This influence is being felt at every stage of our activities. We are not quite ready to jump into electronic publishing, but we are carefully watching what is being done by journals like the Journal of Biological Chemistry . However, we can use the new forms of communication to speed up the reviewing process. This should benefit the journal because as scientists gain more confidence in our speed and reliability, they will be more likely to send their papers. A particular priority will be Rapid Publications, which must have a shorter time between submission and publication.
Every manuscript goes through a surprising number of steps before it is published.
The main rate-limiting factor for any journal is obtaining outside reviews. The most difficult tasks are to get reviewers to agree to review papers in the first place and then to have them complete their reviews in a reasonable period of time. Of course, all scientists have the responsibility of participating in the peer review process, but as editors, we must always acknowledge the countless hours generously given by so many. We often forget to appreciate how efficient our reviewers usually are, compared with those in fields such as literature or history. We will continue to exhort our reviewers to respond quickly in every way possible, using the spectrum of gentle reminders, prodding, begging, cajoling, demanding, and possibly resorting to something resembling harassment.