Launch of the Canadian Journal of Bioethics

Les éditeurs suivront les recommandations et les procédures décrites dans le Code of Conduct and Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors de COPE. Plus précisément, ils travaillent pour s’assurer des plus hautes normes éthiques de la publication, y compris l’identification et la gestion des conflits d’intérêts (pour les éditeurs et pour les auteurs), la juste évaluation des manuscrits et la publication de manuscrits qui répondent aux normes d’excellence de la revue. The editors follow the recommendations and procedures outlined in the COPE Code of Conduct and Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors. Specifically, the editors will work to ensure the highest ethical standards of publication, including: the identification and management of conflicts of interest (for editors and for authors), the fair evaluation of manuscripts, and the publication of manuscripts that meet the journal’s standards of excellence. ÉDITORIAL / EDITORIAL

Les éditeurs suivront les recommandations et les procédures décrites dans le Code of Conduct and Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors de COPE. Plus précisément, ils travaillent pour s'assurer des plus hautes normes éthiques de la publication, y compris l'identification et la gestion des conflits d'intérêts (pour les éditeurs et pour les auteurs), la juste évaluation des manuscrits et la publication de manuscrits qui répondent aux normes d'excellence de la revue.
The editors follow the recommendations and procedures outlined in the COPE Code of Conduct and Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors. Specifically, the editors will work to ensure the highest ethical standards of publication, including: the identification and management of conflicts of interest (for editors and for authors), the fair evaluation of manuscripts, and the publication of manuscripts that meet the journal's standards of excellence.

Launch of the Canadian Journal of Bioethics
Bryn Williams-Jones 1 , Charles Dupras 2 , Vincent Couture 2 , Renaud Boulanger 2 After six years (2012-2017) of publishing innovative bioethics scholarship, BioéthiqueOnline becomes the Canadian Journal of Bioethics/Revue canadienne de bioéthique (cjb-rcb.ca). As executive editors of BioéthiqueOnline, we frequently heard from members of the Canadian bioethics community of the need to develop a platform with the right branding to showcase the value and the richness of our collective reflections, both locally and internationally. Following discussions with colleagues across the country, we came to the conclusion that BioéthiqueOnline had developed a unique expertise publishing bioethics scholarship, but that the original name, created to convey the bilingual and open access mission of the journal, was not enthusiastically received. So the time has come to upgrade and rebrand as the Canadian Journal of Bioethics (CJB).
The journal's mission remains unchanged: it will continue to provide a bilingual (French and English) space for diverse forms of high quality and thought-provoking scholarship (e.g., peer-reviewed articles and commentaries, reviews, editorials, case studies, creative works) from across the full range of bioethics specialties (e.g., clinical ethics, research ethics, public health ethics, technology ethics, professional ethics). The journal maintains its philosophy of publishing fully open accessthat is, free from author publication charges or access fees. For those who grew accustomed to relying on BioéthiqueOnline for updates on bioethics related news, events, and job opportunities, rest assured that this resource will remain! BioéthiqueOnline will now be the social media arm of the journal (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn), and share relevant information about Canadian bioethics. Both the CJB and BioéthiqueOnline wll continue to be hosted by the Bioethics Program at the School of Public Health of the Université de Montréal.
Exciting enhancements come with the journal's rebranding: 1. We are proud to annouce the creation of an Advisory Board composed of established international bioethics scholars, who will share their comprehensive and complementary expertise with the Editorial Board. This addition to the CJB structure is an indication that a project that was originally student-led has matured into an initiative that is poised to expand its presence across the Canadian and international bioethics landscapes. We are grateful to the members of the Advisory Board for their support of our vision.

Another major innovation is the implementation of a new workflow platform: the Open Journal Systems (Public
Knowledge Project). This move will substantiallly improve the submission process and workflow management. The adoption of the plaftorm is a reflection of the journal's desire to be responsive to the needs expressed by its authors and readership: moving away from an email-based submission system will improve manuscript tracking, and open up new accountability and transparency tools for both contributors and editors.
3. We have also moved to a new publication model: a hybrid form combining Open Issues (manuscripts published on a rolling basis as they are ready) and Special Issues (manuscripts that form a cohesive package and that are published together). Special Issues will be produced in partnership with guest editors and will be an opportunity to focus on an issue that is both timely and that may have received too little attention by our community. This new publication model will allow for the continued timely publication of manuscripts, while opening new opportunities for interdisciplinary collaborations. This first Special Issue inaugrates the new format.
We are proud of this first issue as it is a perfect illustration of the journal's renewed focus. This special issue on Ethics and International Development Research illustrates the tension between working under the auspices of a Canadian institution while conducting research abroad. By offering an opportunity to young researchers supported by a Canadian funding agency, the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), to share their experience conducting research abroad, we seek to meet a number of goals. Most of the cases presented look at research ethics from the perspective of projects that are not exclusively health-focused, a blindspot of much of the research ethics literature. We believe researchers traveling to some of the countries discussed in this issue will find guidance on how to approach local research ethics review. In addition, we hope to introduce the Canadian and international bioethics community to the work of an organisation, the IDRC, of which many might not be aware, despite its rich history and global impact. And at a time where the political pressure to close borders should worry bioethicists worldwide, the choice of a resolutely internationalist issue for the launch of the Canadian Journal of Bioethics is deliberate.
We hope you enjoy this first issue of the new journal, and we look forward to working with you to continue to make this platform a reference for innovative scholarship. So please consider becoming involved, whether as an author, a guest editor, a peer-reviewer, or a member of the Editorial Board! It is only through your involvement that we can collectively make sure this platform meets our diverse needs as members of the Canadian and international bioethics community.