Rising Publication Delays Inflate Journal Impact Factors

Journal impact factors have become an important criterion to judge the quality of scientific publications over the years, influencing the evaluation of institutions and individual researchers worldwide. However, they are also subject to a number of criticisms. Here we point out that the calculation of a journal’s impact factor is mainly based on the date of publication of its articles in print form, despite the fact that most journals now make their articles available online before that date. We analyze 61 neuroscience journals and show that delays between online and print publication of articles increased steadily over the last decade. Importantly, such a practice varies widely among journals, as some of them have no delays, while for others this period is longer than a year. Using a modified impact factor based on online rather than print publication dates, we demonstrate that online-to-print delays can artificially raise a journal’s impact factor, and that this inflation is greater for longer publication lags. We also show that correcting the effect of publication delay on impact factors changes journal rankings based on this metric. We thus suggest that indexing of articles in citation databases and calculation of citation metrics should be based on the date of an article’s online appearance, rather than on that of its publication in print.

Rising Publication Delays Inflate Journal Impact Factors

Journal impact factors have become an important criterion to judge the quality of scientific publications over the years, influencing the evaluation of institutions and individual researchers worldwide. However, they are also subject to a number of criticisms. Here we point out that the calculation of a journal’s impact factor is mainly based on the date of publication of its articles in print form, despite the fact that most journals now make their articles available online before that date. We analyze 61 neuroscience journals and show that delays between online and print publication of articles increased steadily over the last decade. Importantly, such a practice varies widely among journals, as some of them have no delays, while for others this period is longer than a year. Using a modified impact factor based on online rather than print publication dates, we demonstrate that online-to-print delays can artificially raise a journal’s impact factor, and that this inflation is greater for longer publication lags. We also show that correcting the effect of publication delay on impact factors changes journal rankings based on this metric. We thus suggest that indexing of articles in citation databases and calculation of citation metrics should be based on the date of an article’s online appearance, rather than on that of its publication in print.

Contribuições para a análise de sinais neuronais e biomédicos

Following the new tendency of interdisciplinarity of modern science, a new field called neuroengineering has come to light in the last decades. After 2000, scientific journals and conferences all around the world have been created on this theme. The present work comprises three different subareas related to neuroengineering and electrical engineering: neural stimulation; theoretical and computational neuroscience; and neuronal signal processing; as well as biomedical engineering. The research can be divided in three parts: (i) A new method of neuronal photostimulation was developed based on the use of caged compounds. Using the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA caged by a ruthenium complex it was possible to block neuronal population activity using a laser pulse. The obtained results were evaluated by Wavelet analysis and tested by non-parametric statistics. (ii) A mathematical method was created to identify neuronal assemblies. Neuronal assemblies were proposed as the basis of learning by Donald Hebb remain the most accepted theory for neuronal representation of external stimuli. Using the Marcenko-Pastur law of eigenvalue distribution it was possible to detect neuronal assemblies and to compute their activity with high temporal resolution. The application of the method in real electrophysiological data revealed that neurons from the neocortex and hippocampus can be part of the same assembly, and that neurons can participate in multiple assemblies. (iii) A new method of automatic classification of heart beats was developed, which does not rely on a data base for training and is not specialized in specific pathologies. The method is based on Wavelet decomposition and normality measures of random variables. Throughout, the results presented in the three fields of knowledge represent qualification in neural and biomedical engineering

Fontes primárias da história do vácuo e da pressão atmosférica na sala de aula: cartas e jornais históricos em articulação com o livro-texto do ensino médio

