- Email: [email protected]
A look back, a peek forward
COMMENTARY
A look back, a peek forward Bruce H. Thiers, MD, Editor, Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology Charleston, South Carolina r Dirk Elston and I are honored and excited to begin our second 5-year terms as deputy editor and editor, respectively, of the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology (JAAD). It is the mission of JAAD to provide practical, clinically useful information to our readers, who include, among others, practicing dermatologists, residents, researchers, and academicians. We are mindful of the commitment we made when we first took the helm of JAAD: to navigate the changing way the Journal communicates with its readers to deliver the information they need in a quick, concise, and efficient manner. There has been a major transformation in the publishing world since Dr Elston and I were chosen to guide JAAD into the future. It was clear even in 2008 that the Internet would forever change the way authors communicate with readers and the way physicians communicate with one another. I had the good fortune of being associate editor of JAAD from 1988 to 1998, when our department chairman, Dr Richard Dobson, was editor. During that period, peer review was a slow, laborious process. Authors sent to us (by US Mail, of course) multiple hard copies of their manuscripts, which we subsequently sent out to reviewers. We would then wait several weeks (or longer) for the hoped-for reviews to arrive, after which the manuscripts, along with the reviewers’ comments, would be sent back to the authors (occasionally multiple times) for revision. Many months would often pass between the time of submission and the time the final revised document was returned to the JAAD office, which was lined with stacks of manuscripts in various stages of the review process. Manuscript tracking was done initially using an old-fashioned ledger book, although toward the end of our tenure a proprietary electronic manuscript tracking system had been developed by our publisher. Electronic manuscript tracking blossomed during Dr Jeff Bernhard’s term as editor from 1998 to 2008,
D
with further refinements allowing electronic manuscript submission and electronic delivery of manuscripts to reviewers. The stacks of paper manuscripts gradually disappeared, and soon the physical editor’s office disappeared as well, to be replaced by any computer with an Internet connection. I like to say, ‘‘the Journal never sleeps,’’ as I take it with me, via my laptop, whenever and wherever I travel. By 2008, for the first time, the JAAD Managing Editor, who handles the day-to-day, ‘‘nuts and bolts’’ operations of the Journal, no longer needed to be located in the same physical space as the editor, and eventually found a home at American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) headquarters in Schaumburg, IL. The challenge Dr Elston and I faced in 2008 was to leverage the power of the Internet not only to more efficiently manage JAAD operations but also to make JAAD a more enriching and rewarding educational experience. One focal point has been our World Wide Web site (http://www.JAAD.org), which has some incredibly useful features of which many readers may be unaware. Images in Dermatology tests the clinician’s ability to diagnose and manage challenging cases; 2 new images are posted each month. A Dermoscopy Case of the Month has recently been introduced, as has a Pearls section that will include Clinical, Therapeutic, and Surgical Pearls. The old print Case Report supplement has been replaced by a series of concise Case Letters that appears online on a monthly basis. Selected full-length articles may appear exclusively online as well. A listing of online-only content can be found in the Table of Contents of each month’s print JAAD. In the future, we hope to introduce more videos to supplement published manuscripts. For those of you who wait patiently for the print JAAD to arrive, please be aware that the full content of each monthly issue appears online on our World Wide Web site several weeks before it lands in your
From the Department of Dermatology and Dermatologic Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina. Funding sources: None. Conflicts of interest: None declared. Reprints not available from the author. Correspondence to: Bruce H. Thiers, MD, Dermatology and Dermatologic Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina,
96 Jonathan Lucas St, Suite 623, PO Box 250618, Charleston, SC 29425. E-mail: [email protected]. J Am Acad Dermatol 2013;69:478-9. 0190-9622/$36.00 Ó 2013 by the American Academy of Dermatology, Inc. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jaad.2013.06.001
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J AM ACAD DERMATOL VOLUME 69, NUMBER 3
mailbox. Readers may also elect to receive via e-mail the Table of Contents with links to the specific articles. In addition, most full-length articles appear online as soon as authors approve the page proofs. These online ahead-of-print articles are searchable via PubMed and are thus available several months before they appear in the print JAAD. E-mail notification of online ahead-of-print articles is also available upon request. Web Editor Dr Robert Dellavalle has been instrumental in bringing JAAD into the world of electronic media. The JAAD Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/aadjournal) has proved to be extremely popular, as have our iPhone and iPad apps. We have begun experimenting with webcasts and podcasts. Is Twitter in our future? Perhaps. Our fascination with upgrading and enhancing our World Wide Web site and online presence has not distracted us from improving the print JAAD. Structured Abstracts, Capsule Summaries, and, for CME articles, Key Points have been added to improve the readability and focus the ‘‘take home’’ message of JAAD content. We have imposed more restrictive limits on the length of articles, again with the goal of delivering a clear and concise educational message. A CME Planning Group assures that all CME articles help close knowledge or practice gaps among our readers. A new section, Dermatoethics Consultations, addresses an increasingly important topic in the delivery of medical care. We publish From the Academy articles, such as the recent Appropriate Use Criteria for Mohs Micrographic Surgery,1 to keep the lines of communication open between the Academy and its members regarding critical issues in dermatologic practice. To help build for the future, JAAD has instituted the JAAD Editorial Mentorship Program, which allows young dermatologists to hone their skills in medical writing and medical publishing.
