Concepts of species in trypanosomatids

This paper is a commentary on "Species concepts for trypanosomes: from morphological to molecular definitions?" by Wendy Gibson published in this journal [1]. Taxonomy has been traditionally based on expert opinion which is influenced among other factors by the philosophical and educational background of the expert concerned. This has resulted in widely different criteria for species among the trypanosomatids when compared to the actual genetic diversity involved. Gibson's paper presents an example of this within the trypanosome sub-genera. Although attempts have been made to put taxonomy on a more objective basis expert opinion still appears to dominate in the actual classifications in use

Dilemas éticos na publicação científica: dificuldades e soluções para editores

Editors of scientific journals need to be conversant with the mechanisms by which scientific misconduct is amplified by publication practices. This paper provides definitions, ways to document the extent of the problem, and examples of editorial attempts to counter fraud. Fabrication, falsification, duplication, ghost authorship, gift authorship, lack of ethics approval, non-disclosure, 'salami' publication, conflicts of interest, auto-citation, duplicate submission, duplicate publications, and plagiarism are common problems. Editorial misconduct includes failure to observe due process, undue delay in reaching decisions and communicating these to authors, inappropriate review procedures, and confounding a journal's content with its advertising or promotional potential. Editors also can be admonished by their peers for failure to investigate suspected misconduct, failure to retract when indicated, and failure to abide voluntarily by the six main sources of relevant international guidelines on research, its reporting and editorial practice. Editors are in a good position to promulgate reasonable standards of practice, and can start by using consensus guidelines on publication ethics to state explicitly how their journals function. Reviewers, editors, authors and readers all then have a better chance to understand, and abide by, the rules of publishing.Editores de revistas científicas precisam estar atentos aos mecanismos de disseminação de condutas inadequadas no processo de publicação. Este artigo fornece definições, formas de documentar a extensão do problema e exemplos de iniciativas para conter fraudes editorias. Fabricação, falsificação, duplicação, autoria-fantasma, autoria concedida, falta de ética na aprovação de manuscritos, não-divulgação desses fatos, publicação "salami", conflitos de interesse, autocitação, submissão e publicação duplicadas, e plágio são problemas comuns. A conduta editorial inadequada inclui: falha em seguir o processo devido, atraso nas decisões e comunicação com os autores, falhas na revisão, e confundir o conteúdo de um periódico com seu potencial promocional e de propaganda. Os editores podem ser advertidos por seus pares por não investigar comportamento científico suspeito, por não se retratar quando indicado ou não obedecer as seis principais fontes internacionais de orientação em pesquisa, publicação e política editorial. Os editores estão em posição privilegiada para promover práticas adequadas, adotando orientações éticas e claras sobre os procedimentos adotados nos periódicos. Assim, revisores, editores, autores e leitores terão condições de compreender e seguir as normas de publicação

Recommendations from a Satellite Meeting (International Symposium to Commemorate the 90th Anniversary of the Discovery of Chagas Disease, April 11-16 1999, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)

During this symposium the standardization of the nomenclature of Trypanosoma cruzi strains was discussed, in a parallel session, with a view to facilitating the use and understanding of a common nomenclature that would serve not only taxonomists but the general community of researchers working with T. cruzi. The diversity in the behavior and morphology of T. cruzi isolates was soon recognized after the discovery of Chagas disease. Since then a variety of biochemical and molecular techniques have revealed the great genetic diversity present in strains of this parasite. Different investigators have described this diversity by using various terms. Correlation between this diversity and the complex epidemiological and clinical manifestations of the disease has however been hindered by the lack of a common nomenclature. Recent studies have indicated a convergence among investigators regarding the clustering of strains of T. cruzi, into two principal groups. This consensus, together with the report of a meeting on the standardization of methods for T. cruzi classification held in Panama (unpublished document TDR/EPICHA-TCC/85.3 Geneva, World Health Organization, 1985), form the basis of the recommendations outlined in this document