Journal of Biological Rhythms

The journal was founded as the official publication of the Society for Research on Biological Rhythms. It released its first issue in March 1986, under first editor-in-chief Ben Rusak, who served from 1986 to 1994. The original Associate Editors were Gene Block, Serge Daan, Jerry Feldman, Bruce Goldman, Mike Menaker, Bob Moore, and Terry Page. The first issue largely focused on zoology and physiology, but over the years the field of discussion has expanded to include neurobiology, cell and molecular biology, photobiology, computational biology, behavioral ecology, and translational medicine.[1] Early experiments focused on Syrian and Siberian hamsters, ground squirrels, and bubble snails. Since those first publications, experimental subjects represented in the journal have grown to be more diverse, as well as the techniques used to research them. The techniques mentioned in the first few publications involved behavioral and physiological monitoring, circumscribed brain lesions, melatonin radioimmunoassays, electroretinography, and electrophysiological recordings. Early research topics included “splitting,” circannual rhythmicity, photoperiodic time measurement, and circadian pacemaker development, coupling, and output.[2]

The original publishing company before SAGE Publishing was Guilford Press. The cover of the first publication was a simple dark background with the name of the editor (Ben Rusak, served 1986-1994) and a list of the associate editors. By 1995, when a new journal design was selected by editor Fred Turek (1995-1999) for the 10th volume, the journal had already switched to SAGE Science Press. In 1997, he also changed the frequency of the journal from quarterly to bimonthly.[1] There have been two new journal covers since the one from 1995, all in line with the themes of the journal.

The cover selected by editor Martin Zatz (2000-2013) in 2001 depicts a pendulum, representing time and oscillation. The most recent one selected by current editor-in-chief William J. Schwartz (2014–present) in 2016 shows the mechanistic perspective of the relationships between biological clocks, rhythms, entrainment, and other themes of chronobiology.[2]

In 2001, under Editor-in-chief Martin Zatz, the journal began to release a number of special issues and special features, which have continued throughout the years:[3]

Journal of Biological Rhythms publishes papers on the understanding of basic nature, mechanisms, and functions underlying the generation, entrainment and expression of biological rhythms in plants, animals, and humans. The journal contains original research primarily on circadian and seasonal rhythms. It covers all aspects of biological rhythms, using genetic, biochemical, physiological, behavioral, epidemiological & modeling approaches, as well as clinical trials.

The Journal of Biological Rhythms covers topics in chronobiology, namely circadian and seasonal rhythms from a variety of different disciplines. Rhythms are placed within the context of their functional significance for the health and well-being of relevant organisms, including humans. The journal presents work that aims to understand the basic nature, mechanisms, and functions underlying rhythm generation, entrainment, and expression in plants, animals, and humans.

The journal's current Editor-in-Chief is William J. Schwartz, a professor in the department of neurology at The University of Texas at Austin. The journal's Deputy Editor is Dave Weaver, a professor at University of Massachusetts Medical School in the department of neurobiology.[4] The journal's founding editor, Benjamin Rusak, teaches at Dalhousie University Faculty of Medicine in Nova Scotia, where he researches the effects of sleep and circadian rhythms on human health.[5] The second editor, Fred W. Turek, researches the genetic basis of sleep and circadian rhythms in the department of neurobiology at Northwestern University.[6] Martin Zatz, a researcher at the National Institute for Mental Health best known for his work on the chick pineal gland, was the editor for the Journal of Biological Rhythms from 2000 to 2013.[7] A collection of his editorials, often satirical in nature, was compiled by the Society for Research on Biological Rhythms, or SRBR.[8]

List of Editors-in-Chief:[1]

• Benjamin Rusak (1986-1994)
• Fred W. Turek (1995-1999)
• Martin ("Marty") Zatz (2000-2013)
• William ("Bill") Schwartz (2014–present)

Journal of Biological Rhythms is abstracted and indexed in, among other databases: SCOPUS, and the Social Sciences Citation Index.

The full journal is available online on the Journal of Biological Rhythms website through SAGE Publishing. All published issues can be accessed and are searchable by decade, volume, and issue. Articles that appear in each issue can be viewed online or downloaded as a PDF. Journal subscriptions are available at a variety of levels, including options for individuals and institutions for both print and online content. Target audiences include medical professionals and researchers in the field of chronobiology, though the journal's material is accessible to the general public.

Current article abstracts can be viewed on PubMed, with links to the full text redirecting to the Journal of Biological Rhythms website for viewing. Older article texts can also be requested on ResearchGate. The journal also publishes special publication collections consisting of selected articles on a chosen topic. These collections can be viewed on the journal website.

According to the Journal Citation Reports, its 2015 impact factor is 2.824.[9] Impact factor is the average number of citations per publication by a given journal in a year, and serves as an indicator of readership and relevance. Research Gate gives the journal a 2015/2016 Impact Factor of 2.38.[10] According to Sage Publications, the journal has a 2015 Five-Year Impact Factor of 3.167, ranking it 19th out of 86 journals under the Biology category, and 29th out of 83 journals under the Physiology category.[11]

• Official website