Technical scientific reports that have significant content and that describe technical services or activities carried out by Societies, Associations, Institutions, Programs, Consultancies, Projects, etc., should be included.

2.7 Health laws

Monographic materials about laws, norms, regulations (general health laws, health regulations, bills, and draft bills, etc.) at the city, state, or national level should be included.

2.8 Educational material

Educational materials of significant content, produced by teaching institutions, scientific societies, government and non-government bodies recognized in the area should be included. Educational materials with significant content must be included, produced by educational institutions, scientific societies, governmental and non-governmental organizations recognized in the area.

Posters, loose pages, and other short-life materials should not be included.

2.9 Audiovisual Material

Educational or scientific audiovisual resources that meet the other criteria in this guide may be included.