Building editorial capacity- a developing world perspective

Christopher Paul SzaboEditor-in-Chief

African Journal of Psychiatry

WPA Publications Section

• WPA Florence meeting, 2009–Limited number of indexed LAMIC

publications–Capacity•Editorial skills

Editorial skills

• How best to develop such skills ?• Editorial fellow ?

–African Journal of Psychiatry–WPA funded

• Workshop ? –WPA Beijing meeting

African Journal of Psychiatry (AJOP)- a brief history

Ø Previously South African Psychiatry ReviewØ Unsuccessful application for MEDLINE selection- November 2006Ø AJOP Established- August 2007

Ø Official publication of the AAPAPØ Geographical shift of focus: South Africa to

Africa Ø MEDLINE- March 2009

South African Psychiatry Review

• Established in May 2002–Appointed editor

• Last edition in May 2007• Previously- Journal of Depression and Anxiety

–Appointed editor in January 2001–No experience–No mentor

Evolution

Journal of Depression and Anxiety - 2001 South African Psychiatry Review - 2002 African Journal of Psychiatry - 2007

Technical considerations- for indexing

• Editorial board• Manuscript processing• Peer review• Journal style requirements• Frequency of publications• Timing of publications• Access/distribution• Databases

Technical consideration- once indexed

• Transmission of content–MEDLINE–doi

Issues• Consistency

–Timing–Style

• Communication–Prompt

• Content–Variety–Relevance–Quality

Credibility

Obstacles

• Lessons learned• Politics• Funding

Lessons learned• Vision• Consistent leadership

–continuity• Constant networking

–profile building• Commitment

–time• Tenacity

–disappointment

Politics

• Rival publications• Professional society involvement

Funding

• Institutional• Governmental• Non governmental organizations• Professional society• Subscriptions• Commercial

The future

• Success–Definition changes over time

• Challenges–Growth–Sustainability–Succession

Peer review- response to the editor

Dear Dr. Szabo:       The critics of Pasteur and others would state something like this, "Because I

can't see it, it must not exist."  Then if Pasteur would say, "Well look down my microscope" they would respond with, "All I see is some specks that could be anything".  The problem of science has always been a lack of, "Well I've never heard of anything like this before, but you could be right"

        If you have never heard anyone describe their feelings related to their mother's abortion, you could not know.  You couldn't know because you don't ask.  You don't ask because you don't believe such a thing could exist, possibly because you believe, in spite of the evidence that abortion is a good thing for women.

        Of course this study has flaws, (most of which can be addressed) but to date it is the only one that is attempting to address this clinical phenomena.  I am a retired well respected academic.  I have taught research methodology.  I have been chairman of clinical and academic departments and taught in 5 universities in different parts of the world and I am convinced of the reality of what I am reporting, but how to convince others who cannot conceive of anything like this.

        If I was convinced you were open to logical argument, I would pursue this.