(Circulation. 1998;97:3.)
© 1998 American Heart Association, Inc.
Circulation: New Opportunities
When all is considered, what matters most is opportunity
James T. Willerson, MD
Correspondence to James T. Willerson, MD, Circulation Editorial Office, St Luke's Episcopal Hospital/Texas Heart Institute, 6720 Bertner Ave, Room B524 (MC1-267), Houston, TX 77030-2697.
Beginning with this issue,
Circulation will be published on a weekly basis for 50 weeks
of the year. This has been the present Editor's goal since the
Circulation Editorial offices moved to Houston in
1993,1 2 and now with the blessing and full support of the
Scientific Publishing Committee of the American Heart Association led
previously by Dr. Valentin Fuster and presently by Dr.
Elizabeth Nabel, Circulation has this bright new opportunity
to further serve the world-wide community interested in
cardiovascular medicine.
H. H. Marvin, President of the American Heart Association in 1950 and
writing for the Founding Fathers of Circulation, indicated
in an Editorial written in its first issue that Circulation
would be a vehicle for communicating the best clinical and basic
research related to human cardiovascular
diseases.3 He wrote, "Circulation, then, is
addressed to all those interested in the cardiovascular
system in health and disease—the research scientist, the specialist,
the practicing physician. Its intention is to include articles in the
basic sciences relating to this field and papers
representing the finest type of clinical research, as well
as those which are mainly "practical" in their application. Recent
years have witnessed a remarkable widening of interest in the
physiologic and biochemical aspects of the circulation. The journal
would fail in one of its most important functions if it did not
encourage publication of articles in these and other basic fields. It
is the firm purpose of the Editor, the Editorial Board and the
Publisher to avoid making it on the one hand a journal so exalted in
its aims that only a handful of scientists could read it intelligently
and, on the other hand, a purely clinical journal which would have
little interest for the investigators who are advancing the boundaries
of our knowledge so rapidly. A program of such scope demands a finely
balanced policy of selection; it is our belief that this can be
accomplished. To keep abreast of advances in these various fields, it
is planned to publish all papers within six months of their
acceptance."3
Clearly, it was an expectation of the Founding Fathers of
Circulation that there would be a balance of information
related to fundamental new insights and clinical observations that
would impact clinical care for patients with
cardiovascular diseases published on a regular basis.
In the past forty-seven years, Circulation has done just
that through nine Editors and as many different institutions and cities
where it has been based. Objective criteria suggest that it has
generally fulfilled this mission in a satisfactory manner, as through
this period of time, it has been considered one of the leading journals
in cardiovascular medicine in the world and one that is
regularly cited as the original source for important publications
related to cardiovascular disease.
The present Editor has been asked frequently why there is a need to
publish Circulation on a weekly basis. The same questions
were asked concerning the advisability of publishing
Circulation twice a month, which was initiated in January of
1995.2 I believe there should be a journal of
cardiovascular medicine available to the world-wide
community of cardiovascular physicians and scientists
on a weekly basis communicating breakthrough observations of critical
importance that will influence the care of patients and provide new
insights into mechanisms responsible for human disease. The journal
should report important advances rapidly and broadly.
There are many potential advantages of a weekly publication, including
an ability to rapidly disseminate important information related to
cardiovascular medicine in a format easily read and
interactive with its readership. There should be information of
interest and importance to all who work in
cardiovascular medicine and such information should
have great relevance to the care of patients with
cardiovascular diseases. Dr. Marvin concluded the first
Editorial written in Circulation by saying, "It is clearly
impossible to create a journal that will please everyone; such a goal,
however, may be kept in view. It is our intention to publish in
Circulation papers, abstracts, reviews and special articles
of such high caliber that they will receive the unqualified approval of
those most competent to judge them."3
In publishing Circulation on a weekly basis, we shall
be continuing the Founding Fathers' expectations of what
Circulation should be, broadened by our own very strong
desires and those of the American Heart Association to have it
communicate major advances in cardiovascular medicine.
We ask the readership to help us constantly move forward toward these
goals and to provide all the assistance that it can in making the
journey productive and rewarding for all of us.
Footnotes
The opinions expressed in this editorial are not necessarily those of the editors or of the American Heart Association.
References
1.
Willerson JT. Circulation: The next 5 years.
Circulation. 1993;88:1-2.
2.
Willerson JT. Education of an educator.
Circulation. 1995;91:244-245.[Free Full Text]
3.
Marvin HM. Foreword. Circulation. 1950;1:1.
