The First Year

This issue marks the start ot the second year for the Journal The flow of manuscripts and array of topics covered by submJsslons in the first vear have been reassuring A total of 111 manuscripts were received through the end of last year. Fifty-eight of them have been accepted among the 90 papers where the review process has been completed Relectlons occurred primarily because of inherent weaknesses in the manuscripts , al though some were returned because the sublect matter was not consistent with the alms of the Journal

The median t~me to a decision on a manuscript {t~me from receipt to date of notification letter) was ten weeks. Three-fourths of the decisions were made within fourteen weeks. The hst of referees, for papers carried through the rewew process by the end of last year, appears elsewhere m this issue

The aim of the Journal ~s to stHnulate the product ion ot manuscr ipts that focus on issues in the design, organlzat ,on, operat ion and analysis of chmcal trials as well as general prospective follow-up studies The Journal IS not a substi tute for existing spec~ahty lournals Papers designed to appeal to a speclhc d lsc lphne should be directed to the lournal of that dlsclphne

The goal is to estabhsh a pubhcat ion schedule where all issues of a particular volume appear in the same calendar year The inevitable problems associated with a new effort of this kind made 1t impossible to achleve this goal for the first volume and It may not be accomphshed until 1982

It is our hope that contr ibut ions to the Journal will cont inue to cover a wide range of topics and not be restricted simply to those suggested Jn the statement of Aims and Scope for the Journal. We are anxious to receive papers covering all aspects ot the field, lnclud,ng papers provldLng:

A historical perspechve for chmcal trials and the research methods used in them,

Compar l sons of the design, operation, or orgamzat lonal features of classes of trials,

Information on the allocation of resources in trials with particular emphasis o n c o s t ,

Comparat ive information on different comput ing software packages tor hie maintenance or analysis procedures,

Data compar ing the eftlcacy ot dlfterent qual , ty control procedures In reducing data errors,

Discussion of malor ethics issues ~n chmcal trials,

Descriptions of data storage and archive procedures for long-term studles

Suggest ions regarding the Journal and ,ts contents are welcome They may be addressed to me or any one of the three Associate Editors

Curtis L Melnert

Controlled Chmcal Trials 2, 1-2 (1981) 1 © 1981 Elsewer North Holland. lnc , 52 Vanderbflt Avenue, New York NY 1 0 0 1 7 {)197-24:36/81'010001002502 50