It is with cautious optimism that I open this issue of JICS following the news that we have passed the first of two assessments by the US National Library of Medicine. This first stage is the scientific evaluation, when journals are judged according to the standard of research published and their relevance to US health and medical professionals. Before now, JICS has failed to pass this stage. The second stage is a technical evaluation which, I hope, will be successful given the past successes of our publisher (SAGE) with other journals; however, nothing is guaranteed. It is likely that we will not know the result of this second evaluation until the end of the year. In the meantime, I can’t help but consider the current news to be a sign of progress, and recognition of the work provided by our authors, reviewers, editors and production team, in moving the Journal from strength to strength. We cannot, of course, be complacent; the material submitted by our authors underpins the Journal and it is vital that we continue to receive high-quality manuscripts in order for the Journal to evolve; however, it is extremely reassuring to see that the scientific and clinical value of JICS is now being recognised irrespective of what the final outcome of our evaluation may be.
By the time this article comes to press, you may have been made aware that I am looking to step down as Editor-in-Chief (EiC) of the Journal at the end of this year. An advert for my successor will have been placed and, I hope, suitable candidates identified. My reasons for looking to step aside are simple; I have been in my role for four busy years (alongside a full-time clinical job) and, I believe, the Journal has evolved during this time – however, I am running out of steam and it is vital that the Journal has constant energy and drive at the helm in order to continue its evolution. My first year in post was dominated by the search for a new publisher, while getting to grips with the day-to-day workings of the Journal. The following year was extremely exciting as we partnered with SAGE publishing company and developed the new-look journal, website and modernised process for submissions, reviewing and editing manuscripts. Having made these changes, we applied for PubMed Central indexing, and it was with great disappointment that we were rejected at the end of the year. As you are probably aware, however, we disagreed with the reasoning behind our rejection and I appealed. The subsequent year focused on ‘i-dotting and t-crossing’ to fulfil every possible PubMed Central criteria within our influence. These included the development of an International Advisory Board, the targeted commissioning of certain types of article and ensuring every aspect of the print and online Journal were optimally presented and accessible. In the last year, following a competitive selection process, I have had the pleasure of being joined and supported by six excellent Associate Editors. I am most grateful for the support and new ideas that they have brought with them; similarly, new Board members have brought ideas for new strategy. The new concepts being generated by our expanding editorial team provide great hope for the Journal going forwards; however, as always, they need energy and drive to bring them to fruition and I am feeling somewhat ATP-depleted – so it’s time to pass on the baton to a ‘new pair of legs’. In the spirit of Robert Baden-Powell, my strategy for the Journal is to leave it a little better than I found it; if each EiC adopts this philosophy, the Journal can only go from strength to strength.
My intention is to stay on the Board for the foreseeable future in order to retain organisational memory and provide immediate backup and support for the incumbent EiC; however, my hope is that the ‘vacuum’ left in my life will be filled with family and friends rather than further work commitments – something that is long overdue. As many of you will be aware, I feel passionately that for our specialty to thrive, it must maintain at its core a healthy work–life balance for its staff – this includes all our value-added work activities too.
Turning to the delights on offer in this issue of JICS, we have the usual mix of original articles, editorials, special articles, case reports, correspondence and a CAT review. There are a couple of themes arising, with training in echocardiography featuring in two of our original articles (think ‘afternoon tea’ when holding the probe – see this month’s correspondence) and I have received a couple of communications regarding estimates of body weight for the purposes of calculating optimal tidal volumes. In the ethos of JICS, I sincerely hope the contents provide education, interest and amusement and, in the interest of the Journal, please continue to submit your hard work and ideas for our consumption.