Editorial: Speedy publication

Editorial: Speedy Publication Human Immunology is progressively increasing its stature. The journal has steadily increased in s i z e - - f r o m about 360 pages in 1980 to 1400 pages in 1986. Although we published many excellent papers in 1980, we had many more first-rate papers in 1986. We have broadened our base to include a greater diversity of subjects. We now announce another accomplishment. Human Immunology has, over the past year, progressively reduced, streamlined, or eliminated most of the causes o f delay that have developed while the journal was growing. Time from receipt o f manuscript to completion o f peer review has been reduced dramatically by a variety of initiatives. Office procedures have been standardized and the publisher has established strict deadlines for copy editing, typesetting, and printing. While these procedural changes have been developed, the size of recent issues has increased. The net result is that, as o f this issue, the backlog of pages that had accumulated has now been eliminated. The files have been emptied and there are now no delays in publication of accepted pages. This has been expensive since it has required the printing of many extra pages. The cost has been borne partly by the sponsoring organization, ASHI, partly by the journal (through its editorial fund), and partly by the publisher. The Editorial Board is united with the Editors and the Publishers in a common goal to publish papers o f high quality without prejudice and with the fastest publication time possible in a reviewed specialty journal. Although the review process adds several weeks to the average publication time, we believe it to be essential for articles that establish the database on which conceptual advances are built. We are planning to introduce electronic mail for the transfer of critiques and memoranda between editorial offices to reduce time taken by mailing. We also will be able to use a similar means of communication with reviewers, using a compatible system. We are hoping later to transmit manuscripts via computers and the telephone l i n e - - t o reviewers and the publisher. We ask you, the reader, to show your support by sending us your best articles. In return, we pledge to do our best to have your paper in print within 3 to 4 months o f acceptance. We also ask you to comment on the journal and to send us suggestions as to how to improve it still further. Bernard Amos,

Editor in Chief