The New Circulation Research
2010; Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; Volume: 106; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1161/res.0b013e3181d39f39
ISSN1524-4571
Autores Tópico(s)Health, Environment, Cognitive Aging
ResumoHomeCirculation ResearchVol. 106, No. 2The New Circulation Research Free AccessEditorialPDF/EPUBAboutView PDFView EPUBSections ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload citationsTrack citationsPermissionsDownload Articles + Supplements ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InMendeleyReddit Jump toSupplemental MaterialFree AccessEditorialPDF/EPUBThe New Circulation ResearchA Manifesto Roberto Bolli, MD Roberto BolliRoberto Bolli Originally published5 Feb 2010https://doi.org/10.1161/RES.0b013e3181d39f39Circulation Research. 2010;106:216–226"Wisdom is to know that we don't know."— —Socrates, 469–399 BC"The first thing we must do when seeking knowledge is to reject the presumptuousness of knowing, for it is not possible to learn that which we claim to know."— —Epictetus, 55–135"Doubt is the beginning of knowledge."— —René Descartes, 1596–1650"All that we know is infinitely less than all that still remains unknown."— —William Harvey, 1578–1657In retrospect, it was inevitable. Originally conceived along the lines of the standard inaugural message of a new editorial team (ie, a brief, general statement that is traditionally published at the time of the editorial transition), this article has gradually grown in scope and depth, morphing into what has become a veritable manifesto—a comprehensive account of my vision for Circulation Research. This metamorphosis was the result of my reflections on some basic questions: What is the purpose of an inaugural editorial? Do readers prefer to be given just a glimpse of what is coming or do they want to know the whole story—the entire array of new initiatives and policies that are transforming the journal? Is there an inherent advantage in incompleteness and/or superficiality? The answer to these questions was obvious to me. The changes that are taking place at Circulation Research are too numerous, too profound, and too important to be compressed into a few paragraphs, nor did I see any point in describing them in a manner that would be haphazard, ambiguous, and/or incomplete (for example, omitting most of them just to be brief). And so, what was originally supposed to be a two-page Editorial has ballooned into a manuscript longer than a Regular Article. I ask the readers not to ascribe this unusual length to an inadequate effort on my part to be succinct. While it is true that conciseness, when used wisely, does require work (Blaise Pascal once wrote to a friend: "I apologize for the length of this epistle; I did not have the time to make it shorter"), the readers will undoubtedly realize that the length of this Editorial is not due to lack of time (or effort), but rather to the sheer size and scope of its content.Which also explains the delay in the publication of this Editorial relative to the official beginning of my editorship on July 1, 2009. Writing the manifesto of a new vision of a major scientific journal is not a trivial undertaking that can be completed in a couple of days, nor would I want to publish something written superficially, hastily, carelessly, or, worse still, vicariously. My first priority as Editor-in-Chief has been to attend to the urgent task of changing almost every aspect of the journal (vide infra). Having done most of that, I focused on preparing this document, which I hope will articulate clearly the changes that are taking place and the philosophy behind them. For details regarding our new policies, please refer to the revised Instructions to Authors that are posted on the journal website.VisionWhere do the new editors want to take the journal? Simply put, our vision is that Circulation Research must be the undisputed premier international journal in basic and translational cardiovascular biology. This means that it must be the preferred forum for publishing high-quality papers of broad appeal in all areas of cardiovascular biology. In addition to being the most authoritative vehicle for the dissemination of scientific advances, Circulation Research should also serve a leadership role in shaping the direction of cardiovascular research.StrategyHow will we achieve these goals? First, the readers can rest assured that the Associate Editors and I have made an unambiguous commitment to fulfill our vision and that we will not be satisfied with anything less. We will pursue these goals doggedly and relentlessly. Although we aim high, we are greatly aided by the lofty baseline from which we commence our climb. The journal we inherit boasts a prestigious tradition and enjoys a high level of respect in the community of cardiovascular scholars. After its birth in 1953 (Figure 1), Circulation Research rapidly established itself as a leader in cardiovascular publishing and has maintained this status for over half a