Beginning our second century

Abstract

Last year BJOG celebrated its centenary. This year we enter our second century with a new publisher, a new electronic manuscript tracking system and a largely new editorial team. We are all delighted to have returned to Blackwell Publishing, who published the journal for many years up to 2000, and are offering us a more sophisticated technical editing service for those articles that need it. The change of editors has happened slowly over the past year and does not indicate any major change in editorial policy. We will still concentrate on publishing the best quality peer-reviewed science in clinical obstetrics and gynaecology. The bulk of papers will always be clinical, reflecting the interests of most of our readers, but we will also include key developments in basic science. We also intend to publish more correspondence than hitherto. It is only fair to let readers comment on those papers that make it through our selection system, and to let the original authors respond. A lively correspondence column can be one of the most interesting sections of any journal. We will introduce one editorial policy change this year, an annual themed issue, which will appear during the summer. This year the topic will be reproductive medicine. It will replace one of our usual 12 issues and the papers within it will be peer reviewed in the same way, and have the same status, as those in any other main issue. Look out for it. Last year I received many complaints about the speed with which BJOG processed manuscripts and the way we responded to queries. Some were justified and I have got tired of apologising, so we have done something about it. As from November 2003 we have an electronic manuscript submission and tracking service. We now insist that all original articles, commentaries, invited reviews, letters, case reports or editorials are sent in this way. Visit http://bjog.allentrack.net, and follow the instructions, which are also printed in this paper issue. Authors can track when their article was allocated to an editor, sent to referees, when the referee replied and when the editors decided. Referees, editors and authors all get regular automated reminders to keep papers moving. Authors can suggest referees, and individuals can offer themselves as potential referees if they wish, although we do not of course guarantee to use all such suggestions. We also insist that referees use the new system from now on. Those who cannot do so will have to stand down. The published articles in BJOG are also now available on Blackwell's electronic publishing system “Synergy” rather than on Elsevier's system “Science Direct”. If like most scientists you search for electronic articles via a library that subscribes to both systems you will notice little difference, although you may have to change your “Favourites” file. BJOG articles in press will also be included in a new Blackwell feature “OnlineEarly” as soon as they are accepted and proof checked. To view them visit the journal homepage on http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/ and click on the “OnlineEarly” link on the BJOG page. On print publication, the article will move from the OnlineEarly area to the relevant online issue, complete with page numbers and volume/issue details. To summarise, BJOG will not change much this year. We will keep our high peer review standards and, apart from the themed issue, will publish much the same sort of papers. However, we will sharpen up our processes which, if we succeed, should attract better papers. I am looking forward to 2004.