Looking forward by looking back: Inception of a new journal

RPTH Aims and Scope.

Research and Practice in Thrombosis and Haemostasis (RPTH) is the Open Access journal of the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis (ISTH) and the newest journal in the field of thrombosis and hemostasis. Complementing its flagship journal, the Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis, RPTH provides a dedicated Open Access home for science and discourse among researchers, clinicians, nurses, allied health professionals, and patients.

RPTH is a “living journal” and serves as a jumping point for digital discussion. It also reflects the current era of inter‐disciplinary scientific discovery and new methods of knowledge dissemination and the wide reach of ISTH by featuring articles from all corners of the globe. RPTH provides rigorous, rapid peer review and immediate dissemination of research reports from basic, clinical, translational and population or public health science. The Journal is interested in quality, outcomes, dissemination and implementation science, seeking studies and trials on novel care delivery, including in areas of resource constraint around the world.

As we enter the new year of 2020, I wanted to look back at the origins of RPTH to help set the stage for looking to the future. Did you ever wonder how a new journal gets off the ground? In this editorial, I share stories about the beginning of my involvement with the journal, and the path to launching the journal.

In summer 2016, I was asked about my interest in the editor in chief position for a new ISTH journal, “ISTH Communications.” After review of the case statement for the journal, I prepared a letter outlining my editorial vision. The introduction to the letter is shown in Figure 1 and emphasized a vision to publish cutting‐edge science, be distinct from Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis (JTH), help clinicians take care of patients, and innovate new approaches in publishing. I laid out key elements for success:

• Align with the ISTH Strategic Plan

• Promote multidisciplinary science

• Seek articles on quality, outcomes and systems of care

• Promote open access data

• Promote digital discussion, including of preliminary findings

• Help authors use color effectively in figures

• Promote career development of early career editorial board members and associate editors

• Provide education on peer review

• Provide feedback and recognition of peer review excellence

• Increase awareness of ISTH and thrombosis and hemostasis science via social media

• Be closely connected to the ISTH Congresses

Figure 1.

Where did things start? “ISTH‐Communications”

Many of these elements are being achieved and some are still works in progress. New elements evolved after we launched, such as the Illustrated Review article concept1 and clarifying a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.2, 3 In the near future, readers will see open data badges,4 information on optimal use of color in publishing, announcement of new editorial board members, including early career members, and more collaboration with the ISTH Congress.

After becoming editor in chief, in fall 2016, the first steps were to develop the Journal's “Aims and Scope,” determine the editorial structure, issue structure, and identify associate editors. The Aims and Scope are shown in the box above.

Fun tasks came next. What would we name the journal? What would the design be? I felt that the working title, “ISTH‐Communications,” was helpful, but I explored other options. This process started with brainstorming with colleagues and ISTH leaders, and then a ranked list was submitted to ISTH leaders for their input. “Research and Practice in Thrombosis and Haemostasis” embodied everything I wanted the Journal to become, and enthusiasm for this was high. Next was the most fun part! With expert work of the ISTH Director of Marketing, Membership and Public Affairs, Louise St. Germain, a logo and cover design were selected. Figure 2 shows the cover design selection, which was an iterative process involving fine tuning from several selections.

Figure 2.

Journal Cover Selection

Associate editors were identified after seeking advice from ISTH leaders and the ISTH Publishing Committee, with aims to represent our diverse science, the globe, and be equitable on gender representation.

By this time a launch marketing timeline was developed, an introductory editorial was published in JTH,5 editorial board nominations were sought from ISTH leaders, a video was created, website was designed and the ScholarOne submission site was designed.

In January 2017 the launch took place for author submissions and we invited authors to prepare review articles for the first issue. Procedures for article transfers were developed in collaboration with JTH editors Rosendaal and Reitsma, and we engaged methodological reviewers. Initial response of the research community was outstanding, with more than 20 articles submitted in the first 5 weeks. Discussions with associate editors centered on the journal's vision, final planning for its components, article expectations and just getting to know each other. This team continues to today in guiding the Journal to success.

By July 2017, the first issue was published with great excitement, and although we are an online journal, thousands of print copies were distributed for promotion at the ISTH Berlin Congress. After experiencing the enthusiasm, we decided that each year we would print the issue coinciding with ISTH Congresses.

RPTH is fortunate for the support of the scientific community in trusting us to publish their work, and sustaining the journal as we enter our fourth year in 2020. This support allowed us to surpass expectations on number of publications and indexing milestones. We have achieved indexing milestones that allow your publications to be listed on PubMed Central and included in the Journal Citation Reports, which leads us to an impact factor. We look forward to full indexing and our first impact factor,6 increasing publication frequency this year to better serve our authors, and continual improvement to enhance science quality and dissemination.

I would like to thank the editorial team including associate editors (Pantep Angchaisuksiri, Cihan Ay, Suzanne Cannegieter, Gerald Chi, Susan Kahn, Fiona Newall, Yotis Senis, Alisa Wolberg, Neil Zakai and Adam Cuker), editorial board members, our Wiley editor Emma Brink, managing editor Zachary Gillan, and the team at ISTH – Thomas Reiser, Christine Candora‐Hickey, Louise St. Germain and Luke Blount. We anticipate this group will lead us to a solid footing in the coming years, and as always, I welcome feedback from the science community and readers.