From the Editor's Desk
Authors: C. Craig Tisher
Journal: Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (1999)

Once again it is time for the editor to provide a status report on the Society's journal. I will describe several new innovations planned for Volume 10, many of which can be found in the current issue, that are intended to increase the value of the Journal to the membership. Also, I will review the performance of the Journal during 1998, and finally, I will take this opportunity to announce some important changes in the editorial staff. In the coming year, you will discover some new innovations in content that the editor believes will enhance the value of the Journal for its readers. A new feature called Science Watch will appear quarterly beginning with the February issue. The intent of this feature is to call to the attention of our readers recent developments believed to be of special importance in nephrology and related disciplines. Examples of possible content include descriptions of new drugs and other therapeutic developments, new models of disease, new innovative laboratory and clinical technologies, and exciting new scientific discoveries. These concise, yet informative reviews will be limited to a maximum of three to four Journal pages. Where appropriate, the liberal use of diagrams and other illustrative material will be encouraged to enhance the presentation of the subject. The editor welcomes suggestions for topics for this new feature. This year, more full-length individual reviews highlighting recent developments in both the clinical and basic sciences will be included in the Journal. The editor will also publish three complete symposia that were part of the 1998 scientific program presented at the annual meeting of the Society in three regular monthly issues of Volume 10. The editors will also contribute as well as solicit editorials that will interpret and explain the potential clinical significance of selected original articles that focus on complex basic science questions. Finally, the staff will prepare a monthly feature entitled “ASN News” that will provide newsworthy items about the society, its activities, and its members. These special invited features will not appear at the expense of published original articles, however, thanks to the willingness of the ASN Council to provide additional Journal pages in Volume 10. Today, most journal editors are confronted with the challenge of transitioning from a print to an electronic publication format. Your editor is no exception. Therefore, I am pleased to announce that beginning with this issue of the Journal, the complete text of all reviews, features such as Milestones in Nephrology and Disease of the Month, editorials, and selected original articles can be accessed on our web page at http://www.wwilkins.com/jasn. The editors believe that this unrestricted electronic access to much of the content of the Journal via the Internet will appeal to an ever-increasing segment of our readership and will add value to our publication. In concert with the expanded access to journal content on the Internet, I am pleased to announce an exciting new partnership developed with Up To Date that is intended to provide our membership with yet another means to acquire the latest clinical information in nephrology and related disciplines. For the first time, access to Up To Date will be available to subscribers of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology through the Internet and without additional cost. Each month, six to eight original articles to be published in the Journal will be identified for Internet access through our web page. At the end of each article, instructions for logging on the Internet to locate Up To Date will be provided so readers may obtain additional in-depth information on the same or related subjects highlighted in the original article. Thus, our readers will have the best of both worlds—the latest investigator-initiated and peer-reviewed scientific information coupled with current practical clinical knowledge on the same subject through Up To Date. The editor is extremely pleased that the principals at Up To Date, including Burton Rose, Ted Post, and Piet Bleyendaal, have agreed to work with the Journal to provide this unique educational opportunity. The editorial staff is gratified that the number of manuscript submissions has continued to increase since the editorial office moved to the University of Florida in 1996. From July 1, 1997, through June 30, 1998, the editorial office processed 691 manuscripts, which represented an increase of 22% compared with the preceding 12-month period. Overall, there has been a 48% increase in manuscript submissions between July 1996 and June 1998. Despite the added workload, the time from receipt of manuscript to the initial decision by the editor has remained at a very respectable average of 35 days. We thank our editorial board and a host of dedicated referees for continuing to make this rapid turnaround possible. Coincident with the increase in submitted manuscripts, there has also been an increase in the number of published articles in Volume 9 of the Journal (Table 1). The majority of published manuscripts fell into 6 of the 11 categories currently used by the editors to classify all articles. These included hormones, autacoids and growth factors (9%), immunology and pathology (16%), pathophysiology of renal disease (13%), clinical nephrology (9%), dialysis (15%), and transplantation (9%). Finally, invited content represented 13% of all published articles in Volume 9.Table 1: Distribution of regular articles and brief communications published in JASN, Volume 9, 1998I have been very fortunate to have the support of an extremely talented group of associate editors during the initial two and one-half years of my tenure as editor of the Journal. This fact has made it all the more difficult to accept the recent resignations of Richard Lifton and Giuseppe Remuzzi. Each has been incredibly effective in assisting the editor with the enormous task of evaluating manuscripts, in preparing editorials and other invited submissions, as well as contributing their wise counsel. Fortunately, and in spite of accepting additional editorial responsibilities with another journal, Dr. Remuzzi will continue his active participation with the Journal in his new role as a consulting editor. I extend my heartfelt thanks to each of these individuals for their many and valued contributions to both the Journal and the Society. I am extremely pleased to announce the appointments of Dr. Eberhard Ritz and Dr. Corinne Antignac as new associate editors of the Journal. The recent term of Dr. Ritz as editor of Nephrology, Dialysis and Transplantation was an unqualified success and the Journal is extremely fortunate to acquire the expertise and knowledge of this experienced editor. Dr. Antignac is a highly respected scientist and pediatric nephrologist and will provide special expertise in molecular medicine and genetics. The editorial staff strives constantly to publish a monthly issue that will be useful to the majority of the membership of the Society. The challenge is enormous in part because of the wide diversity of clinical interests and research disciplines that are represented within the subspecialty of nephrology. The challenge has been intensified by the rapid developments in electronic publishing that threaten to render obsolete the printed version of periodicals. Currently, computer access, use, and competence vary widely among members of our Society. Individual responses received from a recent survey conducted by the Society via e-mail underscore these disparities. One respondent remarked, “I prefer to read the Journal with it in my hand while I'm sitting on my easy chair. Until we have hand-held computers like those on Star Trek, I am unlikely to subscribe to an on-line journal due to the eyestrain.” Another stated, “The on-line journal is a necessity. I no longer read paper journals.” Add to this the concerns of the publisher and the Society and one has the formula for a gigantic headache for the editor. As described earlier in this editorial, and despite many concerns and with certain reservations, the Journal is moving forward with electronic publishing while maintaining the traditional print format. Please be assured that the best interests of the membership will always serve as the guiding principle as we navigate these potentially treacherous waters. Your considered thoughts and suggestions regarding electronic publishing are welcomed.