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Publisher's Note |
ADEA Associate Executive Director for Communications and Membership
In October 1936, the first issue of the Journal of Dental Education was published. Volume I, Number 1 of this new quarterly was 40 pages, printed in a 6" x 9" size. Its olive drab cover featured the journal name, date, volume, and number and noted that it was "Published by the American Association of Dental Schools" (the previous name for the American Dental Education Association). The issue included two articles, a brief conference report, an editorial, five book reviews, and a section of "News and Notes," similar to the faculty news now featured in the Bulletin of Dental Education. That first issue of the JDE sold for 50 cents; an annual subscription was $1.50. The journal was small, narrowly focused in content, and yet a significant innovation for its time.
Those lucky enough to have a copy of that first issue would find some familiar topics covered in its pages. The first article argued for more research and emphasis on the scientific fundamentals of dental education, which the author felt had been slighted with schools’ focus on clinical aspects of dentistry. The second article reviewed the important correlation of anatomy with clinical dentistry, while the editorial urged greater alignment of clinical dentistry with clinical medicine. The News and Notes section announced that Baylor University was changing its dental curriculum to follow recommendations of the Survey Committee of the American Association of Dental Schools, that Washington University’s School of Dentistry had received grants of $2,000 from the Carnegie Corporation for research fellowships, and that two years of academic work would now be required for admission to the course of dental hygienists at the University of California.
Now in its sixty-eighth year of publishing, the journal has grown from those humble beginnings to become a highly respected, influential institution. Published monthly since the 1960s, it has marked many milestones along the way and is now recognized as the premier publication for academic dentistry, covering topics ranging from the impact on oral health research of recent findings in such areas as genetics and the brain, to curriculum reform, and licensure. Under the leadership of Dr. Olav Alvares, Editor, and Prof. William Hendricson, Associate Editor, the JDE is one of only a few scholarly journals that are publishing the most important work being done in dental education and research today.
At the same time that the contents of the journal chronicle the growth and development of dental education, its current form also reflects our maturity. Today it is published monthly, in 8
'' x 11'' size. Each issue averages 100 pages, jam-packed with eight to fifteen articles, short opinion pieces, book reviews, and association reports—plus advertising. Full-color, creatively designed covers feature individuals, academic dental institutions, and the tools and objects with which dental educators work. Indeed, it is difficult to imagine how we could improve on the contents and look of these issues. The challenge is to keep the educational and aesthetic quality consistently high, while seeking new ways to increase the coverage and ease of use of the journal.
With that end in mind, we are with this issue marking another significant milestone: the launching of the online edition of the JDE. It is indeed a historic moment for the journal and for all who use it as a tool for education and research. With the journal now online (www.jdentaled.org), its value is increased in its ability to help dental educators and researchers all over the world discover and benefit from the most important work being done in dental education today.
While still available in printed form, the online version of the JDE exponentially increases its ease of use and accessibility. Starting with the June 2004 issue, the JDE online contains the full contents of each issue, including figures and tables. The full text is searchable by author and keyword. References include hyperlinks to Medline and the online text of many other journals. Abstracts, tables of content, and a limited number of PDF versions can be found dating back to 1969. Two of the key features are keyword and author searchability. As a result, readers can instantly find multiple articles on a particular topic or by an author.
ADEA is proud of the partnership support we received to make the JDE online possible. For this critical launch support, we thank the ADEA Council of Sections as well as Colgate, Fortress Insurance, GlaxoSmithKline, Hu-Friedy, Oral-B Laboratories, Procter & Gamble, Sunstar Butler, and Tom’s of Maine. Our online presence is also in extremely good company. The site is produced by Stanford University’s HighWire Press, which hosts more than 300 other scholarly journals, including Science, New England Journal of Medicine, and Journal of Dental Research. This month, ADEA members and subscribers will be notified how to set up a user name and password to access the site once the free trial period closes October 1.
In 2072, sixty-eight years from now, will the journal and dental education be very different from what they are today? Few of us will be around to find out, but I hope that over the years, as the journal continues to mature and grow, those who take it to the next levels will be as proud as we are today.
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