What is the purpose of launching the World Journal of Surgical Procedures?

Abstract

The presentation of a new journal is both an honor and a burden for the one who takes on the task. World Journal of Surgical Procedures (WJSP) is an online scientific journal, whose preparatory work was initiated on December 6, 2010, and will be published on December 29, 2011. The WJSP Editorial Board has now been established and consists of 106 distinguished experts from 23 countries. In every single issue, published on the Internet, this journal will host articles from research groups scattered all over the world, with the intention of addressing the most important innovations in technology and applications in surgical disciplines. With the spirit that animates the new online journals, the WJSP will represent an accessible space for all, thus placing itself as the “journal for all”, and as such, the benefits for all. Another sign of this openness and sharing of space is the real willingness to respond to every writer who submits a paper rapidly, but packaged in a personal, non-formal manner. Sometimes it may also be an invitation to rewrite, a sort of board criticism, an editing service. The journal welcomes different types of articles from the editorial opinion to the panel discussions of clinical cases, from the follow-up to studies from researchers around the world, to see what others are doing. WJSP is a scientific journal with its feet firmly planted in the present, but also looking to the future. Using the Internet, WJSP can be visited by anyone, and is expected to reach more readers.

Key Words: Biomedical sciences; Journal; Open-access; Peer-reviewed; Surgery

INTRODUCTION

I am Massimo Chello, a Professor from the University of Campus Bio Medico of Rome, Italy (Figure 1), and together with Feng Wu, MD, PhD, Professor, Nuffield Department of Surgical Sciences, University of Oxford will be the co-Editor-in-Chief of the World Journal of Surgical Procedures (World J Surg Proced, WJSP, online ISSN 2219-2832, DOI: 10.5412). I am proud to christen the WJSP, which will discuss information in the field of surgical research. I am very pleased to announce that the first issue of WJSP, whose preparatory work was initiated on December 6, 2010, will be published on December 29, 2011. The WJSP is a bimonthly peer-reviewed, online, open-access, journal supported by an editorial board consisting of 106 experts in surgical procedures from 23 countries.

Figure 1 Editor-in-Chief of the World Journal of Surgical Procedures. Massimo Chello, MD, Professor, Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, University Campus Bio Medico of Rome, Via Alvaro Del Portillo 200, 00128 Rome, Italy.

The potential for applications and remedies arising from recent scientific and technological discoveries is very high. As a result of the increasing availability of technology, research in surgery has grown relatively rapidly in recent years. From the point of view of the availability of information, what is emerging is something completely new and different. The media, internet, and social networks, have radically changed the relations of individuals in terms of information and knowledge and, consequently, the entire organization of work and communication in the scientific community. Therefore, since scientific research is a discipline that must transfer knowledge from the world of ideas to the world of theoretical knowledge and application, it follows that the research has already been profoundly altered. Therefore, the processes of globalization and the technologized society require radical rethinking and major new approaches. The scientific world related to surgery must therefore adapt and invest in a role that takes on enormous importance for the development of knowledge: namely, the integration of technology with culture emerging from more traditional cultures. In order to capitalize on the enormous potential available, we must break down the traditional barriers that affect the physiological exchange of knowledge in scientific research between surgical specialties and innovative technologies, not only in the laboratory but also in the publication of scientific articles. We therefore need a new journal that provides an interdisciplinary platform where different types of researchers can publish their work in a journal that covers various types of research.

A scientific journal is a cultural project that, depending on the editorial line and the content may appear in very different forms[1]. Each historical period has its own journals, which include academic, informative, creative journals, with spaces dedicated to basic and clinical trials, the description of new techniques, and case reports, where the commitment and the editorial choices sometimes respond to market needs, or the lure of the Web of Science[2]. Over the past decade, scientific journals in surgery have seen interesting changes. There are a large number of specialist journals, and one can distinguish traditional journals that descend or otherwise reflect the design of the scientific journal as required by PubMed or Medline: worthy places of research and experimentation fueled by famous writers and illustrious collaborators, often characterized by lengthy editorial processes, with rising costs and publication backlogs associated with print journals. A few years ago, however, a new model of scientific journal appeared, and was accessible and transparent, thanks to online distribution. Underlying these new journals is a circular structure, which is democratic, often composed of a variable and heterogeneous number of employees. The common denominator of the editorial choices is not “who” but “what” and “how” the author writes[1]. Apart from personalistic interests, the birth of a new journal is good for the knowledge and the pluralism of opinions. This phenomenon is interesting for several reasons: as pointed out earlier by Testa[3], “an essential core of scientific literature forms the basis for all scholarly disciplines. However, this core is not static. Scientific research continues to give rise to specialized fields of studies, and new journals emerge as published research on new topics achieves critical mass”. The some author also underlined the importance of international diversity among authors who contribute articles, the journal editors and members of the Editorial Advisory Board.

CONTENTS FOR PEER REVIEW

In order to guarantee the quality of articles published in the journal, WJSP usually invites three experts to comment on submitted papers. The contents for 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 aim of WJSP is to rapidly report on new theories, methods and techniques for prevention, diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation and nursing in the field of surgical procedures. The new journal will publish full articles of the highest quality and relevance in the field of clinical, experimental surgery, molecular and cellular systems, including experimental, computational, and theoretical aspects, and the use of new organic material, artificial and biological circuits, tissue regeneration, and robotics. The purpose of the journal is to include areas relevant to the interface between surgery and new emerging technologies. The Editorial Board is composed of researchers with skills that cover the various fields of application of the journal, and the composition of the board will be continually updated to address developments in this exciting new field.

COLUMNS

The columns in the issues of WJSP will include: (1) Editorial: To introduce and comment on the substantial advances and their importance in 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 to solve the questions; (5) Guidelines for Clinical Practice: To provide guidelines for clinical diagnosis and treatment; (6) 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 future work; (7) Original Articles: To report original innovative and valuable findings in surgical procedures; (8) Brief Articles: To briefly report the novel and innovative findings in surgical procedures; (9) Case Report: To report a rare or typical case; (10) Letters to the Editor: To discuss and reply to the contributions published in WJSP, or to introduce and comment on a controversial issue of general interest; (11) Book Reviews: To introduce and comment on quality monographs on surgical procedures; and (12) Guidelines: To introduce consensuses and guidelines reached by international and national academic authorities worldwide on the research in surgical procedures.

In conclusion, there is a fundamental need for one or more journals that present emergent topics in surgery and make these available to everyone. WJSP is being launched to address this situation, targeting all members of the international scientific community, with open minds.