The Continuous Evolution of the Arquivos Brasileiros de Cardiologia: 77 Years and BeyondKeywords:
Scientific Communication and Diffusion; Periodical; Cardiology
Palavras-chave:
Comunicação e Divulgação Científica; Publicação Periódica; Cardiologia
Keywords:
Scientific Communication and Diffusion; Periodical; Cardiology
Palavras-chave:
Comunicação e Divulgação Científica; Publicação Periódica; Cardiologia
The Arquivos Brasileiros de Cardiologia (ABC Cardiol) is the most influential Brazilian scientific journal dedicated to the dissemination of research in cardiology and cardiovascular sciences. Founded in 1948 and published by the Brazilian Society of Cardiology (in Portuguese, SBC), it is over 70 years old and recognized as the highest-impact cardiology journal in Latin America. The ABC Cardiol is a monthly, bilingual publication, indexed in major international databases (PMC, PubMed Medline, Web of Science, Scopus, SciELO, Lilacs, DOAJ), adopts open access policies, and, in 2025, achieved an impact factor of 1.9 (JCR). In addition, ABC Cardiol is classified as Qualis A2, according to the scientific journal classification from the Coordination for Enhancement of Higher-Level Personnel (in Portuguese, CAPES) (Figure 1).
– Editors of the Arquivos Brasileiros de Cardiologia. (fonte Memorial ABC Cardiol – https://abccardiol.org/historia/).
ABC Cardiol has been facing several challenges to maintain its relevance, editorial quality, and scientific impact. Several changes have been implemented over the years, coordinated by its current editor-in-chief, Professor Carlos E. Rochitte, to whose administration I have contributed as associate editor in the field of clinical cardiology.1 Among the multiple challenges faced by ABC Cardiol, the following stand out: opportunities for editorial and technological advances; adaptation to increasingly-strict international scientific requirements; integration of guidelines; internationalization through the overcoming of regional barriers; and promotion of an inclusive high-impact cardiovascular science, always focused on long-term financial sustainability.
In recent years, the number of submissions has significantly increased, with approximately 800 manuscripts submitted annually to the journal. This requires continuous modernization of the electronic submission systems and of the review and editing processes to ensure rapid responses to authors and to maintain editorial quality. In addition, it is essential to reduce the time between manuscript submission and its final publication, which has been a goal relentlessly pursued by all ABC Cardiol administrations. These are sine qua non conditions for ensuring the attractiveness of ABC Cardiol as a reference journal.
Despite all continuous efforts of internationalization, increasing the impact factor of ABC Cardiol is still challenging. This is partly attributable to the submission of many of the best manuscripts produced by Brazilian authors to higher-impact foreign journals. However, there has been a significant increase in the difficulty of disseminating Brazilian scientific production in internationally indexed journals, exemplified by the high submission fees charged by such journals. Another significant challenge is the adaptation of the journal’s content to multiple digital platforms, such as computers, tablets, and smartphones, to ensure full and free access. There is high demand for investments in technology and constant update of systems, which, combined with rising technological and operational costs, requires financial strategies to ensure the journal’s sustainability without jeopardizing its scientific mission.
Additionally, the need to maintain quality standards and the scientific impact factor has resulted in a high rejection rate at ABC Cardiol, leading many relevant studies from national postgraduation programs to seek publication in other journals. On the other hand, the creation of a family of specialized journals (International Journal of Cardiovascular Sciences - IJCS, ABC Imagem, ABC Heart Failure) constitutes a publication opportunity for manuscripts that could not be accommodated by ABC Cardiol. That family, however, faces difficulties related to international indexing and low submission rates in specific areas, evidencing the challenge of expanding the editorial structure without losing quality or relevance.
In September 2024, the criteria, policy, and procedures for the admission and retention of journals in the SciELO Brazil Collection were published.2 These changes were aimed at aligning the SciELO Brazil Collection to the modus operandi of open science, promoting technological and editorial advances, in addition to increasing the visibility and sustainable impact of Brazilian journals. ABC Cardiol has complied with most of the new requirements, but further steps are necessary, such as: to implement proper referencing and inclusion of research data availability; to improve the processes of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility; to reduce the time for manuscript management; to include foreign editors and reviewers in the assessment of manuscripts; to require the disclosure of the registration number of clinical trials and systematic reviews/meta-analyses in the manuscript as a condition to proceed with the assessment.
