Epilepsia is the journal of the International League Against Epilepsy and one of the world’s leading, most authoritative sources for current clinical and research results on all aspects of epilepsy (http://www.epilepsia.com/)

• New Onset Epilepsy
• Refractory Epilepsy
• Pediatric Epilepsy
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• Ketogenic Diet and Alternative Therapies
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• Basic Science

Editor’s Note on Initiation of Lay Abstracts

This April 2005 issue of Epilepsia represents the start of a journalistic experiment, in which we publish lay abstracts of articles in the issue.  We define a lay abstract as a summary written in language suitable for the public.  Those involved in writing for journals, reading journals and paying for the research that is described in journals increasingly recognize that important work should be available to the public.  The Internet provides the public with access to massive amounts of information, but much of it is not understandable to them and most of it is not subject to expert quality control.  In its small way, Epilepsia hopes to address these limitations.

When a manuscript is accepted for Epilepsia, the authors are asked to submit a lay abstract. This process is itself a challenge.  Many doctors and scientists have intrinsic difficulties with avoidance of technical terms and jargon. For example, few in the public understand the meaning of the phrases "lesion" or "in vitro hippocampal slice". In addition, researchers are trained to be highly focused, specific, conservative with extension of interpretations beyond the immediate data set, and to avoid speculation.  These attributes are indeed key for successful scientific publications, but tend to leave the lay public bewildered. The public requires more global context-setting by way of introduction and greater degrees of help with drawing a conclusion.  Initial experience suggests that lay abstracts require at least as much editorial input as do ordinary abstracts and articles.

We made a decision to include a lay abstract for every publication, based on the assumption that every piece of work, no matter how technical, would generate interest in some segment of the world's vast population.  This approach is similar to that of the United States National Institutes of Health, which requires lay abstracts for its grants.  After this first issue, all published articles will have lay abstracts, but the process was initiated in the middle of arranging this particular month’s issue. The journal Neurology, publishes lay summaries selectively, and in more depth than a one-paragraph abstract.  The precise method used to make information available to the public probably is less important than the commitment to do so at all.

Lay abstracts will be available as part of the article on the Blackwell Synergy web site (http://www.blackwell-synergy.com). They will be available to PubMed and Medline at the discretion of those services.  Abstracts also will be posted on the web site of the International League Against Epilepsy (http://www.ilae.org and http://www.epilepsia.com), representing the international voices of professionals who care for people with epilepsy, and of the organization that owns Epilepsia.  We hope this experiment succeeds, and welcome your feedback.

Robert S. Fisher, M.D., Ph.D.
Immediate Past Editor-in-Chief, Epilepsia

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