[V Chilean Symposium of Biomedical Journal Editors]

In August, 2001, the Editors of over 40 Chilean journals in biological, medical and health issues were gathered in Santiago, Chile, by the Chilean Association of Biomedical Journal Editors, together with guest librarians from Chile and Brazil, in a 2-day symposium. The main topics discussed were: the educational role of biomedical journals in Chile; how can Chilean journals become included in international databases; requisites for authorship in scientific articles; how to attract more and better manuscripts; advantages and limitations of the peer-review system; ethical problems and conflicts of interest in the editorial process; electronic tendencies in scientific publications. This was the fifth meeting on similar topics held in Chile, starting in 1972, and the interchange of experiences and opinions among editors, librarians and other experts was fruitful and stimulating.