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In this reflection, I propose to tell part of my academic history in the first person. Here, I
understand this history as part of the science that studies actions and events, analyzing how
societies or institutions develop and transform while seeking to understand human action and its
context, how and why things happened in such a way and not in another. This text contains a
personal – albeit contextualized – perspective and, therefore, will always be subject to
controversy and reinterpretation.
I am referring to the origin and development of Ciência & Saúde Coletiva, which I “delivered” on
behalf of ABRASCO, nurtured, and managed to follow its growth to this day as Editor-in-Chief. I
say “some maturity” because the revolution in communication and information makes everything
so subject to transformation that the only certainty about reality is that it is constantly changing.
In this Journal’s case, the important thing is that its original pillars still stand tall. Since no one
does anything alone, the entire process I am recounting from a personal viewpoint was
conducted jointly with multiple protagonists – such as the Editors-in-Chief who oversee the
evaluation, Romeu Gomes and Antônio Augusto, the authors, all the reviewers, and the
Executive Team – to whom I am immensely grateful.
I will begin with the origins. In 1993, I was elected president of the Brazilian Collective Health
Association. I took office with an unequivocal mandate: to evaluate postgraduate courses in
Collective Health. These were difficult times for a very complex and academically new area,
which was associated with the field of Medicine at CAPES and CNPq. There was much talk and
distrust in the institutions that funded and evaluated Collective Health regarding its scientific
nature back then. This malaise was fueled by a lack of understanding of its specificity, the
quality of its courses, and its scientific output.
Of the Epidemiology, Social Sciences, and Planning and Management triad, which traditionally
form and summarize the field of knowledge, only Epidemiology was recognized by Medicine
and somehow was the one that endorsed the area. We should remember that Epidemiologists
held a very successful International Congress in Brazil for their discipline while I was president,
which was undergoing complete technical evolution under the coordination of Professor
Maurício Barreto.
However, also during the same period, with the enthusiasm of leaders in the field, Social
Scientists organized the First Congress of Social Sciences and Health under the direction of
Ana Maria Canesqui, which over 400 people attended. Looking back, the Association’s roots
had been laid since 1979 and were under construction despite all the difficulties, obstacles, and
misunderstandings inherent to academic debate.
I was ABRASCO\'s first female president. The most significant challenge was evaluating the 31
postgraduate courses (master\'s and doctorate). A group of dedicated and competent
researchers got to work and worked hard to show the specificities, problems, and ways to
overcome them. This analysis covered the mission and curricula of the courses, the
interdisciplinary proposals, the origin of the students, the scientific output, and the destination of
those who graduated. The study lasted two years. It culminated with an international seminar in
Rio de Janeiro attended by eminent researchers from other countries, representatives of CNPq,
CAPES, the Pan American Health Organization, the most experienced Brazilian researchers
from the three subareas, and the coordinators of the postgraduate courses.
The results showed that the master\'s and doctoral courses in the field had many qualities –
including constant growth in academic production – but also problems that, curiously, were also
highlighted in other branches of knowledge: a very long master\'s course and the need to
increase and delve deeper into scientific production. There was a consensus that nothing could
prevent Collective Health from growing, developing, and being part of the range of postgraduate
courses in the most diverse areas of knowledge. Besides holding the First Congress of Social

Sciences and Health, this seminar resulted in two resolutions: the creation of the National
Forum of Postgraduate Studies in Collective Health, which continues to this day – as do the
Congresses – and negotiations to create an ABRASCO Journal: the time was right, and there
was critical mass for this project. These three projects were the legacy of my administration.
I was president of Abrasco until the end of 1996. In the last board meetings, I was given the
task of leading the creation of the much-dreamed Journal, and together, we also discussed the
name we would give it. Perhaps traumatized by the opinion of peers from other segments, we
immediately settled on the term “Ciência & Saúde Coletiva”. Obviously, a science under
construction, keeping up with the vigor with which we sought to build a still new field, born as an
Association in 1979, as already mentioned.
