Abstract

uropean Society of Cardiology (ESC) National Society Cardiovascular Journals (NSCJs) are high-quality biomedical journals focused on cardiovascular diseases. The Editors´ Network of the ESC devises editorial initiatives aimed at improving the scientific quality and diffusion of NSCJ. In this article we will discuss on the importance of the Internet, electronic editions and open access strategies on scientific publishing. Finally, we will propose a new editorial initiative based on a novel electronic tool on the ESC web-page that may further help to increase the dissemination of contents and visibility of NSCJs. The National Society Cardiovascular Journals (NSCJs) of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) are high-quality biomedical journals devoted to publishing original research and educative material on cardiovascular diseases. These journals officially belong to the corresponding ESC National Cardiac Societies. Many of them have achieved major international recognition, are included in most important bibliometric databases, and have made major scientific impact. Some NSCJs offer full-text English content and are freely available in electronic editions. However, NSCJs are largely heterogeneous and some of them are only published in local languages with a limited visibility. The main goal of biomedical journals is to publish high-quality scientific information. To achieve this goal, journals should compete for the best research carried out in their field, the ‘prestige’ of the journal being the main driver to attract original contributions. In turn, a journal’s prestige is based on credibility, diffusion and scientific impact. To ensure that the scientific process is fully respected, journals rely in the ‘peer review’ system. This process not only allows the editors to select the best possible material for publication, but also assures the readers that the quality of the information follows the highest scientific standards. In fact, the process significantly improves the final quality of manuscripts eventually published. Once an article is definitely accepted for publication, the journal should guarantee its expedited publication and widespread diffusion among the scientific community. The Editors’ Network of the ESC provides a unique platform for devising editorial initiatives aimed to improve the scientific quality, and facilitate diffusion of the contents of NSCJs. Herein we will discuss the importance of the internet and electronic editions in scientific publishing. We will also review the growing relevance of open access (OA) strategies. Last but not least, we will propose a new initiative based on a novel electronic tool that may further help to increase the diffusion, dissemination and overall visibility of NSCJs. This tool, located on the ESC website, should foster collaboration among the different NSCJs and also broaden exposure from diverse scientific sites and ESC of&

Key words: European Society of Cardiology (ESC), National Society Cardiovascular Journals (NSCJs), scientific contents.