In the Editorial in the November 2014 issue of Toxicological Sciences, Editor-in-Chief Gary W. Miller and Associate Editor Jeffrey A. Johnson describe the decision to publish Contemporary Reviews in Toxicology. An excerpt of this Editorial is provided below.
“This is our vision for the Contemporary Reviews in Toxicology. Our field needs an outlet for outstanding reviews of recent and emerging trends within the discipline. As the Official Journal of the Society of Toxicology, the Contemporary Reviews in Toxicology have the imprimatur of the Society and its 8000 members. Our field needs this outlet and Toxicological Sciences plans to deliver it. To increase reach and influence, we will make these reviews freely available to readers.
Toxicological Sciences will publish Contemporary Reviews in Toxicology because the field needs them…
The Contemporary Reviews in Toxicology are here to serve the toxicology community. We do not anticipate publishing more than one review per issue, but we want these reviews to be readable, memorable, and influential.
What we are looking for:
1.A topic of interest to the field. For those of you who are members of SOT and are familiar with the various Specialty Sections, it may be helpful to think about how the topic would be of interest to multiple such groups. There should be several recent publications in the topic area or one or two transformative reports that alter current thought.
2.Authors who are recognized in their respective fields for publishing high-quality work. Gray hair is not required. We believe that many of our reviews will come from young investigators shortly out of fellowship training as these individuals are often working at the cutting edge of a research area. To put it another way, if you have not published influential work within a particular discipline, it is nearly impossible to have the credibility to write an influential review.
3.High-quality writing. We are looking for expertly crafted manuscripts that utilize an engaging writing style to describe the serious science. It should go beyond summarizing findings and provide conceptual insight. We anticipate significant revisions will be necessary for all submitted reviews.
For students in toxicology and related disciplines, it is important to read outside of their specific area of research. Tools and concepts borrowed from other subdisciplines are often required to advance a field. The Contemporary Reviews in Toxicology should provide the type of content for anybody in the field to keep abreast of what is going on outside of their own laboratory.
Please visit the Toxicological Sciences website to read the instructions for authors. We invite you to submit your proposal (abstract and list of key references) for this exciting new feature in Toxicological Sciences. ”