Challenges for the sustainability of Brazilian scientific journals and the SciELO Program

Abstract

Scientific journals play a fundamental role in the development of science. However, in Brazil, there are major challenges for their sustainability, as well as for the sustainability of the SciELO Program. The article reports a worrying scenario of low public funding and lack of strategic planning for long-term funding for scientific publication, contrary to the development of Brazilian journals and the SciELO Program. This scenario places great pressure on journals, with reports of situations of closure of activities, or implementation of fees charged to authors, while bringing financial insecurity to the SciELO Program. The actions taken by Brazilian scientific societies and the position of the Forum of Editors of Public Health Journals are aligned with that of the Advisory Committee of the SciELO Brazil Collection, namely that the publication of scientific journals edited in Brazil is strategic and, therefore, should be fostered through public policies and supported with public financing from the sponsoring institutions and grants from the research funding institutions.

Key words:
Policies of support and financing of scientific journals; Expenditure indicators on Science and Technology; National policy on Science; Technology and Innovation