The Portuguese Journal of Pulmonology (PJP) started its online edition in 2005, on the site of the Portuguese Society of Pulmonology (www.sppneumologia.pt). The first article of the PJP published in MEDLINE in August 2003 was the work of C. Furtado et al about the laboratory surveillance of drug resistance tuberculosis in Portugal.1
Seven years later, following the 113rd article submitted to the PJP in 2010, the process changed with the first editorial of the new team.2 The Elsevier platform at www.ees.elsevier.com/rpp, has been fully functional since the 15th October 2010. Based on the experience of these 2 months, we think the process is proving simple for both the authors and the reviewers. The editors and reviewers have direct access to the manuscripts through a password, and the authors can track the progress of their manuscript simply by going into the website. We would like to draw your attention to importance of strict observance of the instructions to the authors (paying close attention to the word count and the number of Figures/Tables) and the good use of English!
Keeping to the deadlines is now more controlled (it is automatic), the manuscripts are submitted to a filter before being sent to the reviewers (Elsevier's technical services try to evaluate the Word count, check if the abstract is structured, etc), all files are stored in a server and the final version of the manuscript is ready for the final edition.
The PJP is distributed to around 900 members, 20 of which live abroad (15 in Portuguese speaking countries, 2 in Spain, 1 in Belgium, 1 in France and 1 in the UK). The web has advantages of speed, reach, interactivity, and infinite space, but paper has the advantages of readability, portability, and attractiveness. The future is not “paper or electronic” but “paper and electronic.”
WebsiteIt seems unnecessary to emphasize the importance of the electronic version, which allows not only global dissemination but also provides wide-ranging benefits for the reader.
The current team wants to convert the website into a modern and powerful tool that allows the reader a personalized management of all contents and which attracts future authors thanks to its educational potential. We are currently redesigning the website, and hope to have it working in the first trimester of 2011.
The entire content of PJP is available online and free of charge. In the new web site of the PJP (the ePJP) you can opt to receive table of contents and sign up for free online first alerts. We will create a special feature about images/videos that invites the readers for a diagnosis/discussion. At the end of the year we will publish the best in a supplement which at that time will be indexed in MEDLINE.
In the first month (from 12th November until 12th December), according to Google Analytical Service, we had 708 visits. A peak (of 100 visits) occurred on the 3rd December (just before the start of the PSP annual congress). Most of our web-visitors (53.7 %) accessed the Journal's website (ePJP) directly by typing in the home-page address, the rest accessed through the PSP web site (13.84 %), PubMed (10.73 %) and Google (5.23 %).
The majority of web-visitors came from Portugal (64 %) but 11 % came from Spain and 9.8 % from USA. (Table 1 and Figure 1). We cannot ask more for a small journal and a small scientific society. However, we would still like to make extra “electronic” leaps!
Sleep disordered breathing is now considered a major public health problem.3
In this number accompanying two original articles on Sleep Apnea Syndrome (SAS)4,5 Geraldo Lorenzi-Filho (University of Sao Paulo), a member of the Editorial Council of PJP and one of the most distinguished world experts in the area writes a thoughtful Editorial which addresses the role of questionnaires in screening SAS and the cardiovascular consequences of the disease.6
In this number we also initiate a thematic series of 4 review articles entitled “To publish or perish”, devoted to the revision and writing of manuscripts (in consonance with the topic chosen for the Pulmonology School).7 Closing our journal we continue to have a space dedicated to photography. Once more we encourage all the members to send in their work.
So now log on to http://ees.elsevier.com/rpp for electronic submission or to www.revportpneumol.org to view published articles! This should be easy!! With your help we hope to continually improve PJP so that it will become a favourite source of information both for specialists, residents and students. Welcome to the electronic revolution…
