Pubservatory makes changes in PubMed database transparent
The Information Centre for Life Sciences ZB MED has developed Pubservatory, a beta version of a tool that makes the maintenance of the PubMed database visible. It shows additions and deletions of publications in selected time periods, thus increasing transparency for researchers, librarians and information specialists.
PubMed, maintained by the National Library of Medicine in the USA for over 150 years, is considered a central source of information for life sciences. The tool provides overviews of changes made, interactive visualizations of the course of time, and insights into content or metadata changes based on NLM data.
Deleted records usually concern duplicates, where the content is retained while multiple entries are removed. A planned version for spring 2026 will specifically show duplicate deletions.
Features include tracking of additions and deletions on a weekly basis, interactive charts, direct access to publications from the overview, separate or combined viewing, and full documentation of all changes.
Changes in PubMed can have a significant impact on research and analysis in medicine, biology and related disciplines, as the database provides millions of scientific articles worldwide free of charge. Pubservatory strengthens confidence in the integrity of bibliographic data in growing and regulated information systems.
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Editor: X-Press Journalistenbüro GbR
Gender Notice. The personal designations used in this text always refer equally to female, male and diverse persons. Double/triple naming and gendered designations are used for better readability. ected.
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