Vol. 62 No. 2 (2025): REHABILITˇÁCIA
The scientific journal Rehabilitácia is currently undergoing a fundamental transformation that began two years ago, following the departure of Prof. MUDr. Anton Gúth – a prominent figure in Slovak physiatry, balneology, and therapeutic rehabilitation. He was present at the founding of our periodical and led it continuously for three decades.
Since his departure, we have been faced with the challenge of preserving continuity while simultaneously ensuring the progressive development of the journal in line with the current demands of the academic environment. The new editorial team, gradually formed during this generational change, consists of the editor-in-chief, deputy editor, online editors, peer reviewers, editorial board members, supporters, and, last but not least, the readers themselves.
Each issue of the journal, including this tenth one published in a new era of its existence, is the result of the synergistic collaboration of the entire team. Our primary goal remains to maintain professional quality, thematic relevance, and to enhance the visibility of the journal in both national and international contexts. In this spirit, we have already implemented several strategic measures. We launched a new web portal, secured the assignment of DOI identifiers, optimised the peer review process through an automated system, opened an English-language section to internationalise our content, and expanded cooperation with other professional media outlets.
In parallel, we have revised our subscription model to diversify revenue and increase the sustainability of our publishing activities. Although we have registered significant progress, challenges remain, particularly in the area of financial support. Professor Gúth had an exceptional talent for attracting donor support, and his personal commitment was crucial to the journal’s sustainability. After his departure, most donor entities withdrew. Despite this, we have succeeded in establishing new partnerships, for which we express our sincere gratitude. Unfortunately, the volume of support still does not fully cover the journal’s operational needs.
Therefore, we would appreciate any assistance in facilitating contact with potential supporters of scientific publishing. We are also considering rationalisation measures, including the possibility of transitioning to exclusively electronic publishing. This step would enable more efficient allocation of resources towards the journal’s content and editorial quality. Printed editions would remain available as an optional service, which is now standard among many established scientific journals.
Our long-term ambition is to establish Rehabilitácia among the significant and respected professional journals in the Central European region and to succeed in being indexed in major international databases, including Web of Science. We are aware of the difficulty of this ambition, but we believe that with your professional, authorial, and readership support, we can achieve it.
We therefore kindly ask authors to remember to cite relevant information from our articles in other international journals, as this is the only way we can demonstrate to the scientific community – and indeed to the world – that you too are among those shaping the future of rehabilitation.
We thank our readers, authors, reviewers, and colleagues for staying with us and thus helping to shape the future of rehabilitation in Slovakia.
