Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências: past, present, and future
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Microbial Communities in Nature and Laboratory - Interview
Published on: May 28, 2007
Concepta McManus1, Abilio A Baeta Neves2, Felipe Pimentel3
1Universidade de Brasília, Campus Darcy Ribeiro, Asa Norte, 70910-900 Brasília, DF, Brazil.
Abstract:
National flagship journals play a strategic yet often undervalued role in scientific systems outside the core centers of global knowledge production. This study analyzes the Annals of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences, Brazil's oldest continuously published scientific journal, to examine how long-standing multidisciplinary journals in emerging research systems navigate internationalization, evaluation regimes, and societal relevance. Using bibliometric and network analysis of Scopus and Web of Science data (1945-2025) we assess publication trends, thematic evolution, collaboration patterns, citation performance, and non-academic impact through policy and patent citations. Publication volume expanded sharply after 2000, alongside a complete transition to English and growing international collaboration, but citation impact remained modest relative to global multidisciplinary journals. Yet a substantial share of AABC Papers are cited in policy documents and patents across multiple countries, indicating relevance at the science-policy and science-technology interfaces. This discrepancy reflects structural limitations of conventional bibliometric indicators in capturing the contributions of nationally anchored, multidisciplinary journals. AABC occupies a hybrid position, supporting domestic scientific agendas while participating in global scholarly communication. The findings call for context-sensitive evaluation frameworks that recognize bibliodiversity, policy relevance, and the infrastructural role of national journals in emerging research systems.
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