Thiers 479
JAAD has received its share of honors. It is #1 in readership of all dermatology journals. In 2009, it achieved special recognition when it was designated one of the most influential journals of the past 100 years by the Special Libraries Association. However, we will not rest on our past accomplishments. We are committed to keeping JAAD at the vanguard of dermatologic education. We work for you. We welcome your comments and suggestions for improvement. Our goal is to make JAAD even better 5 years from now than it is today. The recently reported sharp increase in our impact factor assures us that we are on the right track.2 In closing, I would like to thank our 2008 to 2013 editorial board, including our associate and assistant editors, for their work on the Journal. In keeping with tradition, there will be many new faces on the editorial board during our second term. A thank you to Detra Davis, our always reliable managing editor, for running the show from headquarters; our lifeline to the AAD, Lara Lowery, director, Creative and Publishing, and JAAD Staff Liaison; and, of course, our Elsevier support crew, Journal Manager Susan Kell and Publisher Terrie DuHadway, who assure that everything is well when we’re ready to switch to panic mode. And, finally, a special thank you to Dr Dirk Elston, who somehow finds a way to inject a significant amount of time and energy into the Journal, despite his many other commitments including, of course, AAD President. REFERENCES 1. Ad Hoc Task Force, Connolly SM, Baker DR, Coldiron BM, Fazio MJ, Storrs PA, Vidimos AT, et al. AAD/ACMS/ASDA/ASMS 2012 appropriate use criteria for Mohs micrographic surgery: a report of the American Academy of Dermatology, American College of Mohs Surgery, American Society for Dermatologic Surgery Association, and the American Society for Mohs Surgery. J Am Acad Dermatol 2012;67:531-50. 2. Medical journal impact factors 2013. Available at: http:// impactfactor.weebly.com/dermatology.html. Accessed June 26, 2013.
A look back, a peek forward Bruce H. Thiers, MD, Editor, Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology Charleston, South Carolina r Dirk Elston and I are honored and excited to begin our second 5-year terms as deputy editor and editor, respectively, of the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology (JAAD). It is the mission of JAAD to provide practical, clinically useful information to our readers, who include, among others, practicing dermatologists, residents, researchers, and academicians. We are mindful of the commitment we made when we first took the helm of JAAD: to navigate the changing way the Journal communicates with its readers to deliver the information they need in a quick, concise, and efficient manner. There has been a major transformation in the publishing world since Dr Elston and I were chosen to guide JAAD into the future. It was clear even in 2008 that the Internet would forever change the way authors communicate with readers and the way physicians communicate with one another. I had the good fortune of being associate editor of JAAD from 1988 to 1998, when our department chairman, Dr Richard Dobson, was editor. During that period, peer review was a slow, laborious process. Authors sent to us (by US Mail, of course) multiple hard copies of their manuscripts, which we subsequently sent out to reviewers. We would then wait several weeks (or longer) for the hoped-for reviews to arrive, after which the manuscripts, along with the reviewers’ comments, would be sent back to the authors (occasionally multiple times) for revision. Many months would often pass between the time of submission and the time the final revised document was returned to the JAAD office, which was lined with stacks of manuscripts in various stages of the review process. Manuscript tracking was done initially using an old-fashioned ledger book, although toward the end of our tenure a proprietary electronic manuscript tracking system had been developed by our publisher. Electronic manuscript tracking blossomed during Dr Jeff Bernhard’s term as editor from 1998 to 2008,
D
with further refinements allowing electronic manuscript submission and electronic delivery of manuscripts to reviewers. The stacks of paper manuscripts gradually disappeared, and soon the physical editor’s office disappeared as well, to be replaced by any computer with an Internet connection. I like to say, ‘‘the Journal never sleeps,’’ as I take it with me, via my laptop, whenever and wherever I travel. By 2008, for the first time, the JAAD Managing Editor, who handles the day-to-day, ‘‘nuts and bolts’’ operations of the Journal, no longer needed to be located in the same physical space as the editor, and eventually found a home at American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) headquarters in Schaumburg, IL. The challenge Dr Elston and I faced in 2008 was to leverage the power of the Internet not only to more efficiently manage JAAD operations but also to make JAAD a more enriching and rewarding educational experience. One focal point has been our World Wide Web site (http://www.JAAD.org), which has some incredibly useful features of which many readers may be unaware. Images in Dermatology tests the clinician’s ability to diagnose and manage challenging cases; 2 new images are posted each month. A Dermoscopy Case of the Month has recently been introduced, as has a Pearls section that will include Clinical, Therapeutic, and Surgical Pearls. The old print Case Report supplement has been replaced by a series of concise Case Letters that appears online on a monthly basis. Selected full-length articles may appear exclusively online as well. A listing of online-only content can be found in the Table of Contents of each month’s print JAAD. In the future, we hope to introduce more videos to supplement published manuscripts. For those of you who wait patiently for the print JAAD to arrive, please be aware that the full content of each monthly issue appears online on our World Wide Web site several weeks before it lands in your
