It is an understatement to say that this has been an unusual year for everyone all over the world. The COVID-19 pandemic changed life as we know it, which included the way we conduct and practice medicine, and disseminate research and education. Throughout this difficult time, we were extremely grateful that Global Spine Journal (GSJ) was able to continue to grow and achieve even greater success during 2020.
Despite the difficulties of COVID-19, 2020 was a landmark year for GSJ. We received our first Impact Factor, a 2.867, which placed ranked GSJ as the second highest-ranked spine journal, and the only Open Access spine journal with an impact factor. With this new impact factor also came our new cover and rebranding, ushering in a new era for the journal. With the new and high Impact Factor, came an immediate increase in the number of submissions. We have seen an absolute surge in the submission of articles, making this the most successful year ever for the journal. With our success will come even more work, and we thank our board, editors, and reviewers, in advance, for busier years to come. With the pandemic, the cancelling of face-to-face meetings, and the absence of the need to travel, it appears that platforms like GSJ are needed now more than ever, to continue to disseminate novel research findings, new ideas, and evidence-based education for the spine community. We feel excited that GSJ can help and play a key role to serve the spine community.
GSJ will only continue to grow and expand. We are still focused on our vision of making GSJ the most trusted, relevant, and go-to source for spine surgeons and researchers around the world. Our current status is the result of years of hard work and is a result of all of the support from the spine community. GSJ has now proven to be a leading and relevant part of the international spine research world, and we are proud of our association with AOSpine, one of the leading global academic spine societies.
As we enjoy our success and plan for the future, we would like to thank all of our authors, reviewers, and editors. Our success would not be realized without their tireless support and dedication. We wish everyone a happy new year, and hope that the coming year is even better and more successful for all.
Jeffrey C. Wang, MD
USC Spine Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
Jens R. Chapman, MD
Swedish Neuroscience Institute, Swedish Medical Center, Seattle, WA, USA
Karsten Wiechert, MD
Schön-Klinik München Harlaching, Academic Hospital, Paracelsus Medical University Salzburg, Munich, Germany
Contributor Information
Jeffrey C. Wang, USC Spine Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Jens R. Chapman, Swedish Neuroscience Institute, Swedish Medical Center, Seattle, WA, USA.
Karsten Wiechert, Schön-Klinik München Harlaching, Academic Hospital, Paracelsus Medical University Salzburg, Munich, Germany.