century. Most recently, under the capable direction of Eduardo Marbán, and thanks to his innovativeness and perspicacity, the journal has continued to assert its stature and has boasted enviably expeditious review and production processes. Nevertheless, we must not be complacent, for everything around us is changing at an ever-accelerating rate. The landscape of scientific publishing is becoming increasingly competitive in a rapidly expanding and fragmenting market. In this environment, a journal's status can deteriorate rapidly, and if a journal is not moving forward, it will quickly fall behind in both status and impact factor. We believe that increasing competition and rapid changes in the scientific landscape necessitate a strategy of continuous reassessment and improvement in order to adapt to the evolving environment, capitalize on new opportunities, and anticipate scientific trends. This will be the underpinning of our strategy. Download figureDownload PowerPointFigure 1. The first part of the Table of Contents of the first issue of Circulation Research (1953). Driven by increased government support after World War II, cardiovascular research expanded rapidly in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Circulation Research was launched by the American Heart Association in January 1953 to provide an interdisciplinary journal that would focus specifically on research in the cardiovascular system. This was a novel idea, because the journals that existed at the time were devoted to a discipline, eg, physiology, but not specifically to a system or organ.To take Circulation Research to the next level, we will build on its traditional strengths of rigor, efficiency, and prestige, correct its weaknesses, and implement a broad array of philosophical, structural, and operational changes to further enhance the status and impact of the journal and to anticipate emerging trends in both science and publication. In keeping with this strategy, we are changing almost every aspect of the journal. If I had to describe our program in one word, that word would be "change." As of December 31, 2009, more than 50 changes have already been implemented or are soon going to be implemented; because it would be impossible to provide a detailed account of all of them, I summarize the salient ones below.New Editorial TeamIn the current era of e-mail and online communication, geographic concentration of Associate Editors in one location is neither necessary nor desirable, for it is unlikely that the best talent will be clustered in one institution or city. Accordingly, the new team of Associate Editors (Figure 2) has been recruited from all over the world, with no regard to geographic considerations. Download figureDownload PowerPointFigure 2. The new Circulation Research editorial team. From left to right: Eric Olson, Masatsugu Hori, Issei Komuro, Douglas Losordo, William Chilian, Alan Daugherty, Roberto Bolli, Jeffrey Robbins, Hugh Watkins, Linda Demer, Walter Koch, Brian O'Rourke, Stephanie Dimmeler, Aruni Bhatnagar, and Silvia Priori. Christine Seidman is not present. Areas of ExpertiseEditor-in-ChiefSenior Associate EditorsRoberto BolliIschemia/reperfusion, stem cells, gene transfer, coronary circulation, integrative physiology, translational studiesSenior EditorSenior Associate EditorsEugene BraunwaldBasic, translational, and clinical cardiovascular researchSenior Associate EditorsSenior Associate EditorsEric OlsonDevelopment, hypertrophy, heart failure, molecular biology, signal transductionJeffrey RobbinsCardiomyopathies, protein conformation–based disease, muscle biology, molecular biologyChristine SeidmanHuman molecular genetics, congenital heart disorders, cardiomyopathiesAssociate EditorsSenior Associate EditorsAruni Bhatnagar (Deputy Editor)Cardiac metabolism, free radicals/oxidative stress, oxidant signaling, proteomicsWilliam ChilianCoronary circulation, angiogenesis, vascular biology, integrative physiologyAlan DaughertyAtherosclerosis, aneurysms, angiotensin II, lipoprotein metabolism, vascular biologyLinda DemerAtherosclerosis, calcification, vascular biology, bioengineeringStephanie DimmelerStem cells, vasculogenesis, endothelial biologyMasatsugu HoriIschemia/reperfusion, heart failure, integrative physiology, translational studiesWalter KochReceptor pharmacology, signal transduction, G proteins, heart failure, gene therapyIssei KomuroDevelopment, hypertrophy, heart failure, stem cells, molecular biology, signal transductionDouglas LosordoStem cells, angiogenesis, endothelial biology, gene transfer, translational studiesBrian O'RourkeCalcium homeostasis, excitation–contraction coupling, ion channels, electrophysiology, mitochondria, metabolism, computational biologySilvia PrioriElectrophysiology, arrhythmias, ion channels, geneticsHugh WatkinsGenetics, cardiomyopathies, functional analyses of inherited cardiac diseasesThe 50% increase in the number of Associate Editors (from 10 to 15) relative to the previous team is motivated by three fundamental