Philip E. Bourne is Editor-in-Chief of
A very Happy New Year to all our authors, readers, editors, and reviewers from
everyone at the Public Library of Science! 2008 was a remarkable year for
Such success has come through the hard work of our Editors, not only from our Editorial Board but also from the anonymous reviewers and Guest Editors who expend so much time and energy in the assessment of submitted manuscripts (each averaging 2.8 reviews and 1 to 2 rounds of revisions), and from the attention to detail and care taken over the content.
Peer review by external experts is essential to ensuring that the work published in
In 2008, our pool of reviewers included approximately 1,300 scientists in 36 countries, including Vietnam, Mexico, Brazil, and Afghanistan, as well as in countries such as Israel, Germany, and Japan, where the Journal is better-known. This impressive geographical spread indicates that we are reaching the best of the best across the scientific world, something only a well-respected journal of quality is able to accomplish.
Organic growth requires that we constantly assess both the kinds of papers we accept
and the standards of research they represent. We have revised our scope statement to
reflect slight changes in our focus (see
Looking ahead in 2009, you can expect to see not only more great research, but also
greater connectivity between content found in different PLoS journals and among
members of your community. As an example of the former,
As we have done since our launch, we welcome your feedback on how we're doing and what we should be doing going forward. This is your Journal, and our open philosophy encourages your engagement in it. By working together, we can further establish the importance of our science to our understanding of living systems and make a positive contribution to moving it forward even in these uncertain times.
Once again, many thanks to all of you for your support and commitment to making 2008
a successful year for
Guest Editors and Reviewers for
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