New Journal Editor

[Guest guest]

Hey, everybody! I just accepted the position of Editor for

the 'Colorado Acupuncturist', the journal of the Acupuncture

Association of Colorado (AAC).

 

This is my first time in such a position and am looking for general

suggestions and advice from anyone with experience.

 

There are a few areas I have specific interest in. One, I would

like to turn it into a peer-reviewed publication and am, therefore,

seeking advice on how to form a review committee.

 

Also, I am debating what writing style to adopt (MLA, Oxford, AP,

etc.).

 

Ideas, thoughts, and suggestions are greatly appreciated and can be

sent to me directly at jagtao.

 

Thanks,

 

John

[Guest guest]

John,

 

As past editor of the Colorado Acupuncturist, let me say

" congratulations " on your new appointment. I hope you can get this

newsletter/journal back to where it once was. If Honora or I at Blue

Poppy Press can lend you any assistance, please do not hesitate to ask.

 

As for a peer review board, I think you first need to ask yourself the

question why. The answer to this question depends heavily on whether

your are primarily publishing a state association newsletter or a

medical journal. If it's mainly to be a newsletter, I don't think you

need such a board. If you're trying to upgrade from an association

newsletter to a professional medical journal, then a board may be a

good idea.

 

In that case, the next question to ask yourself is, " What do I mean as

a peer? " In other words, a peer to whom? I believe it was Todd who

recently addressed this issue on this forum. On the one hand, any CO

Lic.Ac. is a peer of any other CO Lic.Ac. On the other hand, if you

mean a board of experts who can judge the quality of work submitted

for publication, that's a whole other issue. Todd just today raised

that very same question in another thread on the HVC study. If that's

what you intend, I wish you all the best luck. It's a noble

aspiration. Even when I was the editor of the Journal of the National

Academy of Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine (a supposedly upper

eschelon academic association), we did not have a peer review board.

Heck, it was like pulling teeth just to find anything worthwhile to

publish. In my many years of experience, I would not say that this is

a particularly literate profession.

 

As for editorial standard, pick one, publish it, and then stick to it.

The real issue is consistency, not the particular standard.

 

Again, good luck and best wishes.

 

Bob