Pharmaceutical Research—Looking Ahead

It is with great honor that I have accepted the position of Editor-in-Chief for Pharmaceutical Research. Instituted 25 years ago in response to emerging needs for publishing innovative research in pharmaceutical sciences, Pharmaceutical Research has matured into a flagship journal of our professional organization AAPS and as a beacon for scientists in academia and industry alike. The outstanding reputation of PharmRes has been accomplished by the hard work of successive editors-in-chief, Editors, Editorial Board (EB) members, and a committed group of outstanding reviewers. In this first Editorial I would like to share with you my vision for the journal and impending changes that will be implemented over the course of 2009. First of all, I would like to congratulate the outgoing Editor-in-Chief, Vincent H.L. Lee for his outstanding stewardship during his 13 years of service to the journal. Under his leadership, the journal has undergone a deliberate change in focus and steadily increased its impact. Further, Vince has been instrumental in bringing on board a cadre of Editors committed to their areas of expertise, thus forming a well-oiled team. Having worked with Vince as an Editor for over 5 years, I am deeply grateful for his generous mentorship and insightful and timely advice during the sometimes difficult process of editorial arbitration. Second, I would like to welcome two new Editors to team PharmRes: Sean Ekins, Ph.D., D.Sc., an eminent scholar in computational and systems biology of drug ADME/Tox will lead the journal’s efforts in soliciting contemporary reviews, commentaries, opinions, and perspectives; and James E. Polli, Ralph F. Shangraw/Noxell Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, will augment the journal’s expertise in drug bioavailability and biopharmaceutics. The addition of Jim and Sean to the journal’s Editorial team complements and expands the journal’s editorial knowledge base to better serve our authors. In order to maintain its flagship status in the pharmaceutical sciences, Pharmaceutical Research will set stricter standards for only publishing high quality, hypothesis-driven, and mechanism-based innovative research. Over the past few years, the Editors have increasingly implemented triage of manuscripts that are outside the journal’s scope, too preliminary in nature, or of insufficient quality to impose the burden of review on our often time-strapped reviewers. Experience has taught us that many authors welcome and respect a fast editorial decision that does not unduly delay the review and publication process. To expedite review, we will start calling on our Editorial Board Members in helping Editors make timely decisions to triage a manuscript or send it out for full review. Ultimately, this will decrease the burden on our reviewers to focus their efforts only on high quality submissions and provide authors with constructive feedback. This streamlined process of peer review will allow us to keep up with the demands of an ever-increasing flow of electronic submissions. I expect this new system to be a significant benefit to both our authors and reviewers, in addition to elevating the scientific standing ofPharmaceutical Research. Over the course of 2009, changes will be implemented to the initial interface of author and reviewer interactions with Pharmaceutical Research. Editorial Manager, our submission and review system, will undergo a functional overhaul to better serve its audience. Furthermore, collaborative efforts between Springer and AAPS have led to the development of a new web portal that augments usability and links Pharmaceutical Research to its sister publications The AAPS Journal and AAPS PharmSciTech, which can be accessed at http://www.pharmagateway.net/. Lastly, I realize the many choices authors face in publishing their work in peer-reviewed journals. In addition to a solid Impact Factor, I see many advantages of publishing in Pharmaceutical Research compared to its competing journals: no submission fees or page charges, color fees waved upon request, automatic submission to PubMedCentral for NIH-funded research, an expedited review process, and a proficient editorial team. I am looking forward to handling your submissions and welcome your feedback during the upcoming transition period.