New Editors Use Reviewers That Have Not Been

EDITORIAL 1

New editors use reviewers that have not been ...... suggested. We feel it is important to Thorax: first published as 10.1136/thorax.58.1.1 on 1 January 2003. Downloaded from maintain reviewers’ confidentiality and reviewers’ names will not be disclosed to New year: new editors authors, nor will reviewers be aware as to whether or not they have been named by J A Wedzicha, S L Johnston, D M Mitchell the authors. We are very keen to encourage Thorax ...... to be an active journal and feedback from its readers contributes to the journal’s vitality and interest. Before the advent of ith the coming of another new for Thorax to increase in stature. We will journals, letters were the main form of 5 year, the Editorship of Thorax is accept only the best papers following scientific communication, and we want Wchanging and it is with great rigorous peer review on the basis of to increase dialogue about papers that we privilege and considerable awe and trepi- original content, scientific merit, and publish. In addition to the formal corre- dation that we are taking over as Editors. importance to respiratory medicine. spondence columns in the journal, we Under the editorship of John Britton and The internet has provided many new have available on the website a facility for Alan Knox, Thorax has achieved high and profound opportunities in publishing rapid responses that can allow more standards and increased its impact factor and it is important that Thorax keeps at interaction between readers and authors. to 4.09. It is currently the most success- the forefront. Online paper submission This allows the reader to comment on an article in Thorax immediately on reading ful European respiratory journal. The and review using the Bench>Press elec- it by using the website. The authors can readership of Thorax, together with the tronic system is now in place and this will then correspond and this dialogue is whole respiratory community, owes an allow a faster turn around of papers and a available to the readership. The BMJ has enormous debt of gratitude to John and shorter time to decision. Authors will also been very successful with rapid Alan and the previous editorial team for be able to monitor online the progress of responses,5 although this has been slow their outstanding achievement. their papers as they progress through the to take off in Thorax, perhaps because we Thorax was born in March 1946, when review system. To make scientific develop- have so far had some reservations about the first issue appeared as a quarterly ments available early to the global reader- commenting in public or defending our journal edited by J G Scadding and N R ship, we will also be posting texts of origi- research. Rapid responses can have the Barrett. The first of four issues contained nal papers on the Thorax website same effect as the discussion after a pres- only 19 articles; the topics concerned (www.thoraxjnl.com) as soon as they are entation at a scientific meeting— predominantly thoracic surgery, patho- accepted and before editing by our techni- providing immediate feedback on the logy,and tuberculosis. There was only one cal editor. Research studies are also research, providing educational value, article on asthma in that first volume, on becoming more complex, frequently with allowing identification of new colleagues the effect of helium therapy in asthma by many collaborators and larger data sets. 1 working in similar research areas—and, a youthful Sir Richard Doll. At that time Thus authors will now have the availabil- of course, they are fun. Thorax was aimed at the UK respiratory ity of an online repository in Thorax for At the same time, rapid changes in http://thorax.bmj.com/ community; over the years it has ex- extra methodological data, results, and medicine and science require that we panded in the numbers and variety of appendices. The online supplement will increase the educational value of Thorax high quality papers published on both undergo peer review with the main so that it will inform and provide valued clinical and scientific aspects of respira- manuscript and will be posted on the Tho- debate to every respiratory specialist in tory medicine and it now has an increas- rax website with the main paper after the UK and abroad. Our intention is to ingly global readership. acceptance. This will allow us to maintain publish educational high quality review As new Editors, our main objective the brevity of printed papers for the series on important, developing, and will be to continue to steer Thorax to suc- reader, yet at the same time allow ready controversial topics. We are aware of the on September 30, 2021 by guest. Protected copyright. cess as an international respiratory jour- access to more study data for vast numbers of journals available that 2 nal in an age where there are not only researchers. We believe that this will be of publish respiratory articles and thus huge and rapid changes in respiratory major value to the scientific community. have decided to start a feature called medicine, but also major advances tak- The future of medical publishing lies in Lung Alert. We will print short reviews ing place in publishing and its technol- the increased use of the vast, varied, and and alerts of papers with a respiratory ogy. Our principal aim is to ensure that exciting range of online facilities now interest published recently in other gen- Thorax plays its full part in cutting edge available—such as the possibility of post- eral and specialist journals and will pro- development by promoting the publi- ing sound and video clips—and we will be vide links to the main articles available cation of the best clinical and scientific following other journals in making such a on the website. The first of these short research and guides to clinical practice, facility available.3 reviews appear in this issue on pages 13, so that we further improve the status Thorax would not have achieved its 29, 36, 57, and 72. and current excellent impact factor of current status without the invaluable In taking over at the helm of Thorax we Thorax. We will achieve this by encourag- resource of dedicated peer reviewers, as are very keen to increase its inter- ing submissions of the highest quality constructive criticism greatly improves national perspective and to encourage research from all over the world on clini- the final published paper.4 We are very submission of high quality original pa- cal and laboratory studies in respiratory grateful to all those who have generously pers from outside the UK and Europe. medicine and related subjects such as and loyally given up their time to This aim has been reflected in the choice lung immunology, respiratory infection, improve the quality of papers in Thorax. of the Associate Editors and members of surgery, epidemiology, primary care, oc- We encourage them strongly to continue the new International Advisory Board, cupational medicine, oncology, intensive their work so that we can maintain these and we intend to continue this trend in care, and paediatrics. The success of Tho- high standards. When submitting their the future. We have also appointed an rax depends very much on the quality of papers, authors will be allowed to name American and an Asia/Pacific editor. the papers that you all send to us for up to four peer reviewers, though Editors Both these posts have a particular remit publication, and we all need to work and Associate Editors will use their to promote Thorax internationally, to together in the respiratory community discretion on reviewer selection and also encourage submission of high quality

