Many readers and reviewers of medical journals, standards, and guidelines believe that information’s credibility is directly influenced by the number of references within the past 5 years. Is there magic in the research and information accumulated since 2019? I believe we know the answer to this question. I am mainly considering the worldwide lull in research and publication during the pandemic. Why is there a “rule” about citing information published in the previous 5 years?
When considering research to be published in medical journals, such as JAVA, the literature search that preceded the development of the research question, purpose, and aim should show a synthesis of currently available knowledge. The researcher should not simply assess the last 5 years of information and assume they have the whole story, but likewise, they shouldn’t ignore new evidence.
The mysterious part of the 5-year rule is that the more narrow, specialized, obscure,...