“To write what is worth publishing, to find honest people to publish it, and get sensible people to read it, are the three great difficulties in being an author.”
-Charles Caleb Colton (1780–1832)
CEBP is a remarkable journal that serves as a forum for high-impact research that bridges the population, basic, and clinical sciences. As a result, the journal is home to many papers that are transdisciplinary and translational in nature. With advances in biotechnology, successes in biomarker discovery, and the use of these findings to better understand cancer etiology, prevention, prognosis, and personalized medicine, CEBP is in an ideal position to play a leading role in the next generation of cancer research. Building on the outstanding leadership of the previous Editors-in-Chief and its unique and valuable contribution to the field of cancer research, the current transition in leadership provides the opportunity for new directions and goals to ensure the continued success of CEBP in the coming years.
Mission and Scope
The mission and scope of CEBP is to publish original research on biomarkers including assay development, validation, and application; screening and early detection; life-style and behavior, including tobacco use and smoking, dietary exposures and nutrition, risk behaviors such as physical activity, sun exposure, and alcohol use; survivorship, quality of life, supportive and palliative care; risk factors and risk assessment; and analytic methods development.
In addition to these ongoing areas of interest, CEBP will focus additional effort on health disparities research in the context of studies of preneoplasia, biomarkers, cancer risk, and cancer outcomes. Attention will be given to the identification and translation of transdisciplinary studies of the carcinogenic process, including genetic susceptibility, host factors, infectious agents, chemical and physical carcinogens, environmental contaminants, dietary components, and behavioral factors such as tobacco use and sun exposure.
Prevention research remains an important part of CEBP's repertoire. These publications will focus on prevention research in the context of epidemiologic and behavioral studies. Manuscripts with interdisciplinary or transdisciplinary approaches to primary, secondary, or tertiary cancer prevention are of particular interest to the journal. The emergence of new journals, including Cancer Prevention Research, and the continued existence of journals such as Cancer Research and Clinical Cancer Research that publish prevention research, requires that consideration be given to the scope of prevention research published in CEBP. Ongoing discussions are under way to better define the relationship among these journals, particularly with regard to the publication of research in cancer prevention. The Editors will develop written guidance for authors trying to find the right home for their research. However, there is no question that CEBP must publish high-quality prevention research.
Publication Types
The rapid advance of research in areas covered by CEBP demands that innovative publication formats be considered to best communicate the important science in cancer epidemiology, biomarkers, behavioral science, and prevention. In addition to the existing peer-reviewed research articles, Null Results in Brief, editorials, commentaries, meeting reports, and point-counterpoint pieces, other publication types will be considered including:
Focus articles that will summarize the state of a field; this could include a series of topic- or disease-specific articles. For example, “Chapters” in this series could include (a) Descriptive Epidemiology, (b) Technologies (e.g., novel development or application of biomarker assays), (c) Etiology: Genetics, (d) Etiology: Exposures, and (e) Prevention and Control. Special editors may be appointed to guide the publication of these Focus articles. These articles or series may be solicited by the editors or proposed by potential authors;
Evidence-based reviews and systematic field synopses, in conjunction with HuGENet1
and other groups, will help CEBP readership to make sense of the quickly moving field, including “News and Views” or other types of publications to aid research synthesis that brings together our understanding of epidemiology, basic science, behavioral science, and prevention and control;Priority Reports that will publish research in fast moving areas that benefit from quick publication turnaround;
Public Synopses of research that can be used to educate the general public about relevant research results. These would complement press releases and be posted online;
Cancer Surveillance Research publications will inform the field of trends in cancer rates, possibly highlighting successes in reducing cancer incidence, mortality, or disparities, as well as indications of rising trends in cancer rates that may highlight areas in need of research.
An increased emphasis on online publication and communication formats, including publication of null results, replication reports, and others, will be developed.
Editorial Board
To define and implement the concepts outlined above, a restructuring of the editorial board has begun. The structure of the board is intended to reflect the research priorities of the journal and the distribution of articles that are received by the journal. The goal of the revised structure is to improve editorial efficiency and develop clear goals and responsibilities for each Deputy and Senior Editor. Broadly, the editorial board membership roles are:
The Editor-in-Chief will oversee the operation of the journal and interact directly with the Deputy and Senior Editors to achieve a balance of high-impact science from the whole spectrum of research disciplines covered by the journal. The Editor-in-Chief will also take responsibility for editorial content and resolve editorial issues involving peer-reviewed research.
The Deputy Editors will be responsible for ensuring that the coverage of articles is appropriate for their specific areas. They will be responsible for obtaining and editing editorials and other relevant publication types in their areas. Two Deputy Editors have been appointed: Dr. Thomas A. Sellers, Deputy Editor for Cancer Epidemiology and Biomarkers, and Dr. Electra D. Paskett, Deputy Editor for Cancer Prevention and Control.
The Senior Editors will be responsible for soliciting peer reviews of research articles and working with the Deputy Editors to publish high-quality editorials, reviews, and related materials. Senior Editors have been identified for epidemiology; molecular and genetic epidemiology; nutrition and energy balance; statistical methods and models; biomarkers, biospecimens, and biorepositories; screening and early detection; behavioral science; survivorship and supportive care; cancer disparities; and Null Results in Brief.
The Editorial Board will be responsible for peer reviews of articles, and for writing editorial, review, and related materials in their areas of expertise.
The Next Five Years
CEBP is a successful journal that has served its community well. With the advent of new journal leadership, discussion has begun on ways to increase the value of the journal to the field and to ensure that it will continue to publish high-impact peer-reviewed research, evidenced-based research synopses, and thoughtful editorial content. With these initiatives, CEBP can remain and strengthen its place as the premier venue for dissemination of top-notch research and scientific thought to its community.
