Abstract
Dear Acta Orthopaedica et Traumatologica Turcica readers,
It’s a pleasure to be presenting AOTT’s 4th issue of 2015. It includes some studies that I know will be of great interest to you, particularly one in the arena of experimental research.
The international reputation of our journal is growing year on year, indicated best by a comparison of last year and the current year. Compared to the first seven months of last year, not only has the percentage of articles of foreign origin coming to the journal increased from 37% to 43%, but there is also increasing variety in country of origin. As editors involved in the evaluation of articles for inclusion in the journal, we are working towards, and primarily motivated by, increasing its international recognition.
Throughout 2014, foreign reviewers for our journal totaled 168 in number, while in the first seven months of this year alone, we have made use of the expertise of 214 American and European reviewers. Meanwhile, we continue working to improve and expedite our evaluation process. To date this year, average time for first evaluation has been reduced to 69 days. In 2014, we had 418 applications for inclusion, and to date this year, this number has reached 354. It would appear that we will finish this year with a total of 620 applications, a clear sign that we are on the right track.
Beginning with our next issue, we will be making use of a grading system which will indicate levels of scientific value for work to be included in the journal. As you know, this grading system operates on a Level I-IV basis, and aims to measure the article’s contribution to the field in question. AOTT will require authors applying for inclusion in AOTT to state a level for their work. Previous work which has been prepared and accepted for appearance in the journal will, this one time, be assigned a level by the editors. Journals with a high Impact Factor (IF) generally accept only Level I and II papers (Bone Joint Surg Am, 2005 Dec; 87 (12): 2632 -2638). With our journal’s growing international name and rising IF, it would seem that we are approaching similar acceptance criteria.
The most recent Level of Evidence (LOE) table was published this year (Bone Joint Surg Am 2015; 97; 1-2). I am sure this will allow you, our readers, to examine articles published in AOTT from a different perspective. Needless to say, it is worth remembering that AOTT’s acceptance of work of a Level I or Level II standard means a much faster editorial process and, in turn, an earlier opportunity for publication.
Finally, dear readers, I believe we will continue to improve and grow our journal with your contributions and support.
Değerli Acta Orthopaedica et Traumatologica Turcica okurları,
Dergimizin 2015 yılı dördüncü sayısını sizlerle buluşturmaktan mutluluk duyuyoruz. Bu sayımızda gene birbirinden ilginç çalışmaları sizlerle buluşturuyoruz. Özellikle deneysel araştırma alanında ilginizi çekeceğini düşündüğümüz çalışmalarımız mevcut.
Dergimizde gelecek sayıdan itibaren yayınlanan çalışmaların bilimsel seviyelerini gösteren derecelendirme sistemini kullanmaya başlayacağız. Bildiğiniz gibi bu derecelendirme sistemi Level I-V arasında; yayınlanan çalışmanın katkısını ölçemeye yaramaktadır. Bundan sonra AOTT ye yazı gönderilirken yazardan çalışmanın seviyesini de belirtmesi istenecektir. Bu konudaki yazarlara bilgi bölümündeki değişiklik bir sonraki sayımızda yapılacak daha önce gönderilen ve kabul edilmiş çalışmaların seviyeleri bir defaya mahsus editörlüğümüzce verilecektir. Yüksek etki faktörlü dergiler bilimsel katkısı fazla olan Level I ve II yazıları yayınlamaktadır. (Bone Joint Surg Am 2005 Dec;87(12):2632-2638). Dergi olarak gittikçe artan uluslararası saygınlığımız ve etki faktörümüz bu noktaya geldiğimizin göstergesidir.
Siz değerli okurlarımızın katkı ve destekleri ile dergimiz AOTT emin adımlarla yoluna devam edeceğine olan inancım tamdır.
AOTT Editörü