Disseminating Research Discovery Through an Interactive Video: a Paradigm Shift for Journal Publication

Abstract

This issue marks the inauguration of a new publication framework for information exchange. The journal-based video display is a paradigm shift for scientific publication. I am pleased to explain the process and use. First, any scientist or group of scientists can now submit a proposal on a timely topic for video discussion to the journal (jnip@unmc.edu). The proposal should include the topic title, the presenters or authors and affiliations, and a brief overview of the information exchange or debate among the scientists. This could represent different opinions or view points or be two components of an existing school of thought. Second, the proposal would be reviewed; and if chosen as appropriate, the journal’s editors would work with the authors to develop a videoconference where a moderator and two presenters would record their works in the form of a PowerPoint presentation with an appropriate question and answer component. Third, after the debate, an abstract would be written and uploaded to the journal along with the recorded video and corresponding slides. This will, then, undergo peer review and the abstract, when accepted for publication, placed on PubMED/MEDLINE. There would be a link from PubMED to the video so that anyone who desires may watch and subsequently comment or propose questions on the contents through our new journal blog (http://blogs.springer.com/jnip). The abstract from the first of these series is now posted in this issue as Gendelman, H.E., Kabanov, A., and Linder, J. The Promise and Perils of CNS Drug Delivery: A Video Debate. J Neuroimmune Pharmacol. 2008 Mar 6. Certainly, we have a journey ahead of us in order to perfect this type of communication, and we fully understand that feedback from our readership will go along way to improve the style and content for this new format of communication. Future topics proposed are The Promise and Perils of Alzheimer’s Disease Vaccine; Metabolomics and Biomaker Discovery for Neurologic Diseases, amongst others. The remainder of this current issue highlights the research of each of our senior editors to provide the kinds of diversity and mixture of article grouping we hope to achieve in the coming years. This includes, but is not limited to, studies of the immunopathogenesis of degenerative neurologic diseases; studies on the regulation of G protein-coupled receptor expression and function and cross-talk between these receptors in the regulation of inflammatory processes; micellar enzymology, block polyelectrolyte complexes, nanomedicine, drug and gene delivery; use of advanced neuroimaging techniques and biomarker discovery paradigms to investigate the neuropathophysiology of neurological diseases; studies of the virological, immunological, and molecular mechanisms associated with the multiple sclerosis and other neuroinflammatory disorders linked to viral infection and host genetics; immunomodulation of drugs of abuse and other pharmacological agents, substance abuse, normal aging, and development; and investigation of inflammatory mechanisms in Alzheimer’s disease and the biology of microglia. This, altogether, underlies the evolving discipline of Neuroimmune Pharmacology. As always, enjoy its contents and we all look forward to you posting all of your impressions. So far, our journal continues to be an exciting endeavor, and as always, the best is yet to come. J Neuroimmune Pharmacol (2008) 3:57 DOI 10.1007/s11481-008-9107-5