Lee Ann Paradise, Managing Editor, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, Texas

With our last issue, you may have noticed that the Journal has taken on a new look. Complete with a redesigned cover and binding, we have introduced formal article sections with the intention to lend clarity to the Journal's organization. The Notes From the Field section remains unchanged in its purpose and length. True to its name, the section will host practical information from people in various fields of rural health. Softer in nature than a formal research article, authors are encouraged to share their experiences in the field, both good and bad.

Sometimes it's hard with all the political rhetoric we are faced with each day to make sense of what is going on in the policy-making arena of rural health care. That's one reason why we chose to add a Policy and Law section, to help lend some clarity to otherwise complicated issues. On average, these articles should be 8 to 10 double-spaced pages in length and should be written in understandable language.

Also, please take special notice of a new section we have added to the Journal called "Interview." In it we will talk to leaders in the rural health care field (educators, policy makers, researchers, and alike) who are able to shed some light on a wide variety of subjects that we believe will interest you. This is, after all, your journal and we want to address your needs and speak to your concerns. Of course, with each issue we will continue to publish rigorously researched articles in our Research section. Like all the articles in the Journal, research articles undergo a blind peer review. Research articles should be approximately 20 to 25 double-spaced pages in length. We want to encourage you to submit articles appropriate for this section. Visit our homepage for Author Instructions at www.tjrh.homestead.com.

Sometimes we will publish shorter versions of a standard research article. These articles will be placed in our Brief Report section. They should be 10 to 15 double-spaced pages in length and should have many of the same characteristics as a research article.

While also looking forward, we know the importance of looking back. Our Review section is intended to be a comprehensive look at the literature. Please feel free to submit articles of this type on any rural health care subject. Review articles should be at least 15 double-spaced pages in length with 20 or more references cited. Your questions and comments are always welcome and my open-door policy is in keeping with the personal touch we associate with rural health.

While always welcoming articles written about rural communities in Texas, we also embrace articles that are written by people outside our state. In this way, we hope not only to serve the rural communities of Texas, but also to serve rural communities across America by adding to the public discourse.