www.thoraxjnl.com 2 EDITORIAL papers from these parts of the world, and continuity of the journal. We are very ...... also to commission reviews from inter- grateful to our co-owners, the BTS and Authors’ affiliations Thorax: first published as 10.1136/thorax.58.1.1 on 1 January 2003. Downloaded from national expert opinion. The increasing BMJ Publishing Group, for the guidance J A Wedzicha, Editor in Chief importance and development of the web- and support they have given us on taking S L Johnston, D M Mitchell, Editors over the Editorship. site has led to the appointment of expert Correspondence to: Professor J A Wedzicha, web editors from the younger respiratory The success of Thorax will ultimately Thorax Editorial Office, 17 Doughty Street, depend on the influence that the journal community and they will also be respon- London WC1N 2PL, UK; has on the readership. We hope that [email protected] sible for our new Lung Alert feature. researchers—both clinical and scientific On the administrative side, we feel in all corners of the world—will continue that it is time now for the Thorax REFERENCES to send us their best and most exciting 1 Doll R. Helium in the treatment of asthma. Editorial Office to have a permanent papers, which we in return will endeav- Thorax 1946;1:30–8. home which we are pleased to announce our to process and review as quickly as 2 Delamothe T, Mullner M, Smith R. Pleasing will be adjacent to the offices of the Brit- possible. At the same time we will strive both authors and readers: a combination of short print articles and longer electronic ones ish Thoracic Society (BTS) in London. As to provide in Thorax each month some- may help us do this. BMJ 1999;318:888–9. our submission and peer review system thing of interest to all those involved 3 Tobin MJ. The official copy of the AJRCCM is is now entirely online, there is less need with the care of respiratory patients. posted and not printed. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2002;166:905–6. for the Thorax office to follow the Editors Thus, Thorax will be able to serve equally 4 Kassirer JP, Campion EW. Peer review: geographically and a permanent base both the global research community and crude and understudied, but indispensable. practising respiratory clinicians. JAMA 1994;272:96–7. will allow us to employ permanent 5 Delamothe T, Smith R. Twenty thousand editorial staff to ensure the future Thorax 2003;58:1–2 conversations. BMJ 2002; 324:1171–2. http://thorax.bmj.com/ Have your say on September 30, 2021 by guest. Protected copyright. eLetters

If you wish to comment on any article published in Thorax you can send an eLetter using the eLetters link at the beginning of each article. Your response will be posted on Thorax online within a few days of receipt (subject to editorial screening).