Structure oi editorial production of Brasilian Biomedical Journals

Abstract

The objectlves oi this study were 1) to know the structure of lhe editorial production of Brasilian biomedical periodicals from 1827 till 1978, by lhe analysis oi some product charac­teristics; 2) to develop a new method oi studymg the production of scientific periodicals and to evaluate Brasilian production of periodicals that carry one of lhe editorial area characteristics, the frequent changing of titles without significant changing inthe contents, it was ma­de use of a reference book on periodicals as a source of data collecting since it was the most praticable way to know some aspects of lhe publishing structure oi the Biomedical area. A thousand, four hundred and lorty one titles were analysed and a specific handling was given to lhe subject with inferable statisticai date oi lhe analysed source. Periodicals were current, enclosed, interrupted and with unknown publishing aspecl Eight editors were identified: hospital study centers, academic institutions, private research institutes, gover­nment offices, learned societies, medical associations, pharmaceutical laboratories, com­mercial editors and also carne out a large number of title without information aboul editors. The production of scientific periodicals in Brazil showed an amateurish and improvised cha­racteristics without the lulfilment oi a minima criteria of standardization, which concurs to ari­se many kinds of problems such as a lack of economic practicability, production quality and lhe appropriate distribution oi titles.