Incoming Honorary Editor

Abstract

As the new millennium dawns it is an appropriate time to reflect on the achievements of the first 44 years of Physics in Medicine and Biology. In volume 1, number 1, July 1956, Professor J E Roberts noted almost apologetically The appearance of a new journal is usually greeted with mixed feelings by scientific workers, a common response being that there are far too many journals already... and then proceeded to point out that one can only justify a new journal if there is a clearly defined gap in the literature which the new journal will serve. 44 years on PMB is one of the elder statesmen of the scientific literature, competing successfully with several other (younger) medical physics journals, not to mention specialist journals in allied fields. Essentially the fields which PMB was proposed to represent in 1956 have not changed, namely (a) studies of the physical properties and constitution of living matter at all levels of organization and (b) application of physics and the methods of physics to the elucidation of problems in medicine, biology and physiology. Curiously the actual emphasis in volume 1 was on the second of these two aims and so it has remained ever since. Other sister fields, for example, biophysics and radiation biology, and a range of corresponding journals, tend to deal with the properties of living tissue at the sub-microscopic level and PMB remains more comfortable with the microscopic and macroscopic as far as living matter is concerned. Professor Roberts ended his editorial cautiously with the statement: The success or otherwise of the project (PMB) will clearly depend largely on the support from all workers in the borderline fields of physics, medicine and biology in presenting original work of high quality and widest possible interest. There can be few people who would claim that the project has not been successful. It is of historical interest to list the nine Honorary Editors to date: 1956 - 1961 Professor J E Roberts, Middlesex Hospital, London 1961 - 1972 Professor J Rotblat,St Bartholomews Hospital, London 1973 - 1978 Professor H A B Simons, Royal Free Hospital, London 1979 - 1982 Mr J Clifton, University College Hospital, London 1983 - 1985 Professor R P Parker, University of Leeds, Leeds 1986 - 1987 Dr M J Day, Newcastle General Hospital, Newcastle 1988 - 1991 Professor S C Lillicrap, Royal United Hospital, Bath 1992 - 1995 Professor B L Diffey, Dryburn Hospital, Durham 1996 - 1999 Professor M O Leach, Royal Marsden Hospital, London. Medical physicists and those in allied fields owe much to these Honorary Editors for developing PMB into what it is today; a respected, scholarly and relevant journal. In taking up the helm over the next few years, I would like to thank Professor Leach and his Editorial Board, together with Dr Paul Craven and the production team, for maintaining the highest of editorial standards and to express the wish (intention) that these will be maintained. It is nevertheless in the nature of new editors to want to introduce new approaches or modify existing ones (even though the wise person knows that change so often only creates the illusion of progress). Not all will agree with the proposals which follow and I would welcome feedback in the form of letters to the editor (to be considered for publication or not as the writer wishes). The proposals are as follows: * Improve the readability of the journal by considering increasing the frequency of editorials, commentaries and technical reports and encouraging a more lively letters section. * Continue to seek ways to improve PMB's impact factor. While one can have reservations about the relationship of the impact factor of a journal to its scientific quality, nevertheless research audit puts great weight on the concept and we are obliged to take it seriously. * Seek ways to extend the role of the recently established International Advisory Board by, for example, inviting editorials covering specific regional or subject issues of relevance to our readership. * Encourage the continuing development of electronic publishing for which IOP Publishing is, appropriately, at the forefront. * Encourage more advertising. As well as bringing in revenue, this helps to promote the symbiotic relationship between the professional scientist and industry. * Re-examine the current size and format of the journal. * Continue to improve our service to authors and further reduce publication times. In putting forward the above proposals I must emphasize that any actual policy changes are the responsibility of the Editorial Board, and require the full support of the Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine and IOP Publishing. May this millennium be as interesting as the last ... but a little less tempestuous! Alun Beddoe Honorary Editor, 2000 -