Editorial

At the start of the fifth year since its launch, it is appropriate to review the mission of “Gynecological Surgery.” Our discipline deserves a dedicated surgical journal, as gynecologists not only pioneered endoscopic surgery, but they continue to be at the forefront of surgical training and innovation. The progress and dissemination of new techniques requires discussions, critical evaluation, and the publication of well-designed studies in reputable journals. Gynecological Surgery intends to fulfil this goal. While the number of submissions is steadily increasing—more than 500 manuscripts have now been submitted—the journal continues to extend its spectrum of articles, which now includes editorials, perspectives, systematic and topical reviews, clinical practice, communications, images, and surgery in motion. “Surgery in motion” includes short articles with video clips and sound recordings. “Perspectives” will highlight novel insights and developments relevant to our speciality, including hypotheses, while “Communications” will continue to include case reports and short articles. The format of “Surgical Shortcuts” is, however, changing. While we will continue to scan the most authoritative and respected journals, such as the New England Journal of Medicine, Lancet, the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and other top journals, for relevant publications, the structured abstract will be published along with expert commentary that highlights its relevance in clinical management and patient care.

The quality of any medical journal depends as much on its contributors as on its reviewers. By engaging experts worldwide in the reviewing process, we intend to meet the standards expected by the scientific community. Central to the ethos of Gynecological Surgery is that we continue to expect frank but constructive criticisms from our reviewers. Reviewers are selected on the basis of their own scientific publications and experience in the review process. Therefore, the quality of the journal reflects, to a large extent, the scientific standard of the wider gynecological community. We are pleased to include in this issue the list of our reviewers for the past year. Publication time, dependent on editorial and online processing, is, at present, approximately 4 months and the total print production time takes, on average, 180 days. This process will hopefully be speeded up during the coming year. In 2007, all issues of Gynecological Surgery were published on time, which is important for ISI recognition in the near future.

Our publisher, Springer, has greatly increased the visibility of the journal using different strategies, including free subscription trials, allowing the Editorial Board to choose an article from each issue for open-access publication, and providing the authors with the same option. Awarded papers presented at the annual European Society for Gynecological Surgery meeting will also be freely available online when accepted for publication in Gynecological Surgery.