As Editor-in-Chief of International Surgery, I address International Surgery strategy and commitment to maintain high standards of publishing. International Surgery has been published since 1938 and has maintained consistent, high publishing standards for 86 years. It is our intention to maintain these high standards of publishing International Surgery without compromise in the future.
Over the years, the scientific medical journal publishing environment has significantly changed, including the increased importance of online, open access publishing. While always a peer reviewed journal, International Surgery began online, open access publishing in May 2017, seven plus years ago. In making this change, the fulfillment of author needs, and providing our readers with highest standard research information, were of the highest priority and continue to be so.
Yet, in this changed publishing environment, fraudulent journals have unfortunately emerged, characterized, in part, with little or no peer review. Misrepresentations to unsuspecting authors, who in many cases, are simply unaware of false commitments, such as rapid publishing with inadequate peer review, are made, followed by the publishing of scientific medical data that are misleading, and in the worst case, simply inaccurate.
As Editor-in-Chief of International Surgery, I am aware of these fraudulent scientific medical publications. I assure the authors of submitted scientific medical manuscripts to International Surgery that all of your manuscripts will be peer reviewed in accord with the highest standards. Careful, professional peer review does take time. To the readers of International Surgery published articles, I assure you of the highest quality scientific medical research data.
I welcome any questions or comments that you may have.
Sincerely,
Professor Christopher Chen
Editor-in-Chief
International Surgery