A Journal for our times

Abstract

The journal Diabetes & Vascular Disease Research was born out of the recognition that the potent worldwide health risks represented by diabetes and cardiovascular disease were not being given an adequate voice in the available medical literature. Our ambition was to develop an internationally competitive journal publishing high-quality clinical and basic research with reviews and opinions from leaders in the field. Supported by internationally recognised experts as senior assistant editors and advisory board members, we have not compromised on this initial aim. The result of this is a journal that has grown beyond even our optimistic expectations. Recent data from SCImago, an independent, international academic research group based at the University of Granada, Spain, provide further evidence of the journal’s growth. SCImago measures the citation rates of more than 15,000 scientific journals from more than 4,000 publishers using data from the SCOPUS database owned by Elsevier. It includes 4,890 medical titles from Index Medicus/MEDLINE, measuring and comparing their citation rates. The database follows citations since 1996 and is becoming a widely recognised and respected measure of the scientific standing of journals. Diabetes & Vascular Disease Research was only launched in May 2004 and yet our SCImago citation rate of 0.324 already puts this journal in the top 11% of all medical publications assessed by this method (SCImago. (2007). SJR — SCImago Journal & Country Rank. Retrieved August 04, 2008, from http://www.scimagojr.com). Our citation rate is currently increasing by more than 55% per annum to indicate further expected increases in growth over the next few years. At the same time the free, open online access to the full contents of the journal is resulting in about 7,500 visitors to the website www.dvdres.com and 9,000 downloads of complete papers per month. These figures indicate that some of the unmet need identified at the birth of the journal is beginning to be satisfied. However, further changes are planned. Having been on Index Medicus/MEDLINE for around 18 months, and initially publishing 3–4 issues per annum, we are now increasing to six issues per annum, with the intention of monthly publication within a further two years. A further member of the senior editorial board will be in place for the next edition and each of the four senior editors will be responsible for specialist areas within the remit of the journal. An innovation introduced in this edition is the clinical trials commentary, in which world authorities will be asked to comment on trial(s) of their choice, describing the rationale for the trial, their weaknesses and strengths and how they have altered management of diabetes and/or vascular disease. Finally, we intend to publish more papers that are clinically related, particularly trials, whilst maintaining our ability to integrate basic science with clinical medicine. The rising prevalence of obesity, insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes and the importance of cardiovascular disease worldwide are areas where it is critical that further understanding is driven by high-quality research in the laboratory and in clinical practice. Diabetes & Vascular Disease Research was the first journal to recognise and act on this need and we now have a journal about which we can feel some pride. This sort of development doesn’t occur without substantial support from a range of people and it is important to acknowledge the role of editors and our advisory board who have put in so much of their own time to make this journal a success. It has been an interesting journey so far; we look forward to the next steps as the journal continues to grow and take its place amongst the influential international publications.