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Building editorial capacity- a developing world perspective
Christopher Paul SzaboEditor-in-Chief
African Journal of Psychiatry
WPA Publications Section
• WPA Florence meeting, 2009–Limited number of indexed LAMIC
publications–Capacity•Editorial skills
Editorial skills
• How best to develop such skills ?• Editorial fellow ?
–African Journal of Psychiatry–WPA funded
• Workshop ? –WPA Beijing meeting
African Journal of Psychiatry (AJOP)- a brief history
Ø Previously South African Psychiatry ReviewØ Unsuccessful application for MEDLINE selection- November 2006Ø AJOP Established- August 2007
Ø Official publication of the AAPAPØ Geographical shift of focus: South Africa to
Africa Ø MEDLINE- March 2009
South African Psychiatry Review
• Established in May 2002–Appointed editor
• Last edition in May 2007• Previously- Journal of Depression and Anxiety
–Appointed editor in January 2001–No experience–No mentor
Evolution
Journal of Depression and Anxiety - 2001 South African Psychiatry Review - 2002 African Journal of Psychiatry - 2007
Technical considerations- for indexing
• Editorial board• Manuscript processing• Peer review• Journal style requirements• Frequency of publications• Timing of publications• Access/distribution• Databases
Technical consideration- once indexed
• Transmission of content–MEDLINE–doi
Issues• Consistency
–Timing–Style
• Communication–Prompt
• Content–Variety–Relevance–Quality
Credibility
Obstacles
• Lessons learned• Politics• Funding
Lessons learned• Vision• Consistent leadership
–continuity• Constant networking
–profile building• Commitment
–time• Tenacity
–disappointment
Politics
• Rival publications• Professional society involvement
Funding
• Institutional• Governmental• Non governmental organizations• Professional society• Subscriptions• Commercial
The future
• Success–Definition changes over time
• Challenges–Growth–Sustainability–Succession
Peer review- response to the editor
Dear Dr. Szabo: The critics of Pasteur and others would state something like this, "Because I
can't see it, it must not exist." Then if Pasteur would say, "Well look down my microscope" they would respond with, "All I see is some specks that could be anything". The problem of science has always been a lack of, "Well I've never heard of anything like this before, but you could be right"
If you have never heard anyone describe their feelings related to their mother's abortion, you could not know. You couldn't know because you don't ask. You don't ask because you don't believe such a thing could exist, possibly because you believe, in spite of the evidence that abortion is a good thing for women.
Of course this study has flaws, (most of which can be addressed) but to date it is the only one that is attempting to address this clinical phenomena. I am a retired well respected academic. I have taught research methodology. I have been chairman of clinical and academic departments and taught in 5 universities in different parts of the world and I am convinced of the reality of what I am reporting, but how to convince others who cannot conceive of anything like this.
If I was convinced you were open to logical argument, I would pursue this.