Local relevance or international visibility: a challenge for latin american obstetrics and gynaecology journals

Abstract

In view of the application of new classification criteria, the most recent results of Notice 768 of 2016 regarding the Indexation of Specialised Colombian Scientific Journals - Publindex (1), showed a lower rating for Revista Colombiana de Ginecología y Obstetricia (RCOG) and many other medical journals in Colombia (2). The editorial committee of RCOG deemed it necessary to organise a meeting of the Latin American journals of the specialty in order to consider joint strategies designed to improve the scientific and editorial quality, as well as the visibility of the papers in each publication, for the benefit of the readers of the studies published in their pages as well as of the researchers cited in those studies.

Consequently, the editors of Latin American journals of obstetrics and gynaecology met during the XXIInd Latin American Congress of Obstetrics and Gynaecology - 2017 held in Cancun, Mexico, with the support of the Steering Committee of the Latin American Federation of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (FLASOG). Invitations were extended to representatives of publications from Argentina, Brazil, Central America, Colombia, Cuba, Chile, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela, and the meeting was attended by eight editors, including the special attendance of the editor of Revista Colombia Médica. The purpose of the meeting was to develop strategies to ensure continuous improvement of each of the Journals and to enhance their international visibility in order to disseminate scientific production in the specialty and foster its appropriation for the benefit of the health of our women and children.