The future of Hepatology Communications.

Hepatology Communications, though young, is a vital part of the hepatology research ecosystem. During Dr Gyongyi Szabo’s tenure as its first Editor-in-Chief (EiC), roughly 800 articles and editorials were published. Nearly half were downloaded more than 1000 times. Submissions grew to nearly 700 per annum. The journal received an initial impact factor of 5.073, followed by an impact factor of 5.701. In this introductory editorial, our new co-EiC Drs Carmen Wong and Elliot Tapper will describe how we will build on this solid ground, reinforcing its strengths, and developing its impact further. WHY CO-EIC? Hepatology Communications is home for all researchers invested in advancing knowledge of liver disease. As such the journal will be led by co-EiC as partners capable of bridging varied forms of expertise in basic, translational, and clinical science that enrich our research community. Dr Carmen Wong is a basic scientist focused on the molecular pathogenesis of liver cancer aiming to identify new molecular targets for liver cancer treatments. Dr Elliot Tapper is a clinical researcher focused on epidemiology, clinical trials, and quality improvement with the purpose of defining and alleviating the burden of chronic liver disease. Together, our interests and networks are complementary and should provide authors with confidence that their work will be appreciated and treated with the utmost care by relevant experts. AN IDENTITY FOR HEPATOLOGY COMMUNICATIONS Mission Hepatology Communications is an open access journal that must define its mission accounting for the roles played by Hepatology, Liver Transplantation, and Clinical Liver Disease, in addition to journals from other societies. Given the growing strength and volume of submissions to Hepatology, it is likely that the journal could thrive as a source for excellent transfers alone. Our goal, however, is to develop the identity of the journal further. On the clinical side, we aim to provide a destination for hepatology health services research, attracting excellent work showcasing epidemiology, quality improvement, pilot trials, qualitative studies, and health economic inputs. On the basic research side, we aim to provide a home for work revealing the novel mechanisms that affect liver functions and contribute to different liver diseases. We also aim to attract translational work involving preclinical models that provide insights about the new biomarkers and therapeutic targets and treatments. We welcome work with integrated studies involving human specimens and different experimental models to complementarily reveal important processes in the development of liver diseases. We hope to provide a platform for researchers to communicate by sharing their newest discoveries and innovations about liver diseases, pushing the frontiers of knowledge that might potentially lead to new strategies to prevent, detect, and treat liver diseases. We wish for Hepatology Communications to be seen as a source for clear answers describing the state of liver disease as well as the key questions driving the field forward. Peer review The goal of peer review at Hepatology Communications will be to build the best possible work as silent collaborators through rigorous and constructive criticism. Authors should expect clear instruction for what is needed on revision. Our aim is to provide authors a fair, transparent, enjoyable—and an efficient—review process. Dissemination As an open access journal, exposure of your work to diverse readers represents a central strength. The ability to freely download your article means greater impact by reaching researchers, learners, patients, and other stakeholders the world over. You can also expect innovation in dissemination through AASLD networks and social media that has the potential to magnify your impact further. We strive to ensure rapid dissemination of high quality work. STRUCTURAL CHANGES We expect that Hepatology Communications will grow and change in order to serve your needs. This will result in structural changes for the journal and the submission process. We expect to adapt to your needs over time. For now, we wish to highlight a few key features. Low stress submissions Formatting requirements will not result in the frustrating returns of your manuscript and will be specified for revised manuscripts only. Rapid reviews of revised manuscripts Authors are encouraged to submit revised manuscripts after rejection at other journals along with a point-by-point response to the reviewers. We aim to improve the rate of timely decisions and speed of publication for accepted work while reducing the burden of reviewing for our community. Seamless cascades For authors submitting to Hepatology first, transfers to Hepatology Communications avoid the need for reentering files and manuscript details into a submission website. If the decision is rejection after review, the editors will rapidly inform you of the decision. In most cases, further peer review after responding to Hepatology reviewers will be unnecessary. Research letters We are introducing a new article category for clinical research that focuses on studies with limited scope, limited to 1000 words, with markedly reduced open access fees. PARTING WORDS Humbled to be entrusted with leading Hepatology Communications forward, we are excited to lead the journal to new heights. We cannot wait to read your work and partner with you to push our field forward.