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Expediting publication: Meeting our mission
Otolaryngology– Head and Neck Surgery OCTOBER 2004
VOLUME 131
NUMBER 4
EDITORIAL Expediting publication: Meeting our mission Over the past few years, the editorial and publishing staffs have worked to meet the mission of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery as established by the American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery and the American Academy of Otolaryngic Allergy: “The mission of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery is to publish contemporary, ethical, clinically relevant information in otolaryngology, head and neck surgery (ear, nose, throat, head and neck disorders) that can be used by otolaryngologists, scientists, and related specialists to improve patient care and public health.” Through the dedication of the editors and staff, we have been able to successfully adhere to the spirit of this mission statement. One of the key words in that statement is “contemporary.” Many times, published articles in peer-reviewed journals have had long delays from the time of submission to publication, to the point that they may no longer be cutting-edge or truly contemporary at the time of eventual publication. The ability to review, edit, and publish articles in a timely fashion is a challenge for most journals, particularly those such as Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, where the number of submitted articles is much greater than our ability to publish. As the international recognition of our Journal has continued to grow, the number of submissions has grown also. Despite this, we are obligated to meet the other aspects of our mission, which is to publish articles in our specialty that will improve patient care and health. To these ends, we have been committed to Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2004;131:341. Copyright © 2004 by the American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery Foundation, Inc. 0194-5998/$30.00 doi:10.1016/j.otohns.2004.08.014
publish every well written and worthwhile article that we receive, and will often give authors an opportunity to revise their articles prior to determining whether they should be accepted or rejected. We have been able, through a variety of efforts, to reduce our submission to publication time over the past couple of years, despite the large increase in the number of submissions. The first is through the launch of Editorial Manager (EM), our online submission and review program. This affords a more rapid movement of articles between authors, the editorial office, editors, and reviewers. This should particularly facilitate submissions of articles submitted from presenters from the annual meetings of the American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery and the American Academy of Otolaryngic Allergy. You may also notice that the number of pages in this issue is greater and the overall size of the Journal is larger. In our efforts to make sure that there is not a large number of articles that have been accepted and awaiting publication, the American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery and Mosby/ Elsevier have agreed to increase the number of pages over the next few issues to reduce the time between an article’s acceptance and its publication. This, again, allows the articles to be more contemporary and current without the need to increase rejections of acceptable articles. We continue to strive to improve the Journal and to fulfill our Mission. These efforts should help us provide the important information that will allow our readers to expand their knowledge of otolaryngologic disorders and ultimately improve the care of their patients. Michael S. Benninger, MD Editor-in-Chief
341
VOLUME 131
NUMBER 4
EDITORIAL Expediting publication: Meeting our mission Over the past few years, the editorial and publishing staffs have worked to meet the mission of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery as established by the American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery and the American Academy of Otolaryngic Allergy: “The mission of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery is to publish contemporary, ethical, clinically relevant information in otolaryngology, head and neck surgery (ear, nose, throat, head and neck disorders) that can be used by otolaryngologists, scientists, and related specialists to improve patient care and public health.” Through the dedication of the editors and staff, we have been able to successfully adhere to the spirit of this mission statement. One of the key words in that statement is “contemporary.” Many times, published articles in peer-reviewed journals have had long delays from the time of submission to publication, to the point that they may no longer be cutting-edge or truly contemporary at the time of eventual publication. The ability to review, edit, and publish articles in a timely fashion is a challenge for most journals, particularly those such as Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, where the number of submitted articles is much greater than our ability to publish. As the international recognition of our Journal has continued to grow, the number of submissions has grown also. Despite this, we are obligated to meet the other aspects of our mission, which is to publish articles in our specialty that will improve patient care and health. To these ends, we have been committed to Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2004;131:341. Copyright © 2004 by the American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery Foundation, Inc. 0194-5998/$30.00 doi:10.1016/j.otohns.2004.08.014
publish every well written and worthwhile article that we receive, and will often give authors an opportunity to revise their articles prior to determining whether they should be accepted or rejected. We have been able, through a variety of efforts, to reduce our submission to publication time over the past couple of years, despite the large increase in the number of submissions. The first is through the launch of Editorial Manager (EM), our online submission and review program. This affords a more rapid movement of articles between authors, the editorial office, editors, and reviewers. This should particularly facilitate submissions of articles submitted from presenters from the annual meetings of the American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery and the American Academy of Otolaryngic Allergy. You may also notice that the number of pages in this issue is greater and the overall size of the Journal is larger. In our efforts to make sure that there is not a large number of articles that have been accepted and awaiting publication, the American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery and Mosby/ Elsevier have agreed to increase the number of pages over the next few issues to reduce the time between an article’s acceptance and its publication. This, again, allows the articles to be more contemporary and current without the need to increase rejections of acceptable articles. We continue to strive to improve the Journal and to fulfill our Mission. These efforts should help us provide the important information that will allow our readers to expand their knowledge of otolaryngologic disorders and ultimately improve the care of their patients. Michael S. Benninger, MD Editor-in-Chief
341