Importance and Relevance of the Brazilian Journal of Transplantation for Brazilian Transplantation

ABSTRACT

The Brazilian Journal of Transplantation, through its activities and commitment to high ethical and academic standards, aims to consolidate itself as a reference in the dissemination of knowledge and scientific advancement in the field of transplants, both nationally and internationally. BJT's social contribution as a reliable and peer-reviewed dissemination vehicle is undeniable. It reaches the scientific community and the population in general, demystifying the organ donation processes, highlighting the organ distribution model through the national single queue and raising awareness of the need for donation.

Descriptors
Organ Transplantation; Obtaining Tissues and Organs; Access to Information

RESUMO

O Brazilian Journal of Transplantation, por meio de sua atuação e comprometimento com altos padrões éticos e acadêmicos, almeja consolidar-se como uma referência na disseminação de conhecimento e avanço científico no campo dos transplantes, tanto nacional quanto internacionalmente. É inegável a contribuição social da BJT como um veículo de divulgação confiável e avaliado por pares. Alcança não apenas a comunidade científica, mas também a população em geral, desmistificando os processos de doação de órgãos, evidenciando o modelo de distribuição dos órgãos por meio da fila única nacional e sensibilizando para a necessidade da doação.

Descritores
Transplante de Órgãos; Obtenção de Tecidos e Órgãos; Acesso à Informação

Founded in 1997 as Jornal Brasileiro de Transplantes (ISSN: 1678-3387), the periodical was established as the official publication vehicle linked to the Brazilian Association of Organ Transplantation (ABTO). In September 2021, after 23 years of uninterrupted publication, the journal underwent a significant transition, adopting the name Brazilian Journal of Transplantation (BJT) and the ISSN 2764-1589. This change reflected the objective of internationalizing its content, aligning itself with global standards and expanding its presence on the international scene.

ABTO is the official association of BJT, and the board of directors and supervisory board of all management have helped the periodical’s continuity. However, since the previous administration, there has been an effort to revitalize it, aiming to request indexing through open public access, promoting national and international visibility and recognition.

BJT’s mission is to promote and stimulate the advancement of activities related to organ and tissue transplants, boosting understanding and development in transplantation science, especially in Brazil and Latin-speaking countries. The journal’s main objective is to disseminate the results of research on transplants carried out from a Brazilian perspective and context, aiming to reach the international community. To this end, it seeks to attract authors from different regions, inside and outside Brazil, thus ensuring a broad and diverse representation. All articles are published in Portuguese and English, with the possibility of submission in English (preferably), Portuguese or Spanish.

Since 2023, the number of articles published by BJT has significantly increased, intending to reach 40 articles per year. Moreover, BJT has adopted a continuous publication format, where all the content is compiled in a single annual issue, intending to reach 60 articles annually.

The Editorial Committee comprises researchers from various teaching and research institutions, all of whom have doctorates. The committee includes the Editor Emeritus and the Editor-in-Chief, responsible for receiving and evaluating submissions. Additionally, the committee has two Assistant Editors, 29 Section Editors, and a broad Advisory Committee. The Section Editors have expertise in specific areas such as organ transplants (including heart, kidney, liver, lung, pancreas, intestine, and multi-visceral, corneas and tissues), nursing, dentistry, organ procurement, coordination of transplantation, and the role of women in transplants. They are responsible for managing the evaluation of articles and deciding on their publication.

Currently, approximately 35% of the journal’s members are affiliated with international institutions, while approximately 65% of Brazilians are affiliated with institutions in the state of São Paulo, reflecting the concentration of researchers in this region. However, members from other Brazilian states also contribute, ensuring institutional and regional diversity in the composition of authors.

The BJT editorial team is committed to promoting the DEIA¹ principles, which stand for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility at all stages of scientific communication. To achieve this, the team implements several actions, including ensuring diversity of sex, gender, race and geographic origin in the composition of the Editorial Board and evaluators selection. Additionally, the team ensures the correct use of terminologies and inclusive language in the published articles.

BJT is aligned with Open Science initiatives and has been gradually promoting the implementation of its dimensions². Currently, the magazine: 1) Publishes the name of the editor responsible for the evaluation process; 2) Requests declaration of data availability; 3) Requires authorization contribution; 4) Requests information about research financing; and (5) Accepts manuscripts previously deposited, or in parallel, on preprint servers. The Editorial Committee is considering implementing open review in the future.

After being published in English, our journal has experienced a notable increase in international visibility and accessibility. We have observed a progressive rise in the number of articles published annually, with 16 articles published in 2021, 32 articles in 2022, and 40 articles in 2023. These figures are expected to continue to grow as we strive to improve the publishing and evaluation of journals and secure indexing. Our journal’s scope is interdisciplinary, with authors from at least 16 specialties in the field of transplantation. This aspect characterizes our journal as a unique platform for disseminating knowledge, not only to Brazilian researchers but also to a global audience (Fig. 1).

Figure 1
Map of visits to the Brazilian Journal of Transplantation.

BJT continually seeks greater visibility and credibility and is currently indexed in DOAJ, Redalyc, Latindex and EBSCO sources. It is currently under evaluation for indexing in SciELO and PMC.

The Brazilian Journal of Transplantation, through its activities and commitment to high ethical and academic standards, aims to consolidate itself as a reference in the dissemination of knowledge and scientific advancement in the field of transplants, both nationally and internationally.

BJT’s social contribution as a reliable and peer-reviewed dissemination vehicle is undeniable. It reaches the scientific community and the population in general, demystifying the organ donation processes, highlighting the organ distribution model through the national single queue and raising awareness of the need for donation. This type of information is essential for people to trust the transplant system, understand the importance of organ donation and know how this action can save up to ten lives. Through the publication of releases on blogs and posts on social media, increasing engagement has been observed among the lay public, and it is expected that this will increase the number of donations and reduce the transplant queue.

According to the Visitor Map, we found a total of 93,156 hits/views from 09/21/2021 to 01/17/2024, with international distribution and significant emphasis on Brazil. These numbers demonstrate the visibility we have achieved in publications related to the area of Brazilian transplantation.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all our esteemed contributors, including readers, authors, co-authors, associate editors, reviewers, and publishing team members. Your invaluable contributions have played an instrumental role in our continuing growth and development. We remain committed to delivering excellence in our services and products and look forward to your continued support as we strive to achieve even greater heights.

Science that has not been published is not known; therefore, we must showcase our exceptional work and remarkable results in Brazilian transplantation.

REFERÊNCIAS

• ¹
  Heidari S, Babor TF, De Castro P, Tort S, Curno M. Sex and Gender Equity in Research: rationale for the SAGER guidelines and recommended use. Research Integrity and Peer Review. 2016;1:2. http://doi.org/10.1186/s41073-016-0007-6
  » https://doi.org/10.1186/s41073-016-0007-6
• ²
  Silva F C C, Silveira L. O ecossistema da Ciência Aberta. Transinformação. 2019;31:e190001. http://doi.org/10.1590/2318-0889201931e190001
  » https://doi.org/10.1590/2318-0889201931e190001

Edited by

Section Editor: Edna Frasson S Montero https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1437-1219

Publication Dates

• Publication in this collection
  15 July 2024
• Date of issue
  2024

History

• Received
  17 Jan 2024
• Accepted
  19 Jan 2024