AGROCIENCIA: DIRECTOR?S REPORT (I995 to 1997)

Abstract

Agrociencia is a quarterly scientific journal created and financially supported by the Colegio de Postgraduados. Agrociencia was founded in 1966 and since then it has been reorganized three times. One of the main immediate goals of the most recent reorganization, started in 1995, was to formalize the journal?s internal structure in the bylaws of the Colegio, in a manner that would create a degree of economic solvency and a clear definition of editorial autonomy. The medium term goal is to enhance internal and external mechanisms so that the journal could compete, in the long term, with prestigious international journals. Agrociencia has received a large number of contributions (an average of 220 per year) that is growing as the promotion and distribution of the journal increases in México and abroad. However, taking into account the number of researchers in Mexican organizations such as the Sistema Nacional de Investigadores, the Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Agrícolas, Forestales y Pecuarias, and those belonging to graduate programs affiliated to the Asociación Nacional de Universidades e Instituciones de Enseñanza Superior, it is urgent to promote more scientific journals. At the present time, there are some journals with low impact and low circulation, so the scientific associations and the academic institutions that promote these journals should join forces to face the high editorial costs involved in printing, promotion, and distribution, as well as specialized workers and modern equipment. This report discusses Agrociencia?s strategies applied in the last three years to promote the stability, permanence and punctuality of the journal, as well as the catalytic role of the Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología, through its Evaluation Committees.