Valediction

This issue marks another series of big changes for Community Dental Health. Whilst the cliché tells us that there is nothing permanent except change, Darwin realised that it's "not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change". We're heeding Darwin's words, even though his star never rose as high as publishing in this journal. The world of academic journals is especially susceptible to such shifts. Open Access (OA) publishing makes research findings freely available, with researchers paying to publish their work, rather than expecting readers to cough up for the privilege. Many research funders require data to be openly accessible in this way. Of course, this is a new funding model, but for the last ten years we have allowed authors to choose OA publication. There are also more academics submitting more papers, with a particular rise in manuscripts from outside of Europe. This growth is accompanied by an increase in the number of journals. Unfortunately, predatory journals have emerged that do not adhere to standards of ethics or peer review and there are now parallel concerns about the integrity of some researchers; and that's before we think about Artificial Intelligence. In this context, the need for CDH to maintain its standing as a high-quality journal demands more work and a better prepared Editorial Board and referees.