RBMOnline in new livery
Article Outline
This issue, the first to be published by Elsevier, the world’s leader in medical and scientific publishing, is a move away from the independent publication of Reproductive BioMedicine Online and signals its new face, outline, editors and editorial board. With expanding scientific contributions from China, Iran, Egypt, Russia and India in reproductive health, our association with Elsevier will equip us well to serve the coming generation of authors and readers who consider rapid electronic publication and almost immediate access to information as the norm. Elsevier’s excellent online editorial system will now be available for RBMOnline authors and reviewers as well as our editors to communicate and create permanent digital records. This should facilitate filing and communication, provide useful data for improving our journal and increase speed and precision.
Our changes of livery and layout reflect our commitment to addressing the needs and interests of our contributing authors and our readership. Various other benefits of our Elsevier link have been highlighted recently (Ahuja, 2009), with emphasis on our new editorial team maintaining full editorial independence.
We have already announced some changes in the structure and membership of the editorial team and board and we take this opportunity to highlight some of these important changes here. Firstly, members of the editorial board who have served us so diligently and wisely since the inception of the journal will be promoted to membership of the emeritus advisory editorial board. This not only acknowledges their invaluable contribution in our formative years but ensures that we continue to have access to their expertise, experience and wisdom as we embrace the technology of tomorrow. Secondly, more recently appointed members of the existing editorial board will be invited to remain on the board for a fixed term of 3 years and then reviewed. This rather major change in structure will ensure that the journal and you benefit from having access to the most active and committed experts in this rapidly progressing field. Thirdly, a new cadre of scientists and clinicians has been invited to initial membership of the editorial board for 3 years. We have also deliberately focused on identifying the most progressive and productive female colleagues in reproductive health not only to reflect their contribution, but more importantly to ensure the appropriate balance in a field that is very much concerned with female health and reproduction.
Clearly these are all major changes in the life of RBMOnline and once we have these matters settled, more is to come. In the near future we plan to identify key members of the editorial board who will be willing to accept the arduous task of section editor, focusing on their very special area of expertise such as reproductive endocrinology, male infertility, genetics and proteomics to mention a few. By this change we wish to facilitate a more rapid and experienced review of submitted manuscripts and quick access to advances for our readers.
Reference
PII: S1472-6483(09)00264-8
doi:10.1016/j.rbmo.2009.12.001
© 2009 Published by Elsevier Inc.
