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DOI: 10.1055/s-0033-1351376
Editorial
Publication History
Publication Date:
05 September 2013 (online)
The European Wrist Arthroscopy Society (EWAS) recently adopted the Journal of Wrist Surgery (JWS) as their official journal. This is a momentous occasion for a number of reasons. First, the JWS was originally conceived as the official journal of the EWAS membership at its inception, and this has now come to fruition. Second, all of the deputy editors and many of the associate editors are members of the EWAS, so this journal already reflects the expertise and the passion of the EWAS membership. Finally, much of the journal content has come from members of the EWAS, which has contributed to make the JWS a truly international journal. Thus far we have had manuscript submissions from Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Canada, China, Denmark, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Spain, UK, and the USA. I would like to summarize the current status of the JWS.
We have recently received confirmation of our acceptance by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) for indexing in Pubmed Central. This means that all previous and future manuscripts that are published in the JWS are now citeable and searchable in the Medline database. We have noticed a definite increase in the number of submissions since this has occurred. We are also seeing much higher quality manuscript submissions. This is the lifeblood of the JWS and is responsible for our early reputation for excellence. At the first inaugural meeting of the JWS board ([Fig. 1]), we decided that it was more important for the JWS to be of interest to our readers than to focus on achieving the highest impact factor. The peer review is vigorous and not for the faint of heart, but our intent is to be inclusive rather than exclusive. We strive to help the author hone their message based on the data presented through constructive rather than destructive comments so that the main points of the paper are clarified. Often time papers are submitted in one format and then refocused and repurposed so that they can be published in another format. If, for example, an original manuscript does not meet the bar for acceptance based on its scientific merit, it may be changed to an emerging technologies paper, a technical paper, or a case report if it contains an important teaching point. Our goal is to highlight and clarify the message behind every paper and then present it in the most suitable format. Case reports may appear to be the easiest entry level publication, but they must have some extraordinary teaching value to be accepted, rather than just being a show and tell.
Let me share some interesting demographics. We received 25 manuscripts in 2012, with the inaugural issue released Aug 1, 2012. We have received 38 manuscripts in the first six months of 2013, excluding the perspectives essays ([Table 1]). The average number of days between the date the manuscript was received and the first editorial decision was 10.2 days. Thus far, we have accepted 41 manuscripts and rejected 7—all of which were case reports. We have an 85.4% acceptance rate, and only a 14.6% rejection rate. Fourteen manuscripts are currently in revision. It is rare for a paper to go through more than 1–2 rounds of the peer review process, but it is also extremely rare for a paper to be accepted without any modification. We are off to a good start and are growing fast. Thank you to all of the past, present and future EWAS members for your support and both I, the editorial board, and the Publishers at Thieme look forward to a bright future together.