What are the skills expected from an Editor-in-Chief of a prestigious
medical journal, and that too the official scientific publication of an
organization as vibrant as ‘Indian Academy of Pediatrics’? Most of us
will agree that it is not an easy task; the editor is expected to
possess writing, editing, administrative and negotiating skills,
scientific and analytical mind, intellectual honesty, media savviness,
and a thick hide [1,2]. I am not sure whether I possess all of these
adequately but I think that I have the determination, willingness to
learn, and expectation of gaining something from every piece I edit,
every article that is rejected, and every feedback from the authors,
readers and editorial board members. My association with ‘Indian
Pediatrics’ for over 16 years in different capacities is definitely
going to help me to continue to contribute to its growth, financial
viability and reputation as a leading global medical journal.
Owing to the efforts of past editors and the members
of the editorial team, the journal already enjoys an enviable position
in the scientific world. However, we must not be complacent. My vision
for ‘Indian Pediatrics’ includes further enhancing its popularity
and utility for the target audience without compromising on the
scientific rigor and academic integrity. While changes in content will
be obvious, those related to the editorial process may not be directly
visible to the readership but will indirectly affect the quality. From
this issue, we are including structured abstract for ‘Research Brief’
section; structured abstract for ‘Case Reports’ has already been started
from November 2013. For ‘Editorials’, we will invite different
perspectives (preferably belonging to different fields) on an article
published in the same issue to have a broader assessment and
interpretation. The first such attempt in present volume is on an
article about the role of nutritional rehabilitation centers for severe
malnutrition. We also plan to start a ‘Journal Club’ on the same lines
(See p.66), with inputs from various experts (pediatric practitioner,
teaching faculty, public health personnel etc.) on current research
articles published in leading pediatric journals.
‘Indian Pediatrics’ already has one of the
shortest submission-to-decision times. Now, we need to reduce the
decision-to-publication time. For transparent, uniform and rapid
handling of manuscripts, we plan to structure ‘Standard Operating
Procedures’ at various levels. This may initially seem to trouble the
authors with more ‘technical check failures’ because of strict
checklists given to the editorial staff but will ensure adherence to the
recommended writing style. Ultimately, this will reduce the
time-to-acceptance and will save the authors from multiple revisions
requested at the time of final editing. We also plan to utilize
applications such as ‘Dropbox’ and ‘WhatsApp’ for real time sharing of
files in order to rapidly and effectively coordinate between editorial
team and staff. Social media will also be utilized for wider
dissemination of science; though ensuring effective protection from
negative forces active on these sites would be a challenge.
Changes will not be made just for the sake of making
changes. We will continue with the workshops on ‘Art and Science of
Paper Writing’ for potential authors and reviewers while broadening its
scope to other medical disciplines. We also envisage starting ‘Research
Methodology’ workshops as demanded by most of the participants of paper
writing course. We will ensure that our editorial board members are
regularly updated in emerging issues and technologies in medical
publishing by organizing a teaching-learning activity in every bimonthly
meeting. We will continue with most of our popular sections such as
‘Clippings’, ‘News’, ‘Images’ and ‘Reviews’ besides retaining the broad
structures of research article sections. However, for a system to work
effectively, it has to be open. We urge readers to provide feedback and
constructive criticism on the content, quality and process. Specific
feedbacks will be published on the website, preferably in the same
issue. I assure you of all my support to ‘Indian Pediatrics’
always.
