Leveraging the Giant Strides of the Past; Advancing the Path to an Improved Future
Annals of Ibadan Postgraduate Medicine (AIPM), established in December, 2003, is a peer-reviewed international biomedical journal that features high quality, informative, educative, and up-to-date articles of high impact on various medical and medical-related topical issues from researchers globally. Now in its 23rd volume, and being published triannually, it continues to reflect its status as a beacon of scholarly excellence, being held in high standards as a key resource for scientific, academic and professional development in Nigeria and beyond.
Over the years, past editorial boards have made monumental strides in raising the standards of the editorial process, improving the quality of the manuscripts being published in the Journal and increasing the visibility of AIPM. These have led to several key achievements, such as the establishment of a rigorous peer-review system, migration from hard copy manuscript submission to email based manuscript submission, and an increase in the frequency of publication by the journal from biannually to triannually. The number of manuscripts published in each issue of the Journal has also increased from 6 - 8 articles at its inception, to 17 - 20 articles per issue currently.
Furthermore, the frontiers of the Journal have succeeded in establishing the sustained presence of AIPM and its published manuscripts in strategic indexing and reputable databases (PubMed, AJOL). This has significantly enhanced the availability and accessibility of AIPM's content to the global audience. Also, the addition of special editions such as the Cleft Special Edition (2020) and the COVID-19 Special Edition (2021), focusing on contemporary thematic issues, reflect the adaptation and resilience of successive editorial boards who have steered the journal through evolving academic landscapes.
These accomplishments are a testament to the vision, and dedication of the founding Editor-in-Chief, Dr. W.O. Balogun, successive Editors-in-Chief and their respective editorial board members. The Journal's growth and achievement as a leader in medical scholarship are reflective of the incorporation of interdisciplinary content, the confidence of established researchers who publish quality manuscripts, and the encouragement of early-career researchers through mentorship and article processing charge subsidy when publishing in the Journal.
In the second quarter of this year, a new Editor-in- Chief assumed the leadership of the editorial board, vesting in him with the responsibility of upholding the Journal's standards and providing an opportunity to consolidate the gains established by preceding Editors-in- Chief, in order to reflect the contemporary needs of a 21st century journal that conforms with global best practices. Supported by an erudite editorial board, guided by the Editorial Consultants and Advisory Board, the reins for piloting the affairs of the board have been firmly held; the path ahead is long, but it shall be piloted with visionary leadership, academic diplomacy, and an unwavering commitment to publishing in line with global standards.
The baton of leadership was not merely passed, it was entrusted with the responsibility of improving upon the legacy of excellence built by past editorial teams. In this spirit, it is the pleasure of the editorial team to inform members of the scientific community that over the last four months, we have migrated from email-based manuscript submissions to submission of manuscripts via the website using an online manuscript management system. The website has also been optimised to meet up with contemporary needs of a 21st century journal. We will continue to put in the required efforts to meet the expectations of the mission and vision of Annals of Ibadan Postgraduate Medicine. The manuscripts in this edition of the Journal (Volume 23, Issue 2) also reflect the growth in Science and Medicine. The evolution of the practice of anaesthesia featured prominently, with two manuscripts evaluating obstetric anaesthesia, including its use in the management of labour pain. Advances in histopathological diagnosis in enhancing the yield of samples using the cell block method, in comparison to cytology were also evaluated. The insights from these and other articles within the pages of this edition offer a meaningful contribution to the ongoing journey of an evolving scientific world that focuses on honouring the legacies of our past, while engaging our present to shape a better future. We hope that the scientific community will find this issue both enlightening and thought-provoking.
REFERENCES
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