What is the purpose of launching World Journal of Cardiology?

Abstract

The first issue of World Journal of Cardiology (WJC), whose preparatory work was initiated on December 13, 2009, will be published on December 31, 2009. The WJC Editorial Board has now been established and consists of 298 distinguished experts from 40 countries. Our purpose of launching WJC is to publish peer-reviewed, high-quality articles via an open-access online publishing model, thereby acting as a platform for communication between peers and the wider public, and maximizing the benefits to editorial board members, authors and readers.

Key Words: Maximization of personal benefits; Editorial board members; Authors; Readers; Employees; World Journal of Cardiology

INTRODUCTION

I am very pleased to announce that the first issue of World Journal of Cardiology (World J Cardiol, WJC, online ISSN 1949-8462, DOI: 10.4330), whose preparatory work was initiated on August 13, 2009, will be published on December 31, 2009. The WJC Editorial Board has now been established and consists of 298 distinguished experts from 40 countries. What is the purpose of launching WJC? And what is the scope and how are the columns designed?

The role of academic journals is to exhibit the scientific levels of a country, a university, a center, a department, and even a scientist, and build an important bridge for communication between scientists and the public. As we all know, the significance of the publication of scientific articles lies not only in disseminating and communicating innovative scientific achievements and academic views, as well as promoting the application of scientific achievements, but also in formally recognizing the “priority” and “copyright” of innovative achievements published, as well as evaluating research performance and academic levels. To realize these desired attributes of a journal and create a well-recognized journal, the following four types of personal benefits should be maximized.

MAXIMIZATION OF PERSONAL BENEFITS

The maximization of personal benefits refers to the pursuit of the maximum personal benefits in a well-considered optimal manner without violation of the laws, ethical rules and the benefits of others.

Maximization of the benefits of editorial board members

The primary task of editorial board members is to give a peer review of an unpublished scientific article via online office system to evaluate its innovativeness, scientific and practical values and determine whether it should be published or not. During peer review, editorial board members can also obtain cutting-edge information in that field at first hand. As leaders in their field, they have priority to be invited to write articles and publish commentary articles. We will put peer reviewers’ names and affiliations along with the article they reviewed in the journal to acknowledge their contribution.

Maximization of the benefits of authors

Since WJC is an open-access journal, readers around the world can immediately download and read, free of charge, high-quality, peer-reviewed articles from WJC official website, thereby realizing the goals and significance of the communication between authors and peers as well as public reading.

Maximization of the benefits of readers

Readers can read or use, free of charge, high-quality peer-reviewed articles without any limits, and cite the arguments, viewpoints, concepts, theories, methods, results, conclusion or facts and data of pertinent literature so as to validate the innovativeness, scientific and practical values of their own research achievements, thus ensuring that their articles have novel arguments or viewpoints, solid evidence and correct conclusion[1].

Maximization of the benefits of employees

It is an iron law that a first-class journal is unable to exist without first-class editors, and only first-class editors can create a first-class academic journal[2,3]. We insist on strengthening our team cultivation and construction so that every employee, in an open, fair and transparent environment, could contribute their wisdom to edit and publish high-quality articles, thereby realizing the maximization of the personal benefits of editorial board members, authors and readers, and yielding the greatest social and economic benefits.

CONTENTS OF PEER REVIEW

In order to guarantee the quality of articles published in the journal, WJC usually invites three experts to comment on the submitted papers. The contents of peer review include: (1) whether the contents of the manuscript are of great importance and novelty; (2) whether the experiment is complete and described clearly; (3) whether the discussion and conclusion are justified; (4) whether the citations of references are necessary and reasonable; and (5) whether the presentation and use of tables and figures are correct and complete.

SCOPE

The major task of WJC is to rapidly report the most recent developments in the research by the cardiologists. WJC accepts papers on the following aspects related to cardiology: arrhythmias, heart failure, vascular disease, stroke, hypertension, prevention and epidemiology, dyslipidemia and metabolic disorders, cardiac imaging, paediatrics, nursing, and health promotion. We also encourage papers that cover all other areas of cardiology as well as basic research.

COLUMNS

The columns in the issues of WJC will include: (1) Editorial: To introduce and comment on the substantial advance and its importance in the fast-developing areas; (2) Frontier: To review the most representative achievements and comment on the current research status in the important fields, and propose directions for the future research; (3) Topic Highlight: This column consists of three formats, including (A) 10 invited review articles on a hot topic, (B) a commentary on common issues of this hot topic, and (C) a commentary on the 10 individual articles; (4) Observation: To update the development of old and new questions, highlight unsolved problems, and provide strategies on how to solve the questions; (5) Guidelines for Basic Research: To provide Guidelines for basic research; (6) Guidelines for Clinical Practice: To provide guidelines for clinical diagnosis and treatment; (7) Review: To systemically review the most representative progress and unsolved problems in the major scientific disciplines, comment on the current research status, and make suggestions on the future work; (8) Original Articles: To originally report the innovative and valuable findings in cardiology; (9) Brief Articles: To briefly report the novel and innovative findings in cardiology; (10) Case Report: To report a rare or typical case; (11) Letters to the Editor: To discuss and make reply to the contributions published in WJC, or to introduce and comment on a controversial issue of general interest; (12) Book Reviews: To introduce and comment on quality monographs of cardiology; and (13) Guidelines: To introduce Consensuses and Guidelines reached by international and national academic authorities worldwide on the research in cardiology.