For decades, the ACR has promoted outstanding scholarship in the field of rheumatology, including the publication of Arthritis & Rheumatism (A&R). A&R has been the leading journal in the field and, in recent years, has had Arthritis Care & Research (AC&R) as a section. Because of the enormous growth in rheumatology and changes in the publication landscape, we will begin an exciting new chapter of our publishing history with the establishment of AC&R as an independent journal.
Humble Beginnings
Originally, AC&R was a publication of the Arthritis Health Professions Association (AHPA), a division of the Arthritis Foundation, and focused on social, economic, and educational aspects of care, with a strong emphasis on outcomes research. In 1994, the AHPA became a division of the ACR and changed its name to the Association of Rheumatology Health Professionals (ARHP). The ACR assumed publication of AC&R and the journal became an important aspect of the activities of the ARHP. AC&R published outstanding scholarship and, in 2001, to advance its development, the ACR made AC&R a section of A&R. This innovation had many advantages, including an increase in impact factor, incorporation into citation indices, and greater visibility and dissemination.
Since that time, AC&R has been a premiere peer-reviewed publication for a diverse array of health professionals interested in the rheumatic disorders. As a section of A&R, AC&R publishes original articles concerning clinical problems and research relevant to the care of rheumatic disorders, as well as high-quality articles that analyze economic, educational, and social issues. The subjects of AC&R are very broad and often overlap with that of A&R, although A&R continues to be the major venue for the publication for fundamental research on disease mechanisms. Reflecting the breadth of scholarship represented in AC&R, the editorial board of AC&R is large and diverse and comprises medical and health professionals from a host of disciplines. This diversity of talent and interests has led to the encouragement and acceptance of submissions from an array of topic areas and has produced AC&R’s widely read themed issues.
AC&R’s sustained growth has confirmed the hopes of its editorial board and the ACR’s Committee on Journal Publications that one day the section would be strong enough to separate from A&R and become ACR’s second independent journal publication. That time has come.
Building on its history, AC&R has distinguished itself among top-tier rheumatology publications and remains an important journal for publication of articles by members of the ARHP. The ARHP has grown rapidly as a result of the changes in delivery of rheumatology care as well as growth in scholarship in new areas pursued by ARHP members. In recent years, AC&R has thrived and grown steadily in prestige— and literally in size: from its original six issues to 12 issues annually in 2008. Despite the competitive nature of the publishing industry, and medical journals in particular, this section developed a strong presence, and garnered respect among its readership and competitors. AC&R’s sustained growth as a section of A&R has confirmed the hopes of its editorial board and the ACR’s Committee on Journal Publications that one day the section would be strong enough to separate from A&R and be offered as the ACR’s second independent journal publication. That time has come.