Editorial from Editor-in-Chief

The Journal of Inflammation & Allergy - Drug Targets has entered its 9th volume in 2010. The aim of a scientific journal is to exchange ideas, experiences and to supply an optimal amount of information on new findings and developments in a particular field - in this case in inflammation & allergy and, moreover, how molecular pathways and key molecules can be specifically targeted by interventions to prevent, to restore and/or to modulate physiological and pathophysiological functions in health and disease. The rapid and continuous upsurge of interesting and fascinating ideas and solid data in the subject of inflammation and allergy necessitate the publication of a prestigious journal to furnish the updated materials to the students, researchers, clinicians and politicians engaged in public health worldwide. The scientific success of volume 8 in 2009 was only made possible, because of the authors' solicitated articles, the rapid decisions about the fate of the manuscripts and, after peer-review and acceptance, the short time of production and release, either electronically or as hard cover. To produce a journal of this international calibre means to handle and administer an intellectual network, starting with the expectations of the authors, creating constructive criticisms by the peers and putting the articles into a scientific context to better understand inflammation & allergy on a molecular and clinical basis by the readers. Therefore, as Editor-in-Chief, I like to thank them all, who have made this journal as a well recognized sounding board to keep on ears and eyes to the rest of the scientific world in this field of life sciences. Many Utopias of a scientific paradise on earth have been evaporated over time, also heralded in scientific meetings and publications. There is no good or bad journal, we can not blame a journal for good or bad contents as long the as Editors strictly follow the guidelines of the “Council of Science Editors”, because we want to keep the scientific freedom to learn from hundreds or thousands of scientific stories the final lession of truth between faith and reason. As this journal's circulation is truly international, there is a continuous tendency to update this journal for all needs, for the authors as well for the readers. It is the joint task of all of us, Editors and members of the editorial advisory board to ensure a conscise and condensed presentation of the ideas, results, and critical comments. It is to emphasise, that we shall have to change the journal gradually in accordance with expertise and progress in inflammation & allergy. We welcome scientists from all over the world who understand that there is an urgent demand to administer science at the cutting edge of knowledge and, above all, that life science has to be changed by curious ideas, which do not always fit the so called mainstream. A prestigeous journal, like “Inflammation & Allergy - Drug Target” contributes not only to solid science in the particular field but has also to take responsibility for the political impact within the scientific community. Measurement of scientific impact has been and is still a big debated issue. Therefore, we are very proud to publish in the first issue of volume 9, besides high impact science, solid thoughts on impact factors and editing medical journals, written by Yuri Gasparyan (United Kingdom), who is truly expert because of his many duties as member of distinguished associations of medical editors. Maybe, we open hereby a forum for Editors, Editorial Advisory Board Members and Readers how to deal with this issue, beause to reach and hold a career is closely related to the publication policy of the individual researcher.