Canada’s first ever medical specialty journal is celebrating a major milestone with its latest published volume. The Canadian Association of Radiologists Journal (CARJ) released the first issue of its 75th volume earlier this month, continuing its leadership in quality and consistency in the field of radiology research.
“The CARJ is the premier radiology publication in Canada, showcasing and publishing editorials on pertinent topics, ground-breaking research, and timely review articles,” said Dr. Alison Harris, Associate Editor of the Journal.
With production beginning in the late 1940s, Volume 1 of the CARJ was officially put to print in 1950 and became the first medical specialty journal in the country. In the decades since, the journal has increased its readership and quality of submissions, culminating in an all-time high Impact Factor Score of 4.186 in 2022. Recently, the CARJ has dramatically increased its number of submissions year over year and has expanded into new media territories. The Radiology Roundtable podcast was launched in 2023 and features in-depth discussion of prominent published articles with the authors themselves. On top of that, a new LinkedIn account was launched to bring the high-quality content published in the Journal to a new digital audience.
As Editor-in-Chief Dr. Michael Patlas noted in 2022 after receiving the record setting Impact Factor Score, bringing the Journal to life at such a high standard is not light work.
“The CARJ owes its success to the Canadian radiological community. Many accomplished colleagues sent their incredible work to us and over 100 CAR members volunteered their time to review CARJ submissions.”
The work of the CARJ does not stop at publishing articles. CARJ volunteers are consistently working to share knowledge with the next generation of radiologists through programs like the Reviewer Mentorship Program and the Editor-in-Training (EIT) Program which attract radiology residents who are interested in learning the inner workings of academic journal production.
"I find it awesome that the staff radiologists who I look up to are taking the time to guide their future colleagues through the backstage wonders of research publication,” said Dr. Sarah Chibane who is currently involved in the Reviewer Mentorship Program.
The Journal also maintains relationships with international radiology societies and launched an EIT partnership with the Faculty of Radiologists in Ireland. Dr. Hannah Hughes of Dublin was the inaugural selection to the program, and applied in hopes of learning more about who and what goes into putting together a peer reviewed journal.
“I would like to gain further insight into the journey a manuscript takes, from the time it is submitted for consideration to eventual publication,” she said. “Being an EIT also provides an opportunity to read the newest research prior to publication. Through manuscript review, I hope to advance my own scientific knowledge through exposure to the expertise and opinions of my peers. I look forward to being an Irish ambassador for the CARJ by encouraging submissions and facilitating the promotion of high-quality research and education.”
Additionally, the CARJ continues to set the standard for Practice Guidelines. In 2023 alone, the Journal published three practice guidelines, and the findings of a critical survey from the CAR Endometriosis Working Group.
While 75 years of high-quality publication is certainly something to celebrate, Dr. Patlas says his team will not be complacent.
“Even though the CARJ editorial team was able to triple the Impact Factor and double the volume of submissions during last four years, we want to keep going. The CARJ will continue to publish high-quality scientific and educational content including CAR guidelines from the five Affiliate Societies and other partners.”
Congratulations on this amazing accomplishment to everyone who has contributed their knowledge, time, and effort to the CARJ over the past 75 years!