The Researcher’s Chronicle

The Researcher’s Chronicle…

In a demanding exercise to explain the purpose of this project, but also to contribute a few general guidelines on what is expected from each article, it falls to me first to introduce the concept.

The Researcher’s Chronicle is a place for the curious. Adventurers thirsty for knowledge who seek to expand their mental library on extremely diverse topics, but which are the result of the work and research of their peers – I will return to this notion of peers shortly. It is equally a space for the lazy, in the sense that the first objective could easily be achieved by browsing the various platforms that disseminate scientific work. However, through this channel, we save the effort of navigating the vast ocean of information on those platforms, take the opportunity to recognize the quality of Portuguese-originated work, and thereby apply the concept of efficient laziness. Of course, a good lazy person is also someone extremely efficient – that is, someone who, as a consequence of their laziness, achieves results that save time while ensuring quality. And personally, experience has shown me that when it comes to a Portuguese researcher or curious mind, it usually also means quality.

After this introductory and somewhat esoteric paragraph, it seems important to define the notion of peers. In the context of this chronicle, peers are SPOT Nordic members – assuming they meet the membership requirements – who work in research contexts, sometimes applied outside academia, and who seek to share the work they have been doing. It is important to note that this “sharing of work” refers to published scientific articles that can (and should) be summarized and simplified through this channel, as well as to the sharing of unpublished knowledge that may be of common interest. Lastly, it also refers to the sharing of professional opinions, non-partisan in nature, and avoiding references to personal preferences on issues of individual rights and freedoms.

With a few boundaries now defined, I’d like to return to the concept of The Researcher’s Chronicle in a broader context. As the name suggests, each article is expected to be a historical narrative on current topics that allows for rhythm and can, in some way, also foster healthy debate. All of this while adhering to the principles previously outlined. In other words, The Researcher’s Chronicle is in itself a world of thought, grounded in knowledge and science, that honors one of the most complete and complex languages in the Western world (as told by my mother-in-law, who is an official translator and has taken exams in 18 different languages). It is worth noting that this expectation of publishing in Portuguese is not restrictive, especially since the site is also available in English, but I would consider it an offense to the language of Camões, Pessoa, or Saramago – among so many others – and to that which is the means of communication for approximately 280 million people.

Regarding more concrete rules and the selection process for texts, I would like to mention that a guideline will be available on the main page regarding the maximum article length, publication rules, and the submission process – which is extremely simple and practical. As for the selection of texts, it is expected that, in the initial phase, decisions will be made by an editorial group from the executive board, until the project reaches the expected scale and allows us to create an editorial group independent from the board.

Convinced that I have clarified what this is about and outlined a bit of what is expected, I leave you with one final note: use and abuse your linguistic imagination, take the opportunity to share your knowledge, present your interests, and enjoy writing. If possible, add a sprinkle of topics that I would otherwise not have the privilege to read about, and I would be eternally grateful.

David Pereira de Castro

Tom Milkovic