Leadership in publishing

Evidence-based oral health care requires a robust base of data that can be trusted, is applicable to the specific clinical scenarios and results in better health outcomes. Scientific publishing is a key aspect as it bridges innovation to clinical application and provides rigorous peer review and quality control to the process. Publishing has been the subject of dramatic changes and innovation and not all of them have contributed in a positive way. This paper discusses few of the critical changes related to readership, content, competitive environment, interrelationship between oral health and the broader areas of science, the shift from Journal ranking to single article bibliometrics and the current measures of social impact of research. The picture shows a rapidly changing and challenging environment for all stakeholders as well as opportunities to provide new levels of impactful leadership.