90 years of BJU International
This blog marks the launch of the British Journal of Urology 90 years ago. Since then the Journal has undergone many changes as urology and the publishing environment have changed. The first Editors outlined their vision in the Foreword of the first issue, which includes an introduction to the speciality, the locations and opening hours of Urology Clinics and a plea for peace:
The British Journal of Urology Vol.1 1929
From the outset, the Editors placed emphasis on seeking collaboration and contributions internationally. From 1929 up to 1942 there was even a section in the Journal advising urologists visiting London where to find details of urological clinics which they could visit.
“This time-table is published in each number of the Journal for the guidance of travelling medical practitioners who may wish to visit Urological Clinics.
Visitors to London are advised to call at No.1 Wimpole St, W.1, where daily bulletins of operations and lectures issued by the Fellowship of Medicine are available for inspection….”
Advertisements
A sample of the advertisements included in the first edition shows the kit available at the time.
Articles
The first two pages of the very first article are reproduced here and can be accessed via Wiley Online. Note the detailed hand-drawn diagrams. It is also interesting to note the lack of articles on prostate cancer – very different from a urological journal of today.
Collaboration
In 1946 the Journal included a report on “… the Inaugural Scientific Meeting of the British Association of Urological Surgeons and acknowledged the importance of taking on “…the role of official organ of the B.A.U.S….”
The Journal is proud to continue to be an official journal of BAUS and to be the official journal of, or to be affiliated with, many urological associations around the world including:
Urological Society of Australia and New Zealand
Caribbean Urological Association
Hong Kong Urological Association
Korean journal, Investigative and Clinical Urology
Indonesian Urological Association
International Alliance of Urolithiasis
Malaysian Urological Association.
The Journal was, of course, solely a paper-based one from inception until 1994 when content was made available on CD ROM. This innovation was soon superseded by the advent of the internet and the Journal was first published online in 1997. This signal event resulted in a transformation of the procedure for submitting and processing papers through peer review from a paper-based, postal one to an online one. All articles published in the Journal since 1929 have been digitised so that they are accessible online. Over the last two decades, the demand for print subscriptions has waned.
In 1999 the name of the Journal was changed to BJU International, reflecting the Journal’s British heritage and the importance of the contributions from the UK and internationally.
BJUI Editors 1929-2019
Responsibility for the Journal has been held by a succession of Editors and their Editorial Teams. There have been 10 editors during the first 90 years, some of whom served as co-editors (early version of a job-share?).
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1929-1933 Frank Kidd & HP Winsbury White
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1933-1948
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| 1949-1966
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1967-1972
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| 1972-1977
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1978-1993
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| 1994-1996
Hugh Whitfield & Bill Hendy
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1997-2002
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| 2003-2012
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2013-2020
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Thanks to Jonathan Goddard for the photos of the editors
Our current Editor-in-Chief, Prokar Dasgupta, is supported by an internationally based team of Associate Editors and Consulting Editors. In August next year, he will hand on the Editorship to Freddie Hamdy.
Thank you to our Editorial Teams, authors and peer reviewers for all their hard work in contributing to the success of the Journal.
Wonderful blog. Amazing how much has changed in 90 years, yet how many of the over-arching goals of the BJUI remain the same. I think that the last 10 years have seen hugely significant changes in the evolution of the Journal from a paper-based entity into a very dynamic digital platform (credit to Prokar and his team).
What will we see in the next 90 years? (More) dramatic changes in the way in which content is delivered and how we engage. Still more prostate cancer (apologies to non-prostatologists)! Open access is coming across all scientific publishing and will be the standard.
And of course, we await the first female Editor in Chief. Despite the undoubted calibre of all of the Editors whose talents have created this great Journal over the past 90 years, I would dearly love to see one of the fantastic emerging generation of female academic leaders ascend to the top leadership position of the BJUi (and other urology journals).
Well done again to all at BJUi and thank you for this wonderful piece.
What an amazing history! Congratulations to Prokar Dasgupta on an amazing job as Editor in Chief and for establishing BJUI as a pioneer in social media! Web 2.0 has rapidly become a critical sphere for research dissemination and BJUI has done an amazing job capitalizing on these powerful new tools.
To look forward it is always vital to understand what has gone before. The scope of how much has changed in the last 90 years is almost inconceivable. Lovely to see the original papers from the first editions. Im very reassured that the primary principles of the journal are still key to its current mantra ie urological innovation, practical research that can influence urological clinicians, and international collaboration. Prokar you should be extremely proud of how far you have taken the BJUI on during your 8 year term. We have a great team and I’m delighted to be part of it.
A wonderful blog and time to reflect on the achievements of the journal and the impact it has had internationally. I still recall when the journal was known as the BJU and seen as a bastion of British Urology (only). Through the leadership and guidance of John Fitzpatrick the “International” became true and the current Chief Editor Prokar Dasgupta has taken international to the digital stratosphere accessible anywhere on the planet in one form or another. I look forward to being part of the next decade as we push towards a fine Century of education, advancement and advocacy for the specialty we all love.
The BJUI has reached unscaled heights in recent times. The history and heritage of the journal is admirable and inspiring. Preserving the inner core values, the journal has adapted to modern times by its profound digitalization efforts. The journal has been globally inclusive and has knitted the international urology community like never before. So through my praise for digitalization and inclusiveness , I congratulate Prokar Dasgupta for creating an indelible mark in the life of BJUI.