Changes.

Abstract

It is hugely exciting and at the same time slightly daunting to be appointed editor of the Journal of Small Animal Practice (JSAP). Scientific publishing in general is in an interesting period of transition at present, with rapid expansion of online publication, interactive formats and even widespread questioning of the traditional scientific reporting structure. The JSAP is not immune to these pressures. As a “society journal” it must fulfil the needs of its members, who are predominantly primary care practitioners, and uphold the aims of the BSAVA to “promote excellence in small animal practice through education and science”. To do so it must also compete in an ever more crowded “marketplace” of veterinary journals. Although society journals are somewhat protected, it is necessary for JSAP to maintain a high profile so as to be able to attract and present readers with “the best in small animal medicine and surgery” from a global pool of authors. The BSAVA publications group has made great strides towards meeting the requirements of members to have access to high quality education and veterinary science. In terms of journals, Companion deals with more practical aspects of everyday practice, while JSAP is primarily a forum in which to publish novel material that aims to shape the future of small animal practice. However, there are many possible ways to present this material and, taking a lead from the many different examples of basic science, human medical and other veterinary journals, I would like to incorporate some of their good ideas into JSAP. In terms of published material I aim to introduce new types of content and shift the emphasis a little in how and where this is published. The goal is to make the content as widely available, readable, lively and relevant as possible, while maintaining a high degree of scientific rigour. Some of these new approaches will be outlined in subsequent editorials in which details can be more fully discussed. As a new initiative, JSAP will be introducing a scheme by which prospective authors can submit an idea for a clinical research project as a short (1 to 2 pages) proposal that will be reviewed by a panel of experienced specialists in clinical study design and analysis convened for this purpose. This proposal will then be discussed with the authors and amended as necessary until a suitable study design has been agreed. The understanding will be that JSAP will accept the study report for publication if the project has been completed according to this previously agreed protocol. The hope is that this will provide an approachable avenue to publication for less-experienced clinical researchers, particularly primary care practitioners and house officers. Secondly, JSAP will aim to introduce new forms of content, such as commentaries on articles published both elsewhere and within the journal itself, discussion of controversies in small animal practice and more varied formats for presentation of clinical case material (see below). A specific aim is to include audio commentaries on published articles that will be available as podcasts through the website. The hope is that this will provide a way for veterinarians to be able to engage with current advances in small animal veterinary medicine while maintaining busy lives – at the gym, in the car or while shopping. Thirdly, JSAP will introduce more variability of format in which case material is published. For instance, some case reports can easily be reduced to a one page vignette, and some may even be best presented as simple images with a short descriptive commentary. An associated aim is to use the cover page to present an “image of the month” derived from submitted images. On the other hand, some case reports can best be written in a narrative style explaining the thinking behind decision-making at each step so that readers can understand – or disagree with! – the decisions that were made. The hope is that the availability of alternative formats will make it more accessible and easier for primary care practitioners to present case material in the journal. I feel hugely honoured to be entrusted with the role of editor and will of course endeavour to fulfil the aims of the JSAP and BSAVA to the best of my ability. This is also an opportune moment to thank Dr. Mooney for her superb management of the transition period between our editorships. Lastly, please contact me – preferably by email [email protected] – if you would like to discuss anything about JSAP – as a society publication the JSAP really is YOUR journal.