Circulation Research. 2005;96:269-271
doi: 10.1161/01.RES.0000157576.83915.3c
(Circulation Research. 2005;96:269.)
© 2005 American Heart Association, Inc.
Circulation Research Editors’ Annual Report for 2004
Eduardo Marbán,
Roberto Bolli,
Gerda Breitwieser,
Rudi Busse,
Hal Dietz,
Masao Endoh,
Toren Finkel,
Kathy Griendling,
David Kass,
Charles Lowenstein,
Gordon Tomaselli,
Kara Hansell Keehan
From the Editor in Chief, Circulation Research.
Correspondence to Eduardo Marbán, MD, PhD, Editor in Chief, Circulation Research, 2700 Lighthouse Point East, Suite 230, Baltimore, MD 21224. E-mail Circulation.research{at}circresearch.com
Key Words: acceptance rate • thematic review series • impact factor
The Editors of Circulation Research are pleased to produce this annual state-of-the-journal report. Looking back on 2004, our fifth year as stewards of this fine publication, we are happy to relate that this was a year of continued growth and success. The editorial complement has evolved insofar as Marlene Rabinovitch stepped down as Associate Editor after four years of distinguished service to the journal; Kathy Griendling was recruited to fill the void and has become a valued member of the team. Fortuitously, Kathy and Marlene shared the 2004 Basic Research Prize of the American Heart Association.
Submissions to Circulation Research have soared during the past five years, with each year setting a new record. Year 2004 was no exception. The journal received 1884 submissions, exceeding the 2003 total by 4% (Figure 1). Manuscript submissions to Circulation Research came from a diverse spectrum of nations, from well-known centers of science to developing countries (Figure 2). Even with this influx of submissions, the Editors maintained the lowest acceptance rate (15.95%) in journal history (Figure 3). The challenge of this low acceptance rate lies in striking a balance between fair peer review and the editorial goal of publishing the best in cutting-edge cardiovascular science. The Editors welcome this challenge.
Circulation Research continued to maintain a highly competitive time from submission to first decision in 2004 (Figure 4). A first decision was rendered in an average of 2.55 weeks for Original Contributions. Decisions were recorded on UltraRapid Communications and Reports in 2.09 and 1.68 weeks, respectively (Figure 5). The average time to first decision for all original research articles remained low in 2004 at an average of 2.46 weeks. The Editors are pleased to note that the average time from acceptance to publication for Original Contributions is 7.33 weeks, 5.17 weeks for UltraRapid Communications, and 6.78 weeks for Reports. Thanks go to the dedicated staff of Cadmus Journal Services and Lippincott Williams & Wilkins for their expeditious production of each issue of the journal. Still important to note is that all original research articles are published in the Online First feature of Circulation Research, whereby articles appear in PDF proof format five to nine days after acceptance. The journal is pleased to continue to offer this value-added service to authors and readers of Circulation Research.
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Figure 4. Trend chart showing the time from submission to first decision for Original Contributions and rapid articles (UltraRapid Communications and Reports) for 1994 to 2004.
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Figure 5. Times to first decision by manuscript category for the calendar year 2004, including the weighted average of all original research article categories.
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Figure 6 displays the final decision breakdown for 2004. Complementing the acceptance rate of <16% is the low reject de novo rate of 13.82%, which illustrates the Editors’ commitment to encouraging de novo resubmission only when such a decision is truly justified. The Editors continued to screen manuscripts at the editorial level ("inappropriate" decisions at 7.05%) and via triage review involving expedited evaluation by at least one external referee (26.18%). We would like to take this opportunity to thank our dedicated Editorial Board members, many of whom assisted considerably in the triage review process. We extend our thanks also to our numerous reviewers-at-large on whose expertise and volunteer help we continue to rely.
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Figure 6. Final decision breakdown for the calendar year 2004, comprising Original Contributions, Reports, UltraRapid Communications, and Research Commentaries.
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In a year of new journal records, the 2003 impact factor was no exception. The Editors are proud to announce that, for the first time in journal history, the Circulation Research impact factor jumped to double digits at 10.117 (Figure 7).
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Figure 7. Rising trend in impact factor for Circulation Research over the past thirteen years, as determined by ISI.1
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Circulation Research and the Council on Basic Cardiovascular Sciences continued their close relationship, forged in recent years, with the annual Circulation Research Symposium. The Symposium originally premiered at the 2001 Scientific Sessions on the theme of proteomics. Other past topics have included "Unanswered Questions in Heart Failure" and "Biology of Cardiac Arrhythmias," both of which were the topics of ongoing thematic review series in Circulation Research. For 2005, the symposium will feature "Biological Imaging," a blend of two review series from the journal. The Table lists all review series topics currently underway in the journal. As the Editors continue to seek out exciting areas of wide interest to readers and contributors, we welcome your suggestions and feedback at circulation.research@circresearch.com.
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References
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1. SCI Journal Citation Reports: a bibliometric analysis of science journals in the ISI database. Philadelphia, PA: Institute for Scientific Information Inc.; 2003.
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