At the same meeting, we discussed how to distinguish the Journal from the two larger ones that
remain huge to this day. The initial decisions were to create a thematic journal with the idea of
​​overcoming the individualization of disciplines and gathering the creative thinking of researchers
on relevant subjects that required further study, to encompass the discussion on Collective
Health in all Health Sciences fields to the limit and to include researchers from all over the
country in the Editorial Board. In addition, it should be managed not in a corporate manner but
in such a way as to integrate the Journal into the best that the world of knowledge has to offer,
recognizing local and international advances since science has no borders.
I would like to emphasize this “origin myth” by telling future generations of editors that the initial
pillars were collectively conceived by ABRASCO’s Board of Directors and the first Editorial
Board in their originality and commitment to the construction of the field and their role in
implementing the SUS. Let this be clear: I did not appoint myself to be the first Editor-in-Chief.
ABRASCO’s Board of Directors chose me. However, the task was given, I studied, researched
the subject, and sought help from more experienced editors.
This is how Ciência & Saúde Coletiva was born. Regarding this baby born in 1996, I always say,
“It was born small and ugly", remembering the phrase of Dom Helder Câmara: “I have never
seen a child born big”. It is evident that in this initial phase, everything worked by invitation and
on a tiny scale. Even so, anyone who takes a look at the first issues will find most of the leading
authors still alive and the mark that the association gave it, emphasizing discussing the SUS
policies that were gradually being implemented, a commitment to the development of the
system, and combining science with Collective Health. From the third issue onwards, at my
insistence and stubbornness, ABRASCO’s Executive Secretary commissioned a new project,
aesthetically much more beautiful, professional, and representative of the Journal’s initial idea,
which remains to this day, along with its design.
The Journal has developed rapidly. Firstly, due to the support of the academic community and
institutional support, but also to a fundamental factor: its indexing. Until 2001, it operated with
two issues per year. In 2002, it was indexed in SciELO, with four yearly issues. In 2008, it was
indexed in MEDLINE, which represented an excellent change in terms of quality and author
support and required increasing the number of issues to eight.
In 2010, it was indexed in the Web of Science, then in Scopus. Today, Ciência & Saúde Coletiva
is in 24 databases, the main ones being those already mentioned. In 2024, it reached the final
step as a disseminator of national production in health through the A1 ​​classification in the
institutional evaluation of CAPES, an exhaustively desired achievement. We should underscore
that, throughout this process, I am deeply grateful to SciELO, which continues to pave the way
for international articulation and debate through Open Science, besides having quality criteria to
index the journals in its collection in open access to the world.
Thus, at the risk of being repetitive, Ciência & Saúde Coletiva enters its 30 th year of life full of
light and hope. To celebrate this date, a documentary is being prepared, and during the year,

there will be 12 podcasts discussing the specific theme of each month while editors and authors
follow the whirlwind of changes in social communication and scientific dissemination worldwide:
the Journal is part of this process.
Here are some important facts. A Clarivate 1 report (2024) from 2019 to 2023 informs that Brazil
ranked thirteenth in the world regarding the number of indexed publications (458,370) and with
54.4% of articles by national authors in open access. This period witnessed important
advances: the gold standard open access publication levels in the country increased from 36%
to 41%; the percentage of articles with international co-authorship increased from 28% in 2014
to 38% in 2023; and the relationship between Brazilian science and industry grew significantly,
especially in the pharmaceutical field and in the production of clinical trials, and 25% of articles
involved this cooperation type. Furthermore, Brazil is among the top 20 countries in the world
that research artificial intelligence, with 6,304 publications on the subject between 2019 and
2023.
When compared to the BRICS, Brazil stands out for its focus on the “Sustainable Development
Goals” (SDGs) in the following themes: Health and Well-Being; Poverty Eradication; Quality
Education; Gender Equality; Life Below Water and Life on Land; Peace, Justice, and Effective
Institutions. The adherence to these themes can be seen in articles in this same thematic issue.
