Abstract
Pulmonary Circulation's main goal for 2013, similar to the objective of many of the authors and contributors who publish their work in the journal, is to enhance circulation, namely the readership of the journal. If our Editorial Board act as the lungs, breathing life into the journal, then you, our readers and our contributors, are the heart of the operation. We encourage you to show your support by continuing to read our latest issues, by citing our articles in your papers, by spreading the word about the journal to your colleagues and students, and by providing us with constant and constructive feedback.
When the journal began in 2011, we had three major goals in mind: (1) To provide a unique venue of communication exclusively to those conducting clinical, translational, and basic research in the field of the pulmonary circulation and pulmonary vascular disease; (2) to provide a medium of communication which would reach and include clinicians and scientists in all parts of the world; and (3) to encourage translational science, connecting both researchers and physicians in the field. Today, we are happy to say that we are well on our way to achieving these goals, and have made much progress toward the success of the journal over the past two years.
The inclusion of the journal's articles in PubMed was Pulmonary Circulation's first major achievement as an internationally-recognized, professional medical journal as, it was the first step in enhancing our visibility to countries all over the world. We have published articles from more than 15 different countries to date, and we continue to receive submissions from new countries. Moreover, the Pulmonary Vascular Research Institute (PVRI) has played no small role in strengthening our visibility as the Institute continues to support the Journal in the annual PVRI conference and other jointly organized conferences with international and regional associations such as the Saudi Association for Pulmonary Hypertension (SAPH).
From 2011 to 2012, manuscript submissions to the website rose by more than 40%, and only continue to grow. Additionally, spread over 124 published articles, the total number of online views and downloads of these articles has now reached over 190,000, approximately 1,500 views per article. We can only assume that because of your support and loyalty, physicians and investigators in the field are starting to consider Pulmonary Circulation a reputable journal in the research areas of pulmonary vascular pathobiology and clinical management of pulmonary vascular diseases, and use the journal as a critical communication venue for publicizing their innovative scientific findings. For this, we are grateful to our readers and contributors, and we appreciate your continued support.
We are also excited to introduce our newly-established Scientific Writing and Consulting Committee, a committee comprised of young physicians and investigators in the field who work closely with the Editorial office in lending their scientific expertise toward the publication of articles by providing general feedback on various aspects of the journal, and even by contributions of their own in our soon-to-come “News and Views” section of Pulmonary Circulation. As our Scientific Advisory Board Member Robert F. Grover said it, “I like the philosophy of incorporating younger investigators in the editorial process. In my experience, young minds are exciting and stimulation and a pleasure to work with.”
In keeping up with our goal to enhance the circulation of the journal, we are looking for ways to spark discussion around the articles and topics presented in Pulmonary Circulation. We have a few new initiatives in mind. We will be following in the footsteps of our fellow journals and begin posting podcasts to the website later in the year. We believe the inclusion of podcasts will serve as a lively supplement to the original articles published in the journal. Additionally, we have recently created a Twitter account, which we will use to communicate recently published and upcoming articles and Table of Contents distribution. We ask all interested parties to follow our Twitter handle, PulmCirc.
Pulmonary Circulation's next major challenge is facing our first Impact Factor. If you are interested in helping the journal succeed, we again encourage you to be an advocate for Pulmonary Circulation by introducing the journal to your colleagues and students, by citing articles published in the journal in your papers, and by submitting your high-quality manuscripts to the journal.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our loyal readers, our contributors, and our Editorial Board members. We hope to see your continued, enthusiastic support in the future. It is our belief that you are just like the lungs and heart in our body, we cannot operate without you; as such, we welcome and encourage all of your suggestions, feedback, and ideas regarding any aspect of the journal. We look forward to a productive and exciting 2013.