The Brazilian Journal of Pulmonology (BJP) currently occupies a prominent position among the scientific journals published in Brazil. According to the SCImago Journal Rank (www.scimagojr.com), in late 2009, the BJP ranked 53rd among the 79 respiratory medicine journals indexed for the Scopus database worldwide. The BJP is the leading pulmonology journal in Latin America. Worldwide, the BJP is second only to pulmonology journals from the USA, Canada, Europe, Asia (two journals), and Oceania (one journal).

The international recognition and visibility of the BJP would not have been achieved without the fundamental work of the editors of our Journal, who have ensured its regular publication since 1975, with support from the successive Boards of Directors of the Brazilian Thoracic Association (BTA). In the last 10 years, during the terms of Professors Thais Queluz, Geraldo Lorenzi-Filho, and José Antônio Baddini Martinez, the BJP has taken great strides toward progressive internationalization. Initially, the BJP was indexed for SciELO. This allowed readers to gain free access to the articles published in the Journal, both in Portuguese and in English. Subsequently, the BJP was indexed for Medline, which was the definitive step toward making our Journal accessible to readers worldwide. The BJP has recently been indexed for the ISI Web of Knowledge. Therefore, in early 2012, the Journal of Citation Reports will issue the first impact factor for our Journal. This means that the articles published in the BJP between 2008 and 2010 (the period considered for the calculation of the first impact factor) are currently being evaluated in terms of the mean number of citations received.

Another fundamental point is the independence achieved by the BJP. Although the BJP is the scientific journal of the BTA, the Editor-in-Chief is no longer elected as a member of the Board of Directors for that two-year period. The Editor-in-Chief is now chosen by a committee composed of the BTA presidents and former BJP editors, who analyze the curricula vitae of the candidates and their work proposals for a prospective four-year term in office. Dr. Roberto Stirbulov, current president of the BTA, has already guaranteed that the independence achieved by the BJP will be maintained, as well as assuring us that the BTA will lend its full support to the activities of our Journal.

Since 1980, I have participated in the Brazilian conferences organized by the BTA, and, since 1994, I have participated in international conferences, principally in those organized by the American Thoracic Society (ATS). In that period, I have witnessed the increasing participation of Brazilian researchers in the event, both as attendees and as lecturers. The implementation and consolidation of various postgraduate programs in Brazil has contributed to that change. These programs have increased the push for scientific articles to be generated and have therefore led to a significant increase in the number of such articles published by Brazilian authors.

Between 2008 and 2010, 1,270 studies were presented at the two conferences held in Brazil. In the same period, over 1,000 Brazilian studies were presented at the two principal international conferences, the ATS Conference and the European Respiratory Society Congress, approximately 450 studies having been presented at the former and approximately 550 having been presented at the latter. Therefore, since 2008, approximately 2,000 scientific studies in the field of respiratory medicine have been developed in Brazil by Brazilian researchers. Only a small number of those have been submitted for publication, and even fewer have been published.

The BJP is an excellent choice of vehicle for the dissemination of knowledge in the field of respiratory medicine. In 2009, a total of 230 articles were submitted for publication in the BJP. In 2010, a total of 263 articles had been submitted as of November. This figure is still too low. We have yet to show our Journal the full appreciation that it deserves. In contrast, our articles have gained ever greater visibility. International recognition has become a reality. We have received original manuscripts from various countries across Latin America and Europe. The BJP website (www.jornaldepneumologia.com.br) is currently available in Portuguese, Spanish, and English, which provides the international community with easy access to our Journal. In November of 2010, the mean number of daily visitors to the BJP site was 1,763. According to data obtained from SciELO (www.scielo.br), the total number of times that BJP articles were accessed in 2009 was 1,218,090. By November of 2010, the annual total had already reached 1,289,898.

The principal mission of the new team of editors is to consolidate the internationalization of the BJP. The current impact factor of our Journal is predicted to be 0.54. Our goal is to at least triple this figure by the end of our four-year term. Top-quality, internationally renowned researchers who have published relevant articles are to be found in our clinics, hospitals, colleges, and postgraduate programs. Now is the time for everyone to become involved in this project. If the BJP reaches this objective, we will have a Brazilian journal that will be on par with the most traditional of pulmonology journals. In order to achieve that, Brazilian authors should consider the possibility of submitting at least one original article per year to the BJP. It is also necessary that peer reviewers conduct a rigorous review, with pertinent suggestions, in order to improve the quality of the study for future publication. Time is of the essence. There can be no delays in the evaluations. The work of the peer reviewers, albeit anonymous, is crucial to maintaining the standard of quality of the BJP. Currently, 50% of the articles submitted to the BJP are rejected.

We will change some of the characteristics and sections of the BJP in order to modernize the Journal and facilitate the dissemination of the scientific information. For instance, we will no longer accept case reports in the current format, more than ten case reports having already been accepted for publication in 2011. However, authors will be able to submit case reports as letters to the editor, as pictorial essays, or as updates (of diagnostic methods or therapeutic approaches). We will make these changes known in upcoming editorials and on the BJP website.

The BJP belongs to all of those who, regardless of their specialty, are interested in thoracic diseases. Therefore, we urge surgeons, pediatricians, bronchoscopists, oncologists, pathologists, radiologists, physical therapists, intensive care specialists, sleep specialists, and cystic fibrosis specialists, as well as all pulmonologists, to publish their studies in a journal that reflects the current state of the art in science in Brazil and, by doing so, have their results circulated internationally.

It is time to turn the page. I invite all of those interested in contributing to the process to contact the BJP, to send their opinions or suggestions, or to enlist as reviewers. With the support of everyone, the importance of the BJP as a vehicle for our studies and as a source of pride for respiratory medicine in Brazil will continue to increase.


Carlos R. R. Carvalho
Editor-in-Chief of the Brazilian Journal of Pulmonology