Editor's Corner—New Features in Sleep Medicine

1. Fast Track Publication 

Introduced last year, this section permits rapid publication of articles dealing with scientific breakthroughs, information of utmost scientific importance and novel treatments of immediate relevance to sleep clinicians. We encourage potential authors to submit articles, with the understanding that decision regarding fast track publication depends entirely upon the Editor-in-Chief and reviewers. Manuscripts may be reassigned at the outset if they are not deemed suitable for fast track, but once considered and rejected in this category they cannot be resubmitted as regular articles.

2. Medical Hypothesis 

Introduced last year, this category provides an opportunity to address testable hypotheses in sleep medicine based on solid scientific foundation. We encourage authors to submit articles for this section

3. Historical Issues in Sleep Medicine 

This category, which begins with this issue (see the article by Iranzo et al.), invites sleep-related articles about historical figures, whether leaders from the past or characters from literature or mythology. Articles should conform to the format of Brief Communication (1500 words, 20 references, 1 figure). We encourage inclusion of appropriate figures/illustrations if available.

4. Images in Sleep Medicine 

This new feature follows the format successfully used in other scientific journals and should be a novel feature for the sleep community. Each submission, consisting of high-resolution images (e.g. polysomnographic tracing, actigraphic recording, neuroimaging, etc.), derived from a specific sleep-related clinical situation, should be accompanied by a very brief clinical impression, significance of the findings and figure legend. The editorial office will forward each submission to the two co-editors of this section (Robert Thomas and Liborio Parrino) for their comments and publication decision. Readers will be encouraged to send letters to the editor to foster fruitful discussion of any controversial images. We encourage all potential authors to submit interesting clinical material to this section.

5. Electronic and Web-based submission 

During the past year we have encouraged electronic submission of articles in order to speed up the review process. (Although the Sleep Medicine offices will relocate in the spring, send submissions in the meantime to: schok@att.net). Many reviewers already submit their comments electronically. We are planning to launch a website in the summer of 2004 for manuscript submission and reviews. Using new software (Editorial Manager™), Elsevier has recently introduced web-based submission in journals such as Clinical Neurophysiology. Although the change will pose a challenge to the editorial office, authors and reviewers, we are encouraged by its ongoing success in other Elsevier publications. Web-based submission and review will be routine for all scientific journals in the near future, as it speeds the publication process. Detailed instructions will be forthcoming in future issues of the journal.

6. Online Videos 

The journal now accepts electronic supplementary material to enhance the scientific research in published articles. Authors may include movies, animation sequences, sound clips, etc. to accompany the electronic version of articles in Elsevier Web Products. Video recording is very useful to detect different types of motor activities during sleep (some physiological, others clearly pathological), aiding correct diagnosis. A visual image of an unusual movement is always preferable to a description; inclusion of short, online video clips will complement and supplement published clinical data. Until the website is up and running, we will inquire about video submissions/format individually as articles are accepted.

7. Colourful e-Products 

Color artwork can be published on the Internet at no additional cost, regardless of whether the printed artwork appears in color or black and white. (See Publisher's note in Sleep Medicine vol.4, no.5—September, 2003.)

We at the editorial office are continually striving to make Sleep Medicine appealing for potential authors to submit their best scientific research. The journal remains a potential source for the international exchange of new information in clinical sleep disorders. Its vitality and excellence depend on the publication of rigorous work in sleep science. We are encouraged that Sleep Medicine is off to a good start in this fourth year of a new millennium, and particularly celebrate our indexing in Medline, PubMed and Index Medicus. We will continue striving to fulfill the mission of the journal: dissemination of first rate information to the sleep community of the world.