needs: (1) to ensure that all subspecialties in basic cardiovascular science are adequately covered, resulting in a well-balanced mix of expertise; (2) to enable efficient handling of an expanded and demanding portfolio of articles (vide infra); and (3) to broaden and strengthen the impact of Circulation Research. In view of the international reach of the journal (in 2008, 56% of submissions were from outside the US), the number of international Associate Editors has been greatly expanded (from two to five), ensuring robust representation of Asia and Europe.Two other aspects of this team deserve comment. The designation of Senior Editor is a new feature for Circulation Research; in this capacity, Eugene Braunwald (Figure 3) provides strategic and conceptual guidance regarding the overall operations and philosophy of the journal. As Senior Associate Editors, Eric Olson, Jeffrey Robbins, and Christine Seidman play a significant role in shaping the direction of the journal and its policies and initiatives. Download figureDownload PowerPointFigure 3. Eugene Braunwald, MD, Senior Editor of Circulation Research. Dr Braunwald has contributed more to cardiovascular medicine than any other contemporary physician or scientist. His very first paper (submitted at the beginning of his postdoctoral research fellowship) appeared in Circulation Research in September 1954 (in the second volume2); since then, he has authored 68 articles in our journal. As he narrates in a recent Editorial,3 he interacted personally with Carl J. Wiggers, the founding Editor of Circulation Research.New Editorial BoardNothing is more important to a journal's success than the quality and motivation of its reviewers. Peer review is the veritable backbone of a journal. Indeed, the quality of a journal can only be as high as the quality of its reviewers. The performance of the referees is also important to the authors, who have the right to a rapid and fair review. It is truly impossible to overemphasize the impact of our consultants on the success of our work. They are absolutely critical. Therefore, we have worked diligently to assemble our Editorial Board; its members have been selected on the basis of their scientific expertise, scholarly stature, intellectual integrity, and commitment to the journal.As you may have noticed in the masthead, a new structure has been implemented that includes two Boards: the traditional Editorial Board (whose 148 members are primarily charged with reviewing manuscripts) and the newly created Board of Consulting Editors, which in turn encompasses four subsets: the Editors Emeriti, six Senior Consulting Editors (current or former Editors of other cardiovascular journals), 20 Consulting Editors (a select group of individuals who are widely recognized as leaders in their field of research and have distinguished themselves for exceptional commitment to the mission of the journal), and four Statistical Consultants. Besides reviewing manuscripts (the traditional role of the Editorial Board), the members of the Board of Consulting Editors are called on to serve as Guest Editors for thematic Review series and for manuscripts where a conflict may exist for the Associate Editors, to provide advice regarding the direction and operations of the journal, to suggest new initiatives, topics for Reviews, and themes that need emphasis, to identify areas for improvement, and to prepare Reviews and Editorials. Thus, the functions of the Board of Consulting Editors are intermediate between those of the Editorial Board and those of the Associate Editors.Together, the two Boards (Editorial Board and Board of Consulting Editors) constitute an extraordinary cadre of dedicated, experienced, and highly respected individuals who share our passion for excellence, our vision for the journal, and our commitment to its success. These outstanding cardiovascular scientists will not only uphold but further enhance the high standards of quality, credibility, and prestige that have made Circulation Research a leader in scientific publishing.What they do is truly remarkable. They give without asking. They selflessly donate their time (often on weekends and evenings), their energy, and their expertise to assist the editors in the tricky task of sifting through hundreds of papers to find the few gold nuggets that meet our standards. And they do this in the shade of anonymity; although they, in large measure, shape the journal, their efforts and contribution are not known to the readership. Few activities are nobler and more altruistic than that of an anonymous reviewer. Despite the fact that I have worked with scientific journals for decades, I continue to be amazed by the unselfish dedication of editorial consultants. The Associate Editors and I are proud of the members of our Editorial Board and our Board of Consulting Editors—a bevy of outstanding scientific citizens who deserve our utmost gratitude, respect, and admiration.I believe that the work and commitment of these individuals must be