Editorial

A new era is starting now

Una nueva era comienza ahora

The Editorial Board

Correspondence to:

Eduardo Meaney, MD, PhD.
Editor-in-Chief
Revista Mexicana de Cardiología
E-mail: lalitomini@prodigy.net.mx
revmexcardiologia@ancam.org.mx
revmexcardiol@gmail.com

With this issue, a new era begins for our Association and our Journal. The Executive Board of ANCAM, presided by Dr. José Manuel Enciso, has recently appointed a new editorial board, and has designed Dr. Eduardo Meaney as the new Editor-in-Chief of the Journal. The current editorial group has assumed the compromise of improve substantially the scientific content of the Journal, in order to attain in a relatively short period of time, the quality needed to obtain international indexation as well as a valuable impact factor.

All human work is the result of an everlasting effort, built up by generation after generation, since the dawn of times. In this context, the tasks of the present Journal administration would follow the path delineated since the beginning by Dr. José Navarro, who diligently and tirelessly, conducted the Journal for many years. The famous phrase attributed, among others, to Sir Isaac Newton, one of the greatest physicists of all times: If we see further, it is because we are standing on the shoulders of giants, is entirely applicable to this situation.

To achieve the ambitious goals that are mentioned above, it is mandatory to introduce bold and drastic changes, which probably will disturb or annoy many of our colleagues. With the acquiescence of the ANCAM Executive Board, it has been decided to publish the Journal (without changing its original name) completely in English, and mainly on-line, with open-access. But taking into consideration other factors, as well as the intelligent suggestions of members of our Association, it also has been approved to maintain (for an indefinite period of time) the actual version in Spanish, under the name of "Suplemento de la Revista Mexicana de Cardiología". Even if we do not like it, English language is nowadays the scientific and technological tongue permitting worldwide communication and understanding. If we wish that the articles published in our organ get the widest possible international exposition, it is obligatory to write them in English. So, we are asking our authors to try to make their original contributions in English. The editorial team itself can help improving and editing the writing. But if the language barrier is impassable, then our publisher can translate the papers, charging a reasonable fee. The process of obtaining impact is based mainly in the number of citations of the articles published in a Journal. If we insist to write in Spanish, moved by a superficial nationalism, few of our papers will attain universal acknowledge or recognition and our Journal will eternally be part of those non-indexed publications. The two only Mexican Journals with an impact factor greater than 1: Archives of Medical Research (the official research organ of the IMSS) and Annals of Hepatology, both written exclusively in English. But we understand that there must be many valuable original contributions of indubitable local importance or appeal, whose authors do not need or want it to be published in English. The supplement will harbor this kind of articles, as well as brief case reports, or short reviews, written in Spanish. Also, there will be special Suplemento issues harboring the publication of the Mexican official Norms (on hypertension, lipids, diabetes, and the like), contributed papers and posters abstracts of cardiovascular national meetings, and industry-funded diffusion articles on drugs or interventional devices.

Understandably, the manuscript acceptance requisites will be tougher, and the peer review process will be also hardened. In a near future, all contributions have to be sent, via Internet, to an electronic page, where the article will be distributed to the auxiliary editors and reviewers up to the final decisions: to publish in English or Spanish, or reject it. The instructions for authors will be updated and published in other part this same issue in both languages.

Changes of this magnitude need a period of learning and adjustment. Any deep and wide remodeling, as the one we are proposing, needs the contribution, the patience, and the intelligence of everyone, including Executive Board officers, authors, publishers, editors and members of our audience. The editorial team is gallantly open to any constructive criticism. We always have recognized that criticism and self-criticism are the most valuable tools for the remaking of persons, institutions, communities and nations.

This new era for our Journal, full of opportunities and risks, can lead us certainly to a superior status. Mexican cardiology, with all its noble traditions and history, great public institutions, modern medical centers and solid formation centers, need badly an international Journal capable to inform the world about our achievements, daily tasks, and scientific and clinical contributions.

Respectfully, the new editorial team requests the generous assistance and understanding of everyone. The accomplishing of the proposed goals will be the success of all of us and the material proof of the maturity of our still young Association.

As the extraordinary poet Robert Frost said once: ..."I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep". Such is life: promises and a long walk to fulfill them. Let us walk together fulfilling our dreams.

Nota

Este artículo puede ser consultado en versión completa en: http://www.medigraphic.com/revmexcardiol