FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK
BIOPRESERVATION AND BIOBANKING Volume 12, Number 6, 2014 ª Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. DOI: 10.1089/bio.2014.1261
A Good Year for Biopreservation and Biobanking Jim Vaught
B
iopreservation and Biobanking had a very productive 2014, starting with the successful application for PubMed and MEDLINE indexing. Inclusion in these premier biomedical indexing services had been one of our major goals since the reorganization and renaming of the journal from Cell Preservation Technology to Biopreservation and Biobanking in 2008. Over time this achievement should have a positive impact on the number and quality of manuscript submissions, as well as new library subscriptions. Note that the journal is also indexed in: PubMed Central; Science Citation Index Expanded; Biotechnology Citation Index; Biological Abstracts; BIOSIS Previews; Journal Citation Reports/Science Edition; EMBASE/Excerpta Medica; EMBiology; Scopus; Chemical Abstracts; and ProQuest. During 2014 the journal’s impact factor increased from 1.50 to 1.58. Although this was a modest increase, it was indicative of the progress we are seeing in other statistics. For example full-text downloads of the journal’s articles increased by 11% this year; there are an average of 1,800 fulltext downloads from the journal each month. For the long term such statistics should translate into further, more significant, increases in the impact factor. It will still be a year or two before we see the full effects of our efforts to expand the journal’s reach and increase the quality of manuscripts in the biobanking and biopreservation areas. The journal continues to have a strong editorial team. I would like to thank Deputy Editors Marianna Bledsoe, Robert Hewitt (European Editor), Allison Hubel, and Peter Watson for their outstanding service in coordinating reviews of manuscripts, writing editorials, and in general contributing to the overall improvement in the quality and variety of manuscripts we are publishing. During 2014 we reduced the size of the general Editorial Board membership by about 15%, in recognition of the change in scope of the journal, and to rotate off some members whose terms had expired. Our Editorial Board continues to be populated by an outstanding mix of international experts. We are continuing to look for new members to join the Editorial Board to cover all the emerging ‘‘hot topics’’ that we hear about at ISBER, ESBB, and other conferences, such as biobanking economics and return of research results. In terms of international scope, it is noteworthy that during the last year manuscripts have been received from the following
29 countries: Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Kuwait, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Russian Federation, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tunisia, United Kingdom, and the United States. To recognize the international flavor of the journal we recently appointed new members to the Editorial Board from Japan, Qatar, South Africa, and China. During 2014 we engaged in several other initiatives to improve the quality of manuscript submissions, including: improving the Instructions for Authors with implementation of the Biospecimen Reporting to Improve Study Quality (BRISQ) guidelines for documenting sample and data quality in papers (in progress); utilization of iThenticate plagiarism software; and revision of instructions for reviewers to improve the quality of the review process. Biopreservation and Biobanking continues to receive manuscripts in the form of Original Articles, Brief Reports, Review Articles and Meeting Reports. Under the leadership of Features Editor Jamie Devereaux, we also publish special features such as Biobank Profiles, which are often suitable for brief descriptions of a biobank or network’s development and activities, but without the research data which would be required for an original article. Other journal content includes the ISBER Corner, Experts Speak columns, and guest editorials written by invitation to editors of special sections, or on special topics of interest to our readers. Ideas for new topics, special sections and other features are always welcome as we continue to grow. Through October 2014 we have received over 70 manuscripts, which is generally consistent with manuscript submissions in 2013 when we received about 90 papers. We’re pleased with the number and quality of the submissions for 2014, although we are always looking for submissions from new authors and coverage of new topics. Over the past yearplus we have published a series of Special Sections on Biobanking in Emerging Countries, Disaster Planning, and Biobank Sustainability. The latter Special Section, appearing in two parts in the October and December issues, was based on the biobanking sustainability session at the ISBER annual meeting in Orlando. Based on the session concerning biobanking education at the October 2014 ESBB meeting, we also expect that a special section on that topic will be
Bethesda, Maryland, [email protected].
361
362
developed over the coming year. In early 2015 we expect to publish a Special Issue on Biobanking in China. Manuscripts for that issue are currently being written and edited in China. Also note that the journal’s publisher, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers, now has a Chinese language web site (http://www.liebertonlinechina.cn/) and is otherwise expanding its presence in China.
EDITORIAL
Thanks to all of you for your support during 2014, including our readers, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers, our society partners at ISBER, our reviewers, Editorial Board, editorial staff, and the authors who have taken the time to submit their manuscripts. You are all providing the momentum for our continued growth and success into 2015 and beyond!
