© 2004 American Thoracic Society doi: 10.1164/rccm.2406006
Editorial Transition at the AJRCCMWith this issue of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, a new team of Editors assumes responsibility for the "Blue Journal." There is no more exciting position to be in, since this role provides unique opportunities to observe the rapid changes in pulmonary and critical care medicine. Attributing responsibility for the AJRCCM to the Editors is undoubtedly misplaced, since the journal really belongs to its readers and contributors. The primary role of the Editors is to facilitate presentation of the most exciting work in pulmonary and critical care medicine. Our highest priorities are not only to publish important studies that advance understanding of disease, but also to provide reviews and editorials that synthesize such information, placing it in a context that highlights how these new insights affect the state of the field. As a result of the outstanding accomplishments of Martin Tobin and the outgoing Deputy and Associate Editors, the AJRCCM is in wonderful condition. By any criteria, including impact factor, number of submissions, or hits to the journal's website, there has been demonstrable growth in the journal's stature. The AJRCCM has become increasingly international, both in its readership and in the origin of submissions. At the present time, more than 70% of manuscripts originate outside the United States. The challenge for the new Editors is to continue building on the success of the journal. The incoming Deputy and Associate Editors represent the wide range of pulmonary and critical care medicine, with research interests that extend from basic cell biology, genetics, immunology, physiology, and microbiology to clinical trials, epidemiology, economics, public policy, and outcomes. The Associate Editors reflect the international nature of the AJRCCM, as they come from Europe, Asia, and North America. The Deputy Editors and I are all in Denver, and will be meeting on a weekly basis to help decide which articles have sufficient importance, scientific validity, and novelty to appear in the AJRCCM. We are all tremendously indebted to the input and efforts of the more than 6,000 reviewers who contribute to critical evaluation of manuscripts. Without the dedication of our reviewers to providing crucial insights into the quality of submissions, we could not accomplish the evaluative process that allows the journal to publish the most important work in respiratory and critical care medicine. We are committed to achieving an appropriate balance between clinical and translational research, and between the many clinical and research areas of interest to the journal's readers. Unfortunately, even with bimonthly publishing and approximately 3,000 printed pages per year, the AJRCCM cannot present all of the new information that may affect an area of scientific inquiry. What we do hope to accomplish, though, is to publish the most important and novel findings in pulmonary and critical care medicine. While the individual reader is unlikely ever to find as much in the journal as hoped for, the AJRCCM will be successful if it is the first journal to which the readership turns for new information relating to the respiratory system or critical illness. We hope that you look forward to reading important papers that provide new understanding of the pathophysiology and therapy of pulmonary and critical care in each issue. Similarly, the Editors trust that the AJRCCM will be the first journal that authors chose when seeking to publish their original research in pulmonary and critical care. At present, the period from receipt of a manuscript to first decision averages 28 days, an impressive figure that has been facilitated by the use of electronic manuscript submission and review. The publication lag, from time of manuscript acceptance to appearance in print, is slightly more than two months. In fact, most articles are posted on the journal's website within one week of acceptance, thereby minimizing any delays in presenting new information to the interested readership. The Editors plan to maintain and even improve, if possible, these short times involved in manuscript handling. The journal continues to evolve in terms of organization and presentation of information. The table of contents has been reorganized to group articles by subject area. A new section, starting in January, called "Editors' Selections" will highlight articles of particular interest in each issue. Abstracts for articles will be in a structured format to better highlight the salient aspects of the research. CONSORT guidelines for clinical trials, presently in place by many journals for standardized reporting of randomized controlled studies, will be adopted to provide a structure for these reports. Editorials and topical reviews will continue to provide perspective on important advances. A new feature will provide a series of focused reviews centered on contemporary issues in the pathophysiology and care of patients with major clinical entities in pulmonary and critical care medicine. The first two of these review series will be in asthma and sleep medicine, and will be edited by Richard Martin and Douglas Bradley, respectively. We live in exciting scientific times, with rapid advances in genetics, genomics, proteomics, molecular biology, immunology, and molecular pathophysiology providing new insights into normal and abnormal human physiology as well as the care of patients with pulmonary and critical illnesses. Our entire approach to the patient with pulmonary and systemic manifestations of disease is changing as a result of this new understanding of normal and altered cellular and organ function. The AJRCCM should continue to be the reference journal for translational and clinical manuscripts and reviews that bring such insights to researchers and clinicians working in pulmonary and critical care. In the final analysis, the journal belongs to its readers and contributors. We hope that authors send the journal their best work in the broad fields of pulmonary and critical care medicine. We promise you a rapid and balanced review. Please let us know if we are not meeting your expectations, or if you have suggestions that might improve the journal. The goal of the incoming Editors is not only to ensure that the AJRCCM remains the best journal in pulmonary and critical care medicine, but also that it is among the best of all medical journals. It is a tremendous honor for all of us to serve the journal. FOOTNOTES Conflict of Interest Statement: E.A. is the Editor of the AJRCCM and receives a fixed stipend from the American Thoracic Society as Editor of the AJRCCM and does not receive financial support for research from pharmaceutical, biotechnology, or medical device companies and does not serve as a consultant for any pharmaceutical, biotechnology, or medical device company. This article has been cited by other articles:
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