E-Publishing in 2001

Wolfgang Sadée, Editor-in-Chief

In 2000, AAPS PharmSci has established a foothold in the world of scientific publishing. For 2001, I expect the journal to gain momentum and assert a leadership position. Expanding Internet capabilities make electronic publishing compelling for scientific interchange. As an open forum accessible to all, AAPS PharmSci serves a public need for unfettered access to the latest scientific informationworldwide.

A number of technical advances have improved the presentation and accessibility of AAPS PharmSci. The journal is now integrated with the AAPS portal, AAPS Pharmaceutica (https://www.aapspharmaceutica.com/scientificjournals/pharmsci/index.htm) while it remains accessible through the previous URL (https://www.pharmsci.org). Note however, that bookmarks to individual articles need to be updated, as they are not automatically rerouted.

Being part of a portal opens a much-expanded set of internal links and search functions. Information in AAPS PharmSci can be accessed from all pages of the portal, including the homepages for AAPS Sections and Focus Groups. Second, we have implemented PDF versions of all articles, upon popular demand. This feature is useful for printing out readable copies, but advancing technology will eventually make this option obsolete.

Third, we are in the process of converting AAPS PharmSci to XML format. We expect this to enhance the information content of articles, as a result of enhanced markup procedures. Eventually, a journal turns into a database, which can serve as a research tool. To take full advantage of this enhancement, we need to learn how to exploit the electronic capabilities of AAPS PharmSci and the portal. Lastly, and pending review, we hope to have AAPS PharmSci indexed in PubMed and Medline, later this year.

Establishing Theme Issues and Special Feature Articles will be the main objective this year.. We have just implemented a new Theme Issue: "Membrane Transporters: Physiological and Pharmacological Relevance" (Guest Editor Jash Unadkat, Associate Guest Editors Peter Swaan and Greg Knipp). Moreover, we continue the Theme Issue "Pharmacogenetics-Pharmacogenomics 2001" (Guest Editors Maureen Cronin and Michael Silber). Articles in Theme issues will be peer-reviewed under regular editorial procedures, but will be displayed in separate Theme Issues--in addition to being included with the regular issues of AAPS PharmSci. I invite all to contribute articles.

Theme Issues exemplify a key feature of the flexible electronic publishing process: it empowers individuals to step forward and shape their own field of interest by displaying it in an open forum. I invite proposals for Theme Issues in a variety of specialty areas.

Once a Theme Issue is published, it can be disseminated throughout the portal--and the entire world via the Internet. Authors will have enhanced control over how their work gets distributed. To post a Theme Issue on the homepage for Sections and Focus Groups will become a main avenue for reaching one's peers, for example the Focus Groups in 'Pharmacogenetics--Pharmacogenomics' and "Drug Transport and Uptake." Thus, I urge members of each Section and Focus Group to suggest a Theme Issue, which can enhance the scientific content of their home page. This can lead to a much more interactive community, one facilitated by the portal.

Another innovation I am working on is to establish "virtual journals" in specialty fields. This entails a hierarchical, automated search of the pertinent literature, for example in pharmacogenetics-pharmacogenomics (the first example to be implemented). Whereas each scientist employs common literature search strategies, most of us do not take full advantage of all options currently offered. We will carefully construct search parameters and structured keywords that capture the essential elements of an area, with the help of UCSF librarian David Owen. By performing the search automatically each week, one gains access to what is new over the past week, month, or year. All literature citations will be linked to the source, at least to the metadata.

Once established, we invite individuals (for example members of a Focus Group or any other interested individual) to write commentaries on selected recent articles to highlight novel developments, to be published along with the literature citation. Finally, providing automated analyses, such as using cross-citations, can further enhance the content. Even though we are just now developing this approach, I invite individuals to take on additional areas of the pharmaceutical sciences in a similar fashion. Virtual journals will be published within AAPS PharmSci, but will also be linked to other Web sites as required.

In summary, I call upon my fellow scientist to take their publication strategies into their own hands. Scientific publishing must not be a rigid top-to-bottom process but, rather, the product of empowered individual scientists who gain the ability to optimize the impact of their work. Authors provide the information content, journals serve to package the information for broad dissemination and impact. AAPS PharmSci will live up to this imperative by engaging authors in the dissemination process.

Wolfgang Sadée

Editor-in-Chief