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… and a time to retire
EDITORIAL
. .
.
and a tiwze to retire
I
t was exactly 10 years ago that I became responsible for my first issue of the AMERICAN JOURNAL OF ORTHODONTICS.It is now 121 issues and nearly 900 articles later. Each JOURNAL carried at least one editorial and an average of 15 pages of news and comment on various issues and accomplishments of both the specialty of orthodontics and the American Association of Orthodontists. It’s been an exciting experience for the editor and possibly for his readers as well. It is customary if not mandatory for an editor, on his retirement, to make a report of his activities during his tenure. Perhaps the fact that I arranged for the editorial office to be self-supporting will be of major interest to members of the American Association of Orthodontists. Before 1968, the Association had received no income from the JOURNAL-partly due to the fact that during some of the Depression days and World War years, the publishers had been operating at a loss. Since this no longer was true, one of my first actions was to arrange an equal division of JOURNAL profits between publisher and Association. In this manner, one of the Association’s principal activities-the JOURNAL-became self-supporting. The size of the JOURNAL has also been increased to 120 pages a month from the 80 pages that prevailed in 1968. That represents a 50 percent increase, or an equivalent of six extra JOURNALSeach year over the old BO-page rate. It was done with only minor increases in the Association’s extremely favorable group subscription rate for AA0 members-each of whom receives the JOURNAL as a major membership benefit. So much for the “practical” aspects of the last ten years. Of greater editorial interest is the gradual increase in the quality of the articles contained in the JOURNAL. For this, the editor can claim only part of the credit, for what he publishes depends largely on what his authors provide. JOURNAL readers are aware of the wide variety of clinical and research material included, for the JOURNAL has published articles on just about every area of current importance in orthodontic research and practice. An innovation of some 2 years ago was the adoption of the metric system of measurements in all JOURNAL articles. As far as can be determined, it is done rarely in other dental publications. The Journal of the American Medical Association requires that metric measurements be provided by authors. In our JOURNAL, the metric measurements are routinely added to all articles in the editor’s office according to a table in an editorial that was published in the October, 1976, JOURNAL. Foreign readers are especially grateful, since the English inch system is so difficult for them to comprehend. Further improvements are anticipated in the future, including a possible increase in the size of the JOURNAL pages. Of equal interest are the “fillers” used on partly empty pages at the end of a few articles, for many of the fillers illustrate that certain concepts, seemingly new today, have rrn. _-.
000%9416/78/0374-0334$00.20/O
0
1978 The C.
V. Mosby
Co.
V&me
74
Number
3
Editorial
335
instead been a part of the literature of the past. This has been true principally, but not exclusively, in clinical articles-the ones, incidentally, that have been the most difficult to secure. A journal’s success in great part can be determined by its circulation, both in renewals (an exceptionally high 94%) and in its yearly subscription increases. Since 1968, the number of subscribers has increased by 4,290-from 8,68 1 to 12,97 1. Meanwhile, AA0 membership increased by 3,087-from 5,317 to 8,404. From these totals, it is apparent that 4,567 of the JOURNAL'S subscribers are nonmembers of the American Association of Orthodontists. All subscribers look to the JOURNAL to keep them informed on current advances in orthodontic research and clinical practice. They also want to know about social, political, and economic trends that may affect the future of private practice, especially in orthodontics. The JOURNAL fulfills this need not only in its editorials but also in its News and Comment department. According to the last general questionnaire, it is the JOURNAL'S most widely read department. It also serves as one of the Association’s most effective public relations sources by presenting AA0 goals and aspirations to 4,500 nonmember readers who otherwise cannot easily be reached. Cooperation between editor and publisher is essential in every publication. It is gratifying to be able to report that relations continue to be excellent between the editorial office and The C. V. Mosby Company. The editor is also grateful for the splendid cooperation provided by Dr. Shepard and Dr. Salzmann in their respective areas of responsibility, and by AA0 Executive Director James E. Brophy and all the constituent society editors for their contributions to the JOURNAL'S success. Special recognition at the actual working or production level goes to the JOURNAL'S exceptionally competent copy editor, Miss Phyllis Rodgers. She has provided the publication expertise that transforms manuscripts into finished JOURNAL articles after they have been screened, edited, and approved in the editorial office. JOURNAL authors and readers will agree that Miss Rodgers deserves this special recognition. No one should conclude that all the JOURNAL'S improvements occurred only during the last ten years. Sixty-three years of sound tradition lie behind them-especially those of the JOURNAL'S first two editors, Martin Dewey and H. C. Pollock. As with each of those eminent gentlemen, the third editor leaves with reluctance. Yet the time has come to retire and let a younger generation carry on with the JOURNAL'S traditions of excellence that were established so long ago in January, 1915. The responsibility now falls on the shoulders of Wayne G. Watson, and his experience as editor of the Bulletin of the Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists provides the evidence that the JOURNAL'S future is in good hands. B.F.D.
