Free
papers at the 36th Brazilian Congress of Angiology and Vascular Surgery
(Portuguese
PDF version)
Airton Delduque Frankini*
*President
of the Brazilian Congress of Angiology and Vascular Surgery
J
Vasc Br 2004;3(2):93-4
The initial
procedures of the 36th Brazilian Congress of Angiology and Vascular
Surgery have already started and, again, the same question has arisen:
how to proceed with the free papers?
The free papers are a constant concern for both the organizers of the
event and the authors who intend to submit their works. The organizers
require adequate space and qualified personnel to analyze the presentations;
the authors need to improve their studies in order to make relevant
contributions to the speciality. On the other hand, works developed
by Medical Residency Programs or Master and Ph.D. courses bring the
essence of research and, therefore cannot be compared. This shows how
difficult it is to have everyone satisfied.
Along the years, we have tried to get the best out of the free papers.
It is nonsense to have many sessions, some of them with very interesting
works, attended by few participants. The free themes correlated to round
tables have, for a long time, been an attempt to valorize the works.
However, they have also become complicated, since they contribute to
longer scientific sessions. Summary presentations in poster sessions
may sometimes difficult the presentations. Giving assistance to all
participants became rather complicated, since this kind of session requires
more space and imposes more limitations due to the oral presentations.
Concentrating various free paper sessions on one single day of presentation,
as it was done in the Congress held in the city of Salvador, seems,
so far, the best alternative to fulfill our objectives. In addition,
awarding prizes to outstanding free papers, selected in sessions similar
to round-table, has achieved a level of real valorization of the works
presented.
It is natural that flaws will still occur and only time will be able
to show the best solution.
Lacking the ideal formula, the 36th Congress will have a commission
of free papers that will be in charge of analyzing and selecting the
best works to be presented in plenary sessions, with prize distribution.
A second group of presentations, the traditional sessions, will be held
on a single day. The third group will be the poster presentation and,
if necessary, a fourth group may be rejected in case the works do not
fulfill the requirements imposed by the Scientific Commission.
We are convinced that, after 50 years of existence and 35 Congresses,
the members of our Society have already acquired enough scientific maturity
to understand and do not feel resentful at having a work rejected. The
quality of the free papers reflects the quality of our scientific knowledge.
If we are sympathetic and accept everything that is sent to us, just
because a colleague will not attend the Congress if his/her work has
been rejected, we are surely not qualifying our Society. A highly demanding
level and a comprehensive evaluation performed by an specific commission
will improve and maintain the quality of the works to be presented.
On the other hand, taking other scientific societies as example, we
want that the works presented at the Congress become, immediately, articles
to be published in the SBACV Journal - the Jornal Vascular Brasileiro.
Therefore, works that have already been submitted to the approval of
the Editorial Board are already in the running for the prizes proposed.
Doing so, we will be able to guarantee the presentation of qualified
works at the Congress and, at the same time, the publication of qualified
articles in the Journal, for the simple reason that, Congress and Journal,
belong to the Brazilian Society of Angiology and Vascular Surgery, which
for more than 50 years has been keeping us united.
While preparing your free paper, take the opportunity to write your
article and send it to the Journal. This is an extra opportunity for
us to show how much we have grown and to praise our achievements.
Give some thought to this subject and to other issues involving the
improvement of our Congress and send your suggestions to congressosbacv@officemarketing.com.br.
Together we will be able to organize the Congress that our Society deserves.