For the 2026/2028 period, I was selected to be editor-in-chief of ABC Cardiol with Professor Fausto Pinto as the international co-editor. Our aim is to implement an efficient, innovative, and collaborative management model for ABC Cardiol to ensure its quality, relevance, and expansion, promoting excellence in scientific production and dissemination of knowledge in cardiology in Brazil and abroad. Thus, we begin our efforts with the creation of some programs designed to enhance the ABC Cardiol, enabling greater participation of our cardiologists in editorial management, with an emphasis on the dissemination of scientific knowledge within the Latin community and in Portuguese-speaking countries.
We are elaborating the ABC’s Assistant Editor Program with colleagues originating from postgraduation programs in the field of Medicine I of CAPES, which includes cardiology, cardiovascular surgery, interventional cardiology, and pediatric cardiology, who will work with the associate editors. Some objectives of that program are as follows: to accelerate the assessment of manuscripts submitted and the final decision; to indicate new reviewers originating from the postgraduation programs with a suitable profile for ABC Cardiol; to identify relevant themes to elaborate reviews with international partners, as well as to select abstracts presented at national and international meetings so that their authors can be invited to submit for publication in our journal. Furthermore, these colleagues will help promote initiatives aimed at strengthening the engagement between postgraduation programs and ABC Cardiol. In addition, the assistant editors will participate in the ABC Cardiol in Focus program, in the development of rules for awarding the best theses and dissertations in cardiology and cardiovascular sciences, to be conferred at the Meeting of Cardiology Postgraduation Programs held during the annual SBC Congress of Cardiology. Additionally, the assistant editors will support the mentoring of candidates selected for the ABC Cardiol Early Career Program.
The ABC Cardiol Early Career Program will consist of PhD holders in cardiology within their respective areas of expertise, with up to 10 years since completion of their doctoral degree, who are interested in participating in the ABC Cardiol editorial process. They will engage in the same activities of the associate editors, under the leadership of both associate and assistant editors, and will be responsible for podcast recording in their areas of expertise, which will be offered via the ABC Cardiol social media and online portal. These podcasts will present the major articles with their authors, in the form of interviews, prioritizing the clinical applicability of the articles. In addition, the Early Career Program participants will act as facilitators of the ABC Cardiol in Focus program.
The ABC Cardiol in Focus program will highlight the monthly ABC Cardiol Hot Topics chosen for virtual discussion with the associate and assistant editors, Early Career Program participants, and international experts. These virtual meetings will aim mainly at national and international researchers to strengthen the research network involving all stakeholders from the Clinical and Research Support Team.
The ABC Cardiol Clinical and Research Support Team will consist of national and international leaders in research to support researchers and enable reviewers, with continuous training on review criteria and scientific ethics. In addition, they will create networks to boost research publishing in the ABC Cardiol and the journal family.
We consider of fundamental importance to establish partnerships with international societies of cardiology and offer webinars and special theme discussions in collaboration with editors-in-chief of international journals. For that, we count on Professor Fausto Pinto as international coeditor. Professor Fausto Pinto is widely acknowledged for his work in promoting quality in medical education, cardiovascular research, and management of medical institutions and societies, standing out as an influential figure in cardiology in Europe and worldwide. With approximately 1100 high-impact articles indexed in international journals, he has been recognized by Stanford University as one of the “World Top 2% Scientists”. In addition, he was editor-in-chief of the Revista Portuguesa de Cardiologia in the 1999-2015 period, having contributed to the dissemination of scientific knowledge in Portuguese-speaking countries. We will be honored to have his collaboration in support of the ABC Cardiol’s international initiatives.
We, therefore, face a challenging but stimulating task, which we believe will lead to greater recognition and dissemination of the cardiovascular science conducted in Brazil and in Portuguese-speaking countries, thereby supporting its development and growth.
References
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1 Rochitte CE. ABC Cardiol - O Caminho à Frente do Editor-Chefe em 2022 a 2025. Arq Bras Cardiol. 2022;118(1):1-2. doi: 10.36660/abc.20211025.
» https://doi.org/10.36660/abc.20211025 -
2 Scientific Electronic Library Online. Critérios, Política e Procedimentos para a Admissão e a Permanência de Periódicos na Coleção SciELO Brasil [Internet]. São Paulo: SciELO Brasil; 2022 [cited 2025 Dec 16]. Available from: https://www.scielo.br/media/files/20220900-criterios-scielo-brasil.pdf
» https://www.scielo.br/media/files/20220900-criterios-scielo-brasil.pdf
