SUBMIT YOUR MANUSCRIPT

VOLUME 2, YEAR 2024

  Editorial     January 2023  

Launch of a New JCPSP Companion Journal Dedicated to Case Reports

By Khalid Masud Gondal

Affiliations

The College of Physicians and Surgeons, Pakistan (CPSP) is pleased to launch a companion journal to the popular mainstream journal, ‘Journal of College of Physicians and Surgeons, Pakistan (JCPSP)’, with the name ‘JCPSP Case Reports’, dedicated to publishing case reports only. The journal is being launched on the growing need and demand from the fellows and postgraduate trainees / residents of CPSP, particularly neophytes in the field, for an author-friendly venue for writing and publishing their research.

Case reports are an important type of medical communication from the viewpoint of educational value and the cultivation of scientific thinking and writing.1-4 Indeed, case reports represent the oldest form of medical communication whose origins can be traced back to ancient Egypt.2 They constitute the learning pathway for scientific writing and research publication and thus are particularly important for postgraduate trainees/residents and new fellows.5-9 The CPSP, since its inception, has been keen to promote research and inculcate scientific enquiry and writing skills as an integral part of postgraduate education and training. However, most mainstream journals worldwide have stopped publishing case reports.5

With the launch of this new companion journal, JCPSP has also decided to stop accepting case reports for publication from December 2022. This journal will be online only and will employ a continuous publication approach, thus reducing long delays of print publication process. This new, multidisciplinary journal shall promote lateral out-of-the-box critical thinking which challenges healthcare professionals in their day-to-day practice.3,6-9 The journal will be published under an Open Access model and will be indexed with all major national and international indexing agencies in due course of time. The open-access electronic-based, case reports-only publishing model has many advantages, particularly for regions of the world with limited resources, that is, low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where the infrastructure and expertise to perform clinical trials and other complex research simply may not be available. Hence, the case report has been promoted as a means of circulating potentially useful clinical knowledge within professional communities in LMICs.5,9,10 The journal inherits the same dedicated and experienced team of editorial board members, both national and international, and the editorial team as that of the parent journal, whose efforts and hard work has paid off in the form of international recognition of JCPSP. The same team is geared to kick-start the new addition to the publication’s portfolio of CPSP. However, the success of this venture will heavily depend on your active participation and contribution in different roles and capacities.

We hope that you will join us on this new, exciting journey by becoming future journal authors, reviewers, editors, and avid readers. Together, we can take this journal to new heights in the biomedical publishing world.

REFERENCES

  1. Weinstein R. Writing scientific case reports for top-line journals. J Clin Apher 2021; 36(3):465-9.
  2. Nissen T, Wynn R. The history of the case report: a selective review. J R Soc Med 2014; 5(4):1–5.
  3. McCaslin DL. Clinical Case Reports: striking the right balance. J Am Acad Audiol. 2020;31(1):4-5.
  4. Calvache JA, Vera-Montoya M, Ordoñez D, Hernandez AV, Altman D, Moher D. Completeness of reporting of case reports in high-impact medical journals. Eur J Clin Invest 2020; 50(4):e13215.
  5. Akers KG. New journals for publishing medical case reports. J Med Libr Assoc 2016; 104:146-149.
  6. Elston DM, Sloan B. Case reports and anecdotal evidence. J Am Acad Dermatol 2020; 83(4):1007.
  7. Koch CA, Fülöp T. Case reports: old-timers and evergreens. J Med Case Rep 2018; 12(1):355.
  8. Firat AC, Araz C, Kayhan Z. Case reports: Should we do away with them? J Clin Anesth 2017; 37:74-76.
  9. Ngene NC, Rees M. Case reports: Advancing knowledge of rare or unusual medical conditions. Case Rep Womens Health 2022; 33:e00381.
  10. Mubarak M, Kazi JI. Launching Global Journal of Medical and Clinical Case Reports. Global J Med Clin Case Reports 2014; 1(1): 024.