I share Eric Yoshida's concern that the disappearance of the Annals of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, as described in a recent issue of CMAJ,1 has created a void in the Canadian medical publication landscape. I also recognize the quality of the content that appeared in each issue of the Annals and value the contribution of all those involved in producing the journal.
However, for many years, the Annals has not enjoyed from the majority of Royal College fellows the level of support reflected in Yoshida's comments. The current publishing environment dictated that the production and distribution costs of the Annals be significantly subsidized by fellows' dues. Therefore, we needed to maximize the value of the publication to as large a number of fellows as possible. For these reasons, the College decided to suspend publication of the Annals in its existing form as of December 2002. The College is now exploring options for an alternative publication that will better serve the organization and its fellows. The new publication may well publish articles of the type valued by Yoshida and others.
John W.D. McDonald President Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada Ottawa, Ont.
Reference
- 1.Sullivan P. Royal College Annals ceases publication. CMAJ 2003;168(3):325. 12566344