The Canadian Journal of Surgery is a victim of its own success. Year over year, increasing numbers of papers have been submitted for peer review and consideration for publication. In addition, we have expanded the pages made available for continuing education and professional development articles. The mathematics of this are relatively straightforward. It costs money to publish the journal, and the number of print pages we can devote to peer-reviewed publications is limited by our budget.
CMA Publications and other members of the CJS editorial staff have made significant efforts to increase funding for the journal. We have actively pursued increased advertising revenue through both corporate and classified advertising. Corporate advertising is always difficult for Canadian journals to obtain because most of our Canadian readers also read national or international journals originating outside Canada and corporate advertising budgets for Canadian operations are frequently set by a head office that is not based in this country. If advertisers can reach a larger number of readers by publishing in an international journal with wide readership, they have little incentive to pay for advertising space in the Canadian Journal of Surgery.
At our last Editorial Board meeting, the Board members explored several possibilities to decrease costs and increase revenue. During the meeting, it was suggested that we had neglected to look to the primary source of revenue for the journal by ignoring the readership.
Subscription revenue to the Canadian Journal of Surgery comes from various sources including individual readers, institutional subscriptions and other journals. The most significant support, however, comes from the national organizations that are affiliated with and support the journal.
Garth Warnock and I have explored with the Canadian Association of General Surgeons, the Canadian Orthopaedic Association and other organizations the prospect of a significant, phased-in increase in subscription rates.
The current financial support from these national organizations is based on their paid-up membership, and the journal is delivered to members as a benefit of membership. It’s a bargain!
The members of the Editorial Board of the Canadian Journal of Surgery feel that we are providing, through CMA Publications, a quality journal that addresses the very specific needs of Canadian surgeons in both academic and community practice. We feel that with increased revenue we will be able to enhance the quality of the journal, improve access for authors wishing to publish peer-reviewed material and expand our sections on surgical biology, trauma, education and international surgery.
By the time you read this editorial, your national organization will have discussed our request for the increase in subscription rate. I hope you will agree with me that it is well worth the money and that you will support the request you are going to receive through your specialty organization.
Footnotes
Competing interests: None declared.