About the Journal
Aims and scope
The Boletim de Geociências da Petrobras (BGP) is a scientific journal dedicated to publishing original research in various fields of petroleum geosciences. Its scope covers the analysis and evaluation of sedimentary basins, geological modeling, geophysical interpretation, organic and inorganic geochemistry, sedimentology and stratigraphy, structural geology and geodynamics, petrophysics, reserve and resource estimation, data management, and geoscience technologies. Additionally, the BGP explores topics related to other energy sources and the geological storage of gases. Thus, the bulletin serves as a crucial platform for disseminating knowledge and innovation.
History
Due to Petrobras' impressive oil exploration achievements, a dedicated platform was needed to highlight the expertise of its geologists and geophysicists. In 1987, the Boletim de Geociências da Petrobras (BGP) was launched to publish original studies on petroleum geosciences, technological advancements, and scientific research.
Published semiannually in May and November, the BGP welcomed contributions from the geoscientific community. Its printed format was distributed to institutions in 48 countries. Between 2017 and 2021, it recorded almost 1 million accesses in its online version. The BGP was previously indexed in key bibliographic databases like API, Petroleum Abstract (Tulsa), Compendex, Chemical Abstract, GeoRef, Scopus (Elsevier), and Energy Science.
Periodicity
The Boletim de Geociências da Petrobras (BGP) began its quarterly publications in 1987, averaging 12 articles per issue until 1990. From 1991 to 2014, it was published semiannually. Suspended in 2015, the BGP resumes in 2024 with continuous publication, forming a volume for every 10 articles published.
Article types
The Boletim de Geociências da Petrobras publishes Research papers, Short notes and Review papers.
Short Notes address subjects that are either straightforward or of specialized interest, including instrumental techniques. They can present negative outcomes, unusual findings, or concise measurements in specific contexts. The format is similar to that of full papers. Manuscripts should be no more than ten pages in length, including references and diagrams.
Peer review
The BGP follows to a single-anonymized review process, where reviewers are aware of the author's identity, but the author does not know who the reviewers are. All submission will first be evaluated by our editors to determine if it is suitable for publication in this journal. If deemed appropriate, it will typically be sent to at least two reviewers for an independent expert assessment of its scientific quality. The final decision regarding acceptance or rejection of your article rests with our editors. Authors wishing to contest the editorial decision on their manuscript can submit a formal appeal request to editorial team: cc-boletimgeociencias-bgp@petrobras.com.br
Our editors do not participate in decisions about papers that:
• They have authored themselves.
• Are authored by family members or colleagues.
• Concern products or services in which they have a vested interest.
Such submissions will undergo the usual procedures, with peer review managed independently of the involved editor and their research group. Reviewers are chosen by editors based on their expertise in the manuscript's topics and methods, as well as their proven track record in evaluating previous manuscripts. They are instructed to follow the COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) guidance for reviewers (COPE Ethical guidelines for peer reviewers — English. https://doi.org/10.24318/cope.2019.1.9),
Evaluation Guidelines
BGP provides below its guidelines and the form used in the evaluation process, available for download.
Publishing Criteria
Successful research articles should demonstrate the qualities listed below. This list guides editorial decisions and helps authors identify weaknesses. Authors can use it as a checklist to prepare their paper for submission.
Criteria 1 through 6 pertain to the technical quality of the work and how it is presented:
1. The paper has a clear and well-justified purpose.
2. Research questions or hypotheses are clearly stated and addressed.
3. The scientific methods and analysis are robust and competent.
4. Data presentation is distinct from interpretation.
5. There is sufficient data to support the conclusions.
6. Arguments, data tables, and figures are clear and accessible.
Criteria 7 to 10 evaluate the impact, novelty, and intellectual value of the paper:
7. The broad, generic importance of the work is adequately explained.
8. The work contains novel elements with innovative aims, hypotheses or methods.
9. The paper represents an important advance in the field with outcomes that are significant and that add to our scientific understanding of geosciences.
10. The material has not been published previously.
Special issues
The peer review process for special issues follows the same procedure as regular submissions. However, a guest editor will send the submissions to the reviewers and recommend a decision to the journal's Editor-in-Chief. The Editor-in-Chief supervises the peer review process for all special issues to guarantee high standards of publishing ethics and responsiveness are maintained and is responsible for the final decision regarding the acceptance or rejection of articles.
Open access
The BGP offers unrestricted and immediate access to all its content. There are no fees or financial contributions required from authors, users, or institutions. Authors are invited to submit articles, and if accepted, they are published at no cost. All users and institutions have the ability to access, read, download, copy, distribute, print, or search the full text of the published articles.
Publishing timeline
We are resuming the publications of the Boletim de Geociências da Petrobras. Once the first editions are published, we will provide more details on the average time for each stage of the editorial process. Currently, considering the defined deadlines, we expect the period between submission and the first online publication to be approximately 22 weeks.
Financing Institution
Petrobras – Petróleo Brasileiro SA
