Greetings! As we bid adieu to the golden years and embark upon another
journey towards the centenary of Indian Pediatrics, we wish to
share the significant achievements made by the journal under its present
captain Dr Piyush Gupta. In 2008, he took over as the eleventh
editor-in-chief, which was auspicious for Indian Pediatrics as
the journal grew leaps and bounds under him. Humble and reticent as he
is, Dr Piyush Gupta forbade the editorial board members from including a
write up on him in the golden jubilee year! However, we felt that this
golden journey will be incomplete without a write-up on him, and this
piece was planned and executed without his knowledge (till the final
proof stage!).
Content of Indian Pediatrics
From the beginning of his tenure, the journal focused
on scientific robustness with emphasis on evidence-based medicine. Dr
Piyush started some new sections; "From the Cochrane Collection"
included selected material from the Cochrane library with critical (and
sometimes statistical) analysis related to implications for pediatric
practice and health policy. Some pertinent issues in the management of
childhood disease were published in this section like aretesunate
versus quinine for treating severe malaria [1], routine vitamin
D/calcium supplementation for preventing nutritional rickets [2], oral
antibiotics for severe pneumonia in children [3], azithromycin in
enteric fever [4], and treatment duration of acute streptococcal
pharyngitis [5]. Electronic linking of these commentaries along with the
original source document on ‘Pubmed’ led to their high popularity among
international researchers and policy makers. Another new section "Eureka"
provided an evidence-based insight on child health policies like zinc
supplementation for preventing and treating childhood pneumonia [6].
More sections like "Focus" and "Perspective" were
introduced which provided critical appraisal of current child health
issues of national and international interest. Short communications were
rechristened as "Research briefs". In addition, to enable
publication of more manuscripts with research component, a new section "Research
letter" was started. Authors, whose research work was not voluminous
enough to be published as Research paper or Research brief, now had the
option of getting it published in this section.
The author instructions were made more detailed. The
reporting of different study designs were elaborated in accordance with
‘Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals’
prepared by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors
(ICMJE). All research papers now carried a box describing "What is
already known?" and "What this study adds". This was much appreciated by
readers as it provided a bird’s eye view of the paper. In each issue
important research papers were published along with an accompanying
editorial. Authors were encouraged to prospectively register their
clinical trials involving human subjects in CTRI (Clinical Trials
Registry of India). However, to enable naďve researchers from less
developed countries to publish their research, Indian Pediatrics
did not make this clause mandatory.
During his tenure in Indian Pediatrics, 73
issues, including one supplement on "child development" and three
special issues, one each on "Immunization with special focus on
measles", "Severe acute malnutrition" and "Acute respiratory infections
and tuberculosis" were published. The editor-in-chief’s penchant for
novelty is apparent in his initiatives to publish unique research
articles. A paper on factors hindering polio eradication in India by
Dasgupta et al. [7] exposed the readers of Indian
Pediatrics to research methodology of qualitative research or
ethnomethodology. In the September 2010 issue, a simplistic explanation
of survival analysis for clinicians was published [8]. Subsequently in
April 2011, another paper on use of receiver operating curves in
clinical research introduced the readers to another aspect of biomedical
statistics [9]. A series of systematic review articles on child health
priorities like community based newborn care [10], childhood pneumonia
[11], diarrhea [12], congenital rubella syndrome [13], and inequity in
immunization [14] were published in 2011 and 2012 in collaboration with
UNICEF and PHFI, which were all well received by the readers.
During this period, a constant attempt was made to
analyze the editorial policies on publication and rejection of
manuscripts. In 2006, he conducted an in-house analysis to identify the
characteristics of the manuscripts which are submitted to the journal,
factors associated with their ultimate acceptance or rejection and a
thorough dissection of the peer review process [15]. In 2010, an audit
of the fate of manuscripts rejected by Indian Pediatrics in 2002
was published [16]. As an administrator, Dr Piyush Gupta always tried to
provide equal opportunities to all and he analyzed the female
participation in the academic and administrative domains of the Indian
Academy of Pediatrics [17]. It was shown that while female participation
in the academic domain has improved significantly in IAP, there is a
significant lag in the administrative domain.
