Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprology Medknow Publications on behalf of The Indian Association of Dermatologists, Venereologists and Leprologists (IADVL) ISSN: 0378-6323 EISSN: 0973-3922 Vol. 69, Num. 3, 2003, pp. 203

Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology & Leprology, Vol. 69, No. 3, May-June, 2003, pp. 203

Editorial

IJDVL at the crossroads

Code Number: dv03001

The IJDVL has come a long way from its origins as a journal published by an individual to being the official organ of the IADVL. Along this journey it was guided by the leading lights of our speciality. However, from now on all of us have to take it forward together. This will be made possible by the internet, which allows authors, reviewers and editors sitting in any part of the world to easily interact about a particular issue through a website.

With the launch of our journal website (http://www.ijdvl.com), we hope that all its facilities will be fully utilized by our members. Our website provides full text access to all IJDVL issues from 2003 onwards and, by the end of this year, all abstracts of IJDVL articles published in the last 40 years should be online. It is searchable by subject or author and is accessible to dermatologists from all over the world, ensuring that articles are widely cited. The website also has links to our association's website (http://www.iadvl.com) and to the IJDVL manuscript management site (www.journalonweb.com/ijdvl), through which manuscripts can be submitted online.

The advantages of online submission include rapid processing of submitted articles for reviewing and editing. Moreover, authors receive a tracking number, enabling them to track the progress of their article during the reviewing and editing process. The reviewing process is transparent, with articles being sent to reviewers without the authors' names or affiliations. Authors are welcome to suggest the name of one reviewer of their choice. The panel of reviewers is now more broad based. During this year we aim to wipe out the backlog of submitted articles and to reduce the period between the submission of an article and its publication from the present one year to two months. We also hope to print all clinical photographs in color.

We are committed to making the IJDVL more visible to the international reader. Towards this end we are happy to announce that the IJDVL is now available online with the Gale databases and Bioline International, an international electronic publishing service. IJDVL is also indexed with Indmed and we will try our best to get it indexed with other indexing agencies. In order to give our journal its rightful place in every international library, we want you to submit your best articles to the IJDVL first.

Copyright 2003 - Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology & Leprology. Free full text also available from: http://www.ijdvl.com