The year was 1811. The setting: Nottinghamshire, England. More than 800 textile frames were destroyed in an effort to forestall the progress of technology in transforming the weaving industry. The mythical leader of this revolution was King Ludd, a dweller of Sherwood Forest, land of Robin Hood. Loom destruction became a capital offense in 1812, but it didn’t diminish laments about the pace of technology. And now, for all of you Luddites, the JOURNAL OF FAMILY PRACTICE is undergoing a technology revolution of its own: the move to fully electronic, web-based submission and review of manuscripts.
Beginning immediately, I invite you to submit your articles using the Manuscript Central website: http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/jfp. This system, used by a number of leading medical and academic journals, automates the submission and review process. When you first arrive at the JFP Manuscript Central site, you will be asked to log on or create a new account. This process allows you to submit your manuscript or to review other authors’ manuscripts. For our editors, the system notifies us when manuscripts are submitted, tracks reviews, and does all those things computers can do (like crash periodically).
Lest I sound like a modern-age Luddite, I invite your submission electronically via our Manuscript Central site. Let us know your experience, particularly any glitches or opportunities for improvement. Unlike the Empire, we promise not to hang anyone who clings to their old fashioned ways. In the meantime, I am going to see if I can get a few more manuscripts off my desk.
