https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6291-4399
In the Editorial of the first issue of the Journal of Audiological Medicine (JAM) , Linda Luxon and Dafydd Stephens wrote: ‘In 1980 the International Association of Physician in Audiology was formed, to provide an international forum of discussion for audiological physicians. Six symposia, covering a variety of aspects of audiological medicine, have been held in various part of the world. As the speciality has continued to develop and the prevalence of hearing and balance disorders has become appreciated more widely, the need for a medical journal to provide a focus for the presentation of clinical and scientific work in the field becomes self-evident. This need has been met neither by the general “technical” audiological journals, nor by the ENT journals, which have a surgical prospective. The Journal of Audiological Medicine will thus fulfil a valuable role in the continuing development of this rapidly expanding area of medicine which is significant both numerically and financially in terms of heathy care’. JAM was published by Whurr (London) from 1992 to 2002 under the auspices of the International Association of Physicians in Audiology (IAPA).
Prior to JAM, the ‘Association’ published from 1981 to 1992 the IAPA Bulletin. Sue Bellman was the editor of the IAPA bulletin which was not only a ‘bulletin’, but a beginning of a journal, reporting not only the news from the meetings, but also scientific papers.
JAM gave a great impulse to the development of various European research projects: (1) on the genetic hearing impairment (which resulted in the European Concerted Action HEAR) [Citation1], (2) on the protection against noise (resulted also as a European concerted action) [Citation2] and (3) on European Concerted Action on Otoacoustic Emissions [Citation3].
Linda Luxon was the founder editor, and Alessandro Martini Deputy editor; in 2001 Alessandro Martini was nominated Executive Editor and Valerie Newton Journal Editor [Citation4]. Valerie maintained the role of Managing Editor also in Audiological Medicine and HBC, for around 20 years, till 2017 [Citation5].
JAM was a very active forum also for the discussion of the role of Audiological Medicine and in particular regarding relationship with Phoniatrics [Citation6–8].
In 2003, the journal was moved to another publisher (Informa) and it was renamed ‘Audiological Medicine’; finally, in 2013, after the IAPA International Symposium in Beijing, the journal received its current name Hearing, Balance and Communication [Citation9–11].
The specialty of Audiological Medicine has been developing in a number of countries into a stronger collaboration with other physicians involved in the diagnosis and treatment of communication disorders. The aim of the transformation of the journal was to provide scientific information on the broad area of audiology and related sciences; a journal in which all the sciences/topics related to audiovestibular medicine and communication disorders have to be represented, e.g. molecular biology, genetics, cellular biology, pathology, neurophysiology, neuropsychology, neuroradiology etc., with particular attention to the ‘clinical’ implications of new scientific discoveries in our field. We will try to cover all topics related to our clinical practice (hearing screening, paediatric audiology, auditory neuropathy, dysacusis, tinnitus, balance disorders, and others – mainly audiological, but also speech production and languages difficulties). For this reason, the subtitle of the Journal changed to ‘International forum for hearing, balance and communication disorders’ [Citation12,Citation13].
Since the year 2021 is the jubilee of Dante Alighieri (1265 − 1321), we can say that our journal is in ‘Midway upon the journey of life’, to hell, το purgatory, or το heaven?
It will only depend on us.
References
- Gross M. Audiology and phoniatrics. JAM. 1998;7(3):vi–viii.
- Lenarz T. Letter. Editorial in JAM. 1998; 7(3) on audiology and phoniatrics by Manfred Gross. JAM. 1999;8(1):63.
- Luxon LM, Barrenas M-L. Editorial: audiological medicine – the twenty-first century. JAM. 2000;9(1):v–xi.
- Grandori F, Tognola G, Ravazzani P. Editorial: an European project for the advancement of otoacοustic emissions. JAM. 1996;5(3):iii–vii.
- Luxon LM, Prasher DK. Editorial: protection against noise – European concerted action. JAM. 1996;5(2):iii–viii.
- Martini A. A new challenge for HBC. Hearing Balance Commun. 2020;18(1):1–2.
- Martini A. Isolated or combined hearing impairment, balance and communication disorders. Hearing Balance Commun. 2013;11(1):1–2.
- Martini A. Valerie newton. Acknowledgements. Hearing Balance Commun. 2017;15(1):54–54.
- Martini A, Brotto D, Hatzopoulos S. Hearing balance and communication between history and future developments. Hearing Balance Commun. 2021;19(1):1–3.
- Martini A, Mazzoli M. Editorial: organising a European working group on genetics of hearing impairment. JAM. 1996;5(1):iii–viii.
- Martini A, Newton V. Audiological medicine: one year on. Audiol Med. 2004;2(2):90–91.
- Martini A, Newton V, Stephens D. Editorial: a new policy for the journal. Audiol Med. 2003;1(1):3–3.
- Stephens D. Editorial: changes to the journal. JAM. 2001;10(1):v–vi.