From editorial board member Caroline Finch:

Australian researchers and research institutions are sifting through the outcomes of the first national Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA) assessment which includes, amongst other things, ranking of the quality of research outputs according to the journal in which they appear.  The list of journal rankings is not without controversy and some concerns have been expressed about the relative rankings of some journals within some fields.  A 4 point scale is used to rank journals: A*, A, B and C (or not listed), with researchers in many Australian institutes being urged by them to publish only in A* or A journals. Injury Prevention is currently ranked as an A journal.

Australian researchers are about to enter a second assessment round and, in preparation for this, the Australian Research Council is undertaking a public consultation which invites all interested parties to submit new titles for consideration, make submissions on existing titles and request a journal that does not meet the eligibility criteria to be deleted.  The closing date is 21^st March 2011 and more info can be found at https://roci.arc.gov.au/Static/ERA_2012_Ranked_Outlets_Consultation_Fact_Sheet.pdf.

All researchers, especially colleagues from Australia or those who publish with Australian collaborators, should actively engage with this consultation process to ensure that all injury research continues to be highly rated in national research quality assessments.