Steve Halasey, CLP.
Not so very long ago, when the editor’s red pencil marked copy to be deleted, it stayed deleted—never to reach the typesetter’s hand, or the reader’s eye. But now, for magazines of virtually every description, articles frequently generate enhanced versions with longer copy, plus additional companion articles, sidebars, infographics, and even linked multimedia content to enrich the reader’s understanding of the topic.
Whether rescued from the cutting-room floor or purpose-built to expand an article’s presence, most of this content winds up being posted online, where it can be searched for and retrieved quickly by readers anywhere in the world. That’s an outstanding outcome for readers who take advantage of a magazine’s online presence to grab everything they can. But unfortunately, sometimes readers aren’t quite so eager, and by not following through they can miss an awful lot of great content.
For CLP, that’s essentially an every-issue phenomenon—but some issues generate more opportunities for additional online content than others. This month, for instance, online readers will find a number of additional comments for the feature “Battling the STD and HIV Epidemic” (page 12), plus a companion article focused on the state of the science and outlook on therapies for people infected with HIV. And if you want to know about Epigenomics AG, a German molecular diagnostics company focused on the epigenomic effects of DNA methylation, you’ll have to seek out the online version of our feature on “Omics: Cutting-Edge Research Meets the Clinical Lab” (page 8).
Perhaps you’ve become accustomed to looking up the online version of our monthly column, “Inside Track” (page 38), which always features three or four times as much content as we can fit in print. But if not, this month’s interview with the University of Louisville’s Roland Valdes Jr, PhD, would be a good one to begin with. Starting with a discussion about AACC’s recent position statement on the role of labs in personalized and precision medicine, Valdes goes on to show just how wide-ranging these trends have become.
“Laboratorians will need to be involved in educating and training the next generation of physicians,” says Valdes. “Along those lines, clinical chemistry training programs will be essential for the future of personalized and precision medicine.”
Laboratorians who are keeping an eye on the future roles and obligations of their profession will certainly find Valdes’ comments thought-provoking—but to get the full flavor of his thoughts, they’ll have to find them online.
Steve Halasey
Chief Editor, CLP
[email protected]
(626) 219-0199
