It is necessary to understand that in relatively small scientific communities with comparatively limited resources, scientific and technological production of quality will not be abundant; nevertheless, it is must be recognized that it exists. There is also the need to comprehend that researchers producing high quality papers, and they do exist, prefer to publish in widely distributed and indexed mainstream journals, so as to achieve wider diffusion and impact.

Should we, therefore, assume an attitude of resignation and publish our good science in foreign languages and journals, many of which, not to say most of them, are of difficult and certainly expensive access in our study and research centers?

On the contrary, we should assume the challenge of improving the quality, timeliness and distribution of publications, as well as becoming conscious of the great effort that has to be made in the direction of consolidating journals as a function of disciplines and geographical regions, so as to count some day with enough resources to allow for the professionalization of editorial bodies, a joint distribution and the gathering of enough contributions to perform an adequate selection of material with the highest possible quality. Gaining access to recognition by the international scientific community will only be possible if high quality material is on hand.

In contrast with the situation in developed countries, the market of scientific publications is, in general, very reduced in so-called developing countries, and it will continue to be so as long as the current atomization, with regard to disciplines as well as to institutions, professional societies and associations of scientists, remains. In order to fight effectively against such a reality will require a great spirit of collaboration and very substantial efforts.

The availability of electronic media carries with it very important advantages inasmuch as publication speed, printing and distribution cost reductions, and access, all of which should favor small countries. Therefore, their utilization ought to increase significantly. But the truth is that the monopoly of large international publishing houses continues, that the electronic media have not achieved yet a universal coverage in our countries and, more important in the short term, they do not improve the quality of what is published.

These electronic media tend instantaneous bridges that could facilitate enormously the integration of journals with common fields but differing institutional adscription, which could well be a first step towards a larger and better culture of scientific publication in our countries. The promotion programs of official organisms, both at the national as well as at the international level, could play a capital role in leading to such integration. In order to be able to include material that is produced by research groups currently publishing in different journals, the editorial bodies should be enlarged, the selection process agreed upon making use of the highest possible rigor, and the periodicity and/or number of issues could be increased. The editorial bodies should receive adequate support so that the fulfillment of established goals could be demanded of them, and the ample and opportune journal distribution assured.

A lesser number of journals, but with a broader reach and quality, would also be a positive factor to reduce the distribution costs, particularly high concerning international postal services, which could be negotiated in a consolidated manner for several publications.

Finally, the subscription by official institutions should be supported by science and technology national offices, in order to achieve a larger number of copies and wider distribution, giving a better justification to the production of scientific journals.

The main difficulty that seems to exist is that each step of advance takes more time than that which we want to wait for, and requires of greater collaboration and joint efforts than we appear to be willing to make.

Miguel Laufer, Editor Interciencia