The characterization of the literature production in occupational therapy hospital practice in Brazil: a literature review from 1990 to 2007

Abstract

This paper intends to present the characterization of knowledge production regarding occupational therapy hospital practice in Brazil through literature review from 1990 to 2007. Papers, books, chapters of books and extended abstracts of three Brazilian Occupational Therapy Congresses were review, adding up to 116 items. Data were analyzed by publication domain, period of time, the author´s professional address, type of publication, journals and their indexation, and type of production (research, literature review, experience report, theoretical, methodological or technical paper). The results show a crescent production for the last 8 years, produced by occupational therapists professionally located in the southeast. The papers are the commonest type of publication, being half of them published on indexed journals and the other half on non indexed ones. The extended abstracts have become an important means of production, followed by the book chapters. The experience report is the type of production which appears in larger numbers and research papers has increased in the last 3 years. For the area to consolidate and become qualified, making it easier to knowledge be divulged and shared, it is essential that occupational therapists carry on producing literature and thus strengthening the growing tendency verified by this study.