Introduction
Dear JAVMA readers,
The time has come to return to once-monthly print publication of JAVMA, which was its frequency prior to 1956. Extensive reader and author research performed by an external agency in 2020 revealed that only 12% of respondents supported continuation of twice-monthly JAVMA publication. We listened, and once-monthly publication will begin in April 2022 with your JAVMA arriving around the second week of each month.
A lot has changed in the world since 1956 and indeed, in the last several months at the JAVMA. Transitioning to once-monthly JAVMA will bring less impact to the environment as well as decreased printing and mailing costs. These savings allow the JAVMA to bring added member value through multiple exciting innovations, including the creation of Supplemental Issues such as the recent “Surgery in Your Practice” (https://avmajournals.avma.org/view/journals/javma/260/S1/javma.260.issue-S1.xml), and “Urogenital Health in Your Patients” in June 2022. We are in the planning stages for supplemental issues that will focus on “Nutrition” in December 2022 and “Dermatology” in June 2023.
We are also excited to launch “Currents in One Health.” These monthly feature articles will be authored by key opinion leaders with a focus on cross-species, cross-discipline approaches at the intersection of veterinary medicine, human medicine, and the environment. “Currents in One Health” will appear in both JAVMA and AJVR with complementary practice- or research-focused content in each. In JAVMA’s inaugural “Currents in One Health,” Dr. Nicole Ehrhart shares her inspirational experiences in the pivotal role of veterinarians in the COVID-19 response. In AJVR’s inaugural “Currents in One Health,” Dr. Boaz Arzi puts a spotlight on the importance of veterinary translational research in regenerative medicine for development of treatment modalities for both humans and animals. Future “Currents in One Health” topics include artificial intelligence in diagnostic imaging, aging, and many more.
With the launch of our completely redesigned journals’ website https://avmajournals.avma.org/, we have transitioned to an on-line first publishing model. This means that new articles reach you well ahead of print. It also means that we can publish articles on-line only, allowing us to publish more—and more timely content, so you will actually see an increase in the total scientific information delivered to you across the JAVMA platforms. The journal website also allows us to create on-line only Supplemental Issues of Pathology in Practice and “Virtual Collections.” In the Virtual Collections, we will collate manuscripts and AVMA information on broad topics such as Covid 19 or Rabies, or we can focus on specific disease topics such as feline diabetes, equine strangles, canine osteosarcoma, Marek’s disease in chickens, African swine fever, or avian influenza. The possibilities are very exciting—and we would love to hear your ideas!
The JAVMA editorial staff will prioritize for print those manuscripts which focus on clinical and pragmatic information on the latest treatments, clinical findings, threats to our profession, emerging diseases, advances in policies, and standards of care. As I stated above, some manuscripts will remain on-line only but they will be incorporated into issues and tables of contents for you to access online. The JAVMA will also continue to publish important feature news content while emerging, time-sensitive news can be found in the AVMA newsroom at https://www.avma.org/news. (As you may recall, the AVMA has adopted a digital-first approach for breaking news.) The JAVMA will also continue to publish obituaries to honor members we have lost, and the iconic “What is Your Diagnosis” will not change. The wonderful cover art tradition started in 1973 by then Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Arthur Freeman, will also continue.
All of these changes were initiated in response to your comments and feedback. I believe they will make the journal more useful, readable, and interesting, and I look forward to hearing how you like the new JAVMA. I encourage you to share your thoughts with me at lfortier@avma.org.
Respectfully,
Dr. Lisa A. Fortier
Editor-in-Chief, JAVMA
Division Director of Publications, AVMA
