This is to announce a change in the editorship of Lohmann Information. With the publication of Vol. 50 (1) 2015 I was introduced by Dietmar Flock as co-editor. It was agreed that I should take his position after an appropriate time of transition. After three years as co-editor the time has come that I take the responsibility as editor–in-chief. I would like to thank Dietmar Flock for having introduced me in all operating procedures. I would also like to thank the managing director Javier Ramirez as well as the editorial board for their assistance.

Lohmann Information has developed from a journal of the Lohmann Group and was mainly addressed to customers of the company towards an international scientific journal. Dietmar Flock has supported Lohmann Information as author of 57 articles from 1969 onwards. Under his editorship there were important changes. In a first step the transition from German towards the English language was completed. The second important step was the introduction of the online version. Finally the articles from 1979 onwards have been made available in the Lohmann Information Archive. It was the hard work of Dietmar Flock and his predecessors which granted the long-term existence of the journal.

 

During recent years the landscape of scientific publication was subject to a rapid development. The number of new online journals is increasing progressively. But not all of them are trustworthy. A recent investigation of journalists of distinguished newspapers (The Gardien, Süddeutsche Zeitung) and German broadcast companies have shown that “predatory” open-access publishers release articles without regular checks of the reliability. For a certain fee these journals allow the publication of anything. And recently even a journalist of the renowned German journal “Der Spiegel” has published “faked” articles. The frontiers between factsad fakes have become blurred.

 

In scientific publications uncontrolled information not only misleads the readership but also undermines the trust in science generally. Established publishers claim that their editorial board and peer review system is an efficient instrument to prevent publication of doubtful results. On the other hand this system has been criticized to be slow and precluding authors from publication of new ideas which may range outside the mainstream.
Lohmann Information has an editorial board but does not have a classic peer review system. But Lohmann Information accepts articles only from distinguished authors which are known to the editor or a member of the editorial board. All manuscripts are thoroughly checked by editors with the required background of the subject. On this basis we will continue to provide you with interesting and unbiased information.
The present issue contains a broad variety of subjects: Development of egg production in Europe since the ban of conventional cages, internal egg quality, autogenous veterinary vaccines and production and management of ostriches.

The next issue will focus on the welfare aspects in layers, broiler and turkeys.

Prof. Dr. Werner Bessei