Medical Acupuncture: Building Resilience for the Future (2024)

The journal Medical Acupuncture has for its aim delivering authoritative, evidence-based, translational research on integrating acupuncture with allopathic medicine. The journal regularly includes Continuing Medical Education articles. This is essentially the apolitical mission of the journal. The journal grew up during its formative years from a palm-sized collection of articles published somewhat irregularly to an international journal indexed by PubMed. We have not missed a single publication or editorial over the years nor have we deviated from its publication schedule. This is a result of steadfast adherence to the journal's mission and the insights of Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The American Academy of Medical Acupuncture supported all the journal activities, and, without the Academy's actions, determination, and financing, the journal would have succumbed in its cradle.

Today, Medical Acupuncture, like a young adult, is still discovering the world and flexing its energy in many directions but still adhering to its basic mission and values. The direction that the journal actually takes is influenced in part by you, the readers. And this direction is reflected for example, in the previous publications of Medical Acupuncture on “Issues and Challenges in Acupuncture Research and Clinical Practice” and focusing on the complexities of applying acupuncture to “Internal Medicine and COVID-19.” Many of the readers depend on the clinical practice of acupuncture for their livelihoods; hence, the inclusion of the Clinical Pearls section and case reports to address practice challenges.

In a recent letter to the editorial board, I stated that we must “future proof” Medical Acupuncture to ensure its continued existence. No doubt scientific journals cannot escape the effects of the economy and social trends to publish online or even survive a pandemic. This concern is shared by Holger Cramer, PhD, the new Editor-in-Chief of The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. Dr. Cramer stated that, as early as 2010, The New York Times asked if “the end of newspapers had already come, as hundreds of newspapers in the United States alone have closed their doors forever, to be replaced by the internet content.” He worried that many “meg-journals will serve as a repository of articles often without judging whether the content of those articles is new, inspiring, or even relevant, as long as it is technically correct.”¹Medical Acupuncture must avoid being just a collection of articles. We need to fully appreciate the value of articles, as they represent more than words printed on paper or posted on the internet. Articles should not only be reviewed for publication, but even commented on rigorously by the readership.

As an example of the recent social and financial impact—not to mention the devastation—of the COVID-19 pandemic on recent businesses, the journal of the American Society of Acupuncture had to terminate its activities. The Editor-in-Chief, Jennifer A.M. Stone, MSOM, LAc, queried Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. publishers about possibly having a column in Medical Acupuncture. I have known Jennifer for many years, and we converse frequently about our respective journals. She is affiliated with the Indiana University School of Medicine, holding appointments in both the department of anesthesia and the department of pediatric oncology and she is chair of the Indiana University Integrative Medicine Steering Committee. I know and respect many of her editorial board members.

Having been given a favorable nod from our publisher, I would like to welcome Jen to Medical Acupuncture as a Senior Editor. The mission of Medical Acupuncture will not change. In fact, Jen's participation will help enhance and future-proof the journal, making it a cornerstone of acupuncture publications in the United States. I anticipate receiving more outstanding articles for publication. Together, we will prepare the journal for applying for an impact factor and ultimately, the year-long application process to MEDLINE.^® We have learned in the past year that life we once knew is rapidly changing. We do not live isolated in a vacuum. The global acupuncture community itself is changing, as clinicians and researchers confront social, economic, health, and political challenges never before experienced. As acupuncturists, we need to understand each other and concentrate on what makes us similar and not what makes us different.