It has now been a year since I took over as Editor-in-Chief. That year has certainly gone by very quickly. The transition from one Editor-in-Chief to the next can be a challenge for any journal, but in this case it could not have been smoother. This is in large measure due to the efforts of the outgoing Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Fred Bonato, and the rest of the journal team.
One of the key changes that has happened with the journal this year is the development and adoption of a policy dealing with the use of generative AI. The use of this technology poses a number of challenges for journals such as ours. Most journals now have a policy for generative AI, which reflects the increasing adoption of this technology by authors and even reviewers. If you haven’t yet looked at our policy, you’ll see it as part of our updated Information for Authors document, available on the Editorial Manager webpage. Our policy is very clear and in large part in keeping with other significant journals. I would like to thank Rachel Trigg, Managing Editor, and Stella Sanchez, Assistant Managing Editor, for their excellent work in developing the policy. Readers may like to know that the policy has already had an impact. You may notice some manuscripts that we have published disclose how a generative AI tool was used. This is a requirement under the policy, which also puts quite stringent requirements around acceptable generative AI use in our journal. Perhaps not surprisingly, this year I have seen manuscripts submitted which have been exclusively produced by generative AI. Fortunately, these tend to be obvious at the moment and easily and promptly dealt with. However, the challenges associated with the use of this technology in the academic community remain an ongoing issue.
Our journal has also changed its online location during 2024, as many of you will have seen. This change centralises the location of all past and present issues of the journal, making it easier to find a particular issue or article. The changeover from the previous locations to the current one represented a significant effort for AsMA and the journal staff, for which they are to be congratulated.
I would like to acknowledge the tremendous work of my Assistant, Sandy Kawano. My job as Editor-in-Chief this year has been made so much easier by Sandy’s help and expertise. Despite the time zone challenges, we are in communication almost every day. Thank you for your great work, Sandy – our journal is very fortunate to have you!
Our reviewers deserve considerable thanks as well. Their willingness to review manuscripts, despite significant workloads of their own, is something that I am very appreciative of. Their wise and considered reviews have made a tremendous difference to the quality of the manuscripts we have published in the past 12 months. Of course, we are always on the lookout for new reviewers, so if you would like to do this important task, please contact us. We would very much welcome your input to the work of the journal.
Finally, I am looking forward to our Annual Scientific Meeting in Atlanta in June 2025. This promises to be yet another great AsMA meeting, particularly as it will be a joint meeting with our Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine Society colleagues. Please feel free to drop by the journal’s desk in Atlanta, meet the staff, and ask us any questions. It’s also a good opportunity to sign up as a reviewer.
Best wishes for 2025!
