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EDITORS' REPORT, 2003

The Journal of Dental Research, jointly owned by the International Association for Dental Research and the American Association for Dental Research, is the most influential international peer-reviewed publication in the field of dentistry and dental, oral health, and craniofacial research. "Discovery!" essays, under the excellent Editorship of Dr. Irwin Mandel, continue to document the vitality of our research creativity. The JDR now has Associate Editors for Clinical Reports (Jocelyne Feine of McGill University in Montreal, Canada) and for reports on Biomaterials & Bioengineering (David Kohn of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor). Beginning in January, 2005, the JDR will become an even more valuable resource to our entire research and scholarly community. Critical Reviews in Oral Biology & Medicine (Olav Alvares, Editor) will now appear exclusively within the JDR covers. In each issue, the JDR will publish two comprehensive CROBM reviews.

To continue to improve services to authors and readers and to make tangible improvements in the quality of the Journal, a new Editor-in-Chief is being sought. A leading scholar-scientist will guide the continued development of the JDR. The current Editor will continue to oversee Biological Reports and maintain responsibility for the overall content and quality of the Journal through March 31, 2004. The Editor of the Journal of Dental Research also oversees Advances in Dental Research. Published in print and online, Advances is a fully citable publication favored by organizers of state-of-the-science symposia addressing topics of interest to readers of the Journal of Dental Research. The new Editor-in-Chief will begin April 1, 2004. The new Editor-in-Chief and the Associate Editors will work closely to ensure continued improvement in your Journal.

The Journal had a Scientific Impact Factor [SIF] of 2.956 for 2002 (Journal Citation Reports, 2003). Our SIF averaged 2.55 for the years 1974 to 2000. During the last two years, the decline in the SIF is primarily attributable to our recent prohibition of self-citation of JDR and other citable abstracts and the limit of 30 cited references for each report. The Journal continues to publish the highest-quality scientific reports in print and online each month, bringing the state of the science to individual and institutional subscribers. Please request that your libraries subscribe to the Journal on behalf of the general readership at your institution.

Research reports generally appear in print within about two months of acceptance (since 2000). In 2003, we enjoyed a record 525 newly submitted manuscripts, and since March 1, 2003, all have been submitted through http://jdr.msubmit.net/. About 73% of manuscripts were submitted from research groups in IADR Divisions outside of North America (Table 1). The overall acceptance rate in 2002 was 34.5%. In 2000, the acceptance rate was 25.2%. Research reports are limited to 2500 words, including an abstract of 150 words, no more than four tables plus figures, and 30 cited references. The scope of presented data for a definitive report has not changed. Supplementary information for any manuscript will be published as an appendix on the Web only. Our Editorial expectations remain that each report provides a definitive proof of a predictive hypothesis or experimental question. The Journal has been able to publish 25% more scientific reports in every issue since the "rules" changed in 1999. In general, reports of the testing of a novel predictive hypothesis with a definitive experimental design are most prized by the scientific reviewers, because the data are most likely to be unequivocal.

Between 1995 and 2001, the Journal received similar numbers of manuscripts investigating hypotheses in basic biology and clinical research. In 2003, the percentage of Biological Reports climbed to 40% (Table 2), but the acceptance rate is only slightly above the average for all submitted manuscripts.

The costs of production of the Journal remain carefully controlled. Our printing cost structure has not increased from 1998, although overall Journal production costs have risen due to a greater use of color in the print version and online setup and maintenance costs. Subscription rates and page charges to authors help offset the actual costs of production. Issues relating to publication standards and process are discussed with the Editorial Board at its annual meeting. During our meeting in 2003 in Göteborg, the Editorial Board discussed and made recommendations about the online submission and review process, the CONSORT Guidelines for Clinical Reports (see above), conflicts of interest and publication by paid consultants of sponsoring companies, and the transition of Editors. The Editorial Board and many other expert referees oversee a scientific review process that may be considered a global consensus, with about half working outside of North America, representing all continents, including the Pacific Rim nations and Oceania.

