Dear Editor,
I am writing this comment as a congratulation letter for the new journal; Journal of Archives in Military Medicine (JAMM). It is a great pleasure for me that my colleagues launch this new journal. First, I would like to welcome you all to this inaugural journal. If ever a field needs greater attention and more outlets, regarding theory and research, military medicine is it. The area of military medicine began expanding in the late 1940’s. On behalf of all the colleagues working in this field in Iran, I would like to express my best wishes for the new journal.
The proportion of military medicine related journals to overall journals is negligible. Having this in mind, my colleagues embarked on this journey of discovery and launched a new scientific journal: The Journal of Archives in Military Medicine (JAMM). Scholarly biomedical journals play an important role in dissemination of new information, relevant to healthcare, among both researchers and persons engaged in delivery of healthcare at various levels. I am very excited about the upcoming launch of JAMM, a journal fully dedicated to the streamlined, yet scientifically rigorous electronic dissemination of peer-reviewed military medicine related science and the related diseases, in developed and developing countries (1). The future of our world depends on the health and well-being of all its population. Therefore, the global health issues we are facing today will determine the medical history. Unfortunately, although the world has become more of a global information village in many respects, there have still impediments remained for eliminating regional disparities in sharing health information, be it in the fields of infectious diseases, nutrition or cancer risks to name but a few. It is my hope that JAMM will be a forum for sharing information and engaging in discussions and dialogue, relevant to the military care, liberated from limitations imposed by traditional print media (2). In recent years, too many people have been trying to create too many journals, using free publishing software, but not having sufficient financial, academic and human support. Research and publication are important activities for moving forward in any field of medicine. Documentation of the relationships detected between exposures in the work environment and adverse health effects, provides the basis of many preventive measures.
There are a lot of challenges the growing economies face, in the realms of basic necessities of a healthy life. Scientific journals can play a very distinct role in bringing about the change. It is of high importance that different people in charge unite and collaborate on issues the society confronts. One of the key objectives of the researches should be their usability and application. I hope this journal will attempt to document and spark a debate on the research fields, focused on military medicine in the context of emerging needs. The sectors could range from education, toxicants, environment, health care and telemedicine, to hospital fields, chemical weapons and radiation injuries (3, 4). The key focus would however, be the emerging sectors and researches which discuss the application and usability in societal or consumer contexts, whether individual or governmental.
An enormous amount of work has been done for the development of this journal and I believe the readers will see that effort reflected in the journal and in the impact it will have on the field. The journey has not been one with a completely charted course. It could not have been, given our time constraints. More importantly, it should not have been. A completely charted course would have been counter to the ideals by authentic community engagement that we have attempted to follow. The JAMM publication is a big step forward for Iran and I am sure that this will contribute to the development of military safety and health in Iran and other countries of the region. I wish the journal a prosperous future. Military medicine is still a relatively small discipline and we need to build it step by step. In the world of global information it is possible to disseminate information quickly and effectively. I am sure many colleagues within this field will follow the journal closely.