rewarded. Accordingly, those editorial consultants who distinguish themselves for the number, timeliness, and quality of their reviews (as assessed by the ratings assigned by the Associate Editors) will be recognized at the annual Editorial Board dinner, on the journal itself, and through individualized letters from the editor. This policy has already been implemented. At the dinner of Circulation Research held in Orlando during the 2009 American Heart Association (AHA) Scientific Sessions, a distinguished cadre of outstanding consultants was identified and presented with a number of awards; this "honor roll" is highlighted on the journal website.I also wish to improve communication between the editors and their consultants (Editorial Board and Board of Consulting Editors). Since (as mentioned above) the members of these Boards are selected on the basis of their scientific stature and commitment to the journal, they constitute a massive reservoir of expertise and wisdom, and thus are an invaluable source of advice that will greatly benefit the journal. Accordingly, the Associate Editors and I wish to maintain an ongoing dialogue with them. We welcome and greatly value their suggestions, constructive criticism, and feedback on new initiatives, areas for improvement, philosophical and logistical matters, topics for Review articles, creative uses of online resources, and any other issues that may enhance the quality of Circulation Research. Besides frequent informal contacts, once a year We will conduct a survey of all Board members to solicit their candid feedback regarding the direction, philosophy, and operation of the journal. I am committed to personally responding to all email/phone/letter messages from them.Changes in Article SelectionDriven by a pursuit of excellence, the editors have implemented a number of changes in the criteria used to select articles for publication.Raising the BarIn science, as in most human endeavors, quality is more important than quantity. As stewards of Circulation Research, the editors have a fiduciary responsibility to the readership to ensure that only the very best science appears in the journal. In a very real sense, the editors work for the readers; their charge is to select papers rigorously, publishing only truly new or novel information that constitutes an important conceptual advance vis-à-vis existing knowledge, so that the readers' time is spent wisely. In an increasingly busy and competitive environment, the readers' decision to look at our journal must be worth the effort.Accordingly, we have "raised the bar" for acceptance. For a paper to be published in Circulation Research, it must not only be methodologically immaculate but also have substantial conceptual novelty and a potentially large impact on the field. Unfortunately, this means that the acceptance rate will likely fall below the 15% to 17% range where it has hovered for years.Novelty As the Overarching RequirementAlong these lines, conceptual novelty will be the sine qua non for a paper to be published in Circulation Research. In other words, we will give priority to new information that significantly augments existing knowledge. The information may or may not be mechanistic, but it must provide substantial new insights into cardiovascular biology in health and disease. It is important for authors to know that studies that are well-designed and methodologically sound but have little novelty (ie, studies that represent variations or extensions of previous ideas or incremental advances over previous work) will generally not be published. In the new review forms (see Online Data Supplement, available at http://circres.ahajournals.org), referees are asked to specifically indicate what is new in a manuscript and whether the degree of novelty justifies publication. We also ask authors to describe briefly in their cover letter what is new in their manuscript and why this will be of interest to the readership of Circulation Research.Thematic Content/Areas of InterestBesides the fields that have been traditionally covered by Circulation Research, the editors wish to emphasize the relatively underrepresented areas of cardiovascular genetics and developmental cardiovascular biology, as well as new enabling technologies and translational mechanistic research (vide infra). We encourage submission of articles in these fields. Our interest in promoting these topics/themes as important features of Circulation Research is clearly reflected in the makeup of the new editorial team.Translational research merits additional comment. In keeping with the increasing emphasis of the NIH, AHA, and other bodies on bridging the gap between basic research and clinical medicine, we will endeavor to publish more cutting-edge translational studies that offer mechanistic insights, ie, work in humans or with human tissue that uses state-of-the-art approaches to illuminate basic mechanisms of disease and therapy. However, merely observational human studies will not be published.New Article