Abstract
This issue begins the 41st volume of Veterinary Pathology. It was with a great deal of excitement and enthusiasm that I assumed the responsibility of Editor-in-Chief of Veterinary Pathology from Dr. Donna Kusewitt on 1 September 2003. During the past 40 years, thanks to the tremendous efforts of my predecessors, the Journal has survived a succession of difficult transitions. Since its origin as Pathologia Veterinaria in 1964, the subject matter and the technology used by scientists have changed dramatically. Veterinary Pathology is the foremost international journal of natural and experimental diseases in animals. Pathologists, pathology trainees, and research scientists who read Veterinary Pathology know that they are getting cutting-edge information of high scientific merit that has met the exacting standards of rigorous peer review.
Unlike my predecessors, who often served as reviewer, copy editor, illustration artist, and editor, I am provided with an extensive support group. Many of the time-consuming tasks, originally carried out by a few dedicated individuals (the Journal editor, associate editors, and their families), have now been taken on by a large team. Not only do I have the support and advice of Council, but I am also assisted by the newly formed Scientific Advisory Board, which includes Drs. Carl Alden, Charles Capen, Linda Cork, Noman Cheville, Mary Christopher, and Keith Harris. In addition, the journal has an editorial board of 26 members, who provide an extensive knowledge pool that I will use frequently for advice and assistance in making major decisions concerning journal issues. I am indebted to my associate editors: Drs. Charles Dangler (Animals Models), Donna F. Kusewitt (Illustrations), Mark Mense (Electronic Media), Kenneth Schafer (Book Reviews), JoAnn Schuh and Matthew Starost (Review Articles), and Heath Thomas (Meeting Abstracts) for their diligent efforts in special focus areas of the Journal.
In her last year as Editor-in-Chief of Veterinary Pathology, Dr. Donna Kusewitt brought production of the journal into the technologic age by converting to an online submission and review system, AllenTrack, and to electronic publication through HighWire Press. It is due to her efforts that the journal has entered a new era in manuscript operations. AllenTrack is a web-based software program that allows manuscripts to move easily from submission through review and into the Allen Press typesetting process. The program will save countless hours of record keeping in the journal office and will substantially expedite the turnaround for submitted manuscripts.
As Editor-in-Chief of Veterinary Pathology my most immediate challenge is to complete the conversion to fully electronic submission and review of all manuscripts. This should be accomplished within the next few months. My long-term goal is to increase the journal's scientific impact. To do this I would like to concentrate on at least three areas. First, I would like to increase the number of review articles published in our journal. Reviews represent a proven method to increase journal citations. I hope to do this by obtaining more reviews by world-recognized scientists on high-impact topics. I welcome the support and assistance of some of our established veterinary pathologists in identifying these individuals and encouraging them to write for us. Second, I would like to increase the selectivity of the review process. We should strive to accept only those papers that clearly add significantly to the scientific literature. Third, I plan to shorten the review process and the time to publication; this will increase the likelihood that high-impact manuscripts will be submitted to the journal. Dr. Kusewitt's achievement of setting up the journal for AllenTrack and HighWire is a major step in that direction. Furthermore, the increased visibility of the journal through electronic publication with HighWire will increase the probability that scientists will discover and recognize Veterinary Pathology as a high-quality information resource and a scholarly journal in which to publish.
In closing, I would like to express my deep gratitude to the people at Allen Press and AllenTrack for their steadfast support as I became familiar with their system. I also would like to thank reviewers and authors of manuscripts in Veterinary Pathology for their patience during the completion of the transition to electronic submission and review. I consider it a great honor that Council selected me to follow in the footsteps of Drs. Leon Z. Saunders, Charlie N. Barron, David C. Dodd, John A. Shadduck, Norman F. Cheville, M. Donald McGavin, John F. Zachary, and Donna F. Kusewitt, and I will do my best to continue their tradition of meeting the new challenges that confront the journal and striving to increase the quality and impact of the journal's content.