The Look During His Tenure
In 2009, the journal got a facelift; its appearance
was now glossier with the use of finest quality paper for main pages,
and the cover displayed the salient contents of the issue in a box. The
new cover was a reflection of the personality of the current
editor-in-chief with emphasis on clarity and crispness.
Website
The website of Indian Pediatrics (www.indian
pediatrics.net) was consistently ranked as the site with the maximum
number of hits in its category by Alexa. Despite the enormous workload,
Dr Piyush Gupta ensured that every issue of the journal was uploaded
within the first week of that month on the journal website so that
readers could access the content of an issue ahead of its print version.
All research papers and research briefs would be electronically
published ahead of the print version on the Pubmed (Epub ahead of print)
as well as on the journal website. He also emphasized on the
digitization of all past issues of Indian Pediatrics; by October
2013 all volumes from January 1991 onwards were made available on the
journal website. And in 2013, table of contents of all volumes starting
from 1964 was uploaded on the Indian Pediatrics website.
Partnership With Springer
Dr Piyush Gupta started his second innings in Indian
Pediatrics in the capacity of editor-in-chief with a bang! Indian
Pediatrics joined hands with Springer, the international giant in
the field of biomedical publishing. A brand new international edition of
Indian Pediatrics was launched in January 2010 for overseas
distribution. In May 2010, online manuscript submission, tracking and
peer review system was started in partnership with "Editorial Manager"
at http://www.editorialmanager. com/inpe/. The peer review became faster
and the average turnaround time for decision on manuscripts also became
merely 10.2 days. The submission rate of manuscripts also nearly
doubled; by 31
st October
2013 the journal already has received about 1000 submissions compared to
750 in the whole of 2007. To curb plagiarism, Indian Pediatrics
collaborated with Springer to acquire the plagiarism detection software
"ithenticate." Indian Pediatrics was now truly global and its
popularity soared. Our most recent impact factor is 1.036, a 40% hike
from its impact factor of 0.75 in 2008. All this was possible due to the
untiring efforts and patience of Dr Piyush Gupta with the support and
confidence of his editorial team and the office staff.
Workshops, Books and Guidelines
To encourage young faculty and to train them in
scientific paper writing, under his dynamic leadership, the journal
started conducting two-day hands-on workshops on the "Art and science of
paper writing". Till date, eleven such workshops have been conducted all
over India. All these workshops were much appreciated by the
participants. Another initiative which was met with overwhelming
response from practitioners and post-graduate residents was the
compilation of all recommendations and guidelines formulated by the IAP,
its sub-specialty chapters, and various national scientific groups and
committees in the form of a book entitled "Editor’s Choice: The Best of
Indian Pediatrics for the Practitioners" which was published in 2009
with another volume in the pipeline.
The Golden Jubilee Year (2013)
Another commendable achievement was the seamless
production of twelve special issues in 2013 to celebrate the golden
jubilee year of Indian Pediatrics. Each of these issues was
published in excellent quality paper with a golden cover having a
logogram of 50 years of Indian Pediatrics embossed in golden ink.
The inaugural issue in the golden jubilee year had invited editorials
from five of our past editors-in-chief in which they shared their
experiences during their respective tenures. Each of these issues also
carried a memoir on the past editors-in-chief of Indian Pediatrics.
The January issue carried commentaries on fifty years of pediatric
immunology, tuberculosis control in India, pediatric pulmonology,
nephrotic syndrome, immunization and neonatology. A compilation of the
ten most cited articles of Indian Pediatrics was also published
in the January issue of the golden jubilee year [18]. The February issue
carried the address of Honorable Past President of India Dr APJ Abdul
Kalam Azad to the pediatricians of our country [19].
