What is the purpose of launching the World Journal of Clinical Pediatrics?

Abstract

The first issue of the World Journal of Clinical Pediatrics (WJCP), whose preparatory work was initiated on January 10, 2011, will be published on June 8, 2012. The WJCP editorial board has now been established and consists of 100 distinguished experts from 31 countries. Our purpose of launching the WJCP 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: Pediatrics; Peer-reviewed; Open-access; Journal

INTRODUCTION

I am Eduardo H Garin, MD, Professor from the Department of Pediatrics, University of Florida, United States (Figure 1). It is a great privilege to be nominated as Editor-in-Chief of the World Journal of Clinical Pediatrics (World J Clin Pediatr, WJCP, online ISSN 2219-2808, DOI: 10.5409). I am very pleased to announce that the first issue of the WJCP, whose preparation was initiated on January 10, 2011, is officially published on June 8, 2012. The WJCP Editorial Board has now been established and consists of 100 distinguished experts from 31 countries. I would like to say “Congratulations” to the publisher, members of editorial board of the journal, all the authors and readers for the launch of the WJCP!

Figure 1 Editor-in-Chief of the World Journal of Clinical Pediatrics. Eduardo H Garin, MD, Professor, Department of Pediatrics, University of Florida, 1600 SW Archer Road. HD214, Gainesville, FL 32610, United States.

The rapid development of pediatrics over the last years makes the task of being up to date on medical advances a difficult one. There is the need, then, to have a reliable source available to busy physicians that could serve as a bridge between scientists and clinicians, allowing them to receive the latest information about the practice of pediatrics.

The world has globalized mostly in the ability to communicate. The current pediatric medical journals are readily available but they cater for a restricted area of the world, resolving problems specific for those areas. The goal of the WJCP is to allow authors from different parts of the world to present their research titrated to their geographical areas. The readers of the area will certainly benefit by seeing that the common problems not addressed in the current journals will be answered in our pages.

Of particular importance is the fact that the WJCP will provide free, full-text articles in PDF and other formats for experts and the public without registration, which eliminates the economic obstacle of traditional journals.

AIMS AND SCOPE

The aim of the WJCP is to rapidly report new theories, methods and techniques for prevention, diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation and nursing in the field of congenital and hereditary neonatal diseases and abnormalities. The WJCP covers fetal diseases, inborn, newborn diseases, infant diseases, genetic diseases, diagnostic imaging, endoscopy, traditional medicine, integrated Chinese and Western medicine, evidence-based medicine and epidemiology. The journal also publishes original articles and reviews that report the results of applied and basic research in fields related to pediatrics, such as immunology, physiopathology, cell biology, pharmacology, medical genetics and pharmacology of Chinese herbs.

CONTENTS OF PEER REVIEW

In order to guarantee the quality of articles published in the journal, the WJCP usually invites three experts to comment on the submitted papers. The contents of peer reviews 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.

COLUMNS

The columns in issues of the WJCP 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 Clinical Practice: to provide guidelines for clinical diagnosis and treatment; (6) Review: to systematically review the most representative progress and unsolved problems in the major scientific disciplines, comment on the current research status, and make suggestions on future work; (7) Original Articles: to originally report the innovative and valuable findings in pediatrics; (8) Brief Articles: to briefly report the novel and innovative findings in pediatrics; (9) Case Report: to report a rare or typical case; (10) Letters to the Editor: to discuss and make reply to the contributions published in the WJCP or to introduce and comment on a controversial issue of general interest; (11) Book Reviews: to introduce and comment on quality monographs of pediatrics; and (12) Guidelines: to introduce consensuses and guidelines reached by international and national academic authorities worldwide on the research in pediatrics.

CONCLUSION

All contributions to the WCJP will be peer-reviewed and will reflect evidence-based medicine. We attempt to achieve higher standards to serve health professionals and researchers in pediatrics. Therefore, readers can read or use, 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, knowing that the information has reached the reader after close scrutiny. I am cognoscente of the challenge that the birth of the WCJP implies but I am ready to assume leadership to achieve a journal of quality that will bring new information to readers.