On the 1st of November of 2006, during the opening ceremony of the XXXIII Brazilian Pulmonology and Phthisiology Conference in Fortaleza, the then President of the Sociedade Brasileira de Pneumologia e Tisiologia (SBPT - Brazilian Thoracic Society), Dr. Mauro Zamboni, announced that the Brazilian Journal of Pulmonology had been indexed for the MEDLINE database. Thus, an aspiration held by all Brazilian pulmonologists since the beginning of the publication of the Journal was finally achieved.

In the editorial that opened the first published issue of the Journal of Pulmonology in October of 1975, Dr. Manuel Lopes dos Santos said "our plan is to make [the Journal] circulate so that we can index it, thereby making it recognized internationally."(1) Over time, the name of the Journal was changed, the international database for scientific journals was modified, and the workings of the Journal were improved. Throughout all of this, reaching the target established in that inaugural text remained a constant endeavor.

It is important to emphasize that the indexing of the Brazilian Journal of Pulmonology is not the achievement of a few. It is rather the ultimate result of a long process that benefited from the contribution of many. The uninterrupted publication of the Journal was assured by the work of all the editors who preceded us. In fact, the Journal would have never been indexed for MEDLINE had its periodicity not been guaranteed. This might sound like an easy task today, but it has not always been so. There were moments in which the search for material to be published was a stress-inducing for various editors, confronted with tight deadlines that approached at an astounding speed. Naturally, financial issues related to sponsorship and companies that render services also appeared. These difficulties did not prevent the Journal from being included in regional databases such as the Literatura Latino-Americana e do Caribe em Ciências da Saúde (LILACS, Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature) database and the Sistema Regional de Informácion en Línea para Revistas Científicas de América Latina, el Caribe, Espana y Portugal (Latindex, Information System for the Scholarly Journals of Latin America, The Caribbean, Spain and Portugal). Some previous attempts at indexing the Journal for international systems, such as the Index Medicus and MEDLINE, were, unfortunately, to no avail. Therefore, in this moment of joy, it is essential that we recognize the work previously carried out by those in charge of the Journal: Doctors Manuel Lopes dos Santos (1975-1978), Bruno Carlos Palombini (1978-1980), Carlos Frazzato Júnior (1980-1982), José Roberto de Brito Jardim (1982-1986), Miguel Bogossian (1986-1990), Nelson Morrone (1990-1994) and Carlos Alberto Pereira (1994-1998).

In more recent years, Brazilian scientific production increased considerably, and this was reflected in the growth of our Journal. The greater number of articles submitted made some aspects of the work of the editors easier, although it created new difficulties as well. Dr. Thais Helena Abrahão Thomaz Queluz (1998-2002) was the first editor to experience this new reality. Under her administration, the Journal entered a phase of greater professionalization, hiring a full-time secretary to work exclusively for the Journal. It was also under the leadership of Dr. Queluz that the Journal of Pulmonology achieved its indexing for the Brazilian version of the Scientific Electronic Library On Line (SciELO), an essential step toward increasing the visibility of our publication at the international level.(2) This is how castles are built: without the indexing for SciELO there would be no indexing for MEDLINE.

The period during which Dr. Geraldo Lorenzi-Filho (2002-2004) was in charge of the Journal was one of the most productive and revolutionary of its history. The Journal of Pulmonology became the Brazilian Journal of Pulmonology. The graphic aspect of the Journal was modernized and the number of original articles published increased. The layout and structure created then are still used to date. An exclusive home page was created for the Journal, and all the articles published in Portuguese were made available in full on the internet, together with their respective translations into English. At that time, the system of electronic submission of articles directly on the site of the Journal via the internet was also initiated. In addition, Dr. Lorenzi-Filho was the principal articulator of the approval of the 2004 statutory changes by the General Assembly of the SBPT. These changes created the position of Editor-in-Chief and guaranteed total independence in their deliberations within the SBPT organogram. This set of measures optimized the workings of the Journal, and blazed a trail for what is now being achieved. Dear Geraldo, our indexing in MEDLINE is the fulfillment of the 'Sonho dos Mil Gatos' ('Dream of a Thousand Cats')!(3)
When we took over the Journal at the end of 2004, we attempted to continue the work that had already been done and, if possible, improve upon it. We implemented modifications in the home page of the Journal, making it more user-friendly and easier to navigate, and its content is now fully available in both Portuguese and English. The use of the electronic system of submission of articles was encouraged and intensified.

