Abstract
The Hong Kong Journal of Emergency Medicine (HKJEM) was first published in 1995. Since then, it has evolved from a journal primarily serving the local Emergency Medicine community to one with an international readership. The growth of the journal over the past 22 years is without doubt due to the hard work and dedication of its past chief editors, Dr Kam, Dr Ong, Dr Chung, and Dr Tsui, as well as many members of the editorial board, reviewers, and advisors. With the strong foundation laid by them, the journal will sail into new waters in 2017.
From September onwards, HKJEM will have a new publisher, SAGE Publishing. There are a number of changes underway. Aside from a new look of the journal, paper submission has gone online. It is hoped that the online system would make submission more user-friendly. Most importantly, the processing time for a submitted paper can be expedited. In this Internet era, the importance of timeliness cannot be overemphasized. It is not only advantageous to the journal but also potential authors. HKJEM will continue to accept case reports with an educational value. But we strongly encourage your submission of original research articles to the journal. It is our goal that the majority of papers published will be original research articles. To further reinforce HKJEM’s role in dissemination of knowledge on advances in practice and research of Emergency Medicine, featured articles and invited reviews will be included in future issues of the journal. Another important change is reciprocal publication of selected abstracts between HKJEM and a number of international journals of Emergency Medicine, including Annals of Emergency Medicine and Emergency Medicine Journal. This arrangement will certainly increase the visibility of your publication and the impact of your research findings.
We believe that all these changes will better serve our readers, authors, and academic peers in Emergency Medicine. 2017 is the starting point. Every effort will be made so that HKJEM will continue to grow and flourish. With you, we strive forward.