It also has relatively high levels of cutting-edge research in environmental, medical, and
biological sciences. Between 2014 and 2023, most research articles (190,575) were in Health
Sciences, which represent 27% of national production. This sector also has the highest mean
normalized citation impact by category (1.05, with the world average being 1.00) and the
highest proportion of articles (8.1%) among the 10% most cited in the world.
The recognition of Ciência & Saúde Coletiva was a very significant milestone in 2024. The
Journal received the highest rating (A1) in the CAPES evaluation. It continued to rank first
among all Brazilian journals in the h5 index (80/102). It reached the Scopus gold standard in
number of publications, coming behind only Nature Reports and PlosOne. However, in addition
to constant updating, there is a need to invest in increasing the impact measured by the Web of
Science, where it has a rating of 1.20 (although this score is higher than the world average);
today, it takes an unreasonable amount of time between the approval and the publication of
articles.
Editors and the entire Executive Team are keeping an eye on the course correction! We trail on
a competitive and steep road. Underfunding is a stressor for those who dedicate their lives to
the Journal’s success. Disseminating science is not a cheap or straightforward task. Out of
respect for its national character and its dialogue with the SUS, publications must be in
Portuguese, although almost all articles are translated into English and occasionally into
Spanish. Other sister journals publish only in English.
Therefore, Ciência & Saúde Coletiva needs more support from ABRASCO’s management to
have an adequate number of professionals and the solidarity of other institutions so that its
achievements do not retrocede. Today, it suffers the effects of its success. Despite the rigorous
evaluation of originals, an extensive collection has already been approved and is waiting to be
published. With 30 articles in each of the 12 annual issues, it would be entirely feasible to make
it biweekly if there were the material and human resources to support this bold step.
Considerations on what happens in the daily production process
Today, we are a team of Editors-in-Chief: Romeu Gomes, Antônio Augusto Moura da Silva,
Vania de Matos Fonseca (recently included), and myself. In general, we control what arrives at
the Journal and what will be published. We have a fundamental and indispensable team
responsible for evaluating the topics by specialty, composed of 21 Associate Editors and an
Editorial Board with representatives from all underlying areas and postgraduate programs in the

country, of which 20 are collaborators from other countries. We also have an Editorial Policy
Board whose role is fundamental in ensuring the quality of the terms of reference of the
thematic issues, composed of nationally and internationally renowned researchers: Cesar
Victora from the Federal University of Pelotas, Eleonor Conill from the Federal University of
Santa Catarina, Hillegonda Maria Dutilh Novaes and Nelson da Cruz Gouveia from the
University of São Paulo; Jorge Alberto Bernstein Iriart and Jairnilson Paim from the Federal
University of Bahia; Roberto Briceño-Leon from the Central University of Venezuela, Moyses
Szklo from John Hopkins University; Luis Augusto Pisco from the Universidade Nova Lisboa
and the Portuguese Ministry of Health.
The volunteer role played by the scientific communication and dissemination editor Neyson
Pinheiro Freire, an eminent scientific journalist whose main task is to work with the media in
general and social networks to popularize academic production, can never be forgotten. Except
for the Executive Team, named below, all the groups mentioned work on a voluntary basis, an
intense activity because the Journal is published monthly with 30 articles in each issue.
The Executive Team works at the same time, with each person and their role and all working
together: Raimunda Matilde do Nascimento Mangas as Editorial Coordinator; Telma Freitas da
Silva Pereira as Editorial Communications Coordinator and responsible for Project and
Financial Management. responsible for managing thematic editions.; Luiza Pimenta Gualhano
as journalist and Editorial Assistant; Danúzia da Rocha de Paula as librarian and Technical
Coordinator of the article submission process; Valéria de Souza Reis Viana de Oliveira and
Anadrielle Cristina de Souza Pinheiro, as Editorial and Technology Support.
In addition to this select and essential group, the production of each issue includes Adriana
Ribeiro Fontes as a layout artist, Luiz Valdetaro and Livia Marinho as Portuguese proofreaders,
Derrick Guy Phillips and Jean-Pierre Barakat as English translators, and Gisele Higa in the
technical activity of XML markup. I would like to mention this group that oversees the day-to-day
running of the Journal, ensures the relationship with authors, the technical quality of the
publications, the release of the issues without delays, and the collective relations. This team
deserves much applause and my eternal gratitude.
