To the rescue from oblivion of the Paraguayan Journal of Microbiology

Abstract

It is fair to rescue academic journal publications from oblivion, which, despite the discontinuation of their publication, have marked a milestone. The objective is to describe the Paraguayan Journal of Microbiology, first stage. It was a publication of the Chair of Bacteriology and Parasitology of the Faculty of Medical Sciences of the National University of Asunción. Its objective was to present the works of this chair which was in charge of Prof. Dr. Arquímedes Canese. The first number appeared in 1966, and it was published without interruption until 1982. The sections consisted of original articles, short notes, news of received journals and an editorial. The topics were quite broad, fundamentally related to bacteriology, parasitology, and mycology. The average number of pages was 75. The publication was annual, the subscription for foreigners was one dollar, and for nationals 100 guaraníes. The drawings and graphics were hand made. If we analyze the journal with what is styled today in terms of publication, it lacked an editorial body and it probably also lacked peer review. Small weaknesses include the absence of information about the type of sampling and, in some studies, the insufficient number of samples, and the limited bibliographic references for each article. We present this tribute to Dr. Arquímedes Canese, to his person and his legacy, hoping that it will serve as an inspiration to current researchers so that we see science as a service to the less favored sectors of Paraguay.