Accessing the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM)
NEJM content is accessible through multiple platforms, with the primary access being through NEJM.org, which serves as the electronic version of record and reaches approximately four times as many readers as the print edition. 1
Primary Access Methods
Electronic Access (Primary Platform)
- NEJM.org serves as the main platform, with over half a million readers accessing the Journal electronically each week 1
- The electronic presentation has become the version of record since the Journal first went online in 1996, with print now representing only one component of complete publication 1
- Electronic publications may include supplementary materials such as video content and other multimedia elements 1
Institutional Access
- Access through medical libraries and institutional subscriptions is the most common method for healthcare professionals and researchers 2
- Major medical institutions typically provide access to NEJM as part of their database subscriptions 2
Database Indexing
- NEJM articles are indexed in major medical databases including PubMed, MEDLINE, and other comprehensive health care information sources 2
- Tables of contents from NEJM are distributed weekly to guideline staff and other subscribers, with full-text articles available electronically 2
Content Availability
Publication Frequency
- NEJM publishes regularly with content becoming available both in print and electronic formats 1
- The NEJM Group expanded in January 2022 with the launch of NEJM Evidence, a monthly, peer-reviewed, online-only general medical journal publishing original research across the full spectrum of clinical investigation 3
Timeliness of Coverage
- Medical news from NEJM receives rapid dissemination, with more than three-fourths of newspaper stories about NEJM articles appearing within two days of the journal article's issue date 4
- Articles considered most important to the public receive more extensive and prominent coverage and appear sooner in media outlets 4
Important Considerations
Common pitfall: Relying solely on secondary sources or media reports rather than accessing the primary NEJM articles directly, as newspaper coverage, while timely, may not capture the full nuance of the research 4
Access strategy: For those without institutional subscriptions, individual subscriptions to NEJM.org provide the most comprehensive access to current and archived content 1