MJA Editor calls it a day
After fifteen years at the helm of Australia's premier general medical publication, the Editor of the Medical Journal of Australia (MJA), Dr Martin Van Der Weyden, has announced his intention to retire.
The MJA is the journal of the Australian Medical Association (AMA).
Dr Van Der Weyden will finish his term as Editor by early 2011. The position has been advertised nationally and internationally with calls for expressions of interest by 31 January 2010.
Dr Van Der Weyden took over the Editorship of the MJA in February 1995.
Under his guidance, the impact factor of the MJA increased from below 2 to an all-time high of 3.32. The impact factor is a measure that reflects the average number of citations to articles published in science and social science journals. It is frequently used to rate the relative importance of a journal. The MJA currently ranks number 18 in the global listing of general medical journals.
Since 1995, Dr Van Der Weyden has been a member of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors.
In 2008, he was elected as a Director of the World Association of Medical Editors.
He has published over 300 peer-reviewed articles and contributed chapters to books on medical publishing.
17 November 2009
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