This blog is part of our ‘Editor Spotlight Series’. Look out for monthly posts where our Academic Editors share insights into their roles, tips for authors, and discuss trends within their specialist fields.
Dr Joe Nemeth is an Academic Editor for Hindawi’s journal Emergency Medicine International. He is an Associate Professor at McGill University, Canada, and has held numerous posts in different institutions, as well as working in a fast-paced environment as an emergency medicine physician and trauma team leader. He is also a McGill’s Trauma Team Leader (TTL) Fellowship Director. He regularly lectures at McGill University, as well as internationally.
What is your current area of research?
My current area of work and research is in Trauma, Pediatric Emergency Medicine, and Quality Improvement. As a team leader in this field, I have many responsibilities, from briefing pre-arrival teams and creating and using trauma checklists for each individual patient to making sure support is available for families of patients post-arrival. I also do my utmost to make sure the care received by all patients is of the highest standard and strive to identify, reduce, and eliminate errors that could increase morbidity rates.
What is your background and how did you become a researcher in your field?
I started my training in the US and then went on to complete it in Europe. I have no formal research training, per se, but that hasn’t hindered me in any way. My passion and interest in my chosen fields are what keeps me going and focused. I came to McGill University, Canada in 2001 and have been there ever since. I became Associate Professor in 2014. My main post is as an attending emergency medicine physician at both McGill University Health Center’s Montreal General Hospital and the Montreal Children’s Hospital.
What attracted you to the position of Academic Editor for Emergency Medicine International, and Hindawi as a publisher?
Hindawi is a respected Open Access publisher whose publications are of a high standard; it receives many good-quality submissions, so I had no qualms about joining the team at Emergency Medicine International. I wanted to be able to receive and comment on the most up-to-date information that is available to me and holding the position of Academic Editor has been useful for this.
Which issue do you feel is most urgent in your field of work and do you have any predictions for the future?
Use of blood products intrauma-timing and specific agents are definitely the most urgent thing in my field right now. Trauma is ahuge cause of death and/or disability, and the timing of receiving bloodproducts is vital to patients to minimise the impact and outcomes of theirinjuries. It really is a matter of life and death, so we really have to get itright first time.
What advice would you give to a PhD researcher trying to write their first article?
My advice for anyone wishing to research a PhD or wanting to submit an article is that I absolutely value quality over quantity. I think it is best to write about something niche and specific. Do not throw the net too widely when doing research, because there is a danger it will water down your findings and become too generic. Make sure what you’re saying is new.
This blog post is distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC-BY). The illustration is by Hindawi and is also CC-BY