The Swiss Medical Weekly is a medical journal with a long tradition. Founded in 1871 under the name “Correspondenz-Blatt für Schweizer Aerzte” and later known as “Schweizerische Medizinische Wochenschrift”, it has played a decisive role in Swiss clinical research. Examples are the fundoplication described by R. Nissen in 1956, the first drug treatments for depression reported in 1957 by R. Kuhn, the first description of a haemolytic-uraemic syndrome by C. Gasser in 1955 and the enzymatic method for measuring blood glucose levels by R. Richterich in 1971. These historical publications were followed by many more recent articles with significant international impact.
It is now an online journal with continuous online publication, published by the SMW supporting association (“Trägerverein SMW”).
The scientific quality of the articles published in the SMW is the primary commitment of the editorial board. Scientific rigour is based on the quality of the articles submitted and the quality of the peer-review process, ensured by around 30 “Academic Editors”. About 600–800 articles are submitted annually. The acceptance rate is about 24%. The time taken for authors to receive reviewers’ comments averages 20 days. These strict principles have helped the journal gain its good reputation.
The contents of the SMW are read worldwide:
The Impact Factor 2022 is 2.9.
Swiss Medical Weekly has a long and strong history as an important journal for medical research. During the COVID-19 pandemic, SMW has further demonstrated its importance for both a global and local readership. Its pioneering support of the Platinum Open Access model has shown its strength particularly also during this difficult time.
