Dear Readers,

Internal and Emergency Medicine (IEM) has obtained its third Impact Factor (IF), with a respectable 2.057 for 2011 similar to that obtained for 2010. During 2011, IEM has obtained 216 citations for the 105 articles published in 2009 and 2010. The corresponding figures for 2010 were 154 citations for 72 articles published in 2008 and 2009. In practice, the articles considered were 28 in 2007, 34 in 2008, 38 in 2009 but 67 in 2010! After such an increase in published articles (+76 % in 2010 vs. 2009), it is clear that the number of citations needs time to increase. So we have to consider these results as stable but with a promise to improve.

I still remember conversations with many colleagues when we were waiting for the first IF hoping to obtain it and we had an impressive entry rank of 2.371.

Our Journal is ranked 40th out of 153 journals in the category Medicine General and Internal.

We are satisfied because IEM has eventually been established as internationally recognized in our academic field, and we now receive papers from all over the world.

I wish to thank all the people working for the Journal. We hope to increase the IF in future years.

During the first 6 months of 2012, we handled about 250 new submissions with a stable trend versus 2011, but the rejection rate is still 70–80 %.

As previously communicated, we will significantly reduce the number of Letters and Medical Illustrations, and we will not accept uninvited reviews and case records.

Lastly, warm special thanks to Peter Rosen and the group of the Emergency Medicine section, and to Pasquale Pignatelli for their tremendous work for the Journal.

We thank you, our readers, and hope you will continue to support our Journal.

Domenico Prisco

Editor-in-Chief

Internal and Emergency Medicine