The inclusion of a journal in LILACS can only be made after a positive review in the annual process of evaluation and reevaluation of LILACS Brazil journals. In a meeting, the LILACS Brazil Evaluation and Selection Committee evaluates journals with the support of reports on format, endogeny, and citations, as well as assessments on scientific merit made by peers in the themes of the evaluated journals.
The Committee’s assessment will be sent to the editor with recommendations for the journal’s adaptation to LILACS criteria with a deadline for its implementation, and upon reevaluation and approval, the journal will be indexed in the database. Indexing will continue from the volume after the one that was evaluated.
The evaluation process is based on three main aspects: (1) format, on the adequacy of the journal to international standards, (2) endogeny (institutional and geographical concentration of the editorial committee, external reviewers, and authors), and (3) content, in order to ensure quality and scientific rigor. If the journal does not meet these standards, a report is sent with the points to be improved.
The evaluation of format includes the analysis of a set of characteristics, based on LILACS criteria and international standards for publication of scientific journals indicated by the editor in the guidelines to the authors. The evaluation of endogeny is based on the institutional affiliation of the editorial committee, ad hoc reviewers, and authors declared in the journal. It is suggested that more than 40% of reviewers come from other institutions or regions.
Journals that satisfactorily meet the aforementioned aspects will be evaluated for their content, based on the opinion of at least two experts in the thematic area of the journal, in relation to the following characteristics:
- Representation of the editorial board, reviewers, and authors;
- Scientific nature of published articles;
- Peer review process;
- Importance for the development of the subject area.
In case of a negative indexing assessment, the editor may submit a new request for evaluation, after the proper adjustment of the journal to LILACS evaluation and selection criteria. The new submission must explicitly comply with the Committee’s recommendations.
