EDITORIAL

Application for

Indexation in PubMed

Dr. Ernesto Bersusky

RAAOT Editor

o the users of our journal—readers, authors, and reviewers—we would like to share some thoughts on the important transformation our journal (RAAOT) has undergone over the past 10 years. This transformation has been significant, as evidenced by the recognition we have achieved through various indexations: SciELO, Latindex, Dialnet, DOAJ, REDIB, AmeliCA, JournalTOCs, and EBSCO. RAAOT is also part of the Basic Nucleus of Scientific Journals of CAICYT-CONICET. Additionally, it is included in the catalogs of Sheffield Hallam University - Library Gateway, WorldCat, Sudoc, Latindex, Harvard Library, Internet Archive, Zeitschriften Datenbank, OpenAlex, LOCKSS Repositories, BASE (Bielefeld Academic Search Engine), Wikidata, ROAD, and Google Scholar.

This means that, immediately after publication, articles are available for consultation, ensuring wide dissemination. This is confirmed by the metrics presented with each article, offering authors the assurance that their work reaches a broad audience.

Given the editorial and scientific standards we have reached, we consulted CAICYT to determine whether we were in a position to apply for indexation in PubMed. After several inquiries, CAICYT confirmed that RAAOT met the necessary requirements, and we proceeded to submit the application.

Unfortunately, our journal was not accepted for indexing in PubMed. However, this was not a definitive rejection; we were informed that the journal will be re-evaluated in two years. The stated reason for the rejection was vague, citing “poor scientific and editorial quality.”

We are aware that Latin American, institutional, and open access journals are often subject to more rigorous scrutiny. When accepted, it is usually only after several rounds of submission. The National Library of Medicine explicitly states that non-U.S. journals—especially those that are regional or institutional—will be evaluated more selectively. In contrast, journals from major international publishers benefit from substantial resources, specialized staff dedicated to managing indexation applications, larger budgets, and a higher volume of submissions. Authors often prefer these publishers due to the visibility they offer.

As editors—and also as readers and authors who have published in PubMed-indexed journals—we believe that the scientific quality of our published articles is not inferior to that of already indexed journals.

In light of this situation, we will continue to work with the guidance of CAICYT-CONICET, which includes us in the Basic Nucleus of Scientific Publications (NBPC). It is worth noting that our journal is one of 52 medical and health sciences journals included in the NBPC.

CAICYT has sent us a report suggesting only minor changes to the journal’s general description and certain specific items. As communication standards evolve and new tools emerge in our field, any that affect editorial flow or quality must be reflected in our portal and editorial policies. For example, the rise of Artificial Intelligence prompted us early on to establish clear guidelines for its use, which were added to our Publication Regulations. Addressing this required careful consideration and decision-making. Each change in the portal is not a simple task, as it involves a series of technical processes within platforms like OJS, which present their own complexities.

We have shared our disappointment with editors of other journals. Their words of encouragement were: “No journal is indexed in PubMed on the first application.”

We now have two years before we can apply again. In the meantime, we reaffirm our commitment to continue working—more diligently than ever—toward achieving our goal, with the unwavering support of our authors and reviewers.

Dr. Ernesto Bersusky • editor@aaot.org.ar • https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3121-9326

How to cite this article: Bersusky E. Application for Indexation in PubMed. Rev Asoc Argent Ortop Traumatol 2025;90(3):207-208. https://doi.org/10.15417/issn.1852-7434.2025.90.3.2167

Article Info

Identification: https://doi.org/10.15417/issn.1852-7434.2025.90.3.2167

Published: June, 2025

License: This article is under Attribution-NonCommertial-ShareAlike 4.0 International Creative Commons License (CC-BY-NC-SA 4.0).