The Editorial Team at The Journal of Experimental Biology were recently delighted to hear that the journal has been voted one of the top 100 most influential biomedical journals by the Biomedical and Life Sciences Division of the Special Libraries Association (SLA). Hans Hoppeler,Editor-in-Chief of The Journal of Experimental Biology, says, `I was pleasantly surprised to find JEB on the list of the 100 most influential biological journals. To me this indicates the value of integrative comparative physiology is recognized. It also suggests there is room, and there should be money, for basic biological science besides “translational”research'.
In the email notifying JEB of its success, Tony Stankus, the Life Sciences Librarian at the University of Arkansas and Editor-in-Chief of the poll, said that, `The Journal of Experimental Biology competed in the category of “Journals of Comparative Physiology” with other extremely reputable journals. You surpassed some estimable entries... to make it into the top 100 journals'. The SLA's list ranks the JEB alongside journals such as The Auk and American Naturalist as well as giants such as Science, Nature and Cell.
The long list was drawn up in celebration of the Association's 100th anniversary by three panels of BioMedical and Life Sciences Division members in late 2008, voted on by division members and the results announced to the division at a summit held in January 2009. Journals mentioned in the top 100 list will be recognised at the SLA's Centennial Conference in Washington, DC,on 16 June 2009. In what they publicise as an `Academy Awards style presentation', the BioMedical and Life Sciences Division will read out the names of all 100 journals and then go on to announce their Top 10 most influential journals.
The list of recognised journals is available at http://units.sla.org/division/dbio/publications/resources/dbio100.html.
