Acessibilidade / Reportar erro
Editorial • Ambient. soc. 27 • 2024 • https://doi.org/10.1590/1809-4422asoceditorialENG2024L3ED   copy

Recovering Science as a Public Good: New Pathways for Editorial

Authorship SCIMAGO INSTITUTIONS RANKINGS

The phrase that gives name to this editorial was spoken by Professor Antonio Páez from the School of Earth, Environment & Society at McMaster University in Hamilton, Canada. He mentioned it during his lecture entitled “Open Science” at the Federal University of ABC (UFABC), while he was a visiting professor in the first semester of 2024. In this lecture, the professor shared his knowledge on the topic, aligning himself with the position of the International Science Council as presented in “Science as a Global Public Good” from November 2021. The event provided a new range of students with insights into current scientific processes beyond the common understanding of open publication and open access to scientific articles.

As explained by Professor Páez, the concept of open science has gained prominence in recent years, reflecting a progressive evolution that seeks to make scientific research and its dissemination accessible at all levels of society. This approach is part of the co-creation of knowledge for the public good. Recently, with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the open science movement was powerfully exemplified by the global response, where scientists shared data and ideas with unprecedented openness. This behavior crosses the public-private interface and exposes processes that inhibit the effectiveness of science in contributing to the global public good (Boulton, 2021BOULTON, G.S. Science as a Global Public Good. International Science Council Position Paper. 2021. Available on: https://council.science/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Science-as-a-global-public-good_v041021.pdf
https://council.science/wp-content/uploa... ).

In line with the importance of open science, UNESCO (2021) defines it as a set of practices aimed at making scientific knowledge accessible to everyone, regardless of their origins or resources:

Open science is defined as an inclusive construct that combines various movements and practices aiming to make multilingual scientific knowledge openly available, accessible and reusable for everyone, to increase scientific collaborations and sharing of information for the benefits of science and society, and to open the processes of scientific knowledge creation, evaluation and communication to societal actors beyond the traditional scientific community. It comprises all scientific disciplines and aspects of scholarly practices, including basic and applied sciences, natural and social sciences and the humanities, and it builds on the following key pillars: open scientific knowledge, open science infrastructures, science communication, open engagement of societal actors and open dialogue with other knowledge systems (UNESCO, 2021, p. 7).

The unanimous adoption of the Recommendation on Open Science by UNESCO’s 193 Member States in November 2021 represents a significant step towards this agenda, promoting a new era of scientific governance aimed at serving the global public good. In summary, open science can be seen as a set of principles and practices that aim to make scientific research accessible to everyone, benefiting both scientists and society as a whole (UNESCO, 2023).

Following this understanding, the Center for Open Science (COS) presents principles aimed at “democratizing access to research, promoting equitable distribution of resources, fostering accountability and reliability, accelerating self-correction, and improving rigor and reproducibility.” Some of these principles include Open Access; Open Data, Protocols, Materials, and Code; and Open Evaluation and Peer Review, among others (Center for Open Science, n.d.CENTER FOR OPEN SCIENCE. Open Science. [s.d.]. Available on: https://www.cos.io/open-science. Access on: 4 jul. 2024.
https://www.cos.io/open-science... ).

In this context, the Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO) stands out as an initiative aligned with the principles of open science. By offering free access to a vast collection of scientific journals from Latin America, SciELO provides a democratic platform for the dissemination of scientific knowledge. Scientific journals and magazines play a crucial role in promoting good editorial practices, expanding the reach of science, and encouraging transparency and collaboration among researchers.

Ambiente & Sociedade, as an integral part of the SciELO Brazil Collection, plays an essential role in disseminating interdisciplinary research that addresses the interaction between society and the environment. Our editorial policy promotes open access, significantly contributing to the adoption of better practices among authors in the field. By adhering to the criteria established by SciELO, we ensure the quality and relevance of the published research, as well as strengthen our mission to make scientific knowledge accessible to everyone. In this sense, adherence to the criteria described in the document “Criteria, policy and procedures for admission and permanence of scientific journals in the SciELO Brazil Collection” (SciELO, 2022SciELO. Criteria, policy and procedures for admission and permanence of scientific journals in the SciELO Brazil Collection. 2022. Available on: https://www.scielo.br/media/files/20220900-scielo-brazil-criteria-en.pdf. Access on: 4 may. 2024.
https://www.scielo.br/media/files/202209... ) reinforces our commitment to excellence and transparency in scientific communication. This commitment is fundamental to addressing contemporary challenges and promoting sustainable development that benefits society as a whole1 1 - Other journals in the SciELO collection are also adapting to these changes, adopting open access policies and encouraging the publication of research data, such as Revista Brasileira de Saúde Materno Infantil (RBSMI), Educação & Sociedade, Revista Interdisciplinar da Mobilidade Humana (REMHU), among others. .

