Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases

Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases
Title	Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases
Discipline	Rheumatology
Abbreviation	Ann. Rheum. Dis.
Publisher	BMJ Publishing Group
History	1939–present
Frequency	Monthly

Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases is a peer-reviewed medical journal publishing clinical and translational research in rheumatology and related fields. Established in 1939, the journal serves as a platform for original investigations, reviews, guidelines, and consensus statements that influence practice across hospitals, universities, and research institutes. The journal engages clinicians and scientists affiliated with organizations such as the European League Against Rheumatism, World Health Organization, National Institutes of Health, Medical Research Council, and major academic centers.

History

The journal was founded during a period of institutional transformation involving entities like the British Medical Association and the Royal Society of Medicine, reflecting post-World War II expansion of specialized journals. Over decades it paralleled developments at institutions such as University College London, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Massachusetts General Hospital, Johns Hopkins Hospital, and Mayo Clinic. Editorial stewardship has intersected with figures associated with Royal College of Physicians, Oxford University Press, Cambridge University Press, and the Wellcome Trust. Its trajectory mirrors broader changes in publishing seen at houses like Elsevier, Springer Nature, and Wolters Kluwer.

Scope and content

The journal publishes research on diseases and topics that interest clinicians active at centers such as Hospital for Special Surgery, Cleveland Clinic, Karolinska Institutet, McGill University Health Centre, and Mount Sinai Hospital. Content spans studies involving biologic therapies developed by companies like Roche, AbbVie, Pfizer, Novartis, and Merck, as well as diagnostics influenced by work from Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory teams at institutions including Stanford University School of Medicine and Harvard Medical School. Reviews and guidelines often reference collaborative initiatives with organizations such as European Medicines Agency, Food and Drug Administration, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, and American College of Rheumatology.

Abstracting and indexing

The journal is indexed in major databases and catalogues used by researchers at PubMed Central, MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, and Embase. Library services at British Library, Library of Congress, and corporate subscribers like ProQuest provide archival access. Citation metrics are tracked by services including Clarivate Analytics, Google Scholar, Dimensions, and CrossRef.

Editorial leadership and peer review

Editorial leadership has involved editors with appointments at universities including University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, Imperial College London, King's College London, and Yale School of Medicine. The peer review process engages reviewers and statisticians affiliated with research groups at Broad Institute, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Institut Pasteur, Max Planck Society, and clinical trial units at Nuffield Department of Medicine. The editorial office liaises with publishing professionals from BMJ Group and collaborates with ethics committees linked to General Medical Council and institutional review boards at centers like National Health Service trusts.

Impact and reception

The journal's influence is reflected in citations and guideline adoptions used by practitioners at organizations such as American College of Rheumatology, European League Against Rheumatism, and public health agencies like Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Major clinical trials published in the journal have shaped formularies at hospitals including Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, Karolinska University Hospital, and policy documents produced by World Health Organization expert committees. Reception in academic circles is measured by citation indices maintained by Clarivate Analytics and commentary in outlets such as The Lancet, New England Journal of Medicine, and JAMA.

Notable publications and contributions

The journal has published landmark clinical trials and consensus statements that intersect with therapeutic advances developed at pharmaceutical centers like Genentech and research discoveries from institutions including Scripps Research Institute, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, and University of Pennsylvania. Contributions include early descriptions and classification criteria used alongside work from American College of Rheumatology committees, biomarkers validated in cohorts from Framingham Heart Study collaborators, and imaging standards harmonized with groups at European Society of Radiology and Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging.

Access and publication model

Published by BMJ Publishing Group, the journal operates a hybrid model engaging subscription access for libraries such as Wellcome Library and open access options consistent with funder mandates from organizations including the Wellcome Trust, European Commission, and National Institutes of Health. Manuscript processing and article-level metrics are managed with platforms and identifiers from CrossRef, ORCID, and submission systems used by publishers like Editorial Manager.

Category:Rheumatology journals