The complete process of a research to its publication at a scientific journal may be tortuous, hard and complex. When someone is involved in a study, as a main investigator, the closeness to the experiment can be of such magnitude to the point of compromising the necessary clarity for producing a text that can be understood and appreciated by other research colleagues and clinicians in the area. Few people in the Speech-language Pathology and Audiology field are exclusively dedicated to the scientific investigation and the majority of our production is applied science researches, which is very appealing to the clinician. We have been maturing as science producers and consumers, the most long-established graduation programs are in their 3^rd decade of existence, and the reader has become more aware and critical. Nevertheless, our position is still far from the privileged journals that belong to the database that provides an ample national and international exposure.

For a manuscript being approved, the Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Fonoaudiologia relies on a board of reviewers that analyze the papers within their area of competence. Each article gets at least two independent reviews and its text does not either have the authorship or the institution identification. When the theme is very specific, ad hoc reviewers with proved expertise in the theme are invited so that the study acquires a due value. The final approval or rejection of a manuscript is evidently on the hands of the editor-in-chief, who can, if they think it is necessary, request additional reviews to support their deliberation. The entry process of an article into the journal system to its electronic publication may take an average time of one year and go through an initial review carried out by contracted Speech-Language Pathologists that are very careful in checking the formal publication guideline aspects and release the text after proper amendments so that the editor can assign the reviewers for it. Following the first review and analysis of the appraisal by the editor-in-chief, the article is re-directed to the authors and is submitted to one or more round of reviews. These reviews remain blind to both authors and reviewers until an ultimate decision for the manuscript is achieved. The final version still goes through other two vital reviews, one by a librarian that specializes in the health area and adds important technical amendments, and other by the two editorial staffs that are particular with the language. This whole process is made with a profound devotion and seriousness, since we are dealing with a precious endeavor, which is the knowledge that we produce and represents our science.

The Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology specialization areas have different maturity and this is reflected by the different experiment designs forwarded; some of them are much controlled with a careful population or sample collection and with experienced scientific writing. More simple articles, such as population profile, are characteristic of young researchers or educational institutions that are beginning their first incursion in science. On the other hand, the more sophisticated designs, such as the interventional ones, usually come from mature advisors and from top ranked institutions. All of them represent dear offspring from the effort of our colleagues and are treated with parsimony by the journal partners. Looking for a regional representativeness in each volume is a challenge by which the whole work team fights for daily, working hard to apply the contribution from other states that do not have the tradition of producing science.

A very didactic aspect that I would like to take the opportunity of sharing with the reader is the identification of the winner strategy to publish in the journal. The most successful and quick path for a good publication is to submitted the study, as soon as it is finished to the scientific committee of the Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology Congress that assesses the candidates for their inclusion in the annual meeting program. A poster or an oral presentation experience, or even the submission of a study to the scientific award program (usually by indication of a senior researcher or the advisor of an institution) is of great value since it allows testing whether the purposes, methods, results and conclusions are clear to the participants that have different educational levels and represents a real preview of the text quality that is going to be sent to publication.

Therefore, I take the advantage of reinforcing that the call for paper has already started for the 19º Brazilian and 8º International Speech-Language Pathology Congress. I invite all colleagues to participate in the experience of submitting a study for presentation and posterior publication in our journal. The deadline is June 30^th and if this is your first submission, take the risk and do your best, making sure you will have the support of a committed and generous team that wants to see the Speech-Language Pathology grow with dignity and responsibility. For more information go to www.sbfa.org.br.

I will see you in São Paulo from October 30^th to November 2^nd 2011.

Cordially,

Mara Behlau

President of SBFa

Editorial

Dra. Mara Behlau

Publication Dates

• Publication in this collection
  27 Oct 2011
• Date of issue
  June 2011