BIOPRESERVATION AND BIOBANKING Volume 12, Number 6, 2014 ª Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. DOI: 10.1089/bio.2014.1261
A Good Year for Biopreservation and Biobanking Jim Vaught
B
iopreservation and Biobanking had a very productive 2014, starting with the successful application for PubMed and MEDLINE indexing. Inclusion in these premier biomedical indexing services had been one of our major goals since the reorganization and renaming of the journal from Cell Preservation Technology to Biopreservation and Biobanking in 2008. Over time this achievement should have a positive impact on the number and quality of manuscript submissions, as well as new library subscriptions. Note that the journal is also indexed in: PubMed Central; Science Citation Index Expanded; Biotechnology Citation Index; Biological Abstracts; BIOSIS Previews; Journal Citation Reports/Science Edition; EMBASE/Excerpta Medica; EMBiology; Scopus; Chemical Abstracts; and ProQuest. During 2014 the journal’s impact factor increased from 1.50 to 1.58. Although this was a modest increase, it was indicative of the progress we are seeing in other statistics. For example full-text downloads of the journal’s articles increased by 11% this year; there are an average of 1,800 fulltext downloads from the journal each month. For the long term such statistics should translate into further, more significant, increases in the impact factor. It will still be a year or two before we see the full effects of our efforts to expand the journal’s reach and increase the quality of manuscripts in the biobanking and biopreservation areas. The journal continues to have a strong editorial team. I would like to thank Deputy Editors Marianna Bledsoe, Robert Hewitt (European Editor), Allison Hubel, and Peter Watson for their outstanding service in coordinating reviews of manuscripts, writing editorials, and in general contributing to the overall improvement in the quality and variety of manuscripts we are publishing. During 2014 we reduced the size of the general Editorial Board membership by about 15%, in recognition of the change in scope of the journal, and to rotate off some members whose terms had expired. Our Editorial Board continues to be populated by an outstanding mix of international experts. We are continuing to look for new members to join the Editorial Board to cover all the emerging ‘‘hot topics’’ that we hear about at ISBER, ESBB, and other conferences, such as biobanking economics and return of research results. In terms of international scope, it is noteworthy that during the last year manuscripts have been received from the following
29 countries: Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Kuwait, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Russian Federation, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tunisia, United Kingdom, and the United States. To recognize the international flavor of the journal we recently appointed new members to the Editorial Board from Japan, Qatar, South Africa, and China. During 2014 we engaged in several other initiatives to improve the quality of manuscript submissions, including: improving the Instructions for Authors with implementation of the Biospecimen Reporting to Improve Study Quality (BRISQ) guidelines for documenting sample and data quality in papers (in progress); utilization of iThenticate plagiarism software; and revision of instructions for reviewers to improve the quality of the review process. Biopreservation and Biobanking continues to receive manuscripts in the form of Original Articles, Brief Reports, Review Articles and Meeting Reports. Under the leadership of Features Editor Jamie Devereaux, we also publish special features such as Biobank Profiles, which are often suitable for brief descriptions of a biobank or network’s development and activities, but without the research data which would be required for an original article. Other journal content includes the ISBER Corner, Experts Speak columns, and guest editorials written by invitation to editors of special sections, or on special topics of interest to our readers. Ideas for new topics, special sections and other features are always welcome as we continue to grow. Through October 2014 we have received over 70 manuscripts, which is generally consistent with manuscript submissions in 2013 when we received about 90 papers. We’re pleased with the number and quality of the submissions for 2014, although we are always looking for submissions from new authors and coverage of new topics. Over the past yearplus we have published a series of Special Sections on Biobanking in Emerging Countries, Disaster Planning, and Biobank Sustainability. The latter Special Section, appearing in two parts in the October and December issues, was based on the biobanking sustainability session at the ISBER annual meeting in Orlando. Based on the session concerning biobanking education at the October 2014 ESBB meeting, we also expect that a special section on that topic will be
Bethesda, Maryland, [email protected].
361
362
developed over the coming year. In early 2015 we expect to publish a Special Issue on Biobanking in China. Manuscripts for that issue are currently being written and edited in China. Also note that the journal’s publisher, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers, now has a Chinese language web site (http://www.liebertonlinechina.cn/) and is otherwise expanding its presence in China.
EDITORIAL
Thanks to all of you for your support during 2014, including our readers, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers, our society partners at ISBER, our reviewers, Editorial Board, editorial staff, and the authors who have taken the time to submit their manuscripts. You are all providing the momentum for our continued growth and success into 2015 and beyond!
