Rev Saúde Pública 2013;47(Supl 2) Articles DOI: 10.1590/S0034-8910.2013047003810 Marilia Sá Carvalho I Maurício Lima Barreto II Cláudia Medina Coeli III Rafael Monteiro Raposo III Eduardo Luiz Andrade Mota II Bruce Bartholow Duncan IV I Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil II Universidade Federal da Bahia. Salvador, BA, Brasil III Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil IV Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul. Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil Correspondence: Marilia Sá Carvalho Fundação Oswaldo Cruz Antiga Residência Oficial Av. Brasil, 4365 Manguinhos 21045-900 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil E-mail: carvalho@fiocruz.br Received: 6/10/2011 Approved: 7/2/2012 Article available from: www.scielo.br/rsp Publications committee of a multicenter study and computerized support system – publiELSA ABSTRACT The publications committee of a multicenter study has the aim of organizing the proposals for articles, so as to ensure wide-ranging access to the data, quality and precedence. An online information and management system for study proposals (publiELSA) was developed, composed of three modules: (i) submission and approval of proposals; (ii) follow-up of approved proposals; and (iii) consolidated reports. The first module allows any interested party to search for and become acquainted with articles that have already been published or are in progress and submit new proposals. The approval process and data transfer to the researcher responsible is organized at this stage. In the second module, the aim is to monitor proposals approved until they are finally published. The third module enables searching for and viewing proposals and articles. The system has innovative characteristics, especially with regard to encouraging cooperation between different researchers, through circulation of information on each proposal submitted. In this manner, interaction between different viewpoints and experiences involved in the research is stimulated. DESCRIPTORS: Publications, ethics. Scientific and Technical Publications. Authorship and Co-Authorship in Scientific Publications. Information Systems, organization & administration. Scientific Publication Ethics. Multicenter Studies as Topic. Cohort Studies.