Spanish is the second most spoken native language in the world, after Mandarin Chinese. It has over 485 million native speakers and is the official language in 21 countries, primarily in Hispanic America and Spain. Moreover, Spanish is one of the fastest-growing languages in the world, with projections suggesting it could have over 600 million speakers by 2050.
Since its founding, the Journal of Senology and Breast Disease has been dedicated to advancing research and clinical practice in breast health. English and Spanish have coexisted harmoniously and have been interchangeably used by the authors to write their scientific articles.
For this reason, our journal became the reference journal for breast disease in the entire Hispanic world.
During recent years, a significant increase in the number of articles written in English has been observed. Similarly, we have observed an increase in the number of articles submitted from countries where Spanish is not the first language.
In this changing scenario, Journal of Senology and Breast Disease has achieved significant milestones. One of the most remarkable achievements is the inclusion in Web of Science, which led to obtaining its first-ever impact factor.
For several reasons that we will not discuss here, although Spanish is a well-recognized scientific language, English has undoubtedly become the most widely used language in the scientific community. Over 90% of scientific publications indexed in major databases like Scopus and Web of Science are written in English. This dominance reflects the language's role as the primary medium for global scientific communication.
As a consequence, there are many reasons for us to believe that English should become the only language of publication in our journal. We are convinced that this decision will benefit both readers and authors.
First of all, it is a fact that articles written in English receive more citations than any other language. Therefore, articles published in English are more likely to be cited by researchers worldwide, enhancing both the journal's and the author's impact factor and visibility.
Second, English is the lingua franca of science, making it easier to collaborate with international researchers, institutions, and publishers.
Third, many leading scientific journals are published in English, so adopting English ensures the journal remains competitive in the global academic landscape. Benchmarking and comparing journals will lead us to continuous improvement.
Fourth, researchers from non-Spanish-speaking countries may be more inclined to submit their work if the journal is published in English, increasing the quality and diversity of the submissions.
Fifth, the role of reviewers in scientific journals is just as important as those of authors. So, reviewers from diverse linguistic backgrounds can more easily evaluate manuscripts written in English, improving the efficiency and quality of the peer-review process.
Finally and equally important, English-language journals are more likely to be indexed in major scientific databases (e.g., PubMed), increasing their accessibility and credibility.
We understand that transitioning to English-only publication may present difficulties for some of our contributors and readers, particularly those who are more comfortable writing or reading in Spanish.
To support our authors during this transition, we will provide access to professional translation and editing services to ensure the quality of submissions.
We are convinced that the only way for our journal to become a worldwide reference is by adopting English as the main language of publication.
We firmly believe that adopting English as the primary language of publication will strengthen the journal's global position. It will also enhance the visibility and recognition of research conducted by Spanish-speaking scientists, fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange on a global scale.
This transition not only benefits the journal but also empowers the scientific community as a whole to share and disseminate valuable knowledge without language barriers.
As we embark on this new chapter, we remain committed to our mission of advancing breast health research and practice. By adopting English as our primary language of publication, we aim to position the Journal of Senology and Breast Disease as a global leader in the field.
