Labadarios, D

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102Editor’s Note2015;28(3)S Afr J Clin NutrEditor’s noteRevised policy for accredited journalsThis issue of the South African Journal of Clinical Nutrition (SAJCN) brings to a close the opportunity to participate in the debate on the “lows” and “highs” in “diets”, opened in the February 2015 issue of the SAJCN. The debate has been as sterile in correspondence, as in its context, and in the ongoing debate in the public domain. Certainly, reducing an excessive intake of carbohydrates in the diet, especially of refined carbohydrates, would not only be a more appropriate approach to adopt in body weight management, but it would also avoid replacing one excess (high) with another (low), while ensuring a total energy intake appropriate to age and gender. The September issue of the SAJCN also focuses on another important domain, namely breastfeeding, and exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) in particular. The accompanying editorial aptly summarises the current recommendations, namely that “EBF for six months, and continued breastfeeding for up to two years of age and beyond remains uncontested”, and confirms: “However, the translation of this recommendation into successful practice continues to fall short”. Uncontested as the benefits of breastfeeding may be, it would appear that the right questions may not have been asked, and must be, if breastfeeding rates are to improve.       The Research outputs policy, 2015, of the Department of Higher Education and Training,1 is a revision of the Policy and procedures for measurement of research output of public higher education institutions (2003),2 and will take effect from 1 January 2016. Among other points of revision, the revised policy includes an increased number of indices, acknowledged by the Department of Higher Education and Training for funding purposes (i.e. ISI, IBSS, SA list, Scopus, SciELO SA and Norwegian List), and ongoing monitoring of sampled South African journals with respect to compliance. The revised policy also introduces the requirement for all South African journals that “at least 75% of contributions published in the journal must emanate from multiple institutions”, a criterion to be implemented in the Department of Higher Education and Training’s 2017 evaluation of its list of accredited journals. The requirement for multi-institutional contributions in manuscripts to be published in the SAJCN will be adopted with immediate effect.     Prof Demetre Labadarios Editor-in-Chief: SAJCNReferences1. Department of Higher Education and Training, South Africa. Research outputs policy, 2015. Government Gazette. [homepage on the Internet]. c2015. Available from: http://www.gpwonline.co.za/Gazettes/Gazettes/38552_11-3_HighEduTraining.pdf  2. Ministry of Education, South Africa. Policy and procedures for measurement of research output of public higher education institutions. Department of Higher Education and Training [homepage on the Internet]. 2003. c2015. Available from: http://www.dhet.gov.za/Policy%20and%20Development%20Support/Policy%20and%20procedures%20for%20measurement%20of%20Research%20output%20of%20Public%20Higher%20Education%20Institutions.pdf

Editor's Note

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Editor's Note

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