The use of the History and the Philosophy of Science (HPS) for the teaching of science and scientific subjects has been advocated in recent decades. It has been pointed out that the History of Science could make for a deeper learning of scientific concepts, since it would promote a contact with the problems which that knowledge has set out to solve. Furthermore, historical episodes would serve to put the discussions about the nature of scientific knowledge into context. With a view to explore those potentialities, the literature in the field has sought to identify the challenges and obstacles for the didactic transposition of subjects from the History of Science. Amongst many aspects, the deficiencies in the training of teachers, so that they can work with the insertion of HPS in the classroom have been highlighted. Another aspect that has been mentioned to be a challenge has to do with the didactic transposition of the Primary Sources, that is, of the original texts on the History of Science. The Primary Sources have significant potentialities: making a connection possible between scientists and concepts, showing the difficulties faced during scientific endeavors, perceiving the role of mistakes as obstacles to be surpassed, not as defeat, etc. On the other hand, there has been little exploration of these concepts in an educational context, due to their own peculiarities. The original texts are often hard to understand and their interpretation demands knowledge of the historical and scientific context in which they were written, as well as skills pertaining to the conduction of research in the field of the History of Science. With this scenario in mind, the research towards this Professional MSc degree starts from the challenge of elaborating and discussing proposals which could enable the didactical transposition of the Primary Sources. We have worked specifically with Primary Sources on the History of the Vacuum and of the Atmospheric Pressure, because of the insertion of these subjects in the Brazilian High School curriculum, in connection with the didactical textbooks. "Historic Journals" were made up from clippings of the original historical texts, as was a Didactical Unit, which takes the usual textbooks as a basis and contemplates using the Journals and the entire Primary Sources in High School. At last, we have elaborated and implemented a course designed for the preparation of teachers and for being an opportunity for the discussion of the feasibility of putting these kinds of proposal into practice

Avaliação da usabilidade de um sistema informatizado de controle acadêmico: um estudo com coordenadores e secretários de cursos stricto sensu da UFRN

The aim of this study is to assess the usability of the Integrated Management System for Academic Activities (SIGAA) for the sensu stricto postgraduate programs at Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte. The study was based on ergonomic criteria proposed by Bastien and Scapin (1993) and the Federal Government s Handbook of Usability (2010). The methodology used was a descriptive data survey involving an online questionnaire, and a sample of 46 system users, composed of coordinators and secretaries from the sensu stricto postgraduate programs. In addition to this procedure, open interviews were held with the users as well as a documental analysis of calls registered by them at the SIGAA between May 2012 and June 2013. Data analysis showed that a number of additional usability criteria need to be implemented, primarily related to ergonomic problems of orientation, error management and workload. Based on the analyses, several changes were proposed that may streamline secretarial activities, as well as provide greater satisfaction and interaction between the SIGAA and its users

Tomada de decisão de Psicólogos em avaliação Psicologica

Psychological assessment is a procedure that is inserted in all areas of a psychologist s professional field of work. When starting any psychological intervention, it is necessary to carry an analysis of how individual operate in order to identify and define their demands to adequately meet them. It is important to study this practice because the choice of instruments, techniques and procedures to be employed influences the efficiency and effectiveness of the work and the image of the profession towards society in general, also impacting the scientific community. This study aimed to identify, in the subjects, the percentage of professionals in psychology who make use of the Psychological Assessment in the Northeastern region of Brazil; another objectives were to analyze the profile of these professionals in terms of gender, time after graduation, additional training in PA, the state of the country where he/she works; to check how psychologists do their planning when using PA as well as to identify which differences can be observed in terms of time from graduation and additional training in the process of planning the assessment different extents. The instrument used was an online questionnaire and the sample was by adhesion to the application. The attendance was of 159 professionals and most of them were females with a specialist degree. It was found that the majority of the professionals perform the planning of the PA, establishing a method and choosing the most appropriate strategies to be used. It was also verified that most of the subjects fulfill the steps of the whole process, and when planning the techniques of data collection, integrating database from different sources, reporting the results and returning the information, the professional demonstrates his/her goals to understand their demands and accomplish the decision making and/or proposed intervention for individuals assessed. It was found that the undergraduate degree may not have produced a more complete effect in the professional qualification and therefore, of the quality of the actions in PA, and that there is a need for training and continuing education