Renewing Genetics

Genetics is evolving. About a year ago, the Editorial Board was reorganized, following the 2006 redesign of the look and presentation of the journal. The editors and staff have since made great strides in modernizing Genetics, and we wish to share those advances with you—our readers and authors.

We render decisions faster than ever: the average time from submission to first decision on new manuscript submissions is approximately 35 days. We work hard to move papers quickly through review without sacrificing the thoughtful, thorough, high-quality reviews for which our journal is known. And we are striving to reduce further the time to first decision; our goal is fewer than 30 days (close to the theoretical minimum).

We have redoubled our efforts to identify those submissions that fall outside the journal's scope or that are judged unlikely to fare well in peer review. Such manuscripts are quickly returned to authors (typically within days of submission), so as not to delay their revision or consideration by another journal. Such action also focuses our reviewers' attention on manuscripts most likely to be worthy of space in the journal. Approximately 25% of manuscripts submitted to Genetics are returned to authors without review.

If we are to attract your best papers, we must be discriminating in the articles we publish—publication in our journal must be recognized as a significant achievement. To that end, we are more selective than ever: we now accept 30% of submissions, and we expect that percentage to fall a bit more over the next year.

All decisions on manuscripts are rendered by editors who are practicing scientists—peers of the authors—who submit their own manuscripts to peer review. Our editors know what it takes to advance knowledge and how to present significant findings. They are the people best suited to identify fair and knowledgeable reviewers, to arbitrate the reviewers' opinions on manuscripts, and to render evenhanded decisions. Genetics continues to uphold the principle that practicing scientists should be the ones setting the standards for our field; authors can help us do that by submitting their best work for publication in Genetics.

Each manuscript submitted to Genetics receives significant attention from the editors. Triage is performed by eight Senior Editors who determine, in collaboration with at least one other editor, whether the manuscript fits the scope of the journal and is potentially worthy of publication. Each manuscript that warrants review is assigned to an Associate Editor who manages the review and judges whether the manuscript is acceptable or potentially acceptable for publication. All decisions of the Associate Editors are made in consultation with a Senior Editor. Based on one year of experience with this editorial process, we are confident that it serves authors, readers, and the journal well (although we are sure there is room for improvement).

We have expanded the scope of Genetics. We seek to publish interesting and significant findings in all areas of genetics, but we have been making a special effort to attract papers in genome and systems biology, mammalian genetics, including cancer genetics, genetics of disease, epigenetics, and prokaryotic genetics. And because science is fueled by new methods and techniques, we instituted a “Methods, Technology and Resources” section of the journal. We seek your suggestions for emerging areas of genetics to cover and your help with recruiting the best manuscripts in those areas.

Finally, we are expanding the journal's “front matter” to provide compelling articles that attract readers. Perspectives Editor Adam Wilkins has several articles in the queue that go beyond the traditional historical perspective of this section. Please send us your suggestions for Perspectives topics. We also plan to expand the Reviews section, and, again, welcome your ideas and suggestions for topics.

As you can see, Genetics has changed: it is not your mentor's journal. The editors make decisions quickly, without sacrificing the excellence and scholarship for which the journal has long been known. Now more than ever in its 93-year history, Genetics—the peer-edited journal of the Genetics Society of America—is your journal. Please join us in our effort to make Geneticsthe premier journal of our community of geneticists by submitting your best work for publication in our journal.