Mol. Hum. Reprod. Advance Access originally published online on November 11, 2006
Molecular Human Reproduction 2006 12(12):723; doi:10.1093/molehr/gal090
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Editorial |
Farewell but not adieu
Since I became Editor-in-Chief of Molecular Human Reproduction 6 years ago, inheriting the journal from a mighty predecessor, Professor Bob Edwards, we have seen some very substantial changes in the field of research that the journal covers. In the research itself, we have firmly moved into the post-genomic era, with an emphasis on the functions of more and more different components of reproductive systems and a more integrative approach to understanding the context in which these molecules work. There is also a growing interest in looking at human variation and the role that gene polymorphisms may have in determining reproductive phenotype in health and disease. From being a specialty only a few years ago, reproductive science of the kind that we publish in Molecular Human Reproduction has become definitely mainstream. Our science forms the foundation for a wide range of modern cutting-edge technologies, from IVF to somatic cloning, from transgenics to stem cell research.But we have also seen change in areas other than the research itself. Scientists and clinicians are much more affected professionally by the impact of an article, and the journal publishing it. And it has been very pleasing to see that the Impact Factor of Molecular Human Reproduction is meeting this challenge, increasing steadily from 2.75 in 2001 to 3.19 this year, making it now the number 4 journal in the category of Reproductive Biology, and number 2 when looking only at journals publishing non-clinical original studies, as opposed to reviews. A recent assessment of those who use the journal, both readers and authors, make it clear that we serve a unique community of scientists, working predominantly in an academic or research environment. These are very high-quality scientists publishing also frequently in the very high-impact journals such as Nature or the Journal of Biological Chemistry. One feature of this community is that they access the journal largely online, and this has allowed us to make efficiencies and economies by reducing the hard-copy publication rate, whilst at the same time maintaining a fast and high-quality online presentation. A consequence of this is that we can now make all online colour illustrations free of charge for our authors.
After 6 years as Editor-in-Chief, it is time to step down and provide an opportunity for a fresh start with a new Editor-in-Chief, Professor Steven Hillier. Professor Hillier has had a long and very distinguished career as a reproductive scientist and is one of the few to comfortably span the broad dimensions of molecular human reproduction from basic science to its application in the clinic. Professor Hillier is not only a very good scientist but also a visionary who is the ideal choice to lead our journal into the future and to support the broad community, which it serves. I wish him every success.
Finally, I should like to express my thanks to very many people who have made working for Molecular Human Reproduction such a pleasure. Firstly, I wish to thank all of our authors throughout the world, not only those who are successful in having their papers published but also those who unfortunately do not quite satisfy the very rigorous criteria for acceptance. All of them have taught me immensely about new fields of knowledge and are a constant reminder that science is first and foremost a very difficult occupation, where only the best or sometimes the luckiest succeed. I wish wholeheartedly to thank all of our referees, who more than ever before are making considerable sacrifices of time and energy to serving our scientific community. My gratitude also goes to the small group of Associate Editors whose difficult task it is to judge and compare the referees’ comments and to offer advice, so as to reach a balanced and wise decision about the destiny of manuscripts. These are experts in their field who without exception span their knowledge and wisdom to help make Molecular Human Reproduction the best journal of its kind. I also thank the ESHRE executive committee who have continued throughout my time as Editor-in-Chief to offer full and very constructive support to our endeavours to constantly improve the journal. Finally, and most importantly, I wish to thank Dr Helen Beard as Managing Editor and all of her excellent team in Cambridge, as well as our team at Oxford University Press, for providing unfailing support at all times, to see that manuscripts get processed thoroughly and efficiently, so that the readers can benefit as soon as possible from the best science in the field of Molecular Human Reproduction.
School of Molecular and Biomedical Science University of Adelaide
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