From the Publisher

Over the past 6 years, Cardiology in the Young has published on a regular basis the Newsletters, Guidelines, and Recommendations for the Association of European Paediatric Cardiology. This relationship between the Journal and the Association has been established and nurtured over several years. At the Association's Annual Conference in May, held in Munich, a proposal was agreed by the Committee for the Journal to become, in 2005, the official publication of the Association. This agreement will strengthen the bond between the Journal and the Association, and will ensure that the Journal is distributed to the membership of the Association. This will result in a broader readership for the Journal, and the potential for a positive effect on its impact factor. The collaboration will also help to promote the affairs of the Association. The Journal will offer close liaison and support with future publication of the European Paediatric Code, as well as continuing to publish the regular Supplements arising from the meetings of the Association. As a peer-reviewed journal of high quality, Cardiology in the Young will help to contribute to the objectives of the Association, namely to promote knowledge of the normal and abnormal heart and circulation during growth and development. We will also do our utmost to work with the Association so as ensure a high standard of professional practice in paediatric cardiology in Europe. The Editorial Board and the Publisher look forward to the closer ties with the Association, and the benefits that this will bring to our readers worldwide.

As was stated in the April issue of Cardiology in the Young,¹ in December of last year, Cambridge University Press acquired Greenwich Medical Media Limited – the previous publishers of Cardiology in the Young. This acquisition is a wholly positive development for the Journal, and the Journal will benefit from the enhanced international outreach provided by the University Press. As the publisher, we have now launched a new website dedicated to the Journal, which contains the most up-to-date “Instructions to Authors”. Those intending to submit articles to the Journal should now study these “Instructions”, and ignore any other versions. In particular, all should note that it is our practice to avoid all abbreviations, even including such devices as “mmHg”, which should be written “millimetres of mercury”. A sample issue of the Journal is now available online for users to access and enjoy. The website address is www.journals.cambridge.org/jid_CTY. From this homepage, the user can access ‘Further Information’ to obtain the full “Instructions to Authors”, details of the Editorial Board, and can subscribe online. We would be happy to hear your ideas and thoughts for future development of our online presence. One crucial development during next year will be the integration of a new online system for peer review, a feature which will assist both the authors and editors. We are currently evaluating the system and will provide the readers of the Journal with the progress.

Finally, readers will have noted that both the June and August issues have been delayed beyond their promised dates of publication. This reflects unforeseen difficulties encountered during the transfer from London to Cambridge. We apologise for these delays, but we are confident that the October issue will appear on time, and that the regular schedule will henceforth be honoured.