Objective: The purpose of this study is to analyze the relationship between scientific output published in a native language and its degree of exposure and impact on Public and Collective Health. Methods: This bibliometric study was carried out on the basis of the scientific production from the most prolific countries that are members of the SciELO Network, in Public and Collective Health, in the period 2011-2015. The data was collected from the SciELO Citation Index database (SciELO CI) and the citations were analysed by language and source. Findings: Brazilian publications in Portuguese had the greatest citation impact in the same language (55.7%), while its publications in English had 47.9% of impact in Portuguese and 34.4% in Spanish publications (34.4%). The impact on the national language is also significant to Colombian and Spanish publications. To Spain, the percentage of citing articles in Spanish for papers in the same language is more than twice that of its impact in English. To US-American articles, 42.5% of the citations are in a native language when published in English. Cuban and Peruvian publications presented more than 90% of their impact in the national language. In contrast, the USA and Brazil presented greater citation impact on other languages, especially when publishing in Spanish. Conclusion: The extent of the exposure of a publication language varies in accordance with the country´s scientific output. In the case of Brazilian and US-American publications, the effects on audiences in other languages can be measured by the citation impact. Furthermore, the degree of exposure offered by SciELO CI makes it useful for evaluation,  particularly for publications in the national language.

Resumo O objetivo do trabalho é identificar os periódicos científicos que tiveram sua indexação descontinuada na Coleção Scientific Electronic Library Online Brasil e analisar as motivações apresentadas nos editoriais. A metodologia consultou as características dos 75 títulos identificados na base e foram analisados os editoriais do ano da desindexação e do posterior, utilizando-se a técnica análise de conteúdo. Os resultados mostram que dos 75 periódicos de todas as áreas, 52 publicaram editoriais sobre o assunto, dos quais retiraram-se 156 textos. A Scientific Electronic Library Online usa duas categorias de motivos genéricos: terminado (40 títulos) – tiveram seus títulos alterados, sendo que 38 permaneceram na base – e indexação interrompida (35 títulos) – que saíram da base e os volumes já indexados foram mantidos. Na categoria terminado, identificaram-se cinco principais motivações: internacionalização e ou visibilidade internacional (62,5%), modernização (5,0%), mudança de entidade editora (5,0%), mudança de entidade editora e internacionalização (2,5%) e absorvido por outro periódico (2,5%) – motivações não identificadas (22,5%). Na categoria indexação interrompida, identificaram-se três principais motivações: internacionalização e ou visibilidade internacional, parceria com editora comercial internacional (34,0%), atraso no lançamento de novos fascículos (14,4%) e contra a política da Scientific Electronic Library Online de internacionalização (2,9%) – motivações não identificadas (48,7%). O grande número de motivações não identificadas em editoriais aponta para a necessidade de ampliar a transparência na gestão dos periódicos. A internacionalização, principal motivação encontrada, é impulsionada pelos critérios da Scientific Electronic Library Online e parece ter sido entendida de várias maneiras nos editoriais. Enquanto a maioria permaneceu na base, foram identificados 12 títulos que firmaram parcerias com editoras comerciais internacionais e saíram da Scientific Electronic Library Online.

Abstract The objective of this work was to identify scientific journals that were discontinued in the Scientific Electronic Library Online Brazil Collection and to analyze the motivations expressed in the editorials. The methodology involved identifying the characteristics of the 75 journal titles, and the editorials of the year of discontinuation and the subsequent one were analyzed using the content analysis technique. The results show 75 journals from all areas of knowledge, 52 published editorials on the subject, from which 156 texts were identified. Scientific Electronic Library Online uses two categories of generic reasons: finished (40 titles), the titles have been changed, with 38 remaining at the base, and interrupted indexing (35 titles) that were taken off the base, but the volumes already indexed were maintained. In the finished category, five main motivations were identified: internationalization and / or international visibility (62.5%), modernization (5.0%), change of publishing entity (5.0%), change of publishing entity and internationalization (2.5%), absorbed by another journal (2.5%), unidentified motivations (22.5%). In the interrupted indexing category, we identified three main motivations: internationalization and or international visibility, partnership with an international commercial publisher (34.0%), delay in launching new issues (14.4%), against Scientific Electronic Library Online internationalization policy (2,9%), unidentified motivations (48.7%). The large number of reasons not identified in editorials shows the need to increase transparency in the management of journals. Internationalization, the main motivation found, promoted by Scientific Electronic Library Online criteria and seems to have been understood in several ways in the editorials. While the majority remained at the base, 12 titles that entered into partnerships with international commercial publishers were identified and left Scientific Electronic Library Online.

A pesquisa realizada caracteriza-se como exploratória e descritiva e analisa as características formais dos periódicos científicos brasileiros, da área de Ciências Sociais e de Humanidades, indexados na base SciELO. A análise ancorou-se principalmente nos critérios de qualidade extrínsecos de 73 títulos de periódicos, referentes: às entidades editoriais, à periodicidade e tempo de existência, às fontes de indexação, às instruções aos autores e aos critérios de avaliação dos artigos. Os resultados revelam que, com relação às características extrínsecas, os periódicos dessas áreas têm evoluído significativamente e já não estão mais tão distantes, em termos de aspectos formais dos periódicos de outras áreas com maior tradição de publicação em periódicos científicos. No entanto, é imprescindível considerar que, ainda, há aspectos importantes que devem ser aperfeiçoados, a fim de possibilitar que esses periódicos possam dar um salto qualitativo ainda maior.

This research is an exploratory and descriptive study that analyzes Brazilian scientific journals in the social sciences and humanities fields, indexed by SciELO database. The analysis was performed with 73 titles and mainly based on the criteria of extrinsic quality of journals related to: editorial entities, periodicity, duration, indexing databases, instructions to authors and criteria for articles evaluation. The results show that considering extrinsic aspects, these journals have improved significantly, and in terms of formal aspects are no longer so far apart from journals which have strong tradition of communicating scientific results in scholarly journals. However, it is essential to consider that there are still important aspects that need to be enhanced to allow these journals achieve a quantum leap even higher.