Welcome to the first edition of the Journal of Military and Veterans’ Health. JMVH is the successor to Australian Military Medicine, the original journal of the Australian Military Medicine Association. AMM started as a fairly basic newsletter at the time of the Association’s formation in 1991. Over the succeeding years, and under the tutelage of a number of editors, it had developed to the point of being a professionally prepared publication, with a variety of content. Publication largely depended upon the work of a sole editor, and its ability to grow and develop was thereby limited.
In 2005, representatives of the Association, the Defence Health Services and the Centre for Military and Veterans’ Health met to discuss the future of professional and scientific publication in the area of military medicine and veterans’ health. At this meeting, it was agreed that the Association should work, in conjunction with these organisations and others that have an interest in and commitment to research and publication in these fields, to develop its Journal into one of national and international standing.
To this end, the Association established an Editorial Board, consisting of representatives from the Association, the DHS, CMVH, and universities that are significantly involved in military and veterans’ health research. Recently, the addition of a New Zealand Defence Force Health Services member was considered appropriate, and Brigadier Anne Campbell, the Director-General of the NZDFHS, kindly agreed.
Over the last nine months, the Board has been working with great dedication to develop and publish the Journal that you now hold in your hands. Additionally, the Association through its Council has committed significant funds for the set up of the Journal and its associated website. I am also pleased to report that, through Senator Bruce Billson, the Minister for Veterans Affairs, the Commonwealth Government has provided a one-off grant of $5,000 to assist with these costs.
The Editorial Board has worked hard in identifying the framework within which the Journal should be published, including categories for papers, instructions for authors, reviewing processes, layouts and website design.
There remains a considerable body of work to be completed, including populating the website, bedding down electronic-based processes for managing the receipt, review and publication of papers, and setting out a variety of policies in relation to both these matters and other key issues such as editorial independence. The Board is also in the process of inviting a variety of appropriately experienced international researchers and authors to constitute an International Advisory Board.
The biggest challenge will be in the gathering together of appropriate high-quality work suitable for publication. I expect that this will be a bit of a grind in the initial stages, but the Association and the Board are determined to work as hard as possible to ensure that over the next couple of years JMVH becomes recognised as a national if not world leader in military medicine and veterans’ health scientific publication, to the point where it will self attract suitable copy.
Recognising that JMVH is the successor of our former Journal, the volume and issue number sequence has been continued from the last edition of Australian Military Medicine.
JMVH will be published four times a year. Initially this will be three issues of new copy, and one issue of conference abstracts. In the very near future, it is our determination that there will be four issues per year of new copy. The conference abstracts will then become a supplement to one of these issues.
In the very near future, you may anticipate being approached by one of the members of the Editorial Board asking you to consider putting pen to paper to contribute to this new Journal.
In closing, I would like to acknowledge the involvement and commitment of the members of the Editorial Board, whose names are listed at the front of this Journal. They have provided a wealth of experience and ideas that have laid the foundation for a Journal that I am sure in the not too distant future will be recognised around the world as one of the leaders in its field.
I trust you enjoy this first edition.
Russ Schedlich Editor-in-Chief
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