EDITORIAL

Rosimere Ferreira Santana1, Geilsa Soraia Cavalcanti Valente1, Yasmin Saba de Almeida1, Felipe da Silva Ferreira1, Ana Paula da Costa Lacerda Brandão2, Ana Cristina Alexandre Pontes3, Jefferson Peralva Machiqueira1

1 Universidade Federal Fluminense, Aurora de Afonso Costa Nursing School. Niterói, RJ, Brazil

2 C&S Pesquisa. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil

3 Pólo Sanitário Hélio Cruz, Municipal Government of São Gonçalo. São Gonçalo, RJ, Brazil

OBJN 2025-2028: TRANSPARENCY, INDEXING, AND OPEN SCIENCE

OBJN is beginning a new cycle and considers it essential to communicate, in a clear and transparent manner, the changes in its editorial policy to readers, authors, reviewers, and editors, who constitute the core of our scientific community. This editorial therefore marks a moment of dialogue and accountability, reaffirming our commitment to effective communication, clarity in editorial processes, and the strengthening of mutual trust among all stakeholders involved in the production and dissemination of scientific knowledge in nursing.

Thus, the new editorial policy of OBJN, while remaining faithful to its founding principles, is also responsive to contemporary transformations. By 2026, our goals include: open access to peer review reports(1); the clear adoption of policies governing the use of Artificial Intelligence; the launch of a call for new associate editors; the internationalization of the Editorial Board; the modernization of the submission system to make it more agile and user-friendly; the publication of articles with high scientific rigor and citation potential; the expansion and maintenance of indexing databases; greater efficiency in the review process and in article production timelines; and the broad dissemination of the journal. As a result, the editorial process is expected to progress naturally toward sustained and consolidated growth. In addition, starting in 2026, the journal will become trilingual, incorporating Spanish to foster broader inclusion of our Latin American colleagues.

From this issue onward, changes have been implemented with the aim of attracting the scientific community, including lower article processing charges, made possible by the transition to a new submission system that reduced costs and streamlined processes; improved website usability and journal layout, establishing a clear visual identity; standardization of article layout in accordance with international guidelines; and the implementation of an efficient communication system with authors and reviewers through the establishment of the OBJN Secretariat.

As previously stated, among the changes implemented, the migration of the manuscript management platform from ScholarOne to Open Journal Systems (OJS) was our first major challenge and a key element in enabling the new editorial policy. This transition included the deactivation of the institutional website hosted on WordPress (objn.uff.br) and the consolidation of all operations within OJS, updated to version 3.4. This open-source platform not only allowed for a reduction in operational costs but also enabled the modernization of workflows and the integration of all editorial functionalities into a single environment.

OJS organizes, documents, and makes transparent the editorial stages—from submission to publication, ensuring the traceability of decisions, standardization of workflows, and rigor in the peer review process(2). Its architecture supports the adoption of good editorial practices, alignment with the principles of open science, interoperability with indexing services and digital preservation systems, as well as increased visibility and impact of published articles(2). Thus, by centralizing interactions among authors, reviewers, and editors within a reliable, accessible, and internationally recognized environment, OJS strengthens the institutional credibility of OBJN.

Through its editorial commitment, OBJN remains consolidated as a B1 journal in the Qualis-CAPES classification for the 2021–2024 four-year period. For the 2025–2028 evaluation cycle, in light of the new CAPES guidelines(3), the journal presents favorable conditions to advance to the A4 stratum, as it is indexed in Scopus, one of the leading international databases, and reported, in 2024, a CiteScore of 0.3 and an SJR of 0.144, with projected maintenance of the CiteScore from 2025 onward. According to CAPES criteria for this cycle, journals indexed in Scopus with a CiteScore between 0.1 and 0.6 are classified as A4.

The journal also maintains a presence in key databases that are essential for the visibility of scientific production in nursing, such as Bdenf, Cinahl, Ciberindex, Doaj, Latindex e Lilacs. These indexations, in addition to ensuring the dissemination of published articles, directly contribute to the scientific impact of the research disseminated and allow for the identification of the journal’s integrity and commitment to open science.

The journal believes that knowledge should be accessible to all and, therefore, invests in social media platforms to disseminate knowledge to enhance research and promote the popularization of science. We are present on the main social media platforms, such as: Instagram, Facebook e LinkedIn, in addition to maintaining a strong presence on search engines. Thus, it is understood that the way a given topic is addressed fosters creativity and helps reveal its potential, contributing to the increasingly broad dissemination of scientific knowledge beyond the academic sphere.

This advancement to higher strata was made possible by the solid and dedicated work of the previous management team. We hereby express our sincere appreciation to the team that preceded us, which was responsible for ensuring institutional credibility and leading the journal with responsibility, competence, and strategic vision.

Accordingly, this new phase of OBJN is undertaken with respect for the trajectory that has been built and for the trust placed by the Board and the Collegiate Body of the Aurora de Afonso Costa School of Nursing in the new team.

In our management, we aim to consolidate OBJN as a leading venue for the production and dissemination of scientific knowledge in Nursing, fostering debates of relevance, innovation, and academic rigor. To this end, we invite the entire scientific community to join this journey: to read our articles, submit high-quality research, and collaborate as reviewers or members of the editorial board. It is through this collective participation that we will strengthen OBJN’s reach as a space for the circulation of ideas, methodologies, and discoveries that shape the science of Nursing.

OBJN Team.

REFERENCES

1. Committee on Publication Ethics. Ethical guidelines for peer reviewers [Internet]. Eastleigh (UK): COPE; 2017 [cited 2026 Jan 28]. Available from: https://publicationethics.org/guidance/guideline/ethical-guidelines-peer-reviewers

2. Public Knowledge Project. Open Journal Systems [Internet]. Burnaby (CAN): PKP; c2026 [cited 2026 Jan 28]. Available from: https://pkp.sfu.ca/ojs/

3. Almeida YS, Cortez EA. Mudanças no Qualis: O que ninguém te contou [Internet]. Rio de Janeiro: Enfermagem Pesquisadora; 2025 [cited 2026 Jan 28]. Available from: https://enfermagempesquisadora.com.br/mudancas-no-qualis-o-que-ninguem-te-contou/

Corresponding author: Rosimere Ferreira Santana (rfsantana@id.uff.br)

Publisher:

Escola de Enfermagem Aurora de Afonso Costa – UFF

Rua Dr. Celestino, 74 – Centro, CEP: 24020-091 – Niterói, RJ, Brazil

Journal email: objn.cme@id.uff.br