. .
.
and a tiwze to retire
I
t was exactly 10 years ago that I became responsible for my first issue of the AMERICAN JOURNAL OF ORTHODONTICS.It is now 121 issues and nearly 900 articles later. Each JOURNAL carried at least one editorial and an average of 15 pages of news and comment on various issues and accomplishments of both the specialty of orthodontics and the American Association of Orthodontists. It’s been an exciting experience for the editor and possibly for his readers as well. It is customary if not mandatory for an editor, on his retirement, to make a report of his activities during his tenure. Perhaps the fact that I arranged for the editorial office to be self-supporting will be of major interest to members of the American Association of Orthodontists. Before 1968, the Association had received no income from the JOURNAL-partly due to the fact that during some of the Depression days and World War years, the publishers had been operating at a loss. Since this no longer was true, one of my first actions was to arrange an equal division of JOURNAL profits between publisher and Association. In this manner, one of the Association’s principal activities-the JOURNAL-became self-supporting. The size of the JOURNAL has also been increased to 120 pages a month from the 80 pages that prevailed in 1968. That represents a 50 percent increase, or an equivalent of six extra JOURNALSeach year over the old BO-page rate. It was done with only minor increases in the Association’s extremely favorable group subscription rate for AA0 members-each of whom receives the JOURNAL as a major membership benefit. So much for the “practical” aspects of the last ten years. Of greater editorial interest is the gradual increase in the quality of the articles contained in the JOURNAL. For this, the editor can claim only part of the credit, for what he publishes depends largely on what his authors provide. JOURNAL readers are aware of the wide variety of clinical and research material included, for the JOURNAL has published articles on just about every area of current importance in orthodontic research and practice. An innovation of some 2 years ago was the adoption of the metric system of measurements in all JOURNAL articles. As far as can be determined, it is done rarely in other dental publications. The Journal of the American Medical Association requires that metric measurements be provided by authors. In our JOURNAL, the metric measurements are routinely added to all articles in the editor’s office according to a table in an editorial that was published in the October, 1976, JOURNAL. Foreign readers are especially grateful, since the English inch system is so difficult for them to comprehend. Further improvements are anticipated in the future, including a possible increase in the size of the JOURNAL pages. Of equal interest are the “fillers” used on partly empty pages at the end of a few articles, for many of the fillers illustrate that certain concepts, seemingly new today, have rrn. _-.
000%9416/78/0374-0334$00.20/O
0
1978 The C.
V. Mosby
Co.
V&me
74
Number
3
Editorial
335
instead been a part of the literature of the past. This has been true principally, but not exclusively, in clinical articles-the ones, incidentally, that have been the most difficult to secure. A journal’s success in great part can be determined by its circulation, both in renewals (an exceptionally high 94%) and in its yearly subscription increases. Since 1968, the number of subscribers has increased by 4,290-from 8,68 1 to 12,97 1. Meanwhile, AA0 membership increased by 3,087-from 5,317 to 8,404. From these totals, it is apparent that 4,567 of the JOURNAL'S subscribers are nonmembers of the American Association of Orthodontists. All subscribers look to the JOURNAL to keep them informed on current advances in orthodontic research and clinical practice. They also want to know about social, political, and economic trends that may affect the future of private practice, especially in orthodontics. The JOURNAL fulfills this need not only in its editorials but also in its News and Comment department. According to the last general questionnaire, it is the JOURNAL'S most widely read department. It also serves as one of the Association’s most effective public relations sources by presenting AA0 goals and aspirations to 4,500 nonmember readers who otherwise cannot easily be reached. Cooperation between editor and publisher is essential in every publication. It is gratifying to be able to report that relations continue to be excellent between the editorial office and The C. V. Mosby Company. The editor is also grateful for the splendid cooperation provided by Dr. Shepard and Dr. Salzmann in their respective areas of responsibility, and by AA0 Executive Director James E. Brophy and all the constituent society editors for their contributions to the JOURNAL'S success. Special recognition at the actual working or production level goes to the JOURNAL'S exceptionally competent copy editor, Miss Phyllis Rodgers. She has provided the publication expertise that transforms manuscripts into finished JOURNAL articles after they have been screened, edited, and approved in the editorial office. JOURNAL authors and readers will agree that Miss Rodgers deserves this special recognition. No one should conclude that all the JOURNAL'S improvements occurred only during the last ten years. Sixty-three years of sound tradition lie behind them-especially those of the JOURNAL'S first two editors, Martin Dewey and H. C. Pollock. As with each of those eminent gentlemen, the third editor leaves with reluctance. Yet the time has come to retire and let a younger generation carry on with the JOURNAL'S traditions of excellence that were established so long ago in January, 1915. The responsibility now falls on the shoulders of Wayne G. Watson, and his experience as editor of the Bulletin of the Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists provides the evidence that the JOURNAL'S future is in good hands. B.F.D.