The Journal Impact Factors for 1999 have recently been released1 and indicate thatThorax has again increased its impact factor, from 2.861 in 1998 to 3.437 in 1999.Thorax has thus further consolidated its position as the highest ranking specialist respiratory journal after the two American Thoracic Society publications. The position ofThorax in terms of impact factor relative to other selected specialist journals of similar or complementary interest is shown in the table. We are pleased to see this continued improvement in the international status of the journal, and thank all who have helped to achieve it.

The ultimate determinant of the impact factor of the journal is the standard of the papers submitted to us. Thank you to all who have sent us their work. Please send us more!