Greetings from the desk of Editor-in-Chief.

It is a great honor and privilege for me to be appointed as Editor-in-Chief of Indian Dermatology Online Journal (IDOJ), an official journal of Indian Association of Dermatologists Venereologists, and Leprologists (IADVL), which is one of the largest national associations of dermatologists in the world.[1] IDOJ, which was conceived as a biannual journal, when it started in 2010 is now a bimonthly open-access journal indexed on PubMed thanks to my predecessor, Founder Editor-in-Chief (2010–2015) Dr. Shyam Verma, and his team. I applaud him for his inspiring commitment, outstanding contribution, and service in elevating the journal to its current level of excellence.[2] The new editorial team will continue to seek his expert guidance for taking IDOJ to further heights of recognition and readership. The journal was originally introduced to showcase dermatology in India, but its current scope includes presenting interesting clinical material across the globe to the large dermatology community. Indeed, IDOJ is now recognized as an international rather than a domestic journal with a considerable proportion of manuscripts being contributed from outside the country. IDOJ will continue to adhere to its original philosophy of promoting the sharing of clinical experience by our members.

I had the privilege of serving as an Assistant Editor and later Associate Editor for Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology, and Leprology under the guidance of then Editor, Prof. D. M. Thappa. I am also part of the editorial board of JAMA Dermatology (formerly Archives of Dermatology). Therefore, I understand the nuances and importance of critical peer review and ethics in manuscripts handling for ensuring scientific values of publication work and importance of efficiency of the editorial team. I am fortunate to have the support of my experienced colleague Dr. K. T. Ashique who will continue to serve the journal as Associate Editor as I embark upon this prestigious endeavor. I will also draw from the strength of my outstanding new team of Deputy Editors, Assistant Editors, and Section Editors for this exciting academic project apart from the members of the editorial board and advisors from all over the globe.

I believe that the most critical components of any scientific journal's success are the submission of high-quality manuscripts, the dedication of members of its editorial board, and excellence of those reviewing the manuscripts. These days when publication in major journals can take several months after a paper is accepted, the open-access online format of IDOJ provides a platform for fast publication without undue delay or expense. At this juncture, I would like to caution the younger colleagues not be carried away by usual norm of “publish or perish.” The aim of a scientific publication is to advance the knowledge of the discipline as a whole and not just to add numbers to the publication list of an author or mere fulfilling the requirement of professional promotion.[3] We will take utmost care for rigorous peer review of all submitted manuscripts to accept only quality contents without any fringe of conflict for publication. I will take this opportunity to appeal to all authors to prepare their manuscripts strictly according to journal instructions so as to avoid any undue delay in its editorial processing and disappointment of rejection [Table 1].[4] We are constantly working to expand the number of external reviewers to handle future journal submissions. Soon you will also have a new look of journal online and an official logo. With my editorial staff, I will explore new means to improve journal manuscript handling efficiency with modern electronic applications and tools. We will aim for a rapid turnaround time from submission to decision and introducing review articles of current importance, more subsections for the benefit of authors and readers, dermatoses specific updates, and grand rounds in dermatology. With my editorial team, I will strive to generate an impact factor for IDOJ for which we invite submission of more original articles and citation of relevant Indian literature published in this journal in your future publications.

Table 1

Common reasons for delayed editorial processing/rejection of manuscript

In the rapidly changing world, dermatologists are witnessing an exciting era of our specialty. The rate of published medical literature has drastically increased, subspecialties are growing, training has been intensified, and novel developments and therapeutics are continually being introduced into clinical practice. This is coinciding with the positive phase when our national association (IADVL) and IADVL Academy have assumed a very professional and proactive role in promoting research, academic activities, and training avenues of high standards in the country. IDOJ will endeavor to be a scholarly partner for the growth of discipline of dermatology in India and globally. National executive committee of IADVL has been incredible in supporting and promoting the growth of IDOJ to this level.

At this moment, I will like to profusely thank my esteemed teachers, junior and senior colleagues, and patients who have taught me and continue to teach every day, the science and art of dermatology. I also wish to express my gratitude towards the department of Dermatology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh for supporting me in embarking upon this new academic assignment.

As I look forward to this new role, I welcome input from you, our readers, and contributors to enhance the overall quality of the journal. Together with the erudite team of our editorial board, I will work passionately to take the journal to the next level. IDOJ welcomes your manuscripts submission and witness a pleasant experience while working with our editorial staff.

With best wishes for a very happy and successful 2016.