On a balmy August morning in Bangkok, Thailand, I joined colleagues from across the Asia Pacific and representatives of the World Health Organization (WHO) at Asia Pacific Association of Medical Journal Editors (APAME)’s annual convention to debate the future of medical publication policy.1 The APAME is a non-governmental, nonpartisan, nonprofit body devoted to elevating medical journalism throughout our region by fostering collaboration among editors, publishers, reviewers, and librarians.2

In an era defined by exponential growth in medical knowledge, timely access to accurate research has never been more essential. APAME 2016 underscored the imperative of forging robust partnerships among leading journals and publishers. By harmonizing editorial standards and sharing best practices, we can enhance global communication, bolster research integrity, and ultimately bridge the gap between academic discovery and clinical application. Universal public access to scientific findings stands at the heart of this mission, ensuring that practitioners can translate new evidence into better patient care.

The convention’s agenda catered to every stakeholder in the publishing ecosystem. APAME members shared case studies on collaborative peer review, open-access strategies, and data-sharing protocols. Our collective aim was to pinpoint initiatives that drive professionalism in medical editing and foster innovation in content delivery.

Dr. Wonchat Subhachaturas opened with “Knowledge Visualization: Quality Publication to the Grassroots,” advocating for tools that convert complex data into intuitive graphics. His examples of community-level health campaigns demonstrated how visual storytelling can amplify research impact at the point of care.

Next, Charles Patrick Raby of WHO’s Southeast Asia Office presented “The Ongoing WHO Database in Thailand and the Development of Index Medicus for South-East Asia Region (IMSEAR).” He outlined the challenges of curating the IMSEAR; maintaining exhaustive coverage, ensuring quality control, and updating content in real time to serve as a reliable health information repository.

Laureate Professor Nicholas J. Talley of the University of Newcastle then offered “A Vision for the Medical Journals of Australia in a Time of Disruptive Innovation.” He examined how digital platforms, preprint servers, and artificial intelligence-driven peer review are transforming traditional publishing models, urging journals to embrace agile strategies that safeguard sustainability and relevance.

Complementing this, Dr. Sung-Tae Hong, president of the Korean Association of Medical Journal Editors (KAMJE), tackled “Crossing the Digital Divide in Journal Publishing.” He surveyed the technological hurdles faced by smaller publishers and proposed collaborative solutions—shared hosting platforms, training workshops, and regional partnerships—to democratize access to e-publishing tools.

The convention culminated in a hands-on workshop by XMLink, KAMJE’s technical arm, on “XML in e-Journal Platforms.” Participants learned how XML tagging enhances discoverability, interoperability, and longevity of digital content—a foundational step toward a fully integrated, searchable Asia Pacific health knowledge network.

APAME 2016 reaffirmed our shared commitment to elevating the quality, integrity, and accessibility of medical research. Through sustained collaboration among editors, publishers, librarians, and policy-makers, we can build on these insights to deliver world-class health information. In doing so, we not only enrich academic discourse but also empower clinicians with the evidence they need to improve patient outcomes across the Asia Pacific and beyond.

https://doi.org/10.5051/jpis.2016.46.4.219