The aim of this study was to evaluate the evolution of bibliometric indicators for authorship and citation of ARCHIVOS DE BRONCONEUMOLOGIA over the past 20 years. At least 16 articles reporting new research or case reports were analyzed for every other year from 1976 to 1996. The following data were collected for each article: type of document, number of authors and their place of work and specialty, time interval between acceptance and publication, and references (including number, types, language, journal name and year of publication). The number of authors per article (collaboration index) averaged around five and has not varied significantly over the 20 years studied. Pulmonologists predominated among the authors, accounting for about 60% of the total, and most contributions came from a few provinces, mainly Barcelona and Madrid. The interval between reception and publication has gradually increased over the 20 years under review, coming to stand around 9.9 +/- 1.6 months in 1996. Most references (over 80%) cite journals and the proportion of references to books has decreased in recent years (from 12.3% in 1976 to 3.5% in 1996). The journal's index of isolation has increased (from 6.2 to 12.1%), as has the index of self-citation (from 0.4 to 6.2%). Although most cited works are in English (over 80%), the proportion of Spanish-language references increased (from 6.2 to 12.1%). In conclusion, maintenance of the number of collaborating authors, the predominance of journals and English-language sources among references are the main traits that characterize the bibliometric indicators for authorship and citation in ARCHIVOS DE BRONCONEUMOLOGIA.