STS News, Fall 2022 — Just 10 months ago, Joanna Chikwe, MD, FRCS, from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California, took over as Editor-in-Chief of The Annals of Thoracic Surgery, and already, the new leadership and ambitious agenda are paying off.

The Annals is being touted as the most cited and read journal in the specialty, with a record-breaking 5.102 impact factor; the editorial board has been expanded to include new senior editor positions, teams of statistical and digital editors, and additional content experts (see below); and the digital companion journal Annals Short Reports was successfully launched.

But there is much more important work to be done, including the expansion and strengthening of the digital footprint—an undertaking that is especially important to Dr. Chikwe, as reflected in some of the early changes to the journal.

Dr. Chikwe recognizes that digital content offers immediacy, versatility, and reach—key considerations as readers make new demands and the quality and accessibility of technologies improve. “Digital platforms have taken us from reading print newspapers and magazines with yesterday’s news to real-time multimedia content on our phones and computers. The best academic journals are leveraging that,” she said.

Right now, more content is being published than in recent years, and physicians are consuming it very differently. Recent research from an industry publication found that only 34% of physicians preferred to receive information about clinical trials through traditional sources such as print media, compared to 40% who chose a combination of print and digital. In addition, 26% of physicians indicated that in “the future” they would not have time for print at all.

But reaching busy audiences with scientific news is about more than just putting existing print content online in a digital format. Readers are looking for formats that are easier to digest, as well as more visual and more engaging. So, it’s important to build in as many mechanisms of engagement as possible to give them multiple ways to access the information and cut through the noise.

Understanding this, Dr. Chikwe and the expanded editorial board are carefully considering how The Annals should adapt content for the evolving and growing online world.

The digital future of The Annals is full of promise, according to Dr. Chikwe. Plans include not only providing subscribers with the opportunity to receive weekly content tailored to their specific interests, but also changing how it fosters exchanges with the audience.

With the addition of several digital editors to the Annals editorial board, readers can expect to see new content types that help them access and engage with the latest research. This modern multimedia—including educational videos, visual abstracts, infographics, and tweetorials—will highlight various original articles and editorials from the journal, be shared online, and posted daily on social media.

“We are working to develop content our readers want—content that encompasses high-impact science, expert reviews, consensus documents, and quality videos, and in the way they want it,” Dr. Chikwe said. “Timely, relevant content is key to real engagement, particularly if we can offer readers and authors ways to immediately comment on and share our digital content.”

However, the printed journal will not be forgotten, according to Dr. Chikwe. The Annals team plans on improving the print experience of the journal as well, perhaps moving from large issues featuring more than 100 articles to a more appealing format—slimmer and more frequent, with an even higher-quality graphical design.

The most important goal, though, is ensuring The Annals stays the first choice for research and education that informs cardiothoracic surgery, Dr. Chikwe explained. “We will work to guarantee you have a great journal that features an impressive breadth and depth of high-quality research, innovation, and education. You will want to read it every day, and it may even change your practice and your thinking.”

Stay informed about the latest Annals news at annalsthoracicsurgery.org.
 

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