JBJS extends its gratitude to Robin R. Richards, MD and Eng Hin Lee, MD for 10 years of exemplary leadership as the founding Co-Editors of JBJS Open Access (JBJS OA). Through their commitment to scholarly excellence, JBJS OA has become an essential resource for orthopaedic surgeons and researchers around the globe.
“Their legacy in founding and growing the impact of JBJS OA will carry forward as we look to the next chapter of this important journal,” notes Dr. Mo Bhandari, JBJS Editor-in-Chief. As Drs. Lee and Richards step down as Co-Editors this month, they are succeeded by Kimberly J. Templeton, MD and Yong Hai, MD, PhD.
To mark this transition, Dr. Marc Swiontkowski, JBJS Consulting Editor and Editor-in-Chief Emeritus, reflects on the founding of JBJS OA and the pivotal role of Drs. Lee and Richards in shaping its success:
Prior to the 2016 launch of JBJS OA, the JBJS Board of Trustees and Editorial Board grappled with the decision as to whether to add an open access journal to the portfolio of JBJS flagship, JBJS Essential Surgical Techniques, JBJS Reviews, and JBJS Case Connector. Both governing bodies of The Journal were aware of the increasing OA movement stemming from mandates that government-funded research findings be available to the research community worldwide. Foremost in consideration was the preservation of the JBJS reputation within the international community. Preserving the rigor of double-blinded peer review while meeting the needs of global authors and readers would be critical.
We turned immediately to Dr. Robin Richards from Canada and Dr. Eng Lee from Singapore. Dr. Richards had served on the JBJS Editorial Board under Dr. Jim Heckman as Deputy Editor for Shoulder and Elbow. Dr. Lee was an internationally respected basic scientist and pediatric orthopaedic surgeon. Both were in the top 5% in terms of the quality and timeliness of their reviews. An added benefit was that they knew each other and had worked together as trainees in Toronto, Ontario.
Together they helped to develop an outstanding addition to JBJS offerings through their insistence on relevance, quality of research design, and comprehensive blinded peer review. With a current impact factor of 4.9, JBJS OA continues to maintain the JBJS standard of editorial excellence throughout its growing content.
After a decade of service, Dr. Richards and Dr. Lee now move on to other tasks of leadership within our field and, we trust, with great satisfaction in what they have built.
The path of excellence will continue under the new JBJS OA Co-Editors recently appointed by Dr. Bhandari. Dr. Templeton, Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at the University of Kansas Medical Center and current Deputy Editor of the Methods, Pilots, and Protocols section, brings expertise spanning orthopaedic oncology, education, and sex and gender research; and Dr. Hai, Professor and Chairman of Orthopedic Surgery at Beijing Chaoyang Hospital and a leader in the international spine community, brings extensive clinical, research, and editorial experience. Their complementary backgrounds will help JBJS OA continue to grow while maintaining the scientific rigor and editorial integrity established by its founding Co-Editors. Dr. George Dyer and Dr. Michelle James will continue as Deputy Editor and Associate Deputy Editor, respectively, for the AOA Critical Issues in Education section of JBJS OA.
We all owe a debt of gratitude to Dr. Richards and Dr. Lee and wish them all future success in their work.
Marc F. Swiontkowski, MD
Consulting Editor and Editor-in-Chief Emeritus
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