EDITORIAL
The mission of ABEC regarding the challenges faced by Brazilian periodicals
The Associação Brasileira de Editores Científicos (ABEC) (Brazilian Association of Scientific Editors), founded November 28th, 1985, is a national non-profit agency of indefinite duration. It unites individuals and corporations interested in developing and enhancing the publication of scientific and technical periodicals in order to improve communication and the propagation of information, as well as to stimulate the exchange of ideas, debate about problems and the defense of common interests.
Its goals are:
to ensure the standardization of both design and content of technical and scientific publications;
to promote, periodically, a national meeting with its members;
to keep contact with related national and international institutions and societies
to regularly release technical and scientific texts of editorial interest;
to promote conferences, seminars, and courses pertinent to its objectives.
Since its foundation, the Association has carried out its Scientific Editing Workshop in even years and the National Scientific Editors Meeting in odd years. Furthermore, it annually promotes at least one Scientific Editing Update Course and one Satellite Seminar for General Editors.
In June 2010, ABEC organized the XVIIIth Scientific Editing Course and the Ist Satellite Seminar for General Editors in São Paulo, SP, as well as the VIth Scientific Editing Workshop and the IInd Satellite Seminar for General Editors in São Pedro, SP in November of the same year.
There were more than 200 participants both at the XVIIIth Course and the Ist Seminar. Approximately 350 editors were present at the other two above-mentioned events. Several dignitaries were also in attendance, including Dr. Glaucius Oliva from Executive Board of Directors of Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq), who is director of Engineering, Exact, Human and Social Sciences. He debated the investment policies of Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) and CNPq regarding Brazilian scientific editing. The debate was heated, and several resolutions were decided upon at the end of the discussion that will be forwarded to CNPq in due time. Among these resolutions were a call for more resources for periodicals, including the participation of so-called "emergent" periodicals, the implementation of an editing scholarship (for technological development, productivity and innovative extension programs) as well as one for students (scholarship for technical support in extension) who take part in the editing process, and also permission for ABEC to participate in CNPq decision-making committees, particularly those regarding editing, in order to facilitate fundraising in other sectors besides research. At the end of the debate, Professor Glaucius promised to host the ABEC Board in order to continue the dialog and implement relevant measures.
The programming was extensive (including mini-courses, roundtable discussions and conferences) and culminated in the Forum of Agrarian, Biological, Exact, Human and Health Areas, where the 2009 resolutions were reevaluated. Subsequently, a new document that will be sent to several support agencies in 2011 was discussed and composed.
Generally speaking, ABEC would like to see new funding and scholarships implemented by CNPq, to participate in the annual development of CNPq/CAPES Editorial Directives, and to have access to CAPES' Comitê Qualis in order to contribute to the discussion about Brazilian periodical evaluations.
These endeavors will be continued during the XIXth Scientific Editing Course and the IIIrd Satellite Seminar for General Editors, which is planned for May/June 2011 in São Paulo, SP. In November 2011, the XIIIth National Scientific Editors Meeting will take place in Gramado, RS.
Finally, ABEC encourages all Brazilian editors, particularly general editors, to take part in these events in order to debate, make proposals and share their personal experience with interested members of academic community. Only if everyone participates can we move forward, modify and adapt the current evaluation norms proposed by support agencies to align them with international norms.
Benedito Barraviera
ABEC President
Publication Dates
-
Publication in this collection
18 July 2011 -
Date of issue
Apr 2011
