I was appointed Editor of Indian Pediatrics in 1985 by the IAP Executive
Board. Before that too, I was closely involved with the scientific
aspects of the Journal when Dr SK Bhargava took over as the Editor. He
found an excellent, dependable publishing house, Cambridge Press, who
have printed the Journal and several other publications for us for over
40 years. The regularity of publication of the Journal has been most
remarkable.
I had a strong supporting team constituting the
Journal Committee. We focused on the quality of the journal, selecting
the articles for publication strictly based on their scientific merit.
Preparation of manuscripts according to Vancouver style (rather than
"free style", which required great deal of editing) was insisted upon.
Our readers were exhorted to submit their outstanding wok to the
Journal, which alone would enhance its quality. The contents as well as
their presentation were closely scrutinized [1].
The major constraints were financial. The earnings
from advertisements were insufficient and moreover, we had to be
selective in accepting these. It was, however, emphasized that
information about any product should not be regarded as its promotion.
In 1985 the Journal brought out a supplement
"Emergencies in Pediatrics", which was sold by us directly with all
profits going to the Journal [2]. Subsequently, a book entitled "Pediatric
and Neonatal Emergencies" was published by our own publishers and again
profits from its sale were used towards journal expenses [3].
The Journal celebrated its silver jubilee in 1988. A
special number was printed, which included a few Abstracts of
outstanding articles published earlier in the Journal [4]. The IAP
membership (to whom the Journal was being sent as part of their lifetime
subscription) had reached 4200!
The Journal had been housed in the departmental
offices of the Editor. Limitation of physical facilities had created
increasing hardship. Although makeshift arrangements were eventually
made, there remained an urgent need for adequate premises that must
include a library and seminar rooms.
I have observed with great satisfaction the progress
made by the Journal over the past years. The excellent standard of the
contents and its educative value are widely acknowledged, and it has
truly become an international publication. Its free online access is
widely utilized and has been very beneficial to readers from countries
with limited resources. The indexing and impact factor have increased.
The physical qualities of the publication (quality of paper,
reproduction of figures, overall attractiveness) are much better.
I wish Indian Pediatrics continued growth and
all round excellence.
References
1. Srivastava RN. Literature pollution. Indian
Pediatr. 1985; 22: 331-332
2. Srivastava RN, Manmohan, Sachdev HPS, Puri RK.
Emergencies in Pediatrics. Indian Pediatr. 1986; S;23.
3. Srivastava RN, Manmohan, Sachdev HPS, Puri RK.
Pediatric and Neonatal Emergencies. New Delhi: Cambridge Press; 1991.
4. Srivastava RN. 25th year of Indian Pediatr. Indian Pediatr. 1988;
25: 3-4.