IHB Convenes 2024 Editorial Board and Young Editorial Board Meeting for the Acta Hydrobiology Scinica and WBS on April 17, 2024 (Credit: IHB)

On the afternoon of April 17th, the Institute of Hydrobiology (IHB) of Chinese Academy of Sciences, convened the 2024 Editorial Board and Young Editorial Board Meeting for the Acta Hydrobiology Scinica and Water Biology and Security (WBS). More than 70 people, including CAS member GUI Jianfang, editor-in-chief of WBS, Prof. YIN Zhan, editor-in-chief of the Journal, MIAO Wei, director of the IHB, and deputy chief editor of the two journals, XIE Shouqi, as well as responsible editors, editorial board members, and young editorial board members attended the meeting. The meeting was chaired by Prof. MIAO Wei. 

Prof. MIAO Wei reviewed the history of the Acta Hydrobiology Scinica' publication by the IHB and introduced the current construction of the editorial board and young editorial board. Deputy Chief Editor DU Xinzheng in charge of the editorial department and Dr. LIU Rui, in charge of WBS, reported on the recent progress of the journals and summarized the challenges they currently face, proposing the next step's work plan. 

After listening to the reports, CAS member GUI Jianfang expressed that under the backdrop of the nation's promotion of the flourishing development of academic journals, both opportunities and challenges exist for scientific journals. He emphasized that the development of journals should focus on article quality rather than simply pursuing high impact factors. The value of a journal lies in whether it can provide reliable references and support for global researchers and enhance the international influence of China's scientific research. Breaking through the current bottlenecks requires the support of all editorial and young editorial board members. 

Prof. YIN Zhan stated that while the Acta Hydrobiology Scinica has achieved some results, it inevitably faces a series of challenges and issues. In 2025, coinciding with the Journal's 70th anniversary, close cooperation between the editorial and young editorial boards and the journal is urgently needed. They must jointly exert their professional advantages, work together to promote the vibrant development of the journal, and write a new chapter in its development. 

Academician Steven J. Cooke proposed that in the development of WBS, more attention should be paid to community maintenance, highlighting the advantage of free publication in the journal, and creating an editorial matrix to better adapt the journal to the changes of the times. 

The attending editorial board and young editorial board members actively spoke, offering constructive suggestions for the development of the two journals. 

The Acta Hydrobiology Scinica was founded in 1955 and has a long history, enjoying high recognition within the scientific community. After two years of development, WBS has been successively included in international renowned databases such as ESCI, Scopus, and DOAJ, with a strong momentum of development. In the next step, the two journals will continue to adhere to the principle of quality as the foundation, innovation as the driving force, and uniqueness striving for excellence, continuously improving the academic level and international influence of the journals, and promoting the development and innovation of aquatic biology.