We should remember that historically, there has not always been an executive group of the
current size. It is relevant to recognize those who paved the way: the contribution of Pericles
Silveira da Costa, who was at the origin and collaborated throughout the entire constitution
process; Lilian Maria Vicentin, who ran the Journal in the first years of growth in editions,
assisted by librarian Danúzia da Rocha de Paula, who continues to this day and has specialized
in receiving articles and relating to authors and in maintaining references and the form of
citation as per the Vancouver standards. All of these professionals deserve my and our deepest
gratitude.
Some considerations on the road traveled so far
Personally, I feel a sense of accomplishment, and I felt honored when I read one of Bourdieu\'s
considerations written in his short book Self-Analysis 2 . The author emphasizes that the choice of
being an intellectual places the individual in a condition that distinguishes him from other
professionals. This distinction is due to the inability to separate life from work. In other words,
intellectual activity has no set time or place, nor does it depend on an organization or a work
desk. The reflection on the reality of his constant work tends to blend with his role in the world
he lives in. I would like to add that I thought it appropriate to share my thoughts with my fellow
Editors-in-Chief and, with due proportion – with my peers in the Executive Secretariat: their
complete and permanent dedication blends their personal activity in the Journal with their being
and acting in the world.

As for me, I never had any doubts that I was fulfilling a special mission and that I would have to
give my all so that Ciência & Saúde Coletiva could be an instrument for gathering the best
researchers in the construction of knowledge in Collective Health and the SUS, in association. I
always aimed to take the Journal to the highest level of recognition possible. There were many
challenges, including underfunding or lack of funding, a lack of understanding of this complex
and delicate process that is the last stage of knowledge production, attempts to make
corporatism prevail, and, why not say it? My fear of having to stop in the middle of a fast-paced
journey.
Without intending to come close to what Palestinian cultural critic Edward W. Saíd 3 says about
the representation of the intellectual, I will use his thinking to express my relationship with the
Journal. The central idea of ​​his work is that the intellectual should not close himself off in
academia, absenting himself from debates and discussions about the problems of his time. By
reaffirming Gramsci’s definition 4 , according to which anyone can be an intellectual, Said defines
this figure as a combination of critical thinking and an understanding of history. He believes the
intellectual does not represent an icon like a statue but an individual vocation, an energy, an
obstinate force, addressing with a committed and recognizable voice in language and society a
number of issues, all of which ultimately correlate with a combination of enlightenment and
emancipation or freedom. The intellectual has a public role and is not a faceless professional.
On the contrary, he/she is a representative figure whose vocation involves commitment and risk,
boldness, and vulnerability.
I am now 87 years old. Therefore, this short story – told in fragments and full of gaps – is a
legacy that I leave to future generations. Together with admirable peers, I managed to take the
Journal Ciência & Saúde Coletiva to an enviable level. Immortality does not exist, and I am
aware that I am in the last stage of existence. Without any pretension of being a protagonist, my
greatest wish is that Ciência & Saúde Coletiva continues its trajectory of growth and
improvement, always faithful to the principles that established it. Celebrating this golden phase
of its existence, may it reap laurels and project itself, without fear of what lies ahead, but with
due support, towards an increasingly promising future!

REFERENCES
1. Clarivate. Panorama das mudanças na pesquisa no Brasil: aproveitando oportunidades
de crescimento. 2024 [acessado 2024 set 10]. Disponível em:
https://www.abcd.usp.br/wp-
content/uploads/2024/08/Relatorio_panorama_da_pesquisa_brasil_clarivate-capes-
agosto-2024.pdf.
2. Bourdieu P. Esboço de autoanálise. São Paulo: Companhia das Letras; 2005.
3. Said EW. Representações do Intelectual. São Paulo. Editora Companhia das Letras;
2005.
4. Gramsci A. Cadernos do Cárcere, n.5. Rio de Janeiro: Editora Civilização Brasileira;
2002.