Agricultural scientific journals: a review of the situation in Venezuela

Abstract

Recently, Latin-American periodical publications have been the subject of discussion in the library and information science literature. In consequence, scientific journals in Venezuela have received more particular attention. The objective of the present study was to review the basic conditions for the production and presentation of Venezuelan agricultural scientific journals included in the Venezuelan Scientific and Technological Publications Guide. The aims of the study were: to consider critical variables such as editorial quality and the national and international visibility of Venezuelan agricultural scientific journals; to determine their grade of compatibility with national and international standards; and to analyze their possible circulation in wide information retrieval networks. It was determined that the eight evaluated journals succeed in publishing the scientific advances of the national agronomic community with high editorial quality, thus achieving good circulation levels. These journals are published regularly, they are compatible with national and international editorial standards, and they demonstrate features associated with wide and efficient distribution across libraries, documentation centers, research institutions and universities.