As Time Marches On

Ben Franklin penned “In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes”:1 taxes because of our living as a community and death that occurs as time goes on. While Operative Dentistry continues to look the same on the cover, many changes are taking place within the journal.

As I write this, we have just experienced the largest number of new submissions in a single month ever. In the month of January, we received 74 total manuscripts (53 new and 21 revised). I believe that we are seeing increased interest in the journal because of great efforts on the part of those who make (and made) this publication happen, including the previous leadership, all of our reviewers and especially our diligent journal staff. Operative Dentistry continues to compete with “the big boys,” using what is essentially a “Mom & Pop” operation. As evidence of our journal's relevancy, the Institute for Scientific Information's Web of Knowledge Journal Citation Report for 2009 ranked this journal number 23 out of 64 dental journals in terms of Impact Factor. When one considers that publishing clinical technique articles is not generally helpful for increasing an Impact Factor, this ranking should be viewed as very respectable.

But, we cannot rest on our laurels. As technology continues to develop, and as more people become comfortable viewing information via electronic formats, the publication world is being changed. Operative Dentistry has strived to keep abreast of these changes in an effort to serve a diverse international readership. The journal is now available online, and an increasing number of subscribers are opting to receive their journal in the electronic format. Manuscript submission and the entire review process are now accomplished online.

As with many other journals, we are now publishing manuscripts that are in queue for publication by “going prepress.” Shortly after a manuscript has reached this stage in the process, it will be made available and, more importantly, citable to all who work in the electronic world—long before the issue is available in print. For those who search literature using search engines, such as “PubMed,” these “prepress” manuscripts should appear in those search results.

Thanks to the dedicated service of the associate editors and staff, this “Mom & Pop” organization is working hard to keep Operative Dentistry a viable, accessible example of excellence for our profession. A complete overhaul of job descriptions and reassignment of duties has been required for us to accomplish this task. During this transition, the publication schedule of the first couple issues of this year's volume, Volume 36, has been disrupted. But, as Operative Dentistry continues to grow and change, I trust that the rewards will outweigh the costs.

With our increased number of submissions and publishable manuscripts, other changes may be forthcoming. Operative Dentistry may begin offering “e-press only” acceptance for some manuscripts, publishing them online only. Discussions are underway and options are being explored. Stay tuned, for I sense that more change is on the way!