Difficulties and functional errors were corrected as they occurred. Great attention has been given to the formal aspects of the Journal, such as the quality of the graphics and printing, compliance of manuscripts to editorial norms, strictness in the formatting of the references and in the use of keywords. Since submitting the Journal to MEDLINE was a priority, we investigated details of the process in the home page of the National Library of Medicine (NLM) and tried to identify the aspects of the Journal in which there was still room for improvement.(4) We talked to editors of other Brazilian medical journals that had already been successful in this enterprise and tried to surround ourselves with the support of professionals already familiar with the process. In addition, together with Dr. Zamboni, we paid a courtesy call on the NLM itself, where we met with the Executive Editor of MEDLINE, with the aim of obtaining additional clarification and demonstrating the willingness of the SBPT to guarantee the continuous circulation of its Journal. At the beginning of April of 2006, after ensuring that an acceptable standard of quality had been met in the issues published, we submitted the Journal via the electronic submission system of the NLM site. Due to the great number of titles submitted, the NLM Literature Selection Technical Review Committee did not evaluate the Brazilian Journal of Pulmonology until October, and we heard the good news just hours before the opening of the XXXIII Conference in Fortaleza.

In fact, the news arrived at an excellent moment. Throughout its history, the Brazilian Journal of Pulmonology has always had the full support of the SBPT Boards of Directors, to whom we are greatly indebted. Nevertheless, at the risk of being unfair to others, it is important to emphasize the support of Dr. Carlos Alberto Pereira, president during the 2002-2004 period, for all the innovations introduced by Dr. Geraldo Lorenzi-Filho during the time he was in charge of the Journal. Another fundamental player in the indexing process of the Journal for MEDLINE was Dr. Mauro Zamboni, president during the 2004-2006 period. Since the beginning of his term, this project was one of his priorities and, to that end, he guaranteed the economic and political conditions that allowed the Editor-in-Chief to perform his job in an independent and undisturbed manner. As important as, or even more important than, guaranteeing our working conditions, Dr. Zamboni constantly stimulated us with his optimism and enthusiasm throughout this process. He managed to unite all of the members of the Board of Directors in this objective, and each of them contributed in some way, especially with their encouragement and positive thinking. It is therefore only fair that destiny provided Dr. Zamboni with the opportunity of making this historic announcement to the members of the SBPT, in the final moments of his term.

Since producing our Journal is no easy task, we should take this opportunity to thank the dedicated work of a substantial number of collaborators, without whom the publication would not reach the readers with quality and punctuality. To the secretaries of the Journal, the administration of the SBPT, the employees at the headquarters in Brasília, the librarians, the translators, the copy editors and the technicians responsible for the home page, as well as to the professionals involved in the graphic layout and printing process, we offer our most sincere thanks!
Naturally, our thanks are also extended to the Associate Editors, for their important voluntary work, and to the members of the Editorial Board. We would also like to thank our supervisors of the English translations. This group consists of hardworking people who dedicate part of their time to the performance of tasks that are fundamental to the workings of the Journal. And let us not forget the dozens of reviewers of manuscripts, from various regions of Brazil. It is with the deepest respect that we regard this invisible, albeit essential for the consolidation of our Journal, function.(5)

Finally, we would like to add a special note to the authors who contribute to our Journal. The Journal would not exist if there were no researchers to bestow upon it their prestige. Conducting scientific research is hard work, and the difficulties are even greater in Brazil. At the end of a study that can take months or years to complete, it is only natural that the authors would seek the best venue in which to display their production. We would like to thank all of you who have put your trust in the Brazilian Journal of Pulmonology and have submitted your studies for publication. We hope to continue to receive your invaluable contributions, and we invite other Brazilian researchers to do likewise.

The indexing of the Brazilian Journal of Pulmonology for MEDLINE will take the publication to a higher level of visibility, and this brings new responsibilities and great challenges. We are certainly aware of these aspects. Nevertheless, now is of the time for joy and commemoration.
Brazilian pulmonologists, let us then, together, raise our glasses and make a toast:

Here's to you, Brazilian Thoracic Society!

Here's to you, Brazilian Journal of Pulmonology!

REFERENCES

1. dos Santos ML. Editorial. J Pneumol. 1975;1(1):4.
2. Queluz THAT. Admissão do Jornal de Pneumologia na SciELO Brasil: uma vitória com novos desafios. J Pneumol. 2002;28(1):iii.
3. Lorenzi-Filho. O sonho dos mil gatos. J Pneumol. 2002; 28(6):305-6.
4. Martinez JAB. Perseguindo o MEDLINE. J Bras Pneumol. 2005;31(2):95-6.
5. Martinez JAB. A alma do negócio! J Bras Pneumol. 2005;31(6):i-ii.


Prof. Dr. José Antônio Baddini Martinez
Editor-in-Chief of the Brazilian Journal of Pulmonology