New Year's resolutions are typically made on December 31, as we reflect on where we have been and where we want to go with our lives. Those of us on the Advances in Skin & Wound Care staff made our New Year's resolution a little early-last April, when we received the results of a large-scale readership survey we'd initiated earlier in the year.
When we looked at the data, we saw quantitative evidence of what we already knew anecdotally: Readers appreciate the journal's unique mix of original research and practical clinical articles because it helps them advance their knowledge of wound care and patient management. They overwhelmingly identified Advances in Skin & Wound Care as the one major wound care journal that provides them with the most immediately useful solutions to their critical patient care issues. They also told us that they are more likely to read every page of Advances in Skin & Wound Care, more likely to reread an issue before the next issue arrives, and more likely to save issues for future reference than they are the other wound care journals published in the United States.
Before we even saw the survey data, we had been considering whether to make the commitment to increase the frequency of the journal's publication from 9 times a year to 12 times a year. The data from the readership survey sealed the deal; we knew we had to give our readers more of what they value in the journal. And so we are making that our resolution and our promise to you: Starting with this January 2007 issue, Advances in Skin & Wound Care has become a monthly journal that will continue to deliver the content you rely on to provide care to your patients.
And That Is Not All[horizontal ellipsis]
The journal's increased frequency is not the only exciting news from our office. We are also pleased to announce the launch of Editorial Manager, our online manuscript submission and tracking system. I have been telling many of you for at least a year that it was on its way, and now it is finally here! All manuscripts will be submitted through this online tool; all peer reviews will be done through it, too. The benefit to authors-and to readers-is faster manuscript reviews, faster decisions on next steps (ie, acceptance, revision, or rejection), and faster publication of accepted manuscripts. Visit http://lwwesubmissions.edmgr.com to submit your manuscript.
We are also delighted to welcome the National Alliance of Wound Care (NAWC) as the second association to endorse the journal (the first was the American Professional Wound Care Association). The Wisconsin-based NAWC is a nonprofit, multidisciplinary organization dedicated to the advancement and promotion of excellence in wound care through certification of wound care practitioners in the United States. Practitioners who pass the association's certification examination are awarded the WCC-Wound Care Certified-credential. Look for more news from the NAWC in this issue.
In addition, the journal will expand its international presence in 2007. Last year, Gary Sibbald, BSc, MD, FRCPC (Med) (Derm), FAPWCA, MEd, chairman of the Third Congress of the World Union of Wound Healing Societies and president-elect of that organization, joined the editorial team of Advances in Skin & Wound Care. He immediately spearheaded the launch of our new department, World Union Reports, to highlight how wound care practitioners in developing countries are facing their patient care challenges. I never fail to feel humbled when I read their articles; I hope they inspire you, too. This year, we will continue to reach out to the international community in an effort to erase the borders between us and embrace our commonalities and commitment to best practices in patient care.
How You Can Help
The bottom line for you as a wound care practitioner is that the editorial team of Advances in Skin & Wound Care is making a commitment to help you get the most that you can from this journal. We hope you will make a commitment to us, too. Consider how you can contribute to furthering the education of your colleagues around the world via the pages of the journal by:
* becoming a peer reviewer. Lending your voice to the peer-review process will help us help authors refine their manuscripts so that they will make a meaningful contribution to the literature and clinical practice.
* submitting your original research for publication. Roberta S. Abruzzese, PhD, RN, founder of Advances in Skin & Wound Care, was a great proponent of advancing the practice of wound care through publication of original research. Twenty years later, we still believe strongly in Roberta's vision for the field and the importance of sharing knowledge.
* describing an unusual case or practice innovation in a short manuscript. Many new authors find this to be a less-stressful means of breaking into publishing while still sharing valuable insights with their peers.
* writing a letter to the editor to comment on or request clarification of an article or to bring a new issue to light.
In addition, if you have not already registered to receive our monthly electronic newsletter, I urge you to do so at https://www.nursingcenter.com/aswceNews. It is a great way to quickly keep up with what is going on in the skin and wound care field.
Finally, we hope you will feel free to contact us with your ideas and comments; we do want to hear what you have to say. Please e-mail Kathleen A. Greer, Senior Editor, at [email protected]. A continued dialog with our readers will help us ensure that we provide you with more of what you want from this journal.
My very best wishes for a happy and healthy New Year,
Susan Doan-Johnson
Publisher
Advances in Skin & Wound Care
P.S. 2007 marks the 20th year of publication for Advances in Skin & Wound Care. Read more on that in the next issue.