EDITORIAL
IN SEARCH OF IMPACT
Pedro Puech-Leão
RHCFAP/2951
PUECH-LEÃO, P. In search of impact. Rev. Hosp. Clín. Fac. Med. S. Paulo 54(1): 1 - 2, 1999
REVISTA DO HOSPITAL DAS CLÍNICAS has been published by this hospital for the past 52 years and is one of the very few Brazilian periodicals indexed in the Index Medicus and MEDLINE. Through the years, it has presented hundreds of papers reporting scientific research carried out in Brazil. However, its impact in the international literature has been minimal.
In 1998, the Hospital administration gathered a small group of professors to discuss the future of this publication. Some of those thought that the publication was not of much value and should be replaced by a new one with a more journalistic appeal; others pointed out that the format of scientific reports should be kept in order to preserve its indexation. The discussion resulted in the creation of a new journal, called MEDICOS, that would present articles of general interest to the Brazilian medical community, and in the adaptation of REVISTA DO HOSPITAL DAS CLÍNICAS that would continue to present reports of Brazilian medical research, but would have a greater impact in the scientific community.
Several reasons may be cited for REVISTA DO HOSPITAL DAS CLÍNICAS's lack of impact in recent years. First, distribution has been poor; availability to other researchers has been limited to about 300 libraries in the world, including Brazil. Second, it was written in Portuguese; the reading of its full text in other countries (except Portugal and a few countries in Africa) has always required the assistance of a good translator. Third, it fell victim to the vicious cycle that occurs in scientific publications: the lack of impact discourages doctors from submitting their best papers, which they send to journals in other countries, resulting in even less impact by the journal.
As we approach the new century, distribution of medical journals is dramatically changing. The growing use of the Internet will make all journals listed in MEDLINE equally available everywhere, regardless of where they are published and of how much money is invested in their printing. In a few years, the difference in accessing the full text of a small journal and of a famous one will be only a click in the mouse.Only the quality of the research and the interest of other researchers will make the difference. Why not trust in ourselves?
Why do some associations, or some institutions like ours publish their own journals? Are there not enough scientific periodicals circulating in the world? We believe that as long as significant segments of the scientific community are ready to contribute in a meaningful way to the literature, additional vehicles for communication must be developed. All of us know that the quality of the paper is not the only factor involved in publishing in scientific journals. Journals edited by a specific society usually give preference to papers from members and alot very limited space in each issue for foreign articles. And one occasionally finds in the literature articles about bias and prejudice in paper selection by editorial boards, even in the peer-reviewed system .
Our task is to make the content of REVISTA DO HOSPITAL DAS CLÍNICAS not only available, but also readable everywhere in the world. Over the years, the interna
tional scientific language has been Greek, Latin, German, or French. Other languages were used by specific groups to communicate in the past, regardless of the nationality of the authors. Today, English is the international scientific language. Someday Portuguese may play this role, but today it is played by English. Let us communicate.
The only factor that the editor cannot control is the quality of the papers submitted to the journal. But given the high level of scientific research done in Brazil, we feel confident that we can achieve the impact that this journal deserves.
We sincerely recognize and thank the efforts of Dr.Mitja Polak in piloting the ship during the past years as editor, the initiative of Dr. Kanamura for proposing the remodeling of the journal, and the confidence of the Board of Directors of Hospital das Clínicas in our ability to accomplish the task.
From the "Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo". Brazil.
Publication Dates
-
Publication in this collection
12 Sept 2000 -
Date of issue
Feb 1999