Epilogue
The journal now holds a prestigious position in
scientific world, and authors look forward to getting their work
published in it. Many readers wait eagerly for the next issue, and send
a complaint if the journal does not reach them in time. Reviewers and
authors for Indian Pediatrics originate from more than 50 countries. Dr
Piyush Gupta’s tenure of six years was indeed a golden finish to this
golden journey of Indian Pediatrics.
Journeys never end; there is still a long road ahead!
We must keep going; sometimes holding others’ hands, and at other times
allowing someone to hold ours………(Modified from quote by Vera Nazarian).
References
1. Mathew JL. Artemisinin derivatives versus quinine
for severe malaria in children: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Indian Pediatr. 2010;47:423-8.
2. Shah D. Should routine vitamin D/calcium
supplementation be advocated to prevent nutritional rickets? Indian
Pediatr. 2008;45:219-20.
3. Shah D. 3-day or 5-day oral antibiotics for
non-severe pneumonia in children. Indian Pediatr. 2008;45:577-8.
4. Shah D. Role of azithromycin in enteric fever.
Indian Pediatr. 2009;46:51-2.
5. Shah D. Can we shorten the duration of treatment
for acute streptococcal pharyngitis? Indian Pediatr. 2009;46:235-7.
6. Mathew JL. Zinc supplementation for prevention or
treatment of childhood pneumonia: a systematic review of randomized
controlled trials. Indian Pediatr. 2010;47:61-6.
7. Dasgupta R, Chaturvedi S, Adhish SV, Ganguly KK,
Rai S, Sushant L, et al. Social determinants and polio ‘endgame’:
a qualitative study in high risk districts of India. Indian Pediatr.
2008;45:357-65.
8. Indrayan A, Bansal AK. The methods of survival
analysis for clinicians. Indian Pediatr. 2010;47:743-8.
9. Kumar R, Indrayan A. Receiver operating
characteristic (ROC) curve for medical researchers. Indian Pediatr.
2011;48:277-87.
10. Gogia S, Ramji S, Gupta P, Gera T, Shah D, Mathew
JL, et al. Community based newborn care: a systematic review and
metaanalysis of evidence: UNICEF-PHFI series on newborn and child
health, India. Indian Pediatr. 2011;48:537-46.
11. Mathew JL, Patwari AK, Gupta P, Shah D, Gera T,
Gogia S, et al. Acute respiratory infection and pneumonia in
India: a systematic review of literature for advocacy and action:
UNICEF-PHFI series on newborn and child health, India. Indian Pediatr.
2011;48:191-218.
12. Shah D, Choudhury P, Gupta P, Mathew JL, Gera T,
Gogia S, et al. Promoting appropriate management of diarrhea: a
systematic review of literature for advocacy and action: UNICEF-PHFI
series on newborn and child health, India. Indian Pediatr.
2012;49:627-49.
13. Dewan P, Gupta P. Burden of congenital rubella
syndrome (CRS) in India: a systematic review. Indian Pediatr.
2012;49:377-99.
14. Mathew JL. Inequity in childhood immunization in
India: a systematic review. Indian Pediatr. 2012;49:203-23.
15. Gupta P, Kaur G, Sharma B, Shah D, Choudhury P.
What is submitted and what gets accepted in Indian Pediatrics: analysis
of submissions, review process, decision making, and criteria for
rejection. Indian Pediatr. 2006;43:479-89.
16. Dewan P, Gupta P, Shah D. Fate of articles
rejected by Indian Pediatrics. Indian Pediatr. 2010;47:1031-5.
17. Dewan P, Gupta P, Choudhury P. Gender gap and
Indian Academy of Pediatrics: still a long way to go! Indian Pediatr.
2007;44:598-600.
18. Shah D, Giri M, Gupta P. Citation classics from
Indian pediatrics. Indian Pediatr. 2013;50:61-7.
19. Abdul Kalam AP. Childcare is indeed heavenly
mission, address at the 50th Annual Conference of the Indian Academy of
Pediatrics, 17th January 2013, Kolkata. Indian Pediatr. 2013;50:179-82.