Peer review: Quality improvement at its best

There are many paths and responsibilities in life. For me, being a husband and father were always on my radar screen. Being a physician, spine surgeon, basic and clinical researcher were less clear goals, and being a journal editor just wasn't in the picture. In each case, however - husband, father, clinician, researcher, and now editor - I have learned so very much and in each case have appreciated the associated honor. Like parenthood and its many associated responsibilities involves one in the human community, '...[E]ditorial peer review forms part of a significant system of scientific discourse.' If we are to ensure that the published results of research (and, through extension, the research itself) are of the highest quality, then we must accept the boundaries that fortify and empower the publication of scientific journals, of which the cornerstone is peer review.