Efforts to comply with open science practices involve various measures and actions. The updates in the editorial policy of Ambiente & Sociedade are described on the journal’s page on SciELO. We strongly recommend a careful reading of the instructions for authors before submission. Among the main updates, the following stand out:

  • Compliance with Open Science: Authors must submit the “Open Science and Research Ethics Compliance Form” along with their submission. This form is available on the instructions for authors page and contains questions about preprint submission, disclosure of materials and data, research ethics, authorship participation in the work, sources of funding, conflicts of interest, and originality of the material.

  • Research Ethics: We recommend that authors read and follow the “Guidelines on Best Practices for Strengthening Ethics in Scientific Publication” (SciELO, 2018aSciELO. Guidelines on Best Practices for Strengthening Ethics in Scientific Publication. 2018a. Available on:https://wp.scielo.org/wp-content/uploads/Guide-to-Best-Practices-for-Strengthening-Ethics-in-Scientific-Publishing.pdf. Access on: 4 may. 2024.
    https://wp.scielo.org/wp-content/uploads...     ), and the “Guidelines on Good Publication Practice” (COPE, 1999COPE. Guidelines on Good Publication Practice. 1999. Available on: https://publicationethics.org/files/u7141/1999pdf13.pdf. Access on: 4 may. 2024.
    https://publicationethics.org/files/u714...     ), which present the publication ethics principles established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

  • Open Data: We encourage authors to share their datasets, instruments, statistical analysis scripts, protocols, and additional materials in appropriate data repositories, such as SciELO Data (https://data.scielo.org/), Zenodo (https://zenodo.org/), or GitHub (https://github.com/). We recommend reading the “Guide to promoting the opening, transparency and reproducibility of research published by SciELO journals” (SciELO, 2018bSciELO. Guide to promoting the opening, transparency and reproducibility of research published by SciELO journals. 2018b. Available on:https://wp.scielo.org/wp-content/uploads/Guia_TOP_en.pdf. Access on: 4 may. 2024.
    https://wp.scielo.org/wp-content/uploads...     ).

We hope that these actions will not only increase the visibility and impact of the published research but also encourage other journals to follow the same path. Additionally, in this editorial, we share with the readers of Ambiente & Sociedade changes in the journal’s editorial team.

Change in Editorial Leadership

Ambiente & Sociedade, affiliated with the National Association for Research and Graduate Studies in Environment and Society (ANPPAS), began its activities in 1997. Since then, Prof. Dr. Pedro Roberto Jacobi has been the Editor-in-Chief of the journal, working in partnership with Lucia Ferreira (NEPAM/UNICAMP) and Hector Leis (UFSC). In 2011, Professor Jacobi assumed the editorial leadership of the journal, and under his coordination, the journal achieved national and international recognition, becoming a reference in environmental and interdisciplinary discussions, despite various challenges faced.

In this year of 2024, we announce that the journal will be led by four hands, with the inclusion of Dr. Julia Silvia Guivant. She, who has already served as president of ANPPAS, is a retired full professor from the Department of Sociology and Political Science at the Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC), where she currently serves as a permanent professor in the Graduate Programs in Sociology and Political Science and the Interdisciplinary Program in Human Sciences. With a remarkable academic trajectory and extensive experience in environmental sociology, the professor will significantly contribute to addressing the challenges of making the journal increasingly aligned with the transformations in the publishing world. These transformations include advances in technology, such as artificial intelligence, and the premise of ensuring open access for all.

Her addition also aligns with the desire to increase representation in leadership positions, promoting gender diversity in prominent roles. Such actions enrich scientific debate and contribute to a more comprehensive and fair approach to the production and dissemination of knowledge. Furthermore, they are essential for inspiring future generations of female researchers, reinforcing the importance of equal opportunities in the academic field. We are confident that this partnership will bring new perspectives and further strengthen Ambiente & Sociedade.

Finally, we invite everyone to read and explore the recent articles that are part of Volume 2024.

In the article “The Institutionality of Environmental Justice in a REDD+ Offset Project”, the authors Karla Sessin-Dilascio, Charles Borges Rossi, and Paulo Antônio de Almeida Sinisgalli analyze the implementation of the Verra Climate, Community, and Biodiversity standard in a REDD+ offset project in the Brazilian Amazon and its results in terms of environmental justice. Using the Institutional Analysis and Development Framework, the research identifies interactions between arenas and formal and informal rules in environmental justice outcomes. The results highlight the importance of the operational arena and the institutional work of local actors in the outcomes of REDD+ offset projects regarding aspects of environmental justice (Sessin-Dilascio; Rossi; Sinisgalli, 2024SESSIN-DILASCIO, K.; ROSSI, C. B.; SINISGALLI, P. A. DE A.. The Institutionality of Environmental Justice in a REDD+ Offset Project. Ambiente & Sociedade, v. 27, p. e00188, 2024. Available on: https://doi.org/10.1590/1809-4422asoc0188r3vu27L2OA . Acesso em 08 jul. 2024.
https://doi.org/10.1590/1809-4422asoc018... ).

