EDITORIAL
Brazilian Journal of Physical Therapy: a history of dedication, hard work and success
Why is it that Brazil does not have any journals with an impact factor greater than 1? Why is it that we still do not have a Nobel Prize? Why is it that the top two Brazilian universities are ranked far below several institutions in North America, Europe and Australia, some of which receive less public funding than Universidade de São Paulo (USP) and Universidade Estadual de Campinas (Unicamp)? Why is our rate of research, despite the rapid growth of the last decade, still far behind the best educational institutions in the world? Why is it that we do not patent the knowledge generated here?
Perhaps the answers to these questions are interconnected. We need to bravely reconsider the administration model of our universities and the policies on scientific and technological development. The same applies to the policy on the dissemination of scientific knowledge.
Unfortunately, in several fields of knowledge in Brazil, we find that researchers linked to no more than a few courses are creating scientific journals to publish their own work. The result has been the propagation of new, but low quality journals.
In order to rectify this situation, the Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy Council of the State of São Paulo (Crefito-SP) took on the challenge of supporting the Brazilian Journal of Physical Therapy (BJPT) to help in the development of a strategic project based on merit.
Thus, in 2004, the BJPT set a course which can serve as a model to the country. In 2006, it began to be published quarterly and bimonthly in the following year, with English versions. The results started to appear with several new indexations: Cambridge Scientific Abstracts (CSA, 2004), Scientific Electronic Library On-line (SciELO, 2006), CINAHL (2007), Periódica (Mexico 2007), Scopus & EMCare (Elsevier Database 2008), Thomson Scientific Science Citation Expanded (SciSearch), and Journal Citation Reports (JCR, 2008). We went from 134 submitted articles and 36 published articles in 2003 to 235 submitted articles and 70 published articles in 2007.
In addition to the support from Crefito-SP and Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCar), the BJPT editors secured the support of other institutions such as Universidade Nove de Julho (Uninove), Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), the Research Foundation of the State of Minas Gerais (Fapemig), the Research Foundation of the State of São Paulo (Fapesp), and the National Council of Scientific and Technological Research (CNPq). Recently, we succeeded in changing the administration of the Federal Council of Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy (Coffito), which will certainly join these institutions in the mission of making the BJPT the first Brazilian journal with an impact factor greater than 1.
In order to accomplish this mission, the Editorial Council has determined:
the reduction of the national and international editorial boards and the creation of productivity criteria for membership and;
the professional qualification of the journal's production staff, with a complete change in layout, graphic material and print quality.
Now, it is up to the researchers to produce technical and scientific knowledge in this area. You can do your part by submitting high quality manuscripts to BJPT and cite them in journals indexed in ISI Web of Science.
Thus, we can set an example to our fellow Brazilians and show them that, instead of scattering funding resources, we must concentrate them on the support and incentive of merit-based projects. By transforming the BJPT into one of the world's main showcases of physical therapy research, we will also be opening doors for our professionals in this globalized and highly demanding market.
Finally, we must not forget the immense contribution of Helenice Jane Cote Gil Coury, PT and PhD, who for many years has labored tirelessly with no financial reward. Her steps are being followed by Tania de Fátima Salvini, PT and PhD and Sérgio Teixeira Fonseca, PT and PhD. We owe the success of the BJPT to them.
Gil Lúcio Almeida
President of the Council of Physical Therapists and Occupational Therapists of the State of São Paulo
Publication Dates
-
Publication in this collection
11 Dec 2008 -
Date of issue
Oct 2008
