Abstract
Whenever a new journal is launched there must be an identified need and a gap in the market place. In the case of the International Journal of Stroke (IJS), the need is to have a truly international vehicle for the expression of those involved in the management of patients with stroke and there is a clear gap in this marketplace. The International Stroke Society (ISS) in its role is uniquely placed to carry this forward, given its international charter as outlined by its President, Julien Bogousslavsky, in the accompanying editorial. As most readers will know there are already a number of journals dedicated to stroke, which perform their individual functions extremely well. These are either focused predominantly on the scientific and clinical aspects of stroke or tend to be more country or regionally based. Given the strengthening role of the ISS as a global organization and the recent formation of the World Stroke Federation (WSF), the need to truly internationalize information about stroke is more than apparent.
The special nature of the role of the International Journal of Stroke, therefore, requires it to have a somewhat different focus than the existing journals. You will notice that there are no original scientific contributions but more an emphasis upon reviews, items of interest from various regions of the world, reactions to recent scientific developments by distinguished clinicians and scientists and a window into the press reports about stroke. The object, therefore, of the journal is to engage readers about particular problems pertaining to stroke in various regions of the world, to provide a forum for the exchange of ideas and provide a source of high-quality reviews by international leaders in their field.
The structure of the journal has been enhanced by the appointment of an outstanding group of Associate Editors in the form of Andrei Alexandrov, Conrad Estol, Peter Rothwell and Lawrence Wong. While each will contribute to the overall fabric of the journal, their specific responsibilities lie in the area of Reviews (Peter Rothwell), World Press Reports (Lawrence Wong), News from the Regions (Conrad Estol) and Leading Opinions (Andrei Alexandrov). The journal is also being supported by a very strong Editorial Board drawn from most regions of the world. They will contribute articles, review submitted papers and provide advice about ongoing issues of structure and direction of the journal as a whole. I thank all Associate Editors and Editorial members for the work that they have already performed and in anticipation of even more ahead.
Their work is already paying dividends in this first edition. As you can see, there is a wide range of interesting articles ranging from reviews on advances in research on spontaneous intracerebral haemorrhage through to some lateral thoughts on parallels between the tsunami and stroke. I encourage readers to submit articles of interest or suggest topics they might like others to address. The format of the journal will not be static as we respond to feedback from our readers and new developments in journal presentation. While we are currently focused on review and related articles, we are likely in time to accept a limited number of original research contributions once the journal has become well established. Most importantly, this is your journal, which we wish to make work for you. This dynamic interaction is more likely to ensure its success.