FAIRFAX, Va.—The Journal of Vascular and Interventional Radiology's quality and influence has remained consistently high over the past five years, and the increase in its impact factor to 2.217 in 2008 ranks JVIR in the top half of 90 radiology, nuclear medicine and medical imaging journals, according to results from the Thomson Reuters Journal Citation Report. As the journal continues to see a rise in its impact, the Society of Interventional Radiology is now offering an International Affiliate Program, online-only access to JVIR to nonmembers outside North America.
"The Journal of Vascular and Interventional Radiology's achievements extend well beyond the publication of papers with favorable citation statistics. Each month, JVIR delivers significant, scholarly, peer-reviewed scientific and clinical research," said its editor, Albert A. Nemcek Jr., M.D., FSIR. "The Journal of Vascular and Interventional Radiology continues to attract a growing number of submissions from researchers at prestigious organizations throughout the United States and internationally," added the interventional radiologist and professor of radiology and surgery at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, Ill. "I applaud the efforts of our editorial board members who identify those manuscripts worthy of publication, assist authors in publishing clear and succinct papers and provide readers with essential articles on interventional radiology," said Nemcek.
"The Society of Interventional Radiology must facilitate scientific collaboration and communication as new vascular and interventional radiology procedural solutions, devices and clinical management algorithms emerge to improve patient health care," said SIR President Brian F. Stainken, M.D., FSIR, who speaks for SIR's 4,500 physician, scientist and allied health professional members. "As the global interventional radiology community matures and our innovative solutions are disseminated throughout the planet, we must redouble our efforts to share and learn from each other. That is why SIR is initiating an International Affiliate Program, online-only access to its journal, as a pilot program for the next 12 months," added the interventional radiologist who is an adjunct professor at Boston University and the chair of the diagnostic imaging department at Roger Williams Medical Center in Providence, R.I.
JVIR new manuscript submissions have increased significantly since the beginning of 2007, with a growing number coming from clinicians and researchers in more than 30 countries. Of the international manuscripts submitted over the past two years, the greatest numbers are from the following areas/countries: Europe, Japan, Korea, China and Canada. The number of JVIR international reviewers has grown as well in the past two years, with a number of reviewers coming from Europe, Canada, Korea, Brazil, Japan and China. In response to the growth in submissions, a new editorial board has been named, which includes 29 section editors in 11 subspecialty areas.
SIR President Stainken indicated that several international societies expressed interest in more formal collaboration or affiliations with SIR. The new International Affiliate Program is being offered to those who are not currently SIR members and who live outside North America at a special introductory rate for the next 12 months. "SIR remains eager and interested in assisting all national societies through sharing of standards, strategy, research and experience," said Stainken.
JVIR's impact factor is a direct measure of the number of times material in a particular journal is cited in relation to the total number of manuscripts a journal publishes. It is a way to estimate the frequency with which an average article in a journal is cited. Additionally, JVIR ranks in the top half of 56 journals in the field of peripheral arterial disease, and its five-year impact factor is 2.956, based on citations in 2008 to items published from 2003-07.
The Journal of Vascular and Interventional Radiology, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary, can be viewed online at www.jvir.org. For more information, contact Noemi C. Arthur, SIR director of publications and JVIR managing editor, by sending an e-mail to narthur@SIRweb.org or by calling (703) 460-5593. A yearly subscription to the journal is $404 for individuals and $561 for institutions. A free journal subscription is a benefit of SIR membership.
In addition to the International Affiliate Program, SIR provides a Corresponding Membership category for international members; Corresponding Members receive significantly expanded benefits. SIR's online forum has been expanded to include international discussion, and the society has developed a new, streamlined online application process for the both the International Affiliate Program and for Corresponding Members. More information about the Society of Interventional Radiology and its International Affiliate Program and Corresponding Membership can be found online at www.SIRweb.org (click on International).
About the Society of Interventional Radiology
Interventional radiologists are physicians who specialize in minimally invasive, targeted treatments. They offer the most in-depth knowledge of the least invasive treatments available coupled with diagnostic and clinical experience across all specialties. They use X-ray, MRI and other imaging to advance a catheter in the body, such as in an artery, to treat at the source of the disease internally. As the inventors of angioplasty and the catheter-delivered stent, which were first used in the legs to treat peripheral arterial disease, interventional radiologists pioneered minimally invasive modern medicine. Today, interventional oncology is a growing specialty area of interventional radiology. Interventional radiologists can deliver treatments for cancer directly to the tumor without significant side effects or damage to nearby normal tissue.
Many conditions that once required surgery can be treated less invasively by interventional radiologists. Interventional radiology treatments offer less risk, less pain and less recovery time compared to open surgery. Visit www.SIRweb.org.
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Journal of Vascular and Interventional Radiology