The Editorial Board members who have completed distinguished service at the conclusion of this year include: Martin Addy, Mark E. Cohen, Radhouane Dallel, Gregg H. Gilbert, Peter Andrew Heasman, Reinhard Hickel, W. Peter Holbrook, Hidemi Kurihara, Richard J. Lamont, Brian O’Connell, Marc Quirynen, Isabelle Rosinski-Chupin, Mariano Sanz, Frank A. Scannapieco, Sharan K. Sidhu, Goran Stenman, Haruhiko Takada, Lin Tao, Paul F. Van der Stelt, Bart Van Meerbeek, T.J. Martijn van Steenbergen, E.C.I. Veerman, Guy Willems, and Nairn H.F. Wilson. Their efforts and dedication are very much appreciated. In cooperation with the Publications Committee, new members of the Editorial Board have been selected. The names of new members appear on the page opposite the Table of Contents (in the January, 2004, issue of JDR).

My gratitude is extended to the 2003 IADR/AADR Publications Committee (Charles Bertolami, Chair) for its prompt efforts and jobs well done. Committee member Susan Kinder Haake has worked very effectively chairing the Search Committee for a new Editor-in-Chief and in the transition in oversight from the AADR Publication Committee to the new IADR/AADR Publications Committee. In addition, a Publications Subcommittee chaired by Dan Smith served well and completed most successfully the search for the Associate Editors. Drs. Kinder Haake and Smith also coordinated the monthly review of each issue of the JDR, which provides valuable feedback to the Editors and staff.

The Journal is successful largely because of the dedication of the staff in Central Office. In particular, thanks are due to Linda Hemphill, Director of Publications, who keeps the Journal on consistent on-time publication, and to Susan M. De Angel, Production Manager, and Norman L. Hayden, Jr., Publications Assistant. Denise Setliff, Database and e-Communications Manager, is a key liaison with HighWire Press, the online publishing vendor. During this year of transition from paper to electronic manuscript submission, they have braved the difficulties and confusion, and a good, efficient system has emerged. Here in Minneapolis, Natalie Chapweske is the very able Assistant to the Editor. She has managed to accommodate our ever-increasing number of manuscripts, tracking paper submissions and assisting Central Office staff with questions regarding electronic submissions without a casualty, trouble-shooting the manuscript management Web site as needed, and responding most capably to the many needs of authors. Well-done, all.

Let me know [mcherzb{at}umn.edu] and communicate with the Associate Editors (dhkohn{at}umich.edu and jocelyne.feine{at}mcgill.ca) and the new Editor-in-Chief how we can serve you better. We continue to strive to make the Journal of Dental Research more than you hoped it could be.

This is my final report. I want to express appreciation to the several Executive Directors with whom I have worked during my tenure-John Clarkson, Eli Schwarz, and, most recently, Chris Fox. As publishers, each imparted special qualities to the JDR, and all have approached IADR publications with a willingness to make investment and improvement. Special acknowledgments and thanks are due Robert "Skip" Collins, our extraordinary Deputy Executive Director, with whom I have worked well and closely to meet the many challenges that have faced IADR publications during our tenures.

I know that our community is poised to explore new ground and make exciting discoveries in dental, craniofacial, and oral health research. Novel, definitive work will always be featured in the JDR. With your most cutting-edge contributions, the Journal will always be high-impact. The JDR will continue to bring clarity to the presentation of your work to be appreciated by respected colleagues and the public. To those who have offered suggestions and criticism, thank you for showing me the way. To those who submitted their best research work for consideration, I offer my esteem and gratitude, for I have been privileged to learn from you. Your JDR has changed during the last 11 years. I am proud to have had your confidence.

REFERENCE

Journal Citation Reports 2002 (2003). Philadelphia: Institute for Scientific Information.

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