2022 is yet another year with more enthusiasm and ambitions for the Ibnosina Journal of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (IJMBS). Since its inception, the IJMBS' mission has not changed, an international
journal with regional flavor. It is still the peer-reviewed journal that is very much
interested in helping authors from developing countries enhance their manuscripts
and expose their research to the evaluation of Western reviewers and international
readers as we promised in our inaugural volume.[1] The editorial team continues to go out of its way to help young authors mature their
manuscripts before presenting them to reviewers. The feedback we got indicates we
did fairly well with this mission. Many of the manuscripts that were helped satisfied
the peer reviewers and were eventually published. This level of commitment cannot
be afforded by editors of mainline journals overwhelmed by (and spoiled for choice
from) a huge number of manuscripts.[2]
As we are starting the collection of volume 14, we have decided to move to a new publisher.
This was a critical strategic decision appropriate to our quest for a more internationally
recognized status. The new publisher (Thieme Publishers) now lists IJMBS on its platforms
worldwide with a resolute promise to enter to the appropriate indexation cherished
by institutions, researchers, authors, and readers. It is a road that we are determined
to walk. We rely on the new publisher to guide us and help us along the way. Despite
our reservations on the issue of indexation status as the main determinant for choice
of journals, we have to accept that this is the current state of play.[3]
The publishing process is a collaboration between the authors, reviewers, and editors.
We are aware of the shortage of peer reviewers from developing parts of the world,
particularly when asked by emerging journals.[4] Therefore, another mission of the journal was to provide opportunities for future
reviewers. In this area, we had some success but were not as satisfying as we would
have liked. Reviewers are usually from academic institutions and are very busy with
their own abundant work. Some think that the reviewer should be compensated while
others decline because the journal is not indexed in Medline yet. We will continue
to recruit young reviewers and help train them. We will also stress that reviewers
are pivotal for publishing meaningful science and spreading ethical research and will
start documenting their number as well as a certificate of appreciation at the end
of the year. Our reviewer process will continue as a rigorous process as it can be
and will focus on publishing worthwhile international research efforts.
We like to thank all reviewers who took the time to review different manuscripts despite
their busy schedules. Without such a dedicated group, the journal cannot proceed with
high-quality scientific articles.