PortfolioThe portfolio of articles published by Circulation Research has been significantly expanded to meet the multifarious needs of authors and readers. As an addition to the standard, time-honored Regular Articles, Reviews, and Editorials, we have launched a cornucopia of new manuscript formats and categories in an effort to enrich the thematic content of the journal and broaden its appeal (Table). Table 1. Major Changes in the Portfolio and Format of Articles Published in Circulation ResearchNew Article Categories • Extended print version of Regular Articles • Brief UltraRapid Communications • Short Communications • New Methods in Cardiovascular Biology • Featured Articles • News and Views • Scientific Guidelines • Methodological Reviews • Emerging Science • Controversies in Cardiovascular Research • Basic Implications of Clinical Science • Translational Perspectives • Personal Reflections • Profiles in Cardiovascular Science • Expanded online contentChanges in Format • New cover page • New style for Table of Contents • Structured Abstract • Boldface type for Abstract • List of non-standard abbreviations • Requirement for a detailed Methods section in the Online Data Supplement (with sufficient details to enable readers to replicate the experiments) • Full reference citations (including all authors) • Novelty and Significance section • In This Issue sectionExtended Print Version of Regular ArticlesRecognizing that the current limits for Regular Articles (6,000 words and 8 display items) have worked well in most cases, we will maintain them. However, we will also allow selected papers to exceed this length if we deem it appropriate and the authors are willing to pay for the additional pages. This flexibility is necessary because some outstanding papers of great impact contain an unavoidably large amount of data that cannot be compressed into the standard limits without a significant loss of quality. Thus, authors of a long article will now have two options: (1) publishing part of their manuscript as an Online Data Supplement, so as to keep the print version within the standard limit of 6,000 words and 8 display items (old option); or (2) publishing the entire paper in the print version (except for the detailed Methods section, which will appear online) and paying for the extra pages (new option). The latter choice is offered to those investigators who do not wish to "split" their papers between a print and an online version.Brief UltraRapid CommunicationsWe have discontinued the UltraRapid Communication format because the review time for these articles (average, 17.7 days in 2008) was not appreciably less than that of Regular Articles (average, 18.9 days in 2008). Instead, we have implemented a new category, Brief UltraRapid Communications (BURCs), which will enable authors to receive a very fast decision (within seven days of submission) on papers of unusual impact. BURCs are limited to 2,500 words (excluding Methods) and 4 display items. Their purpose is to enable very rapid dissemination of observations that are of outstanding interest to the readership but have a relatively narrow scope. Less comprehensive than Regular Articles but still scientifically rigorous, BURCs will present seminal findings that have the potential to open up new avenues of research. Authors will receive a dichotomous ("yes/no") decision within seven days of submission. Detailed comments by the referees may not be available. For the papers deemed acceptable, only minor changes in the text and/or figure will be permitted; major revisions or changes requiring more than five days will not be allowed. A brief letter to the editor explaining the importance of the findings and the reason for requesting accelerated publication should accompany the manuscript. Papers not accepted as BURCs may be resubmitted as Regular Communications provided they have been extensively revised and expanded with the addition of substantial new data.Like all other original articles, BURCs will be published online ahead of print 7 to 14 days after acceptance and then in print version an average of 24 days after acceptance. This means that authors can expect BURCs to be published within 14 to 21 days of submission if no revision is needed and within 19 to 26 days if a revision is indicated—the fastest publication process available in any journal we are aware of.Short CommunicationsRecognizing that some important studies may be less comprehensive than other, we have created this new category (2,500 words [excluding Methods] and 4 display items) to provide an avenue for publishing papers that are more narrowly focused than Regular Articles but are still definitive and scientifically rigorous. The time to first decision for these papers is expected to be even less than that for Regular Articles, which is already aggressively brief (eg, 9.7 days in December 2009).New Methods in Cardiovascular BiologyCirculation Research has traditionally shunned methodological papers, yet despite the lack of mechanistic