About The Lancet medical journal

History

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.

The Lancet family of journals

Through the 19th and 20th centuries, The Lancet pursued its mission to grow the evidence base that the world's medical community requires to combat the global burden of disease. Entering the 21st century, The Lancet has launched 3 specialty journals in the fields of oncology, neurology, and infectious diseases to allow it to grow that evidence base of clinical medicine further and faster. All Lancet specialty journals have existed as both print and online medical journals since first published.

• About The Lancet Infectious Diseases
• About The Lancet Neurology
• About The Lancet Oncology

Together with its specialty journals, The Lancet today makes a crucial contribution to the medical resources available to physicians and health professionals worldwide.

The Lancet: key milestones

Reputation and impact

The Lancet has an impact factor of 30.758. The journal is currently ranked second in the general medicine category (ISI Journal Citation Reports, 2009).

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.

About the Editor

Richard Horton (BSc MB FRCP FMedSci) was born in London and qualified in medicine from the University of Birmingham in 1986. He completed his general medical training in Birmingham before moving to the liver unit at the Royal Free Hospital. In 1990, he joined The Lancet as an assistant editor and moved to New York as North American editor in 1993. Two years later he returned to the UK to become Editor-in-Chief.

He was the first President of the World Association of Medical Editors and is a Past-President of the US Council of Science Editors. He is an honorary professor at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, University College London, and the University of Edinburgh. He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and a Founder Fellow of the UK's Academy of Medical Sciences.

In 2005 he was a member of the working party and subsequently wrote the report for the Royal College of Physicians' inquiry into the future of medical professionalism – Doctors in Society. He currently chairs the Royal College of Physicians' Working Party on Physicians and the Pharmaceutical Industry; co-chairs a WHO Scientific Advisory Group on Clinical Trials Registration; is a Council Member of the Global Forum for Health Research; is a Board Member of the Health Metrics Network; sits on the External Reference Group for WHO's Research Strategy; and is an External Advisory Board Member for the WHO European Region.

In 2004, The Lancet won the UK's Medical Publication of the Year and, in 2007, he received the Edinburgh Medal for professional achievements judged to have made a significant contribution to the understanding of human health and wellbeing. In 2008, he was appointed a Senior Associate of The Nuffield Trust, a think tank for research and policy studies in health services. He has a strong interest in issues of global health. He has been a medical columnist for The Observer and writes regularly for the Times Literary Supplement and New York Review of Books. A book about controversies in modern medicine, Second Opinion, was published in 2003.

For Authors

The Lancet is an international general medical journal that will consider any original contribution that advances or illuminates medical science or practice, or that educates or entertains the journal's readers.

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Fast-track publication

For papers, which will usually be primary research, judged to warrant fast dissemination, The Lancet will publish a peer-reviewed manuscript within 4 weeks of receipt. If you wish to discuss your proposed submission with an editor, please call one of the editorial offices in London (+44 [0] 20 7424 4943) or New York (+1 212 633 3667).

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