Changing of the guard: A look at the past

Abstract

W ith the December 2010 issue of the American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics (AJO-DO), David Turpin’s role as Editor-in-Chief comes to a highly successful conclusion. Over a year ago, Dave informed the American Association of Orthodontists that he had decided to step down from a position that he had held for over 10 years. For those of you who have worked with him during the past decade, I am certain that this news was a bit depressing. After all, Dave Turpin has really been responsible for advancing the reputation of the AJO-DO substantially, not only in North America but throughout the world. Over the past 10 years, he grew the reputation of the AJO-DO into one of the most prestigious orthodontic journals in theworld. As editor, he gave 32 presentations in 15 countries and has proudly spread the word about the AJO-DO. His international interaction with orthodontic researchers, academicians, and clinicians from around the world led to the unbelievable growth in the list of manuscript referees. In 2000, he drew from a pool of about 200 referees, primarily from the United States. In 2010, the current list of regularmanuscript referees is over 500. These referees ensure that what is published in the AJO-DO is of the highest scientific quality. Dave Turpin is solely responsible for enticing these referees to maintain their relationship with the AJO-DO. Another figure that has increased substantially in the past 10 years is the number of article submissions. When Dave assumed the reins of the AJO-DO in 2000, the average number of manuscripts submitted was about 300 per year. In 2010, the AJO-DO received over 900 submissions from around the world. Of course, the advances in electronic communication have facilitated and streamlined the submission process for all scientific journals. But I wonder how many orthodontic journals have the quantity and the breadth of submissions that the AJO-DO enjoys today, thanks in large part to the efforts of Dave Turpin. With the submission of significantly more manuscripts, there can be a backlog of manuscripts awaiting publication. This is a big problem for any journal, but is