REC: Interventional Cardiology: A new journal, but not just one more journal

Back in 1947 the first issue of Revista Española de Cardiología (REC) was published. And this journal has been leading the Spanish-speaking biomedical publishing field for over 70 years. 1,2.REC has witnessed and given testimony of numerous changes in the field of cardiology – being one of these changes the tremendous growth of interventional cardiology.

Interventional cardiology revolutionized our specialty with the very first coronary angioplasty performed four decades ago. We just need to make a historical comparison of data on our hemodynamic activity data in Spain:3,4: in just 25 years we have gone from 42 000 studies total and 6700 angioplasties to 154 000 studies and 71 000 angioplasties, while implementing techniques not used at the time (some 7000 studies on pressure wires and 7000 studies on intracoronary imaging). But we also need to bring forward an activity that years ago was almost a formality: structural heart intervention with nearly 5000 procedures being conducted including almost 3000 percutaneous implants of the aortic valve prosthesis.

It is obvious that our activity in interventional cardiology on coronary heart disease has grown 10-fold, but we should not forget the progression that our activity in structural heart disease has had becoming more important with the passing of time.

This huge increase of indications and techniques in interventional cardiology has run parallel to the resources used in Spain, both human and material. Such an expansion has elevated the scientific production in our field in our country. This statement is easy to validate. We just need to look at the growing number of abstracts presented in national and international congresses and the numerous papers published in high impact scientific journals by interventional cardiologists. And this has been a global process that has seen the birth of various international publications («sister journals» of other general cardiology journals) specialized in interventional cardiology only. However, the strong international competitivity and the growing requirements and demands from the most prestigious publications, make publishing hard for our researchers who only get to author a very small number of the original papers that eventually end up being published.

Given it is a monthly publication, our very own REC limits the presence of original papers in interventional cardiology to just 12-14 a year, with a rejection rate up to 75% that leaves out over 50 manuscripts each year2. These manuscripts rarely make it to quality journals; some of them do though in journals that do not have the accuracy needed in medical publishing5,6, while others, though interesting, will never see the inside of a publishing house with the corresponding frustration for the authors. This situation can move young researchers (especially the youngest ones) away from quality research, not wanting to spend their time trying to get published but providing healthcare instead.

For these reasons, back in 2017, the board of directors of the Working Group on Hemodynamics and Interventional Cardiology (SHCI) at the Spanish Society of Cardiology (SEC), decided to implement an initiative envisioned a long time ago. The creation of a high-quality scientific publication on interventional cardiology that would be born within REC. The dream has come true and it is called REC: Interventional Cardiology.

Bilingual

We believe it is essential to publish in two languages, Spanish and English. And this is so because we wish to reach not only the Spanish-speaking world -essential for us- but also, like REC, other geographical areas (we just need to look at the growing number of REC contents that come from non-Spanish-speaking countries). And even though this goal could have been achieved in English only, the Spanish language is indispensable as it is part of our DNA. Also, over 500 million speakers speak Spanish in the world, and Spanish ranks #3 as the most widely spoken language in the world today only after Mandarin Chinese and English. This makes Spanish the perfect vehicle for the widespread open exposure of science. In this sense, the commitment of REC: Interventional Cardiology to Latin America is unquestionable.

Online

In this day and age, the only way of being published is online which basically puts the last nail on the coffin of paper publishing while reducing costs and environmental impact. Today, science is being read on tablets and smartphones and that is exactly how REC: Interventional Cardiology is born – as a century scientific journal of the 21st century. The advantages of online communication such as universality, immediacy, and possibility of wide interaction with the different agents involved will catapult the informative and educational potential of our journal.

Open Access

REC: Interventional Cardiology is an open access journal totally free of charge for authors and readers alike. Best case scenario, science should spread itself without any boundaries or restrictions. Researchers should be able to have access to all the science that is being published today, and patients, who give their time and data, deserve open access to the research they make possible. However, this publishing activity is not cost free and this open access good intention is actually very hard to achieve. It is with this intention in mind that the SHCI has created this journal and it will be the contributions from the industry that will make open access a reality for all.

A new journal, but not just one more journal

We receive e-mails on a daily basis from different publications asking for manuscripts with a pledge to accept them and offering us to join their editorial team, even become editors-in-chief. This outbreak of scientific journals has achieved epidemic proportions, but this should not draw our attention away from the fact that very few of these journals actually have wide circulation. REC: Interventional Cardiology is a new journal, but not just one more journal; it is backed by hundreds of members from the SHCI and by the leading journal REC, considered one of the best cardiology journals in the world today.

We are aware that we will have to wait when it comes to indexation and obtaining the long-awaited questioned citation metrics7,and that this will limit drawing manuscripts to our journal during the first few years. However, we have the conviction that researchers in our country and other countries will have a positive response to this new and attractive editorial adventure.

Everybody in the editorial committee has been carefully selected for their capacity of commitment and active collaboration, but this committee is also open to periodic renewal; almost everybody has joined this project. Almost everybody, but still not everybody.

We will ensure the best standards in editorial quality following the double-blind peer-review process for the assessment of our papers. We know this kind of review has defects, but it is still the best way to ensure the methodological accuracy and scientific quality of the manuscripts that will eventually be published. Our commitment is that this review is a fast quality review process, respectful with the authors, rigorous, with a reasonable level of demand, and constructive criticism for the sake of improving the paper to be.

The table of content will include original research papers, editorials, thematic reviews, clinical trials so popular among interventional cardiologists, imaging and interesting videos and, last but not least, debates on controversial issues, discussions on relevant trials and, finally, news on technological achievements. One of our goals is to make the journal a place for open scientific practical discussion among interventional cardiologists.

There is a huge team behind this project, and we wish to give special thanks to the SHCI board of directors and REC editorial team alike.

Without further ado, we literally want you to turn this page or rather let your mouse button click again and read and enjoy the contents of this new journal. Your journal.

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