Updates in Surgery, the official journal of SIC to be published by Springer in English

Official journal of Italian Society of Surgery will benefit from international visibility

From June 2010, Springer will publish Updates in Surgery, the official journal of the Italian Society of Surgery (SIC). The journal, previously a bilingual Italian-English publication, is now published four times a year in English only. The content will be available in print for the society members and it will also be electronically available on Springer's platform www.springerlink.com. At the time of its foundation in 1947, the journal, Chirurgia Italiana, was a national, Italian-language publication with an Italian editorial board.

Updates in Surgery is an international, peer-reviewed journal designed for surgeons. It publishes papers pertaining to a number of surgery-related topics, such as surgical procedures, operative approaches, patient selection and biotechnology issues. The journal publishes a variety of papers including editorials and commentaries of general informative interest, original articles, review articles, case reports (focusing in particular on the diagnostic process or surgical treatment), technical notes that include description of an original surgical technique and letters to the editors. The print version will also include a supplementary CD-ROM including lectures and abstracts from the annual national congress.

Madeleine Hofmann, Managing Director Springer Italia, said, "In 2007 we started publishing the society's monographs in English, in the new series Updates in Surgery. This cooperation strengthened our position as a reliable international publisher that can improve the society's visibility internationally. Given our location, we also offer the services and advantages of a national company, closer to Italian authors. We are able to understand and support the society's specific needs and are familiar with national academic and health system mechanisms."

Under Springer, Updates in Surgery will make use of a manuscript tracking system that speeds publication. Articles will be published in Online First- in full text via SpringerLink. This system ensures immediate distribution of the electronic version of the article before it appears in print. Cross Reference Linking and Alert services will be fully implemented for the journal.