Dec. 31, 2020

By Jay Furst

ROCHESTER, Minn. ­— Mayo Clinic Proceedings, one of the world’s leading medical journals, will be published exclusively online beginning in January, ceasing print publication after 95 years.

The monthly peer-reviewed journal, sponsored by the Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, publishes the latest research, reviews, commentary and letters from authors worldwide, and data shows the journal ranks in the top 8% internationally for general and internal medicine journals.

Mayo Clinic Proceedings began publication on April 21, 1926, as a way for Mayo physicians and researchers to share clinical insights and discoveries. At that time, the Mayo brothers were still active in medical practice and scientific research.

Biomedical journals increasingly are published online only, a trend that will continue unabatedly and is amply justified, says Editor-in-Chief Karl Nath, M.D. “This is the beginning of an exciting future for Mayo Clinic Proceedings, with increasing focus on what digital publication allows us to do,” Dr. Nath says. “We can publish important content more quickly, respond to timely issues more swiftly with optimal matching of relevant content, and with links and digital assets we enable readers to analyze data and use virtual microscopy to explore anatomic/histologic images.”

The greater focus on digital publication opens the door to immersive technologies such as virtual reality, Dr. Nath says. “Moving forward in this way will make the journal stronger and even more relevant and interesting to readers and researchers. Other benefits of online-only publication are that we are not reliant on print advertising revenue and we avoid the environmental concerns and recycling/storage needs that print publication entails.”

The Mayo Clinic Proceedings website also will have a new look, with new functionality and features, beginning on Jan. 1. Print subscribers were informed of the change this month.

Mayo Clinic Proceedings: Innovations, Quality and Outcomes, an open access journal focused on clinical innovations, quality improvement and optimizing outcomes in medicine and surgery, will continue as an exclusively online publication.

“We’re eager to turn the page, so to speak, and begin this transformative new chapter,” says Dr. Nath. “In five years, we’ll celebrate our centennial year and we expect Mayo Clinic Proceedings to be even more vital, vigorous and compelling as a result of the changes we’re making now.”

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Media contact:

• Jay Furst, Mayo Clinic Public Affairs, 507-284-5005, newsbureau@mayo.edu

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