A call for clinical reviews

Abstract

This month’s JRSM includes two clinical review articles.1,2 Whilst every medical journal’s ambition is that each article is read, journal editors know that most readers tend to read only a small fraction of what is published. Clinical review and other educational articles are usually popular with clinicians seeking a quick update. For a multispecialty journal like JRSM, review articles help readers stay abreast of best practice and recent developments in other specialties. Indeed, our era of super-specialization presents a greater challenge for clinicians to do so. Research on learning habits of clinicians tells us that, unsurprisingly, people learn in different ways. Increasingly, clinicians use the Internet to remain up to date and rely on multimedia education, like online video and social media, to overcome the challenges of working in a fast paced, international specialty, with limited time. That doesn’t mean that more traditional forms of learning, like journal articles, are now redundant. The educational role of any journal is an important one and JRSM will seek to publish more high-quality clinical reviews. Review articles that are published in JRSM may be commissioned but submissions are equally welcome and will be considered for publication. If a submitted review article is thought to be too specialized or too narrow in focus for JRSM, the authors may be redirected to our open access companion journal, JRSM Short Reports. Invariably, whether published in JRSM or JRSM Short Reports, review articles will only be published after peer review and satisfactory revision by the authors. One of the challenges I have faced as editor of JRSM is how to develop the journal as an independent publication while offering an outlet for many of the excellent educational meetings that are organized at the Royal Society of Medicine each year. Admittedly, the objectives of JRSM don’t necessarily match the objectives of meeting organizers, and nor should they, but the review section of JRSM is an ideal platform to showcase the educational activity hosted by the RSM. I urge you to take advantage of JRSM’s call for more clinical reviews. Your fellow readers will be grateful.