The Lancet - overview

🔹 Overview:

• Name: The Lancet

• Type: Weekly peer-reviewed medical journal

• Founded: 1823

• Founder: Thomas Wakley (a British surgeon and reformer)

• Publisher: Elsevier (a Dutch academic publishing company)

• Headquarters: London, United Kingdom

• Language: English

• Distribution: Global (print and digital)

• Website: Published by Elsevier; accessible via ScienceDirect and The Lancet’s official portal

• Impact Factor (2023): Estimated above 200 (one of the highest in the world)

🔹 Focus Areas:

The Lancet publishes high-quality content in the following domains:

• General Medicine

• Clinical Trials

• Global Health

• Public Health

• Health Policy

• Medical Ethics

• Environmental Health

• Health Technology & AI in medicine

🔹 Special Journals Under The Lancet Brand:

1. The Lancet Oncology – Cancer and oncology research

2. The Lancet Neurology – Brain and nervous system diseases

3. The Lancet Infectious Diseases – Emerging and global infectious diseases

4. The Lancet Psychiatry – Mental health and behavioral science

5. The Lancet Global Health – Health in low- and middle-income countries

6. The Lancet Planetary Health – Environmental and planetary health

7. The Lancet Digital Health – Technology, AI, and digital transformation in healthcare

8. The Lancet Respiratory Medicine, Diabetes & Endocrinology, etc.

🔹 Reputation & Influence:

• Considered one of the "Big Five" medical journals in the world (alongside NEJM, JAMA, BMJ, Nature Medicine)

• Known for publishing landmark studies, pandemic research, meta-analyses, and controversial opinion pieces

• Influences global health policy, including WHO and national governments

• Promotes scientific transparency and often takes positions on political, ethical, and human rights issues in health

🔹 Audience:

• Physicians, researchers, scientists, public health professionals, policymakers, and students globally

🔹 Business & Model:

• Published by Elsevier, one of the largest academic publishers

• Revenue from subscriptions, institutional access, advertising, and open access fees

• Content is available both by subscription and open access (select articles)

🔹 Editorial Process:

• Rigid peer-review process

• Uses statistical editors, external peer reviewers, and editorial boards

• Accepts less than 10% of submissions

• Sometimes publishes commissioned articles and special series

🔹 Legacy:

• Founded nearly 200 years ago, it has helped shape the modern era of medical publishing

• Played a crucial role in major health crises (e.g., COVID-19, HIV/AIDS, Ebola, climate change and health)