Every five years, The Journal of Immunology (The JI) swaps an experienced and capable Editor-in-Chief (the latest being Jerry Boss) for a wide-eyed Editor-in-Chief designate (currently, me). To ensure a smooth transition, a productive six-month shadowing period is in place for this passing of the mantle, and Dr. Boss has been a patient instructor (with big shoes to fill), leading by erudite example. Perhaps the most remarkable thing about this transition period is that most authors and readers of The JI will barely notice. That is because “passing of the mantle” is really an inappropriate term for the leadership transition within the decidedly egalitarian organizational structure that underlies this flagship journal of The American Association of Immunologists. At The JI, the Editor-in-Chief is a scientist, not a journalist, marketing expert, or professional editor. Instead of single-handedly deciding what does or does not merit publication in The JI, the Editor-in-Chief steps aside while nearly every full-length manuscript submitted to The JI is thoroughly reviewed by practicing scientists from around the world. Once reviewed, the final decision to accept or reject each manuscript for publication is the result of a three-tiered review process to which primary referees, the Section Editor, and the Deputy Editor, all contribute their time and expertise. Imperial thumbs up or down simply do not enter into the process.
Now that I have stressed what I WON’T be contributing as the incoming Editor-in-Chief, I need to mention what I hope to accomplish during my first year. It is likely apparent to discerning readers that the cover and Special Section banners of the journal have been redesigned—a customary signal that a new Editor-in-Chief has arrived at The JI. As has been the tradition since Robert Rich’s tenure as Editor-in-Chief began in 2003, the cover of each issue of The JI will feature a beautiful image supplied by our authors— a welcome reminder that our exacting science is also a celebration of elegant natural design. The JI will continue to feature not only Cutting Edge and full-length primary research articles, but also Pillars commentaries and their accompanying republished articles, Brief Reviews, and Translating Immunology sections. Letters to the Editor will continue to provide a forum for timely back and forth discussion of published work. The recent revamping of the category sections in the Table of Contents appears to have gone a long way to meet its goal of providing readers easier access to articles in their chosen fields of interest and will be kept in place. Along these lines, the In This Issue section is being redesigned to provide more accessible links to these “must-see” articles, and an “In This Issue” designation will be included just below the online abstracts of these featured papers. Selection into this “Top 10%” category should come with bragging rights!
In addition to these cosmetic changes, a new cohort of Deputy Editors sweeps in with the incoming Editor-in-Chief. These new Deputy Editors are Michael Cancro, Andrea Cooper, Betty Diamond, Robert Fairchild, Kristin Hogquist, Jay Kolls, Lewis Lanier, Gabriel Núñez, Suzanne Ostrand-Rosenberg, and Steven Ziegler. I am grateful to each of these high-caliber scientists for generously agreeing to serve The JI and you, the readers and authors, in this capacity. Carving out the necessary time to be a good Deputy Editor is an even greater challenge in these difficult times, when our collective energies and patience are being sapped by the current (non)funding environment. In addition, 14 new Section Editors and more than 30 new Associate Editors have joined The JI editorial community. They will all work hard to provide timely and informed manuscript critiques. I am excited to begin our tenure together.
I am aware that many authors think journals across multiple disciplines have conspired to make it progressively more difficult to publish without first meeting an ever-expanding laundry list of reviewer demands. In fact, full-length manuscripts published in The JI have steadily increased in length, from 7.2 pages in 1992 to 8.3 in 2002 and 9.4 in 2012. This inexorable rise doesn’t even take into account additional pages in the supplemental information feature, introduced with the May 1, 2001 issue. Without weighing in on this particular fray, I intend to continue the effort begun by Dr. Boss of working with the editors to prioritize reviewers’ critiques and to provide a summary paragraph that succinctly and clearly delineates the referees’ and editors’ overall impressions of the manuscript—both the good and the bad. We need to disentangle a reviewer’s natural inquisitiveness (“What happens if…?”) from the data that are deemed essential to reach the authors’ conclusions. As scientists, we recognize that the most interesting papers generate the most discussion, and we need to guard against translating this attribute into hardship for the authors during manuscript review and revision.
In closing, I wish to offer some heartfelt thanks. I want to acknowledge Dr. Michele Hogan, the journal’s skillful Executive Editor, and Dr. Kaylene Kenyon, the indefatigable Publication Director, who runs a tight ship. But I also want to give well-deserved credit to the largely unsung heroes of The JI—the talented and dedicated staff who provide the grease on the wheels of this organization. They are the reason the online system usually works flawlessly, decisions are returned in a timely fashion, and complaints are answered judiciously. It also goes without saying that the backbone of the journal is the participating scientific community, whose generosity of time and passion for our field are essential ingredients to the journal’s success. And finally, I would like to thank the Publications Committee and the Council of The American Association of Immunologists for selecting me to become your new Editor-in-Chief. Not only am I honored to serve as the head of the major journal representing our discipline, I am very proud to have a place in history as the first woman to hold this position for The AAI. Together with the dedicated cadre of publications staff, editors, and reviewers, we will work hard to enhance the high quality of your society’s journal. After all, The JI is the most highly cited of all 139 immunology journals, and ranks 12th for Impact Factor among immunology journals publishing original research, with an impressive cited half-life of ∼7.2 years. We in The JI community have no intention of resting on these considerable laurels.
- Copyright © 2013 by The American Association of Immunologists, Inc.
In this issue
