Arthroscopy, Sports Medicine, and Rehabilitation: The Future of Online Medical Journals

Arthroscopy, Sports Medicine, and Rehabilitation (ASMAR) is AANA’s new online, open-access journal that aims to peer-review and publish clinical and basic science articles of interest to health care providers and scientific researchers.

Brought to you by the same editorial team as Arthroscopy and Arthroscopy Techniques, ASMAR is broad in scope to reflect the myriad interests of AANA Members, and covers topics ranging from arthroscopic and related surgery to orthopaedic and primary care sports medicine; physical therapy and rehabilitation; athletic training; musculoskeletal imaging; economic and large database analyses; and public health.

We had the pleasure of speaking with James Lubowitz, M.D., AANA Member and Editor-in Chief of Arthroscopy, Arthroscopy Techniques and ASMAR to get a more in-depth understanding of what readers can expect to find in ASMAR, and its future as an open-access journal.

How did the concept for ASMAR originate?

As a practical matter, our primary journal, Arthroscopy, has a rejection rate of approximately 70% of original scientific articles. Many of these rejected articles are of very high academic quality and value. At times, rejection of quality articles may be due to publication of similar content, large number of submissions (a reality), limited number of pages and editorial convention due to our subspecialized scope.

Yet, our mission is to promote education and scholarship by publication of scientific investigations related to our clinical subspecialty. ASMAR provides an additional option allowing publication of an increased volume of scholarly content to support our mission.  

Moreover, because Arthroscopy is a highly subspecialized journal, and there may be few other publication options for some of our similarly subspecialized authors, ASMAR is of service to authors (and readers and ultimately patients).

 
What types of articles can readers find on ASMAR?

Arthroscopy is quite subspecialized, yet our subscribers and readers have broad interests.

ASMAR expands the breadth and scope of our content to include rehabilitation; clinical diagnosis; imaging; nonoperative care; indications for surgery and nonsurgical management; economic studies; epidemiology; public health; and orthopaedic sports medicine including elite athletes, large database analysis, investigative methods and research pearls. 

What is it about ASMAR that you believe will appeal to readers?

ASMAR is open access. Unlike the subscription model of Arthroscopy, ASMAR is open to anyone with an internet connection including health care providers, patients and the general public. Over time, this may represent the future of biomedical publication. Open access to information may result in faster dissemination of new ideas and treatments for our patients. A notable trend is that some research funding recipients may be required to publish in open-access journals.  Our aim could be to accommodate this necessity.

What sets ASMAR apart from Arthroscopy Techniques, which is also open access?

Great question, and in truth, Arthroscopy Techniques’ title tells the whole story. Our techniques journal allows authors to demonstrate how to perform classic and innovative arthroscopic and related surgical procedures using text, figures, tables and in all cases, concise videos. In contrast, ASMAR, like Arthroscopy, publishes original scientific research investigations.

In your editorial “Arthroscopy, Sports Medicine, and Rehabilitation (ASMAR): A New, Open Access, Electronic Journal,” you mention that as an editor you “hate to reject valuable submissions and perceive that rejected authors second that emotion.” Is it your hope to encourage these authors to submit new research?

Quite honesty, a most stressful part of the editor’s job is to reject submissions from our valued authors, and hopefully my attempt to thus lighten the mood by quoting the well-known song title by Smokey Robinson was entertaining to readers.

At any rate, due to content and page limits and bearing in mind that the print version of Arthroscopy requires “heavy lifting” due to its many pages, new original scientific research may now be published in either Arthroscopy or ASMAR.  Today, most are familiar with Arthroscopy which has been published for 35 years. While ASMAR is new, in the future, it is likely that ASMAR and Arthroscopy will become equally familiar options for authors and readers. In addition, if open access gradually becomes our predominant form of publication, the editors of Arthroscopy want to ensure we have all bases covered for our authors, readers and AANA Members.

Do you see ASMAR helping to grow AANA’s International Membership and focus?

Because ASMAR is open access, international surgeons may readily access our new journal and, as a result, discover AANA. Among the many benefits of AANA Membership, a subscription to Arthroscopy is included and highly valued.  AANA Membership is the best way for arthroscopic surgeons, related researchers and health care providers to access Arthroscopy, as well as achieve a close connection to ASMAR and Arthroscopy Techniques.