Travelling but never arriving: reflections of a retiring editor

doi:10.1136/bmj.329.7460.242

BMJ 2004;329:242-244 (31 July), doi:10.1136/bmj.329.7460.242

Editorial

Travelling but never arriving: reflections of a retiring editor

Twenty five years of adventure, discovery, and conservatism

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

When I arrived at the BMJ in 1979 the journal was set in hotmetal, there wasn't a computer to be seen, and it took threemonths for copies of the journal to reach Australia. As I departa quarter of a century later, many more people access the journalthrough their computers than on paper, and Australians are thefirst to read each issue because the British are abed when ithits their screens. Yet my overwhelming impression is that changehas been slow. If resurrected, Thomas Wakley, the founder ofthe Lancet who died in 1862, would instantly recognise bothhis journal (despite its recent makeover) and the BMJ. We arestill at the beginning of the electronic revolution, and DrummondRennie, the deputy editor of JAMA, has castigated editors forneglecting their craft and failing to innovate.^1
2 We have beenan instinctively conservative crew.

It . . . [Full text of this article]

Richard Smith, editor

BMJ

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Adios: Sri S Varman
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Vale: David de Bh�l
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A Global Tribute To Professor Richard Smith CBE: Joseph . C . Obi
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Keep on Richard Smith!: Matiram Pun
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I hope the best for you in your new jop: AK Al-Sheikhli
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Keep it rocking dude!: Thilo Kober
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A true inspiration: Jonathan Underhill
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FAIREST ONE OF THEM ALL.: Pal Rita
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Your passion shall not pass ...: Joanne C. Roberts
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Repeated travelling and repeated arriving are more cosier.: Dr.Naseem A. Qureshi MD, IMAPA, LMIPS
bmj.com, 1 Aug 2004 [Full text]
Glad to know that this is not goodbye forever.: Mirza Muminovic
bmj.com, 1 Aug 2004 [Full text]
A Sad Departure: Jay Ilangaratne
bmj.com, 2 Aug 2004 [Full text]
A Personal Tribute to a Retiring Editor from a Chinese Colleague: Tsung O. Cheng, et al.
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Re: A Sad Departure: Sudarsan Sundararajan
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May the good work done by you continue to inspire future editors of BMJ: Dinesh K Sharma
bmj.com, 3 Aug 2004 [Full text]
In Praise of Richard Smith : An Outstanding Editor: Azra Qureshi, et al.
bmj.com, 3 Aug 2004 [Full text]
Re: In Praise of Richard Smith : An Outstanding Editor: Rita Pal
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Re: In Praise of Richard Smith : An Outstanding Editor: Alexander H Russell
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Richard, BMJ West Africa will miss you !: Joseph Ana
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Misplaced influence: Anne Savage
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a masterly signoff! good luck!: Douglas J Carnall
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Thanks to Dr Smith - not great, just alright?: Sam J Oddie
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Keep up the good work: Rupert Gude
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