MO-A-209-03: A Look Ahead: Stewarding the Financial Future of AAPM Journals

• Published in: Medical physics (Lancaster) 2016-06, Vol.43 (6), p.3693-3694
• Main Author: Svatos, M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biomedical modeling; Business; Community modeling; Medical physicists; Medical physics; Numerical solutions
• ISSN: 0094-2405; 2473-4209
• DOI: 10.1118/1.4957169

Scientific publishing is a major endeavor of the AAPM. Although publishing requires substantial resources, it has the potential to generate both reputation and revenue to further the missions of our society. The AAPM owns and publishes two journals: Medical Physics and the Journal of Applied Clinical Medical Physics (JACMP). Medical Physics, with the tagline “The international journal of medical physics research and practice,” publishes research concerned with the application of physics and mathematics to the solution of problems in medicine and human biology, with an emphasis on theoretical and experimental approaches. The JACMP is an applied journal that publishes papers designed to help clinical medical physicists perform their responsibilities more effectively and efficiently for the greater benefit of patients. The two journals reflect two different missions, reach two different (yet often overlapping) audiences, engage two different publication approaches, and operate under two different financial models. A journal must serve both “producers” (authors who submit manuscripts to – and ultimately have their work published in – the journal) and “consumers” (readers – either individuals who access journal content or subscribing institutions that make the journal’s content available to its members). Any viable publication model and cost-recovery structure must satisfy the interests of both groups without sacrificing the needs of the scientific community. The purpose of this symposium is to explore the roles of the AAPM’s two journals in advancing the scientific and clinical missions of the society and to understand the complex interplay of economic factors that impact financial decisions governing the journals and the returns they bring to the AAPM. Learning Objectives: 1. Appreciate the complementary roles of Medical Physics and JACMP in advancing the scientific and clinical missions of the AAPM. 2. Understand AAPM resources committed to the two journals and the return on these investments. 3. Understand the role of the AAPM’s Journals Business Management Committee in the financial stability of the two journals. 4. Explore the potential benefits and pitfalls of various economic and publication models for the two journals. J. Bourland, Member, Journals Business Management Committee, AAPM.