African Journal Partnership Project

Annual Review, and Planning Meeting

18-19 May 2010 Atlanta, GA, USA

Medical Journal of Zambia

John S Kachimba

Presentation Overview

The MJZ in the Past Impact Turbulence Periods of MJZ

Rejuvenated MJZ Journal Vision, Mandate and Scope Current activities to Rejuvenate the

Journal

Presentation Overview (Continued)

Structural Features Review of Performance Peer Reviewers Editorial content, Features and Services Role of Medical Librarians Outreach activities International Partner

Historical Perspectives

Founded in the late 60s but was in existence in the pre-independence period under the Northern Rhodesia colonial medical hierarchy

MJZ has had a clear scientific, clinical and academic mandate as stated above.

MJZ’s Impact factor: Past glory I

Impact with respect to its publication scope

Impact with respect to its readership and circulation

Impact with respect to caliber of its authors

MJZ’s Impact factor: Past glory II

Tsirkin RS, Thomas J. A modification of anti-streptolysin-O-test. Med J Zambia. 1975 Aug-Sep;9(4):101-2.

Bahl MR. Safety of meningococcal polysaccharide vaccine serogroup "A" (Pilot Study). Med J Zambia. 1975 Dec-1976 Jan;9(6):166.

Rickman LR. Variation in the sensitivity to normal human serum of clone-derived antigenic variants of Trypanosoma (Trypanozoon) brucei complex trypanosomes. Med J Zambia. 1977 Apr-May;11(2):41-2

Loefler IJ.Teaching and training for surgical practice in Zambia and the neighbouring countries. J R Coll Surg Edinb. 1971 Jul;16(4):219-25.

Turbulence Periods of the MJZ

The formative years (1964-1978)-Years of relative glory

Turbulent period(1978-1988)-Years of sharp turbulence for the Journal (the UDI, Declining copper prices/ weak national economy, etc)

Dark period(1989-2000)-Years of near Crash of the Journal with lost glory (Erratic publications and poor quality Vs weak ZMA status)

Period of hope for the journal (2006-2009)-Rejuvenation of MJZ

Journal Vision, Mission Mandate and Scope

Journal Vision

The Medical Journal of Zambia (MJZ) will be a premier African medical journal indexed in Medline, Pubmed and African Journals on Line (AJOL) by 2011

Journal Core Values

Growth and recognitionBest PracticesIntegrityInternationalizationExcellence

Journal Mandate

The Medical Journal of Zambia is a publication by the Zambia Medical Association (ZMA) .

MJZ is the dissemination forum for medical and allied research as well as clinical opinion and practice.

Source of medical information for evidence-based patient Care and Public Health for its readership.

MJZ aims at providing medical researchers, biomedical scientists, clinicians and all allied health worker professionals with a forum to enhance their publication skills.

Source of local continuing education to almost all health care professionals in Zambia.

MJZ VISION 2011 GOALS

Goal 1. Enhance and improve its governance and policy procedures

Goal 2. Develop an action plan to strengthen financial solvency, while supporting future growth.

Goal 3. Expand its subscriber, reader, author, editorial and advertiser bases

Goal 4. Enhance access to MJZ via multiple media resources

Goal 5. Develop strategic partnerships with stakeholders to develop a community of authors, reviewers and editors.

Journal Scope

Original research articles Reviews Case reports Consensus medical opinions (clinical practice,

Public health and even health policy) Health related news. Advertisement

Current Journal Rejuvenation Activities

Efforts to improve Journal publication quality, consistence and sustainability

Strengthening of peer-review system Training of the Editorial staff Investment in the Journal production costs Enhancement of authorship for the journal Efforts to enhance Journal visibility and Readership Targeted circulation groups Establishing online access to the journal Partnerships (Linkages with ‘stronger’ Journals,

industry, etc)

Editors

Editor Associate Editors: James Chipeta (Paediatrics) James Munthali (Surgery) Sekelani Banda (Basic Sciences) Paul Kelly (Internal Medicine) Bellington Vwalika (O&G) Christine Kanyembo (Allied Sciences/Online

Edition)

Production Process

Manuscripts received- reviewed for suitability Suitable scripts sent to two reviewers Double blind review process Based on the reviewers comments- decision

is made: accept, reject, amend Accepted scripts are copy-edited Proofs sent to corresponding author

Frequency, Dissemination, Circulation

Quarterly: Continues to run two months behind schedule

Dissemination: Postal delivery in-country

Circulated to all government health facilities, university staff and library

Participation in AJOLCurrently on the AJOL group of journals:

Great exposure and enquiries and submissions from South & West Africa

Technical challenges have affected maintenance of site

Communication with authors through this site remains difficult

Sustainability Plans

Formal agreement with the Association to receive 5% of subscription contributions

In discussions with Vanderbilt Global Health Division on a formal partnership to assist with submissions and printing costs

Accomplishments of 2009

Strengthened the review process: Increased participation & larger database of reviewers

Redefined the roles of the Associate Editors and Editorial Board

Formal approaches to principal research units in Zambia

Accomplishments of 2009

Development of reviewers poolEnhanced visibility via Journal

website and AJOLEstablished Editorial Office and

improved its ICT capability

2006-2009 Trend2006: 6 original articles, 1 review article2007: 35 original articles, 1 review

articles, 4 case reports2008: 42 original articles, 2 review

articles, 4 case reports2009: 28 original articles, 4 review

articles, 3 case reports

Peer Reviewers 2009

On list for 2009: 477 International reviewers

(14.9%)29 Peer-reviewers utilized in

2009

Submission Times

Submission to first action: 2 Days

Submission to acceptance: 30 Days

Submission to publication: 90 Days

ImprovementsEditorials: Invited editorialists (e.g.

Dutch editorialist on Malaria treatment, CDC editorialist on MDR TB upsurge)

Editorials: Widely referencedGreater involvement in issue assembly Increase in number of original work

presented and improved copy-editing

Medical Librarian involvement

Represented at Associate Editor levelHelping with Indexing pushPresenting responsible for

maintaining journal websiteHad run database search workshops

in 2008, none in 2009

Outreach Activities

Authors: Courted authors one-on-one Authors: Writers’ workshop Readers: Direct delivery of journal to all

practicizing physicians and formal; visits to research institutes to discuss publishing in the journal

Local news media: Not utilized to date

International Partner

Exchange visitsWriters’ workshopUnrealized potential awaits2010 Activity presently being

arranged: August 2010

Challenges

Acquiring quality manuscriptsObtaining Medline indexingEarning a respectable status

among academics in Zambia and the region

Acquiring financial sustainability

MJZ/AJPP Writers’ Workshop April 12- 14th 2010

Professor Chifumbe Chintu FRCP(C), FRCP

THANK YOU