What is it about?
How can readers find a Japanese medical paper cited in an English-language journal? An English translation of the title may not be enough to locate the original. This review brings together advice from established medical citation guides, with six practical examples. It covers document identifiers such as DOIs and PubMed IDs, links to online sources, Japanese titles written in the Roman alphabet alongside English translations, and clear journal names. It also explains why references should state the original language. The aim is to help authors guide readers to the original sources, including journal articles and books.
Featured Image
Why is it important?
Japan has a large body of medical literature, including knowledge closely connected to its history and culture. Helping readers locate these sources can make it easier to check evidence, recognize earlier contributions, and build on work published in Japanese. This matters to researchers writing in English, editors checking references, and librarians helping people find information. The review turns detailed citation guidance into practical examples that authors can use when preparing manuscripts. Its wider message is simple: making references easier to follow can help knowledge move beyond language boundaries.
Perspectives
This review grew out of a practical question I faced while preparing an English-language article on creating 3D images from CT scans: how could I cite Japanese technical literature so that readers could find the original sources? That experience led me to look more closely at citation guides and bring together the advice in this review. For me, a reference list connects researchers across languages and generations. I hope these examples will help authors share the knowledge they rely on and give earlier work the visibility and recognition it deserves.
Kosuke Kojo
Tsukuba Daigaku
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Methods to Enhance Accessibility of Japanese Medical Literature in English Journals, JMA Journal, January 2024, Japan Medical Association,
DOI: 10.31662/jmaj.2024-0140.
You can read the full text:
Contributors
The following have contributed to this page
