Dermatology Online Journal

The first open access online medical journal, Dermatology Online Journal, was started in 1994 prior to the existence of a graphical interface browser (e.g. Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator). The journal published its first official issue in 1995. Art Huntley, M.D. was the founding editor. An internet pioneer, Dr. Huntley is also credited for establishing the first online medical atlas and the first email list to connect dermatologists. Dr. Barbara Burrall, M.D. joined the journal a few years later and has dedicated thousands of hours keeping it alive. Finally, Emanual Maverakis, M.D. joined the journal's editorial board in 2003. The Dermatology Online Journal is of historic significance because it was the first journal to publish medical research on the internet. Yes, the very first!! It was also the first online open access journal ever, decades before this became a popular publishing method. Finally, it is the first online journal to have been indexed in PubMed. What began as a small publication of a few articles per year, has now expanded into a monthly journal with a Google trend equal to that of the major dermatology journals such as the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology and JAMA Dermatology. Currently, the Dermatology Online Journal is hosted by the California Digital Library, as part of the education activities of the University of California, Davis Department of Dermatology and is viewable at www.dermjournal.org.