Interciencia, contrary to recent predictions, arrives to its 31st volume. Upon looking forward the panorama reveals a great optimism and a great uncertainty.

Optimism because science and technology advance, despite the multiple arguments made about its social role due to its ways and contents, and also despite ethical aspects violated in larger or lesser measure. The benefits for humanity offer a balance that leads to think that, for many years, research will continue to be a valid activity.

Uncertainty because of the constant lack of financial security to which the journal is subjected, an evil that is shared by many publications produced in the South. It is uncertainty, not pessimism, as it has not always been so and when it was, solutions were found that have permitted the timely appearance of two hundred and twenty two issues.

Almost half a century ago, a then young Venezuelan researcher who held thereafter important positions in the science and technology sector of the country, insisted that to enter the research career was like having a cheque in your pocket for the rest of your life. Indeed, in those times, getting started in research, which obeyed to a clear vocation to search for the truth and serve society, together with indifference for material goods, offered excellent perspectives. Nevertheless, two important considerations were left aside. One is that in many periods of the country’s history scientists devoted exclusively to research have received extremely low salaries. The other is that the researcher’s activity was not conceived as something that could depend upon political vicissitudes.

Both considerations are valid for many of our countries, particularly the second one. There are many examples of massive migrations of scientists for persecution reasons, or harassment, of a political nature. Despite huge efforts made afterwards, no case testifies to a substantial recovery of the lost potential.

Scientific journals, which undoubtedly represent an important part of the recorded production, do not escape from the general problems of science and technology. The financial factor appears to be independent of the progress of the publications. A few of them have sufficient support from institutions or governments but their academic level or periodicity leave a lot to be desired. Other journals register academic and editorial successes but their survival is precarious.

In the case of Interciencia, even though researchers from a good number of the countries in the region submit a total of over four hundred manuscripts for review and eventual publication per year, and despite its unfailing monthly appearance, the uncertainty about its continuity darkens the panorama.

But all of this does not hinder from continuing and looking for improvement. The latter ought to be progressive, respecting the character and tradition, but without avoiding change. Conscious about the electronic future of science dissemination, Interciencia maintains an electronic version with the complete contents from the last thirteen years open to everybody. Also, since a few months ago and supported by the government, the journal’s presence in the Venezuelan SciELO collection has been made regular.

The first issue of the present volume 31 introduces a discreet modification that is considered to be valuable. The placement of the article summaries, for thirty years present at the end of the journal, as a block and in the three languages, will from now on appear alongside each paper. The summary in the original language will be up front and those in the two other languages, after the text. In this manner it is intended to make them easily available to the reader in the other languages and to provide the author with one body of material that includes them.

More substantial changes will be incorporated. In addition to the needed renovation of the International Consulting Editorial Board, the orientations and priorities will be progressively revised. The latter is not a simple matter for a journal of multidisciplinary character and tradition, but is necessary in view of the large number, already difficult to handle, of received manuscripts. Papers on specialized punctual subjects will be processed only inasmuch as they contain methodological novelties or present results of particular relevance, while themes of interest to the region’s development and the welfare of our peoples will be specially valued.

The enthusiasm and the will to do for another thirty years exist. We hope that the needed and timely support will also be present, so as to continue to provide a useful service to all the community of scientists and technologists of the Americas, something we are proud of.

Miguel Laufer, Editor