We are taking the helm of the editorial work of Anales de Pediatría with the enthusiasm and motivation to be expected of the professional impetus given by such an opportunity. Four years ago, the Editorial Committee that is currently departing set out to consolidate previous achievements and continue to progress.1 Thanks to its excellent work, the flagship publication of the Asociación Española de Pediatría (Spanish Association of Pediatrics, AEP) is now an established journal with a growing impact and a wide reach, as was reflected in the most recent editor’s report.2

As we undertake our work, we start by assessing the current situation of the journal by analysing its internal structure and the context in which it operates, as done with favourable results by our predecessors.1,3 Our aim is to define initial strategies to pursue the potential of the journal and confront the risks and challenges that lie ahead.

We found that, fortunately, the strengths of Anales de Pediatría have grown in number and solidity. The impact factor has been increasing and reached the highest value in the journal’s history. There has been a substantial increase in visibility in the past 2 years, with a growth of the international readership. Elsevier has demonstrated great reliability as a publisher and has adapted to emerging needs, allowing an efficient editorial flow and acceptable response times through the Editorial Manager online submission system. The editorial team has access to a group of reviewers renowned in their respective fields who contribute altruistically to the selection and improvement of the manuscripts of highest scientific quality. Lastly, the AEP has resolutely committed to promoting the rapid and widespread dissemination of research output by providing free access to full-text articles online since 2018, lowering costs by producing a single online edition. Meanwhile, its board of directors gives both support and free rein to the editorial team, which responds by acting with scientific rigour and transparency.

Our internal analysis has brought some weaknesses to light. The considerable increase in research output during the pandemic has resulted in the near doubling of the manuscripts submitted to the journal, which required substantial work by the editorial team for their evaluation and selection. The high rejection rate, which is a sign of the excellence of a journal, may give rise to discontent and frustration in authors in our field who may feel discouraged from submitting additional manuscripts. On the other hand, despite the increased impact of the journal, Anales de Pediatría is still in the fourth quartile of the Paediatrics category, ranked at position 100 of the 129 journals with a Science Citation Index-Journal Citation Reports (SCI-JCR) impact factor, a position that may still be unappealing to research groups of international scope. Furthermore, despite the efforts made to date, peer reviewers still get little recognition. The use of platforms where reviewers could showcase and record their reviews, obtain credit and recognition for their work and get access to article search databases are incentives that are currently within our reach– Reviewer Hub and Publons.

In the external analysis, the highlight is the exponential growth of the use and importance of social media in the dissemination of scientific knowledge, in which journals have also engaged.4 These new tools are being used for continuing education in medicine. They allow quick, concise and immediate delivery of information on the latest published research through mobile devices. This is both a significant threat and a great opportunity for the journal. Social media platforms provide preliminary information, introducing article contents through graphical summaries and highlights based on which readers can decide whether they would be interested in reading the article. Other tools are also available, such as audio content in the form of interviews, summaries or presentations by the authors themselves, or journal clubs that not only contribute to the diffusion of the scientific contents of the articles, but facilitate interaction and debate in the scientific community. This novel way to disseminate scientific knowledge requires changes in the system used to measure the scientific and social impact of articles published in scientific journals. Supplemental sources are required to measure the immediate reach and activity of journals in social media. Although some studies have already demonstrated that alternative metrics are strongly correlated with traditional impact measures, we still need to use caution and be aware of their significant limitations.5 While Anales de Pediatría started to engage with these media through the profile of the AEP in different social networks, there is still an interesting path ahead. The presence of the journal in social media could attract potential authors seeking a broader audience for their research. Alternative metrics are now available to measure the impact of each article in real time. Their analysis offers an opportunity to gauge the interests of the scientific community and the readership of the journal, valuable information for the purpose of guiding the editorial strategy.

Our goal is to continue improving the quality and impact of the journal through painstaking, rigorous, transparent and ethical editorial work. We have the institutional support of the AEP. We believe we will be able to attract the attention of cutting-edge paediatric research groups, and we asked authors for patience in the arduous collaborative work of reviewing and editing. We hope to provide incentives to reviewers, a key element in the prestige of the journal.

This analysis will probably help us make strategic decisions to continue advancing the scientific and technical quality of Anales de Pediatría. The ultimate goal is to increase the impact and diffusion of emerging scientific evidence to improve the clinical practice of paediatric professionals and child and adolescent health.

We are grateful for the trust that the new executive board of the AEP has placed in the incoming editorial team, and we are committed to continuing the great work of everyone that has contributed in the more than 50 years’ history of the journal.6

Each member of the new Editorial Committee takes on the mantle ready to contribute their best in their area of expertise. As new editor-in-chief, I do it with the serenity and enthusiasm afforded by having had the privilege of sharing the past years of editorial work with a great team of individuals from whom I have learned that professional humility is the key to growth.