Steps We Have Taken and Steps We Must Take

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Healthc Inform Res. 2016;22(2):63-64
Publication date (electronic) : 2016 April 30
doi : https://doi.org/10.4258/hir.2016.22.2.63
1Editor of Healthcare Informatics Research, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Korea.
2Editorial taskforce member of Healthcare Informatics Research, Hanyang University, Seoul, Korea.

Healthcare Informatics Research (HIR) is pleased to announce that our journal has been accepted into the Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI), a new index in the Web of Science Core Collection of Thomson Reuters. Launched in November of last year, the ESCI aims to expand this collection to include high-quality, peer-reviewed publications covering emerging scientific fields as well as matters of regional importance [1].

Journals in ESCI have passed an initial editorial evaluation and can be considered for higher possibility of inclusion in major indexes such as SCI, SSCI, and A&HCI. Academic journals play a key role in the academic landscape [2], and with HIR now indexed in ESCI, we are now able to play a more significant role in the landscape of medical informatics by bringing cutting-edge research to an even wider audience.

HIR's inclusion in ESCI is the result of the many steps we have taken thus far. The first step was KOSMI's (Korean Society of Medical Informatics) decision to make globalization of the journal of the society its top priority. While the globalization of our journal had been a topic of discussion since the beginning, it was only in 2008 that concrete measures were taken to begin giving the journal a more global character. An editorial taskforce of five people (eight as of April 2016) began to meet monthly to discuss the details of this administrative process. The first decision, of course, was to start using English as the journal's official language and to replace the original Korean journal title with Healthcare Informatics Research. In March 2010, the first English-only version of the journal of Healthcare Informatics Research was published.

Within the three years following this inaugural publication, HIR was listed in National Library of Medicine (NML) Catalog, PubMed Central (PMC), and SCOPUS. HIR's inclusion in ESCI marks the most recent step in the journal's growth, a step that was made possible only through the full support of KOSMI's executive board and members.

KOSMI and HIR recognize that the academic environment is changing and have responded accordingly. Considering the change from Korean to English in addition to the capital and human resources required to transition into the system and format of an international academic journal, we were not without concern. But we came to the consensus that the globalization of HIR would not only allow it to survive in a global academic context but would also expand its vision. The indexing of HIR in ESCI means that our academic activities have greater influence and responsibility in the medical and healthcare informatics fields. We must recognize that HIR is no longer the possession of KOSMI but is now an important academic resource for medical informatics scholars around the world [3].

Lastly, although HIR's inclusion in ESCI is an affirmation of the work we have done thus far, it is also a reminder of the steps we must continue to take. We must strive to expand the international diversity of HIR. It is necessary for each member of KOSMI to act as an international ambassador of the journal. We must also strive to conduct joint research with scholars abroad, introduce HIR at international academic conferences, and find enthusiastic scholars who share our passion for this field. We must strive to publish high quality papers that will be read and cited by international readers. As the quality of an academic journal is often indicated by the number of journals that cite it, working towards increasing our citability should be a top priority [4]. Such effort will, without a doubt, allow us to play an even greater role in the landscape of medical informatics, a landscape whose reach is ours to determine.

References

1. Thomson Reuters, Scientific Head Offices. Web of Science Core Collection: Emerging Sources Citation Index 2015 [Internet] Philadelphia (PA): Thomson Reuters; 2015. cited at 2016 Mar 10. Available from: http://wokinfo.com/media/pdf/S024651_Flyer.pdf.
2. Evans L, Homer M. Academic journal editors' professionalism: perceptions of power, proficiency and personal agendas [Internet] London: Society for Research into Higher Education; 2014. cited at 2016 Mar 21. Available from: https://www.srhe.ac.uk/downloads/EvansHomerReport.pdf.
3. Seo JW, Cho KJ, Kim HK, Kang DY. The Korean Journal of Pathology is selected for coverage in Science Citation Index Expanded and Journal Citation Reports by Thomson Reuters. Korean J Pathol 2008;42(3):131–133.
4. Huh S. Internationalization of medical journals in Korea. Korean J Nephrol 2011;30(2):134–140.

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