Jornal Brasileiro de Pneumologia

Abstract

Beginning with this issue, the Journal of Pulmonology, which has been the official journal of the Brazilian Society of Pulmonology and Phthisiology (SBPT) since 1975, will be known as the Brazilian Journal of Pulmonology. This change is the fruit of a lengthy debate, culminating in an online general meeting, online, of all members of the society. By a majority, it was decided that the proposed name change would go into effect. The inclusion of the adjective 'Brazilian' marks a moment at which the international visibility of the journal is on the rise. The scientific contributions brought to light through the vehicle of this journal have always merited international exposure and attention. The primary limitation of the journal was the fact that it was published exclusively in Portuguese, in an age in which English has become the lingua franca of the global scientific community. With the indexing of our journal on the Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO), 1 the English versions of the journal abstracts became widely available. However, more importantly, we were presented with the opportunity to translate the entire journal into English and make it available on the Internet. This dream 2 of having a fully translated version on the Internet became a reality in January of 2003. Data provided by SciELO now shows that our journal is being accessed with increasing frequency from all parts of the globe via our site (www.jornaldepneumologia.com.br) or via the SciELO site (www.scielo.br). In celebration of our name change, the print version of the journal has been given a new cover and has been reformatted. This new look chosen for the journal was just one among many versions that were under consideration, and I hope that it will be pleasing to all. However, these are merely cosmetic changes that pale in the light of the true differences, which are unrelated to name or appearance. The truly profound changes are structural in nature. Most significantly, as a response to a considerable increase in the number of articles submitted to the journal, 3 we have now established positions for Associate Editors. Aside from their impeccable qualifications, these new Associate Editors have distinguished themselves through their significant contributions to the journal over the last year. This restructuring will play a central role in the further development of the journal. By increasing the agility of the journal and by contributing new ideas, these new Associate Editors will help define and guide the destiny of the Brazilian Journal of Pulmonology.