Gastroenterología y Hepatología, the publication of the Spanish Association for the Study of the Liver (AEEH) and the Spanish Association for Gastroenterology (AEG), turns 40 this year. Over the course of its existence, this publication has contributed to and witnessed major changes in gastroenterology and hepatology as scientific disciplines and medical specialities. We are starting 2018 with a number of changes to take the journal a step further, and we wanted to share them with our readers. They are: the fact that the journal will become the official publication of the Spanish Working Group in Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis (GETECCU), changes in the membership of the Editorial Board, simultaneous publication of the journal in English and Spanish, and significant updates to the website.
First, starting this year, Gastroenterología y Hepatología will become the official publication of the GETECCU in addition to that of the AEEH and the AEG. GETECCU, an association with more than 800 members, is focused on studying and making advances in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). This group's official publication was the journal Enfermedad Inflamatoria Intestinal al Día (Elsevier; ISSN: 1696-7801) until its publication ceased in 2017. GETECCU has an extensive history in research and teaching focused on IBD and enjoys enormous prestige within Spain and internationally. It boasts experts and opinion leaders who will undoubtedly bring added value to our journal.
Second, given that the journal will become the official publication of the GETECCU, changes were made in the membership of the Editorial Board. Dr José María Piqué and Dr Ramón Planas, long-time editors of Gastroenterología y Hepatología, are leaving their positions with the journal. The Gastroenterología y Hepatología Editorial Board would like to thank them for their invaluable hard work and dedication. Their extensive knowledge of liver diseases (Dr Planas) and gastroenterology (Dr Piqué) and their international prestige have been fundamental in achieving the widespread circulation of Gastroenterología y Hepatología. The Editorial Board will now consist of a representative from the AEEH (Dr María Carlota Londoño, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona), a representative from the AEG (Dr Francesc Balaguer, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona) and a representative from the GETECCU (Dr Pilar Nos, Hospital La Fe de Valencia)—one representative from each of the journal's 3 major areas of knowledge. We would also like to thank the outstanding members of the Board of Directors and the Editorial Board for their enthusiasm and assistance over the years, and to welcome the new members, chosen for their importance and prestige in their respective areas of specialisation. Furthermore, we wish to thank Elsevier-Doyma for its commitment to modernising the journal. The Board of Directors and the Editorial Board are being combined into a single Editorial Board.
Third, we would like to remind you that Gastroenterología y Hepatología has been published in English in its online version since 2016. At present, the journal accepts papers in Spanish and English; papers are published in their original language for the print version and, at the same time, translated as needed into English for the online version. Although our journal has long been a tool for training and introduction to techniques and methodology in scientific publishing for young Spanish and Latin American doctors, the Editorial Board and Elsevier decided to commit to full publication of the journal in English online to internationalise it further and, above all, contribute to increasing its impact factor. Given that impact factor depends on citations of articles published in the previous 2 years, we have not yet been able to verify the success of this measure. From now on, the 3 organisations associated with our journal should strive to coordinate efforts to significantly increase this impact factor.
Finally, as a step towards modernising the journal, significant updates have been made to the Gastroenterología y Hepatología cover page for the first time since 2008. We hope our readers are pleased with this change and find that it increases the journal's appeal.
Please cite this article as: Comité Editorial de Gastroenterología y Hepatología. Novedades en Gastroenterología y Hepatología para el 2018. Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2018;41:1.
