FEATURED ARTICLE
Journal of Neurosurgical Anesthesiology Year-in-Review
Martin Smith, MBBS, FRCA, FFICM
Editor-in-Chief
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| Martin Smith, MBBS, FRCA, FFICM |
There has been a lot going on at the Journal of Neurosurgical Anesthesiology during the last year. As well as a new Editor-in-Chief, there have been several changes to the Editorial Board. I take this opportunity to thank those retiring members who have served the journal conscientiously over many years, some since its inaugural issue in 1989, and welcome those newly appointed members. Editorial Board members will now serve a three-year term, renewable for one further term, so there will be more opportunities to serve the journal in this way.
The JNA Editorial Manager platform has been updated with new customized features and automation which, together, have transformed the journal’s workflow. Those of you who have recently submitted a manuscript, or acted as a reviewer, will already have seen the advantages that these changes have brought. New information for authors was published in August, providing clarification about manuscript preparation, and updated guidance on editorial and ethical matters.
In a recent Editorial, I paid tribute to the many colleagues around the world who, on a daily basis, agree to review manuscripts from JNA. I do so again here. Their expert commentary, recommendations and responsiveness underpin the scientific quality of the journal and its governance. In association with the automation of journal workflow, the commitment of our reviewers has resulted in a large reduction in review times with no loss of quality.
JNA is a truly international journal. Twelve countries are now represented on the Editorial Board, we have reviewers from all parts of the world and, in 2018, received submissions from more than 30 countries. Submission numbers are healthy and, if current trends continue, 2018 will see the largest number of submissions to date. The journal has a global reach in print and electronic formats. There are in excess of 3,000 Ovid sites with access to JNA worldwide, and there were more than 10,000 full text views between January and August 2018.
JNA is the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience in Anesthesiology and Critical Care. Alana Flexman is the new SNACC representative on the Editorial Board, and she has already developed many initiatives that are enhancing the relationship between the Journal and the Society, including updates to the JNA page of the SNACC website. Similarly, JNA is also making some changes to its website which I hope will be appreciated by SNACC members. There will be a new ‘Featured Articles’ category which will provide free-to-read access of three articles per issue, chosen by the Editor-in-Chief. These will be available until they are replaced by new Featured Articles when the next issue is published. All SNACC guidelines will soon be available via a separate link on the JNA website and will also be free-to-read when accessed via this link.
While SNACC and JNA are working hard to improve information and accessibility for SNACC members, you too can personally contribute to JNA – by becoming a reviewer, by submitting a manuscript and by citing JNA manuscripts. Increased citation of recent JNA manuscripts will increase the journal’s Impact Factor, so please consider citing a suitable JNA article when preparing a new manuscript. If every SNACC member cited one JNA manuscript only once every three years, the IF would be 2.5 higher than currently! Finally, please also consider JNA when deciding where to submit your next manuscript. If you would like to become a JNA reviewer please state your areas of interest and contact me at – martin.smith@ucl.ac.uk.