In the article “A charcoal frontier: the steel industry and forest in twentieth-century Minas Gerais (Brazil)”, the authors Lenício Dutra Marinho Júnior, Haruf Salmen Espindola, and Eunice Sueli Nodari investigate the relationship between large steel companies and the devastation of the Atlantic Forest in the Rio Doce Valley. Using technical reports, official statistics, and other sources, the study highlights the Belgo-Mineira company to measure the impacts of the charcoal-based steel industry on the forest (Marinho Júnior; Espindola; Nodari, 2024MARINHO JÚNIOR, L. D.; ESPINDOLA, H. S.; NODARI, E. S.. A charcoal frontier: the steel industry and forest in twentieth-century Minas Gerais (Brazil). Ambiente & Sociedade, v. 27, p. e00033, 2024. Available on: https://doi.org/10.1590/1809-4422asoc0033r1vu27L2OA . Access on: 08 jul. 2024.
https://doi.org/10.1590/1809-4422asoc003... ).

In the article “National Solid Waste Policy: Analyzing the Collective and Diffuse Rights of Recyclable Materials Collectors”, the authors Marcos Aurélio Pereira Valadão and Rônei Alves da Silva analyze the effectiveness of the National Solid Waste Policy (Law 12.305/2010) in ensuring the rights of recyclable material collectors. Using hypothetical-deductive methods and a qualitative approach, the study focuses on public civil actions in São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, and Brasília. The authors conclude that governmental omission requires the continuous action of the Public Prosecutor’s Office and the Public Defender’s Office to guarantee the rights of these workers and promote environmental sustainability (Valadão; Silva, 2024VALADÃO, M. A. P.; SILVA, R. A. National Solid Waste Policy: Analyzing the Collective and Diffuse Rights of Recyclable Materials Collectors. Ambiente & Sociedade, v. 27, p. e00111, 2024. Available on: https://doi.org/10.1590/1809-4422asoc0111vu27L2OA . Acesso em 08 jul. 2024.
https://doi.org/10.1590/1809-4422asoc011... ).

In the study “Does tourism policy consider climate? Exploring rainy season narratives on the Alagoas coast, Brazil”, the authors Briana Bombana, Ivan Machado Martins, Juliana de Carvalho Gaeta, Marcos Paulo Santos Pereira, Iran Campello Normande and Aline da Silva Cerqueira explore how the rainy season is considered in Alagoas’ tourism policy, considering the Strategic Plan for Tourism Development of Alagoas 2013-2023. The authors make four main recommendations: 1) Recognize the rainy season to promote the diversification of tourism across different seasons and regions; 2) Increase adaptive capacity in the face of climate change; 3) Recognize and diversify economic activities beyond tourism; and 4) Integrate other public policies with tourism policy (Bombana, et al., 2024BOMBANA, B. et al. Does tourism policy consider climate? Exploring rainy season narratives on the Alagoas coast, Brazil. Ambiente & Sociedade, v. 27, p. e00108, 2024. Available on: https://doi.org/10.1590/1809-4422asoc0108r1vu27L2OA . Access on: 08 jul. 2024.
https://doi.org/10.1590/1809-4422asoc010... ).

The article “Groundwater in water scarcity context in the São Francisco River Basin (MG)” by Jeane Dantas de Carvalho, Marília Carvalho de Melo, Paulo Galvão, Wezer Lismar Miranda, and Breno Esteves Lasmar, evaluates the correlation between the increase in groundwater use permit applications and periods of negative precipitation anomalies in the São Francisco River Basin, Minas Gerais, between 2009 and 2018. Using permit and precipitation data, the authors identify a direct relationship between water scarcity and the increase in groundwater use permit applications, particularly between the years 2014 and 2018 (Carvalho, et al., 2024CARVALHO, J. D. et al. Groundwater in water scarcity context in the São Francisco River Basin (MG). Ambiente & Sociedade, v. 27, p. e00177, 2024. Available on: https://doi.org/10.1590/1809-4422asoc0177r5vu27L2OA . Access on: 08 jul. 2024.
https://doi.org/10.1590/1809-4422asoc017... ).

