➡ Images on this page may display a French-language interface. However you can browse the database in three languages: French, English and Portuguese.
This database aims at meeting the need for reference medical publications with respect to childbirth and perinatal care. It can be used by both individuals (users) and professionals.
It allows a quick research on a given topic, without having to study dozens of professional journals, and to draw a fair general idea from reading summaries.
Though is not oriented towards a particular agenda, selection biases are unavoidable. For this reason we hope to increase the number of contributors covering a wide range of topics.
The 3‑language interface has been adapted to browsing on tablets and mobile phones.
Youtube channel: a tutorial of the AFAR database (soon in English)
➡ The following is a summary of main features described in the tutorial.
Two methods are proposed for querying the AFAR bibliographical database: simplified search and expert query.
Simplified search (keyword-based)
Follow one of the following links to display the search page:
- Français recherche par mots-clés
- English simplified search (keywords)
- Português pesquisa por palavras-chaves
- Español consulta por palabras claves
On each page it is possible to change language in a single click and even choose a different font for the display.
Expert query
Displaying results
- Clicking the title opens the detailed record
- Clicking links (“URL” column) leads to an archive of the abstract (generally on the publisher’s site)
Easy: use the record number!
- From the record number, a simple URL leads directly to the record
Example for record #2132 : https://afar.info/id=2132
Subscribe to the site: why?
It is recommended to subscribe to the website of the database. The site will only store your name and email address, all of which will remain confidential.
Subscribing gives access to the following services:
- Follow the creation of records by selecting the keywords your are interested in
- Access to the “edit” mode for the creation or modification of records if you have been granted authorization after your registration. A single click allows you to beg for it.
To subscribe, click the link “Log in” at the top right, then “I am not subscribed, please create my account…”.
An interactive site!
Users registered on the site can add their comments at the bottom of each bibliographic record. A charter defines the conditions of acceptance of these comments (a posteriori moderated). Their purpose is to complete the article and provide links to other reliable sources of information.
Questions/answers on the bibliography
Since when has it been operational?
2003
Is it commercial?
Non
Who is maintaing and expanding it?
Dedicated voluntaries, including one who are not be members of the AFAR
Is it an exhaustive bibliography?
No, it is non-systematically fed when articles are identified as important for users, or when a systematic review is performed on a particular topic.
Which fields are required for each publication?
- title,
- authors,
- journal and year of publication,
- keywords,
- URL(s) of the publication (abstract and full text if available)
- abstract of the publication
- if possible, translations of the abstract in other languages
- when relevant, comments and analysis, with links to discussion pages
- since 2009, the DOI (Digital Object Identifier, a persistent identifier of publications)
Do we get the full text for every article?
In any case, articles are subject to “copyright”, thereby meaning that their dissemination is subject to conditions.
When the journal grants free access to the text, we indicate its URL and keep a copy of its content for public or private access, depending on its copyright status. However the majority of accesses are on a paid-basis.
To access the content of an article you must either subscribe to the journal or buy the articles — often around 30 USD per article, whatever its size.
It is also possible to directly ask for a reprint from the authors or read the paper in an academic library.
How can I contribute?
Do you know (or wish to know) how to search medical publications, read abstracts most often in English and do a quick analysis, or translate abstracts? Does the topic of medical practices during pregnancy or childbirth interest you?
If you wish to contribute to this bibliography, you can register on the database and ask to be granted editor’s rights.
➡ Click the “Login” link at the top right of each page, then “Create my account”.
You will then be able to add/modify records (addition of abstract, comments, full text) with the help of the administrators. Some very useful work requires no documentation skills, such as updating links to publications that were recorded in ancient times.
You can also import into the AFAR database a bibliography that you have created with the Zotero tool:
- send us the Zotero export in EndNote+Xml format, we will import it into our database
- or register and ask us for administrator access to perform the import by yourself.
Download the Zotero import method (PDF in French)
Pour une recherche exhaustive de références médicales, consultez PubMed (National Center for Biotechnology Information). Un mode d’emploi en français vous est proposé par l’Université de Montréal. | For an exhaustive query of the medical literature, please connect to PubMed (National Center for Biotechnology Information). |
Un index d’articles scientifiques sur la grossesse et la période “primale” des bébés peut être consulté au Centre de recherche en santé primale. Un autre répertoire important sur la pratique de sage-femme est celui de UK Midwifery Archive. | The Primal Health Research Centre provides an index to the scientific literature relative to pregnancy and the “primal” period of babies. Another important source on midwifery practice is the UK Midwifery Archive. |