Honesty, accepting criticism, common goals and teamwork spirit are the basics for building working teams

As we start the New Year, we anticipate a very productive year that will include advancement in science and increased collaboration among the members of the medical community. This editorial consists of discussion topics/points that were brought up among the members of the ljm editorial office, which we would like to share with our readers. First and foremost, we would like to thank everyone who dedicated his/her time to assist us in successfully launching the association and the journal. It is obvious that without authors, there would be no editorial staff. Much appreciation is extended to the authors who entrusted us with their work, knowing that we are a newly created journal. We are also grateful for our reviewers for their time and input. Thanks also to our readers for their criticism and encouragement. For your information, Libyan Journal of Medicine was not conceived and delivered overnight. It was conceived after many phone calls and e-mails between physicians around the world. Many colleagues expressed caution and concerns and opted not to participate. Finally the idea matured, the proposal was completed, and the journal went online on June 6, 2006. The journal is the professional voice that connects the Libyan medical community with its international counterparts [1]. It is the first open access online Libyan medical journal that has more than one issue. The first volume was completed and proof-read with major help from numerous international medical professionals. The first issue of the second volume is completed. The editorial office is supported with a streamlined peer review process. It is with much pleasure that I announce that this week the journal was indexed in the directory of the open access journals. This would not have been possible without the help of a sincere hard working team. This association and medical journal allowed members who did not know one another to come together for a common goal. This goal was to create a journal with consistently high quality material.

It is imperative to write about the teamwork that is involved. The group is formed of doctors from different specialties and diverse cultural backgrounds. Everyone of us was asked to give time and effort to make this happen. When the work was completed and the services began, it became clear that the project looked like a puzzle. Each piece of the puzzle was vital for the completion of the whole picture. Working as a team with a new project was not an easy task. We quickly discovered that teamwork was easier said than done. But with time and honesty, the glitches were fixed and the process was allowed to move forward.

Ibnosina medical association is a group effort and a project oriented association [2]. All colleagues are welcome to criticize and direct us to the right path. We face many issues, one being the lack of material from within Libya. We believe there are many topics that can be addressed from the community within the country. We are hoping, with some guidance and encouragement to get our colleagues within the country to participate. For example, one of the most debated topics currently in the news is the HIV infected children in Benghazi. Our interest is geared to the health related issues alone. We would like to see our colleagues write about changes that could occur in infection monitoring within different hospitals to fight nosocomial infections. Also, the discussion of infections spread amongst health care workers is a topic of debate. In this issue we have the first personal view point about the situation. It is written by a scholar from the United States [3]. We hope it will create some discussion amongst our professional peers.

One advantage that ljm's editorial staff has is its flexibility and willingness to work with authors early on and help them develop the manuscript. Of course that involves plenty of English editing and proof-reading, but with our willing volunteers it can be accomplished. The volunteers are the backbone of the journal's content and publication.

Lastly, I do believe that sincerity, transparency, and teamwork will continue to lead the association and journal into continued team building and productivity.