What is in store for EJN?

Abstract

Eleven years ago, when Barry Everitt assumed the editorship of EJN, he received a huge box of index cards and discovered a backlog of manuscripts worth an entire year of issues. When he and the co-editor-in-Chief, Chris Henderson, stepped down in July, we found a journal that is strongly supported by its co-owners, the Federation of the European Neuroscience Societies (FENS) and the publisher, Wiley-Blackwell, whose operations are run smoothly by a professional Editorial Office ([email protected]) and, most importantly, a journal that has developed into a modern international neuroscience journal with a short time lag between manuscript acceptance and publication. It will be a challenge to match Barry and Chris’ achievements and their dedication to the journal. Beginning with this issue, several major changes have been initiated for EJN. These changes are designed to maintain and enhance the quality of the contributions published in EJN, to make EJN visually more attractive and easier to read, and to foster the communication between EJN and its readers. The sectioning of the journal into five journal sections (Molecular and Developmental Neuroscience, Synaptic Mechanisms, Neurosystems, Behavioral Neuroscience, Cognitive Neuroscience) represents the most salient change of the journal. Other major new features of EJN include: Featured Articles, accompanied by a brief commentary addressing the significance and the expectedly high impact of these selected articles. Technical Spotlights: these are brief articles aiming at discussing state-of-the-art methods and major experimental approaches and/or evaluating controversial methodological issues (for details see the link to Author Guidelines on the EJN homepage). New design and layout of the cover pages and articles. EJN attracts a large number of submissions and therefore the quality and efficacy of the editorial process depends on the dedication of a substantial number of editors. Currently, twenty-nine internationally renowned Associate Editors oversee the reviewing of individual manuscripts. Together with the Associate Editors, we ensure that your submissions will be fairly and rapidly reviewed by top-experts in the field. The Associate Editors share our strong commitment to increase the quality and impact of EJN. EJN is further supported by sixty Contributing Editors who have committed to expert reviewing and to contribute in many other ways to the journal. Contributing Editors are established scientists or more junior scientists who are considered ‘rising stars’ by their peers. Indeed, concerning the European members of this group, many were nominated by their national FENS member societies. Contributing Editors from non-European countries likewise were nominated in consultation with leading neuroscientists. We see two major challenges for EJN. First, increasing the quality and impact of EJN requires our commitment as well as the submission of your best work to EJN. Second, the transition to all-electronic publishing is on the horizon. In collaboration with Wiley-Blackwell, we will be ready to exploit the sheer endless possibilities of the digital world to disseminate our science. We are looking forward to working with you. Please feel free to contact us with your ideas and suggestions.