In the article “Maslow and the Environment: Integrating the Social Representation and the Theory of Needs” Anna Karolina Osório Pimentel, Luciana Aparecida Farias, Cristina Rossi Nakayama, Claudio Benedito Baptista Leite, Carla Grigoletto Duarte, and Luiz Omir de Cerqueira Leite investigate the relationship between Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and social representations of the environment. Using the Environmental Motivation Profile Test on 134 participants, the results indicate a significant correlation between the stage of self-actualization and a global representation of the environment (Pimentel, et al., 2024PIMENTEL, A. K. O. et al. Maslow and the Environment: Integrating the Social Representation and the Theory of Needs. Ambiente & Sociedade, v. 27, p. e00147, 2024. Available on: https://doi.org/10.1590/1809-4422asoc0147r1vu27L2OA . Access on: 08 jul. 2024.
https://doi.org/10.1590/1809-4422asoc014... ).

The authors Patrícia Marques Santos, Claudio Belmonte de Athayde Bohrer, and Marcelo Trindade Nascimento, in their article “Impacts of land use and land cover changes in phytophysiognomies in the Atlantic forest” evaluate the landscape of the Northern and Northwestern regions of Rio de Janeiro, determining changes in forest cover by phytophysiognomy using MapBiomas collection 6 (1985-2020). Between 1985 and 2020, they observed a reduction in forest cover losses, masked by gains in secondary vegetation. Agriculture was the main factor in vegetation loss, resulting in currently having less than 8% of the vegetation being protected (Santos; Bohrer; Nascimento, 2024SANTOS, P. M.; BOHRER, C. B. DE A.; NASCIMENTO, M. T.. Impacts of land use and land cover changes in phytophysiognomies in the atlantic forest. Ambiente & Sociedade, v. 27, p. e01701, 2024. Available on: https://doi.org/10.1590/1809-4422asoc0170r1vu27L1OA . Access on: 08 jul. 2024.
https://doi.org/10.1590/1809-4422asoc017... ).

In the article “Definition of Sustainability Indicators Applicable to Educational Units”, Barbara Silva e Souza, Ricardo Gabbay de Souza, Arthur Bispo Ferreira, and Fabiana Alves Fiore propose sustainability indicators for schools in Brazil. The quantitative-qualitative research adapted existing sustainability tools, validated by sustainability and education experts. The resulting model, structured in management, physical structure, and education for sustainability, can support the creation of environmental certification instruments, ensuring the quality of sustainable education in formal teaching (Souza, et al., 2024SOUZA, B. S. E . et al. Definition of Sustainability Indicators Applicable to Educational Units. Ambiente & Sociedade, v. 27, p. e00214, 2024. Available on: https://doi.org/10.1590/1809-4422asoc0214r1vu27L2OA . Acesso em 08 jul. 2024.
https://doi.org/10.1590/1809-4422asoc021... ).

In the article “Quality of life of organic and conventional soybean farmers”, Jefferson Andronio Ramundo Staduto, Ana Cecília Kreter and Valdir Antonio Galante examine the quality of life of soybean producers in Brazil, comparing the impacts of organic and conventional production. The research, using statistical models, concludes that organic producers have fewer symptoms associated with pesticide exposure and are more likely to report life satisfaction, indicating that organic production contributes to improved quality of life and rural sustainability (Staduto; Kreter; Galante, 2024STADUTO, J. A. R.; KRETER, A. C.; GALANTE, V. A.. Quality of life of organic and conventional soybean farmers. Ambiente & Sociedade, v. 27, p. e00050, 2024. Available on: https://doi.org/10.1590/1809-4422asoc0050r2vu27L2OA . Acesso em 08 jul. 2024.
https://doi.org/10.1590/1809-4422asoc005... ).

In the article “Food security and sustainable urban planning for resilient and healthy cities: a multiple case study” Debora Sotto and Arlindo Philippi Jr. investigate the coordination of public policies on urban resilience and food security in ten Brazilian cities. The qualitative analysis revealed a great variation in public policy actions, pointing to opportunities for future research and policy improvements (Sotto; Philippi Jr., 2024SOTTO, D.; PHILIPPI JR., A.. Food security and sustainable urban planning for resilient and healthy cities: a multiple case study. Ambiente & Sociedade, v. 27, p. e00125, 2024. Available on: https://doi.org/10.1590/1809-4422asoc0125r1vu27L2OA . Acesso em 08 jul. 2024.
https://doi.org/10.1590/1809-4422asoc012... ).

We wish everyone a great read!

References

  • 1
    - Other journals in the SciELO collection are also adapting to these changes, adopting open access policies and encouraging the publication of research data, such as Revista Brasileira de Saúde Materno Infantil (RBSMI), Educação & Sociedade, Revista Interdisciplinar da Mobilidade Humana (REMHU), among others.

Publication Dates

  • Publication in this collection
    01 Nov 2024
  • Date of issue
    2024
Creative Common - by 4.0
This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License
ANPPAS - Revista Ambiente e Sociedade Anppas / Revista Ambiente e Sociedade - São Paulo - SP - Brazil
E-mail: revistaambienteesociedade@gmail.com
Acompanhe os números deste periódico no seu leitor de RSS