Five years ago, I described the exciting circumstances that encouraged me to take on the role of Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Biological Chemistry (JBC): the new opportunities offered by the shifting landscape of scientific publishing, the stunning progress happening across science but particularly in those areas central to JBC, and the enduring foundation of the journal itself, built on over a century of thoughtful and respectful stewardship (1). Nonetheless, by the measures that are generally used to assess the performance of a journal, JBC was in decline. Yet, I was convinced that there should be a bright future for JBC if the right actions were taken. My reasoning was simple: JBC has “the right stuff” for a journal. JBC is by scientists and for scientists. It exists to serve the community of biological chemists and help advance their science. The editorial team holds content to a very high standard of rigor and reliability, without being swayed by perceptions of scientific “sexiness.” JBC has provided a home for the significant findings of countless authors, enabling future generations of researchers to see farther and dig deeper. All that remained was to figure out what was leading to the disconnect between JBC’s metrics and the obvious respect and love for JBC on the part of a large fraction of the community of biological chemists and fix it. Simple, right? Understanding this dilemma fueled the incredibly busy last 5 years and catalyzed myriad innovations and adjustments in the JBC world. As I reflect on my time as the Editor-in-Chief, rapidly coming to an end, I’m pleased, optimistic, and proud of all the JBC family who worked so hard to reinvigorate our journal. Let me briefly touch on what I now think are the keys to a healthy, vibrant JBC.
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