insights, these articles can have a significant impact on cardiovascular science. Research is driven by techniques at least as much as it is driven by ideas; in fact, many (if not most) studies are performed because new methodologies have become available to answer old questions. Why, then, avoid publication of new methods? Cognizant of these facts, and recognizing the impact that enabling technologies can have on science, we have introduced a category of methodologically focused articles whose purpose is to describe new tools and techniques that have the potential to transform research and be useful to a broad spectrum of investigators. In general, the description and validation of the new technology should be combined with at least one example of its application to a specific question relevant to cardiovascular physiology or pathology.Featured ArticlesWe have introduced this new designation to highlight original articles of outstanding scientific importance. Featured Articles are identified on the journal's cover and highlighted in color in the Table of Contents of the print version. They are archived on the journal website with each current issue and can be retrieved separately in all past journal issues. (To view our Featured Articles archive, click on the link below the cover image icon in the online issue Table of Contents.)News and ViewsThis section of the journal appraises the readership of important events and scientific advances using a fresh, informal, conversational style. The content is miscellaneous: news of broad general interest to the cardiovascular community (including international news); major recent discoveries in the cardiovascular field as well as ground-breaking discoveries in other fields that might have reverberations in cardiovascular research; changes in science management and policy and political/social issues that might impact the implementation, conduct, perception, and dissemination of cardiovascular research; highlights of the most exciting basic and translational science presented at scientific meetings; and commentaries by selected scientific leaders. In keeping with the mission of the AHA, we also plan to include issues relevant to early career investigators and their particular needs. News and Views debuted at the end of 2009 (in the November 20 issue).I wish to stress that News and Views (like all sections of the journal) will not be used to push a political or ideological agenda. I do not subscribe to the praxis of some journals, which choose to advocate a particular ideological position by publishing opinion articles/commentaries that promote only one point of view, only one side of a debate. I do not believe this is a proper use of scientific publications. I believe that journals ought to respect intellectual diversity, not only because of the obvious reason that it is fair but also because exposure to different ideas is enriching. At Circulation Research, we will not push political views or ideologies of any kind; instead, we will strive to be inclusive, to respect diversity of opinions, and to the extent possible, present all sides of an issue fairly.Scientific GuidelinesAs the official journal of the Council on Basic Cardiovascular Sciences (BCVS) of the AHA (the largest basic cardiovascular research organization in the world, with >5,000 members), Circulation Research is uniquely positioned as an authoritative source of information regarding optimal scientific methodology. Indeed, the membership of the BCVS Council includes leading experts in virtually all major techniques used in contemporary cardiovascular investigation—an extraordinary reservoir of knowledge that could, and should, be leveraged to the benefit of our readership. Accordingly, I believe it would be appropriate for the journal to promulgate scientific guidelines pertaining to methodologies that are widely used in cardiovascular research. We envision these guidelines to reflect the consensus of a committee of recognized experts, selected among the members of the BCVS Council.Publication of scientific guidelines will serve multiple useful purposes. It will fulfill the educational mission of the AHA and of the BCVS Council, adding a new dimension to the journal. It will facilitate peer review of manuscripts and grant applications because it will provide widely agreed on standards for evaluating common methodologies. Most importantly, it will benefit the conduct of research by defining standards for performing scientific investigations.Methodological ReviewsAlong the same lines, we plan to introduce Review articles to discuss methods that are of broad interest and that enable a better understanding of cardiovascular biology, particularly recent technologies in which the methods are still in flux. These articles, written by recognized experts, should be useful to all investigators, but especially to early-career investigators.Emerging ScienceThese will be brief commentaries or full Reviews pu
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