EDITORIAL
As usual, as another new year gets started, we take advantage of the JBCS's first issue for an update on our periodical's balance. Once again, our analysis is quite positive, indicating significant growth of the publication as well as progress in many important aspects. Concerning expansion, we again repeat the question: has the periodical attained a stationary state? Certainly not! There is still much room to grow inasmuch as our main support basis, the Brazilian Chemistry community, grows along with or beyond its publication.
In this balance for the year 2005, what first stands out is a 35% growth in the number of JBCS submissions, well above that of the 10-20% noted for previous years. Also noteworthy are the foreign submissions by non-Brazilian authors, representing over 45% of the total. These numbers (available at http://jbcs.sbq.org.br/stats2006) which show the capacity to attract new authors to the periodical, are certainly a result of the attention we have received within Brazil as well as from abroad, consolidating international participation in the JBCS.
The increase has also called for a considerable increase in efforts to process the manuscripts. For the most part, this was made possible by new associate-editors, without whom it would have been quite difficult to maintain a process of discerning and agile evaluation for each manuscript. We have also had to bolster our office, with the participation of Dr. Maria Cristina Andreazza Costa, who has been our editorial assistant for the last five months. Once again, we maintained our options by bringing in a collaborator with a differentiated profile. With solid experience in Chemical research, Cristina has been of aid in the JBCS's qualification policy.
Analyzing the most recent statistics, one notes that all these efforts have been quite successful, with the correct results. Even with this increase in the number of processed manuscripts, we have attained a great improvement in one of the most important parameters for any scientific journal, which has been receiving constant attention in the JBCS: during this last year, we have managed to cut the mean time between submission and publication of manuscripts on the Web almost in half, to just approximately six months, as shown in the following chart:
While we remain unsatisfied, constantly continuing our efforts to refine manuscript processing, we must still point out the results already achieved. The periodical has the constant valuable support of a good number of referees (over 500 for the year 2005), while we maintain our policy of using foreign referees (one third of the total) as guaranty that this evaluation follows international standards. The electronic system for submitting and processing manuscripts has been consolidated and is certainly responsible for much of the gain in reducing publication time and attracting new submissions.
Our analysis also shows that the quality of work published by the JBCS has been maintained: our rate of rejection went up slightly (to approximately 50%) and our follow-up for impact factor, according to the ISI, indicates that this should keep to its current rate of growth. Specifically referring to rejected manuscripts, we have observed that there are two points noteworthy of preliminary evaluation by the authors. First referring to the scope of the JBCS: we have noticed a great number of studies submitted in which the main emphasis is the application or technology, with no content bringing new or relevant chemical information so as to justify publication in the JBCS. Another point which stands out is the submission of studies which are quite superficial, incomplete (in their study's lack of depth and the discussion of results obtained) or fragmented. In many cases the actual presentation of the manuscript is deficient, its format is inadequate, and the language is so confusing that it is difficult to decipher what the authors are trying to communicate. These studies certainly do not contribute to increasing the impact quality of the journal, but only demand a great effort to evaluate by the Editors and referees, even in cases when the submissions are promptly rejected and returned to their authors.
We also take the opportunity in this first issue of the year to announce an important change: on a regular basis the JBCS will begin publishing eight issues per year. This change was tested in 2005 and based on the flux of manuscripts and our capacity for processing, we have come to the conclusion that it is time to take this step. Furthermore, as we look forward, we foresee that we will soon have to consider another increase in the frequency of our publication. For the coming year we will continue our current policy of publishing special issues: we will publish one dedicated to the Carbon 2005 congress and another with studies presented to the XIII Brazilian Meeting on Inorganic Chemistry (BMIC). These special issues are a fine representation of this publication's intent to hail important scientific events realized throughout Brazil, in an effort to group together new areas in which our periodical can grow even more, ever reaching towards the desirable equilibrium between continuity and renovation. As for format, we have begun publishing a short biography and photo of the authors of the Review's papers, reaffirming that we are always open to new proposals for this important type of article.
An increase in the number of articles published, frequency of publication and new collaborators, all imply an increase in expenses as well. We still receive the fundamental support of funding agencies (especially the CNPq), the Brazilian Chemical Society, and, recently, the very important contributions of the authors. This is an area in which we can grow. Maintaining policies of free distribution of published articles allied with the professional qualification of the JBCS can only continue in the long term if the periodical takes steps to become self-sufficient financially. Imagine if it would or not be possible to include a personal subscription of the journal in your own already tight personal or research budget ; check if your library has a subscription to the JBCS (if not, why not discuss including one in your institution's budget?); consider the possibility of contributing to the costs of the publishing your article in the JBCS - small measures such as these could be fundamental to maintaining the advances reached by the JBCS.
We greatly appreciate the time dedicated by our referees in evaluating manuscripts submitted to the JBCS and extend our gratitude. The work they do dedicated in reading the manuscripts and adding their comments is fundamental to the growth and perfection of the JBCS. We rely on the support of the Brazilian chemical community as much for the submission of manuscripts for JBCS publication as for participating as referees and advertisers of our periodical!
Finally, we register the resignation of Professor Ronaldo Pilli, Editor of the JBCS Organic Chemistry area. Professor Pilli had already informed us of the difficulty of conciliating his other obligations with the growing amount of work as the editor, but affirmed his willingness to continue collaborating on the periodical in other ways. We are grateful for Professor Pilli's cheerful participation on the JBCS's editorial staff, especially for the lesson he gave setting a judicious and competent professional example, while always maintaining a positive attitude.
Looking forward, everything indicates that we will have a year filled with hard work, but the results will certainly be even more positive than the ones reported herein. May this be the year that we consolidate our road for the JBCS's consistent, well-planned growth. May the year 2006 be successful for all!
Watson Loh and Luiz Carlos Dias
Publication Dates
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Publication in this collection
14 Mar 2006 -
Date of issue
Feb 2006
