It is with great excitement and pleasure that I welcome all of you to the new International Journal of Naturopathic Medicine. It is an honor for me to be editor of this journal, which reflects the breadth and diversity of the entire naturopathic “global” community. The editorial board is composed of the profession’s leaders from Australia, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Canada. It has not been easy getting this journal started, but the work of some very dedicated individuals have helped to bring this exceptional journal to fruition. Many thanks must go to Mr. Ed Mills for his integrity and resilience in bringing this project to fruition.
There should be no concerns or resentments about this new journal. The journal has the support of many influential naturopathic organizations with the two most powerful ones, the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians and the Canadian Association of Naturopathic Doctors, with their respective sitting presidents on the Journal’s editorial board. There is no doubt that other naturopathic organizations will want to endorse the journal in the near future. With the launch of this inaugural issue, I am certain than none among the naturopathic community will find the journal substandard. It will be among the best of all complementary and alternative medical publications. It will always remain freely available online and will not have any subscription fees or costs to those wanting to read it. It will have an active letters to the editor section filled with healthy debates and timely new information (please see my editorial on food-cobalamin malabsorption syndrome). Once a letter is accepted, the author of the original piece will be invited to reply, especially if the letter was critical of their article.
More importantly, the journal will have a definite focus on all aspects of naturopathic medicine, with topics pertaining to education, healthcare policy, clinical case reports, novel (and perhaps revolutionary) ideas, randomized controlled trials and systematic reviews. This journal will not, of course, accept any publication sent our way. We will be fair with our comments and peer-review process, but will not compromise on quality. The editorial board is rigorous and demonstrative of the elite within our profession. It is composed of academic professors from many of our naturopathic colleges spanning the globe, and expert naturopathic physicians having had many years of clinical experience. Thus, having a paper published in this journal is prestigious, as it is the only one of its kind.
One of the primary goals of this new journal is to provide a place for students of naturopathic medicine, naturopathic physicians, health care professionals and health-conscious individuals alike to gain access to the latest (credible) research in the naturopathic field. This journal will also present ideas not commonly accepted by our medical doctor colleagues, but which have a long history of use in the naturopathic profession. The journal will specifically aim to advance concepts pertaining to the art and clinical practice of naturopathic medicine. In conclusion, I look forward to the challenging experience of editing this journal that has a unique voice and role in biomedical science. It is my personal hope that the journal will be the first choice for those in the naturopathic community wishing to publish their new ideas, clinical reports, and controlled trials. Enjoy our wonderful new journal!
Jonathan E. Prousky, N.D., FRSH
Editor-in-Chief