Greetings
This month marks the two-year anniversary of the founding of "Biomedical Engineering
OnLine." As it is customary to mark such occasions one way or another, and since I
am the editor, I am contributing an editorial. I sometimes think that there is a human
gene that is activated on anniversaries and so helps us to remember significant events.
Putting it in writing insures the memory lasts a little longer. But the world has
changed enormously since our genome was put together by that Great Biomedical Engineer
in the sky. So I will try to make this editorial consistent with our new era of world-wide
interconnectivity.
Questions without answers
The first issue to consider is why? Why another BME publication? Why an all electronic
publication? Why me? The answers I can present will never tell the complete story,
but like any good research, can only illuminate a small aspect of reality. Biomedical
engineering is growing, and this growth is demonstrated by numerous new publications
– each devoted to some recently exploited area of interest – or as the provenance
of some new specialized organization based on geographical or technical convergence.
While the growth of biomedical engineering is admirable, its fragmentation is not.
More and more biomedical engineers become isolated. Publications cost money, in order
to obtain print publications, libraries or individuals must either buy a subscription,
or join yet another dues collecting organization. Costs have become prohibitive: just
ask your library. A large number of biomedical engineers throughout the world thus
simply lack access to vast quantities of relevant literature. But development of the
world-wide-web has now provided a means to overcome this obstacle of costs. The Internet
is providing a means for rapid and low-cost dissemination of technical information.
It is the perfect medium by which researchers, rich and poor alike, can share the
results of their works. There are no longer any limitations brought about by the high
costs in time and money of print and paper production and transportation.
My viewpoint
Let us look at some of the specific changes in publishing between what was then and
what is now. In a previous life, I was the editor of a print publication for many
years. It was a rewarding experience at the time, but now with electronic publication
the world has once again been rocketed into a new orbit, and a different set of parameters
has evolved. Although editors and publishers may have to make some adjustments to
this new order, authors will benefit significantly.
Consider the costs of traditional publication. Because of expenses associated with
physical printing and distribution, authors were often limited in the number of pages
allowed per article. Although this restraint might actually have benefited some papers
(that is the editor in me speaking), it often put an additional burden on authors.
Furthermore, any use of colour in illustrations was strongly discouraged because of
a significant cost increment (those infamous four-color separations). With electronic
publishing, these limitations are no longer in effect. In fact, one can even insert
moving graphics into an electronic publication, without arousing any cries of pain
from the publisher. Even the tradition of ordering reprints and mailing autographed
copies to friends and colleagues has essentially been ended, again a savings to the
authors (as well as to filing space). In a few more years, how many of us will remember
those euphoniously relics called "reprint request cards?" These being a victim of
the self-replicating copy machines. Another frustration for authors was the wait of
many months, often over a year after acceptance, to see their articles in print. Here
to, the limitation was often costs, i. e., a page limitation per issue by the publisher,
as well as the ever blameworthy snail mail. Thus, with all electronic publishing,
authors benefit in terms of both speed and completeness, as well as worldwide unlimited
accessibility of their works.
But then, how did I get into this business of electronic publication. As I tell my
students, I was a biomedical engineer before there was anything called biomedical
engineering. It is very satisfying to me personally to see that they are completely
disinterested in my revelation. Students have not changed over these many years. They
want to know about the future, not the past, and that is good (up to a point. But
that is a different editorial). Throughout the years I have had many friends and collaborators
throughout the world. The more people I have met, the more I have seen the similarities
in goals and outlooks. I believe that biomedical engineers are drawn into the discipline
by a sense of wanting to control nature for the benefit of humanity. They see their
research as a means of helping to solve some of the many problems that have troubled
the world from pre-historic times and through the millenniums. Of course, both research
and altruism are often lonely courses. Publication, especially with the rapid help
of the Internet is one way to find like-minded, in goals and accomplishments, people
around the globe.
So what is this electronic publishing all about? Simply stated, it is an entirely
new paradigm in scientific communication. One way or another, we will all be affected
by this new development in mass yet selective communication. I see my function as
building connections among biomedical engineers, wherever they might be: to help them
show their works to their colleagues. Often, researchers in less developed countries
do not have the resources to be able to conduct research at the same level as in more
fortunate societies. Yet the research results that they do produce may have significant
bearing on reducing this disparity of resources. Moreover, the free on-line access
to recent articles puts all researchers on an equal basis in knowing what areas are
currently being investigated and what progress is being made.
I can observe a certain outlook in my relations with researchers at all level and
over decades of age range. People seeking access to research papers can be divided
into two major categories: those who say that if the work can not be found in print,
it does not exist; and those who say that if the work cannot be found on-line, it
does not exist. While age and computer facility seem to be the factors that delineate
the two groups, more and more the latter group seems to predominate.
Past, present, and future of "BioMedical Engineering OnLine"
In my own personal experience, staring "BioMedical Engineering OnLine" has been a
real kick. Only rarely in a lifetime can anyone say that he has started something
from nothing, and helped it grow into a substantial entity. In its two years of publication,
"BioMedical Engineering OnLine" has received some 55 manuscripts submitted and approximately
35 published. While I do take much pride in this accomplishment, I most certainly
recognize and appreciate the many other biomedical engineers who have made enormous
contributions. First of all, vision of the Biomed Central staff has made this all
possible. They too have grown in accomplishment and service over the last two years,
and I am sure that their success will only accelerate as Open Access Publication is
recognized and accepted world-wide. The Editorial Board has been enormously supportive
in both encouragement and actual work.
They have given full measure in carrying this publication forward. In particular,
the Deputy Editor, Professor Ivan Daskalov of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, has
been my stalwart friend and colleague in this endeavour. And of course, the many reviewers
who have unselfishly provided their expert knowledge, all have my everlasting gratitude.
It is the reviewers who bring the published articles to world-class standards of scientific
research. Finally, no matter what we have done, it is the authors who deserve our
maximum gratitude. Without these contributors, there would just not be anything to
say. Their contributions are truly made "Biomedical Engineering OnLine" possible.
They believe, as do so many of us, that free and unfettered access to scientific research
is to the benefit of all humanity.
To paraphrase "The Bard of Avon:" anyone can predict the future, but will it come
to be? The past two years have seen the genesis of a new publication in a new medium.
It has been a success thanks to the unselfish efforts of many biomedical engineers
throughout the world. My goal (if not prediction) for the future is to have "Biomedical
Engineering OnLine" become even more important to its readers. I ask all readers to
just let me know any of their suggestions to improve this publication. For it belongs
to us all.