JALA Completes Ninth Year of Publication

“Volunteers fuel the momentum and success of our Journal and our association.”

This issue marks nine years of publication for JALA. The six issues published in 2004 offered lab automation professionals unique information and insight via 20 original reports, 21 technical briefs, 11 technology reviews, three JALA Tutorials, six feature stories, close to 30 pages of literature highlights, 75 pages of World News, and 30 pages of other news. Throughout the entire year, issue after issue, page after page, JALA continued to serve as a testament to the expertise, energy and enthusiasm of willing and able volunteers.

Volunteers fuel the momentum and success of our Journal and our association. In 2004, JALA and its readers benefited from the active support and participation of four guest editors, nearly 200 authors, 70 manuscript reviewers, and 28 editorial board members. Guest editors, in particular, made important contributions this past year. We benefited from their expertise and ability to fill their special issues with a well-rounded variety of articles that collectively illuminated a continuum of different perspectives on a common theme. Most readers seem to agree the results were outstanding, and that the planning and guidance of these guest experts added important value to pertinent subject areas. Their specialized knowledge helped readers explore and understand current trends in automation and cellular immunology, automation in academics, information technology and informatics, and it gave readers a taste of the breadth and depth of educational opportunities available at ALA's annual LabAutomation conference.

Because the field of laboratory automation embraces many different incarnations, JALA's volunteer publishing team worked hard in 2004 to deliver meaningful education and insight to a relatively broad scope of professionals. JALA readers and ALA members come from many different countries, companies, and campuses. They spend their days working to achieve ambitious goals too numerous to mention, but despite this diversity, they tend to share many more similarities than differences. They all seek to improve processes, to understand and harness the best technologies, and to work faster, more efficiently, and less expensively toward their goals, generating higher quality outcomes.

As JALA looks toward its tenth year of publishing, its volunteers and staff remain committed to the mission of serving ALA members as a multi-disciplinary international forum devoted to the advancement of technology in the laboratory. We hope you will join us in this effort. Continue to read the Journal and let us know what you like best or what you think might need improvement. New ideas, your new ideas, are always welcome and appreciated. So are your manuscripts. JALA is your opportunity to showcase and share your success. For complete author guidelines and submission information, simply visit http://labautomation.org/jalainstructions.php.

Best wishes for a productive and successful new year.

Sincerely,

Mark F. Russo, Ph.D.