Networks and the knowledge diffusion

Resumo

In last decades, nursing has undergone an accelerated process of changing identity, for which has contributed to the social recognition, a more autonomous professional intervention and the process of knowledge construction that the confirmes it through the research in the context of other sciences.

This whole process has impressed not only changes in care practice, in teaching and research. The generalization of doctoral programs and post-doctoral has been an asset to building a body of knowledge that accelerated the process of finding professional, social, cultural, political and academic recognition.

The construction of knowledge must be closely linked to processes of dissemination and diffusion, either through international research networks or through publications internationally. Publications either in paper form and electronic platform, organized, and disseminated by dozens of databases allow easy access, low cost and possibility of wide dissemination of research results, contribute to the exchange of knowledge globally and in real time, and avoid the deepening of inequalities related to unequal access to cultural goods.

However there are still difficulties to join the scientific community to the expansion of digital publications, due to entrenched cultural practices, inadequate information and lack of benchmarks, as well as lack of incentive to publish digital media for lack of scientific acceptance. Yet today's digital publications have a scope, spread, impact and dynamism editorial incomparably larger than a printed journal. We now face a major change with regard to the growing impact of electronic dissemination although there is still resistance to the use of digital databases of open access in areas such as Anthropology, History, Literature and Linguistics.

The REUOL, with almost four years of existence, being made into a magazine web platform, has been an important landmark in the academic world, contributing to wide dissemination of research. Its editorial board, the quality and quantity of items, a consistent policy on the criteria for publication, coupled with open and free access, which gives more visibility and transparency to what is produced, reinforcing its role of serving society by promoting dissemination of scientific knowledge.

The articles published in this number may review the high quality that REUOL has in the academic and scientific word. I invite everyone to a critical reading of them.