History of Achievements of the Journal

The Journal of Engineering Mechanics (JEM) has enjoyed a long tradition of excellence, the result of having published many of the seminal and high-impact papers that have advanced the science of mechanics and engineering design. There are many ways to assess a journal’s impact. You may not know that just as individual researchers are associated with an $h$-index, so are journals. For those of you not familiar with the $h$-index, it is defined as follows: scientists have index $h$ if $h$ of their $N$ papers have at least $h$ citations each, and the other ($N-h$) papers have no more than $h$ citations each. The SCImago Journal & Country Rank is a portal that includes the information contained in the Scopus database for JEM and its peers (http://www.scimagojr.com/index.php). I am thrilled to report that for 1983–2012, JEM has an $h$-index of 68. This number is impressive compared with the small sample of its competitors, which include Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids ($h=98$, for the much longer period of 1952–2013), International Journal of Solids and Structures ($h=88$, also for the much longer period of 1965–2013), and ASME Journal of Applied Mechanics ($h=60$, with the longer period of 1970–2013). Most probably, the $h$-index of JEM would be significantly higher if its data were reported since its birth. I encourage all of you to submit your best work to the Journal of Engineering Mechanics so that its tradition will continue well into the 21st century.

Another reason to consider publishing in JEM is that, as editor, I have established the realistic and ambitious goal to complete paper reviews, on average, within four months of submission. Decisions on papers that require revision will obviously take longer. This goal will be realized by associate editors, including some recent additions to the Editorial Board, who are committed to achieving it. Changes in ASCE journals policies, including the elimination of a decision requiring two concurring reviews, will also reduce the time to a final decision.

I am honored to serve as editor of the Journal of Engineering Mechanics, and I promise to work very hard to improve its quality. Feel free to contact me if you would like additional information or if you have constructive feedback about the Journal.