Kinetoplastids journal

[Alberto M. R. Davila - DBBM]

Dear colleague,

	As we embark into the 21st century,  the advent of the internet has
already dramatically changed and will continue to impact on the way
science is communicated. Traditional hard-copy publication is associated
with a number of drawbacks, foremost among which are long turn-around
times, high cost and limited accessibility world-wide. While modern
publishers have begun to make journals available over the internet
subscription rates can still be prohibitive, particularly in the field of
tropical medicine where research in developing nations is often on a
shoestring budget. 

	A century ago, research began to find cures and prophylactics for
kinetoplastid disease. Today, these pathogens are as prevalent as ever -
this is in spite of the large and increasing body of scientific knowledge
detailing the biology of these pathogens and that of their hosts and
vectors. We are proposing to dedicate an electronic publication
"KINETOPLASTIDS ONLINE" to the pipeline between research and
clinical/field applications. With an aim to increasing dialogue between
the scientists and epidemiologists of academe and those faced with the
reality of public health planning and execution in the field. We are
proposing that KO would accept basic sciences,  epidemiologic, public
health and clinical papers on trypanosomiasis and leishmaniasis and which
meet the criteria of peer review. 

	We propose the following pre-requisites for the publication of KO

1) Peer review
2) Free universal access by internet.
3) Permanent archiving and access from a central website
4) Online referral from major scientific databases such as PubMed

	We predict that a journal of this nature should be able to expedite
publication so that  papers can be submitted initially and in revised form
online and the time frame from receipt to publication of letters and
articles could be days or weeks.

	We are contacting you as proactive researchers in this field to
ask for your opinions and your help. We would like to know if you consider
that there is a need for a publication of this nature. If you do, then we
would further ask whether you would be prepared to lend written support to
such a project.  

	Please contact us (using our personal email address) with any
thoughts or comments (even negative ones) in regard to this project since
there is little point in persuing a project of this kind unless the field
it serves is generally enthusiastic.

	With regards and best wishes,

	Yours sincerely,

Alberto M. R. Davila (davila at gene.dbbm.fiocruz.br) and 
Kevin Tyler (k-tyler at northwestern.edu).