Neurology®

Abstract

In this brief editorial, I review how we are doing and what we are planning for the remainder of this first year as your editorial team. In our first term, the new editorial team has opened a second office in “the other Rochester,” converted to a weekly journal, and orchestrated a comprehensive redesign of the journal. Though new in my role as editor-in-chief, I have learned the value of developing and implementing a strategic plan from experience at my home institution, and we have instituted a strategic plan outline for Neurology ® that is readily understood and easily monitored for success with clear metrics (figure). This plan has largely served to guide the Managing Editor, Patty Baskin, and myself in a series of strategic decisions in these early days. Figure Strategic plan for Neurology ®. This plan, like any strategic plan, can be distilled into three parts: people, processes, and outcomes. Recruiting and retaining the best people is always the foundation of any successful organization. In the world of scientific publishing, these people comprise the editorial office staffs in the two Rochesters, the Editorial Board and Associate Editors, and a growing group of reviewers both from abroad and from the next generation. Many key processes must function well to get the work done and these have been revised to facilitate the daily operations of the journal. We now operate in an entirely electronic environment, superbly supported by the American Academy of Neurology (AAN). The quality of these processes ensures that our objectives will be met. At this time, we have determined that our goals should be to satisfy both our readers and authors and to achieve mission-advancing financial performance to support the Academy. In future editorials, I will share information about our progress toward these outcomes in detail. As noted …