From the Department of Dermatology and Dermatologic Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina. Funding sources: None. Conflicts of interest: None declared. Reprints not available from the author. Correspondence to: Bruce H. Thiers, MD, Dermatology and Dermatologic Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina,
96 Jonathan Lucas St, Suite 623, PO Box 250618, Charleston, SC 29425. E-mail: [email protected]. J Am Acad Dermatol 2013;69:478-9. 0190-9622/$36.00 Ó 2013 by the American Academy of Dermatology, Inc. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jaad.2013.06.001
478
J AM ACAD DERMATOL VOLUME 69, NUMBER 3
mailbox. Readers may also elect to receive via e-mail the Table of Contents with links to the specific articles. In addition, most full-length articles appear online as soon as authors approve the page proofs. These online ahead-of-print articles are searchable via PubMed and are thus available several months before they appear in the print JAAD. E-mail notification of online ahead-of-print articles is also available upon request. Web Editor Dr Robert Dellavalle has been instrumental in bringing JAAD into the world of electronic media. The JAAD Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/aadjournal) has proved to be extremely popular, as have our iPhone and iPad apps. We have begun experimenting with webcasts and podcasts. Is Twitter in our future? Perhaps. Our fascination with upgrading and enhancing our World Wide Web site and online presence has not distracted us from improving the print JAAD. Structured Abstracts, Capsule Summaries, and, for CME articles, Key Points have been added to improve the readability and focus the ‘‘take home’’ message of JAAD content. We have imposed more restrictive limits on the length of articles, again with the goal of delivering a clear and concise educational message. A CME Planning Group assures that all CME articles help close knowledge or practice gaps among our readers. A new section, Dermatoethics Consultations, addresses an increasingly important topic in the delivery of medical care. We publish From the Academy articles, such as the recent Appropriate Use Criteria for Mohs Micrographic Surgery,1 to keep the lines of communication open between the Academy and its members regarding critical issues in dermatologic practice. To help build for the future, JAAD has instituted the JAAD Editorial Mentorship Program, which allows young dermatologists to hone their skills in medical writing and medical publishing.
Thiers 479
JAAD has received its share of honors. It is #1 in readership of all dermatology journals. In 2009, it achieved special recognition when it was designated one of the most influential journals of the past 100 years by the Special Libraries Association. However, we will not rest on our past accomplishments. We are committed to keeping JAAD at the vanguard of dermatologic education. We work for you. We welcome your comments and suggestions for improvement. Our goal is to make JAAD even better 5 years from now than it is today. The recently reported sharp increase in our impact factor assures us that we are on the right track.2 In closing, I would like to thank our 2008 to 2013 editorial board, including our associate and assistant editors, for their work on the Journal. In keeping with tradition, there will be many new faces on the editorial board during our second term. A thank you to Detra Davis, our always reliable managing editor, for running the show from headquarters; our lifeline to the AAD, Lara Lowery, director, Creative and Publishing, and JAAD Staff Liaison; and, of course, our Elsevier support crew, Journal Manager Susan Kell and Publisher Terrie DuHadway, who assure that everything is well when we’re ready to switch to panic mode. And, finally, a special thank you to Dr Dirk Elston, who somehow finds a way to inject a significant amount of time and energy into the Journal, despite his many other commitments including, of course, AAD President. REFERENCES 1. Ad Hoc Task Force, Connolly SM, Baker DR, Coldiron BM, Fazio MJ, Storrs PA, Vidimos AT, et al. AAD/ACMS/ASDA/ASMS 2012 appropriate use criteria for Mohs micrographic surgery: a report of the American Academy of Dermatology, American College of Mohs Surgery, American Society for Dermatologic Surgery Association, and the American Society for Mohs Surgery. J Am Acad Dermatol 2012;67:531-50. 2. Medical journal impact factors 2013. Available at: http:// impactfactor.weebly.com/dermatology.html. Accessed June 26, 2013.