2022 was a year marked by changes for our journal. Dr Ros said goodbye after four years as editor-in-chief1 and I took up the post with an editorial project that I had designed with great anticipation and enthusiasm2. Although it may seem too early to take stock, these first few months have been so intense from an editorial perspective that they merit a moment of reflection in order to appreciate the achievements accomplished and to chart the next steps. What has changed at Radiología? Let us begin with the editorial turnaround times: if we compare the last quarter of 2021 with the last quarter of 2022, the time that elapses from when an author submits their manuscript to when they receive a final decision has decreased by almost 100 days. In addition to some structural changes in the system, this has been possible thanks to an agile and efficient editorial board and committed reviewers, who have rigorously met the deadlines. My sincere thanks to all the editors and reviewers.
Another new feature is the creation of two new categories (Physics/Radiation Protection and Artificial Intelligence), which enables non-radiologists (such as physicists and engineers) to contribute to our journal. Assessing the methodology of articles related to these disciplines from a different perspective will undoubtedly increase the quality of our reviews.
Our social networks have also grown. The @RevistaRADIOLO233 Twitter account has gained almost 1000 followers since last June. We have incorporated new content in recent months including a "theme of the week" (which reposts recent articles from Radiología on a given topic), visual summaries and pareidolias.
As previously announced2, in 2023, RADIOLOGÍA will start contributing to the European Diploma in Radiology (EDiR)4 by publishing clinical cases to help with exam preparation. In addition, we have joined forces with the Continuous Training Platform for Image Diagnosis and Treatment, led by Dr Pedraza5, where different RADIOLOGÍA authors will deliver sessions related to articles they have published through our journal.
Editorial training is a key issue. Following the success of the Dr Calatayud editorial grant, we have decided to offer another grant to train up reviewers for the journal. This is an online-only programme lasting six months, through which beneficiaries can acquire the skills to review different types of articles and subsequently become reviewers. Several webinars are also planned, which will address pertinent publishing topics.
The final issues of this year will see the start of the series "Challenges in undergraduate training in Radiology", led by Dr Aquerreta (Clínica Universitaria de Pamplona) and Dr Sendra (University of Malaga). It is while we are studying at university that we choose our speciality. It is therefore very important to publish articles that raise the profile of RADIOLOGÍA among students in order to attract them to our field of specialisation.
Since 2015, RADIOLOGÍA has been indexed in the Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI)6, produced by Clarivate Analytics7, and this has helped to raise its profile. However, what is set to mark a turning point in our editorial trajectory, is the fact that in June 2023, RADIOLOGÍA will receive an impact factor (IF) for the first time. The IF of a journal for any given year is calculated on the basis of the yearly mean number of citations for articles published in the last two years in the journal; the journal must also be included in the Web of Science Core Collection8,9. Previously, the IF was only awarded to journals indexed in the Science Citation Index Expanded10 and the Social Science Citation Index (SSCI)11, but last summer, Clarivate Analytics decided to extend this metric to all journals indexed in the Web of Science Core Collection and its various databases (the Arts and Humanities Citation Index [AHCI] and the Emerging Sources Citation Index [ESCI]), including Radiología. Thus, our journal will gain visibility and recognition thanks to this new quality standard.
Radiología forges ahead. Radiología gathers strength. And we have only just begun. The best is always yet to come.
FundingThis article has not received funding, nor has it been previously presented at any meeting, conference or symposium.
