EDITORIAL
The internationalization of scientific production: a great challenge for brazilian nursing
Maria Helena Palucci Marziale
Editor of Latin American Journal of Nursing, Associate Professor of the University of São Paulo at Ribeirão Preto College of Nursing - WHO Collaborating Centre for Nursing Research Development, e-mail: marziale@eerp.usp.br
In recent years, Brazil has experienced an increase in graduate Nursing courses, including the creation of new research lines and the consolidation of research groups. Their scientific production has been registered in the Research Group List and in the Brazilian Scientific and Technological Development Council's Lattes system (CNPq). Nursing journals have been edited, starting a movement that aimed to adapt the publications to national and international editing standards and discuss these scientific journals' quality standards. This movement was made possible by editorial training, specialized consulting services, besides the creation of the National Commission of Scientific Nursing Journal Editors by the Brazilian Nursing Association (ABEn). Brazilian editors participated in the Ibero-American Advisory Board of Nursing Journals, coordinated by the Spanish Nursing foundation Index. The Nursing Database (BDENF) was updated and the Virtual Health-Nursing Library/BIREME was created, which is currently under development.
In response to these actions, Nursing journals were included in important national and international indexes, such as: International Nursing Index and MedLine, Cumulative Index to Nursing & Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Literatura Latinoamericana em Ciências da Saúde (LILACS), PsycINFO (American Psychological Association Database), CUIDEN (Fundacíon Index Foundation Database), CAB HEALTH, CAB ABSTRACTS, BDENF (Base de Dados em Enfermagem), Scielo (Scientific Electronic Library Online) among others(1). However, none of the Brazilian Nursing journals has been indexed in the ISI Database (Institute of Scientific Information), which elaborates the Journal Citation Report (JCR), Social Sciences Editions and Sciences Editions every year. These contain the main bibliometric indices of journals' repercussion (impact factor, immediacy index, which determines how soon an article is read and cited, average life span of citations and classification in the world ranking)(2).
The ISI methodology has been adopted by the international scientific community as the way to evaluate scientific production and its international visibility. In Brazil, priority has been granted to the impact factor of publications by CAPES (Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Staff), the agency responsible for the evaluation of graduate programs, by universities and funding agencies. This has aroused efforts towards the internationalization of Brazilian scientific production.
However, we cannot forget about the fact that "however useful, the journal's impact factor is not the only element to understand the process of publishing and disseminating our scientific production"(3). Journals edited in developing countries play a strategic role in disseminating the scientific production that is oriented towards national priorities, linked up with established research lines and priorities(3). However, this production may not be of interest to international journals, mainly of Anglo-Saxon origin, which represent most of the journals in the ISI. In combination with the demand to publish in English, this constitutes a barrier for the internationalization of Brazilian Nursing research.
Although the internationalization represents a great challenge for Nursing in Brazil, there is a need for immediate strategies to face the problem. However, it is important for the agencies and universities that have implemented mechanisms to evaluate the scientific production to support national journals, since scientific publication is an intrinsic part of the research and innovation process(4-5). The strengthening of national scientific journals is a conditio sine qua non for the continuous advancement of the scientific and technological base in Brazil(3), without which we will never achieve the internationalization of our research results.
REFERENCES
1. Marziale MHP, Mendes IAC. O fator de impacto das publicações científicas. Rev Latino-am Enfermagem 2002 julho-agosto; 10(4):466-7.
2. International Scientific Information. ISI. Products & Services (on line). 2002. (cited 2001 nov.21) Available from: URL:http://www.isinet.com
3. Coimbra CEA Jr. Produção científica e impacto em Saúde Coletiva. Cad Saúde Pública 2004 jul./ago.; 20(4):878-9.
4. Mendes IAC. Pesquisa em enfermagem: impacto na prática. São Paulo (SP): Edusp; 1991.
5. Mendes IAC. Criação, divulgação e ação: o saber em movimento. Rev Latino-am Enfermagem 1995 janeiro; 3(1):1-2.
Publication Dates
-
Publication in this collection
13 Jan 2005 -
Date of issue
Oct 2004
