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This is the first edition of the
Alma Mata journal of Global Health. For those
unfamiliar with the work of Alma Mata, you
only have to look here to discover the
aims and aspirations of the group. In the
four years since it’s inception, the progress
and evolution of Alma Mata has been such
that the production of a regular publication
felt like a natural ‘next step’.
But what about the aims of this journal?
What do we hope to achieve by publishing it? The strengths and achievements of Alma Mata include it’s successes at bringing together like-minded health professionals, sharing resources and ideas with the ultimate goal of improving global health. Until now, the website has been the organisation’s main forum, along with regular conference and careers days. But since Johannes Gutenberg developed his printing press in the 15th century, the written word has been the medium with which the greatest amount of information has been disseminated. Evidently, the advent of the internet has improved this, providing a more affordable means with which to communicate ideas and information. So what advantage, or even purpose, do journals now hold?
A journal was and remains a collection, a short cut to information, be it news, research, jobs or conference listings. With this journal, we aim to use the website and its readers to determine what is published. The articles and features with the most hits, i.e. the most popular content on the website, will be included in the latest edition and will guide the content of the features and articles commissioned. This, as far as Alma Mata is aware, is the first time such a method has been employed in the production of an academic journal. It effectively involves the website’s users in the production of the journal, thus adding a degree of flexibility and a much greater number of individuals to the editorial process.
Additionally, we recognise that a large amount of global health research and
information - effective ‘content’ is inaccessible. Every year, over one hundred medical students graduate from an Intercalated International Health BSc in London, Leeds, Bristol, Birmingham and Edinburgh. There are countless post graduate courses relating to global health, both in the UK and overseas. This begs the question: what happens to the potentially useful and informative academic work and research generated by these courses? A minority of it finds its way into peer-reviewed journals but, inevitably, the vast majority stays on a university server or a personal hard-disk drive, never to see the light of day beyond the pupil and its assessor.
What do we hope to achieve by publishing it? The strengths and achievements of Alma Mata include it’s successes at bringing together like-minded health professionals, sharing resources and ideas with the ultimate goal of improving global health. Until now, the website has been the organisation’s main forum, along with regular conference and careers days. But since Johannes Gutenberg developed his printing press in the 15th century, the written word has been the medium with which the greatest amount of information has been disseminated. Evidently, the advent of the internet has improved this, providing a more affordable means with which to communicate ideas and information. So what advantage, or even purpose, do journals now hold?
A journal was and remains a collection, a short cut to information, be it news, research, jobs or conference listings. With this journal, we aim to use the website and its readers to determine what is published. The articles and features with the most hits, i.e. the most popular content on the website, will be included in the latest edition and will guide the content of the features and articles commissioned. This, as far as Alma Mata is aware, is the first time such a method has been employed in the production of an academic journal. It effectively involves the website’s users in the production of the journal, thus adding a degree of flexibility and a much greater number of individuals to the editorial process.
Additionally, we recognise that a large amount of global health research and
information - effective ‘content’ is inaccessible. Every year, over one hundred medical students graduate from an Intercalated International Health BSc in London, Leeds, Bristol, Birmingham and Edinburgh. There are countless post graduate courses relating to global health, both in the UK and overseas. This begs the question: what happens to the potentially useful and informative academic work and research generated by these courses? A minority of it finds its way into peer-reviewed journals but, inevitably, the vast majority stays on a university server or a personal hard-disk drive, never to see the light of day beyond the pupil and its assessor.