Japanese Journal of Clinical Oncology 34:169-170 (2004)
© 2004 Foundation for Promotion of Cancer Research
Editorial |
Message from the Editor-in-Chief
Editor-in-Chief
Two years have passed since I was appointed Editor-in-Chief of the Japanese Journal of Clinical Oncology (JJCO), when I was promoted to President of the National Cancer Center (NCC) on April 1, 2002. It seems appropriate at this point to look back on our past activities regarding JJCO and contemplate future plans. The last two years have been exciting for the editors and we do hope the same for authors and readers as well.
Electronic Editing and Publication
Starting in January 2002 JJCO joined Stanford University’s HighWire Press on-line library of science and medicine publishing. By adding links among authors, articles and citations, and advanced search capabilities, HighWire Press provides added dimensions to the information provided in printed journals. Internet users can now access all articles for free, six months after their publication.
Scope of the Journal
JJCO publishes original articles and case reports, written in English, devoted to clinical research in cancer-related fields. We recognize case reports as important when the following criteria are fulfilled: (1) case reports with new findings that will have a significant clinical impact on oncologists, which include unreported adverse events of anti-cancer treatments, remarkable effects of new therapy and novel suggestions or pitfalls in diagnosing tumors; (2) those which may alter the disease concept of a tumor, including unreported subtypes, syndromes or familial accumulation of a tumor; the combined occurrence of different tumors in which molecular biological findings provide etiological suggestions; untreated disappearance or long-time stable condition of a tumor with distinct clinical proof; and unreported metastatic or progression patters of a tumor.
Reviews on specific aspects of clinical oncology are published upon request by the Editorial Board. Meeting reports, epidemiology notes and news arising nationally and internationally are included at the Editor’s discretion. Letters to the Editor, commenting on articles published previously in the journal or exploring views on topics relevant to clinical oncology, will be published if appropriate. Articles on image diagnosis, endoscopic diagnosis and treatment and surgical treatment, being special characteristics of oncology in Japan, are especially welcome from the standpoint of transmission of oncology information from Japan.
During the past two years, the number of case reports published per year declined from 38 to 19, review articles increased from 1 to 7 and clinical trial notes increased from 0 to 4. A clinical trial note is a convenient way to introduce the protocol of a clinical trial that requires a long time to obtain final results. Review articles will be further expanded from now on because we have a backlog of articles awaiting publication. The manuscript acceptance rate decreased from 49% in 2001 to 24% in 2003.
Peer Review Process
The prestige and quality of a scientific or clinical journal depend on the excellence of the reviewers of submitted manuscripts and the efficiency and speed with which the review process is conducted. In this regard, on behalf of JJCO, I wish to express my sincere gratitude to all the members of the Editorial Board for their hard work in spite of very busy schedules in their own work, and for their sustained effort.
We have a challenge, however, because of the increase in submissions. In 2001, the total number of manuscripts sent to JJCO was 189. This number increased to 208 in 2002 and up to 352 in 2003. As to the specific volume of submissions from overseas, Turkey is prominent, followed by Taiwan, Korea, India and the USA in that order.
Our review process has not been sufficiently improved in spite of introduction of electronic editing. This may keep authors waiting for a long time to hear reviewing and editorial decisions. We have to further restructure and reinforce the Editorial Board of JJCO.
Future Plans
As the financial body of JJCO, the Foundation for Promotion of Cancer Research and the Japan Lottery Society are contributing. In 2004 we are planning to publish a beautiful booklet in Japanese that includes summaries of articles published in JJCO. This booklet will serve to spread information to lay people about clinical oncology.
In summary, we are continuously transforming JJCO to enhance its status. This transformation would be impossible without the strenuous efforts of many people who work for JJCO, and I am indebted to them all for their diligence and dedication to the Journal. Those individuals include the Executive Editor, Deputy Editor, Cover Editor, Managing Editor, Associate Editors and every member of the Editorial Board.
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