Lancet
The Lancet's prestigious heritage as one of the world's leading medical journals continues to inspire our authors and editors today as they strive for medical excellence in all that they publish.
When Thomas Wakley founded The Lancet in 1823, he announced "A lancet can be an arched window to let in the light or it can be a sharp surgical instrument to cut out the dross and I intend to use it in both senses". This philosophy remains at the heart of the journal today.
The Lancet first appeared on Oct 5, 1823. From the beginning, Wakley's aim was to entertain, instruct, and reform. Instruction came in the form of transcribed medical lectures from the London teaching establishment; entertainment in the early days of the journal came in the form of theatre reviews and piquant political comment. The Lancet has been, first and foremost, a reformist medical newspaper known for its campaigns, for example, our focus on child survival in recent years. Thomas Wakley and his successors aimed to combine publication of the best medical science in the world with a zeal to counter the forces that undermine the values of medicine, be they political, social, or commercial.
The journal was, and remains, independent, without affiliation to a medical or scientific organisation. More than 180 years later, The Lancet is an independent and authoritative voice in global medicine. We seek to publish high-quality clinical trials that will alter medical practice; our commitment to international health ensures that research and analysis from all regions of the world is widely covered. Critical appraisal of research and reviews is ensured by strong Comment and Correspondence sections; The Lancet's opinion and personality is communicated by three editorials every week; fast dissemination of priority issues is delivered by online first publication through thelancet.com; and the continued success of our monthly specialty titles ensures that The Lancet delivers in-depth knowledge in key medical disciplines Between our first online publication in 1996 and today, 1.8 million users have registered at thelancet.com.
From those few hundred copies in London in 1823, The Lancet's global reach has extended to the point where today it delivers the latest medical news and clinical research to every country in the world.
Whether clinical specialist or student doctor, all health professionals will find something at The Lancet online medical journals of interest to them. No longer just the printed word either: audio medical content is now an increasingly popular feature of all The Lancet medical journals.
Reputation and impact
The Lancet has an impact factor of 28.600. The journal is currently ranked second in the general medicine category (ISI Journal Citation Reports, 2007).
Coverage
The Lancet publishes medical news, original research, and reviews on all aspects of clinical medicine and public health. TheLancet.com will shortly see the launch of Article Collections, collating articles in sub-specialties published across The Lancet journals. Please register on this site and opt in to receive emails to receive notification of the launch of The Lancet Article Collections.
Title Abbreviation:
Lancet
Title(s):
Lancet.
Publication Date(s):
Vol. 1, no. 1 (Oct. 5, 1823)-
Frequency:
Weekly
Publisher:
London : J. Onwhyn
Latest Publisher:
London : Lancet Publishing Group
Other Title(s):
Lancet, Lond.
Description:
v. ill., ports.
Language:
English
ISSN:
0140-6736 (Print)
1474-547X (Electronic)
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