2011: the trifecta

If you’re reading this in the print Journal, you’ll know that the MJA has changed. If you’re reading this online, you might not yet be aware that the print MJA was relaunched in September with a clean new look, easier-to-read page designs and an expanded menu of articles (including medical news, investigative features, educational series, and an increased focus on the medical humanities). We urge you to open a print Journal and have a look. But rest assured we have not forgotten our online readers. Redeveloping our ageing website is a huge task, but it’s well underway, and the new electronic version of the MJA is scheduled to go live with our next issue in January.

The trifecta? New print Journal, new website — and new Editor. Dr Annette Katelaris took over as MJA Editor in February, and has already wrought sweeping changes. The MJA is the only Australian journal for the whole medical profession, and driving Dr Katelaris’ changes is the goal of providing an inclusive interactive forum of the best medical information for all doctors, whatever their field of practice.

As a peer-reviewed research journal, attracting the highest quality of research is paramount. In a relatively small medical community such as Australia, this is not without difficulty. We already have our Content Review Committee (CRC), an external group of eminent clinicians who meet monthly by teleconference to advise on difficult manuscript decisions and provide input to improving Journal content. We have recently recruited an additional team of experts in several disciplines to become Specialist Editorial Advisers. These advisers will help us less formally, to expedite manuscript assessment, keep us informed about important specialty issues as they arise, and encourage high-quality submissions from a broader range of contributors. The CRC members and our new advisers are listed on the next page — we are very grateful for their dedication and commitment. Also listed in the following pages are all those who have reviewed manuscripts for us this year — we thank them very much for their time and effort in helping to ensure that the MJA publishes the best possible manuscripts in the best possible format.

One of the things that matters most to contributors is rapid manuscript handling and timely publication. We’ve recently changed a number of our internal processes so that we can communicate our decisions faster and get your articles published sooner. Some delays in manuscript handling will always be beyond our control, but we anticipate being able to report better results from now on (Box). Our new website will allow us to increase the number of articles published “online first”, further removing publication delay. The new website will also, at long last, offer an option to comment on articles. While letters to the Editor provide an excellent quality of postpublication review and additional insights, the process has major limitations and the immediate debate of important issues is missing. We look forward to hearing from you often, when our online rapid-response option opens for business.

There are more changes in the pipeline for 2012. In April, the MJA will hold its inaugural Research Summit to promote excellence in research, translation of research to practice, and knowledge sharing between major research bodies. We also hope that the Summit will identify priorities for lobbying government and other stakeholders to improve the landscape of clinical research. In addition to our prestigious prize for the best research article published in the MJA, and the Dr Ross Ingram Memorial Prize, now extended to include artworks as well as essays about Indigenous health, we will be offering new MJA awards for excellence in research or writing. These include a Global Health prize, for an article about personal experience working in a developing community (the prize will include a Public Health Leadership course at the Nossal Institute), a research prize for medical students, and the MJA Dr Eric Dark creative writing prize, in conjunction with Varuna, the Writers’ House (with prizes including a writing retreat and workshops).

While we’re giving away awards, we have managed to win some ourselves. At the Publishers Australia Excellence Awards in November, the MJA was runner-up in two categories: “Relaunch of the Year” and “Custom Magazine of the Year”.

We hope you’ve taken advantage of the informal news and opinion forum offered by our free online newsletter, MJA InSight (www.mjainsight.com.au) this year. If not, be sure to sign up in the new year and add your voice to what has become a very lively weekly conversation. MJA Careers, which has now moved to the back of the print Journal and is freely available online as an e-mag, has become a valuable resource for junior doctors needing information to help them choose a career path, and for those contemplating a sea change or just wanting to know what other doctors actually do.

As always, we welcome your feedback and suggestions and we look forward to continuing to be a leader in quality scientific and medical communication — whatever that might look like as the digital age continues to transform every facet of our lives.