Archives - Page 4

  • Vol. 10 No. 2 (2005)

    Dear Colleagues, You will not read an editorial as long as the one in Turkish in which. I have shared an administrative process with our Turkish colleagues, which would not be very useful for our international readers. There have been raised a case against me as an editor and Presidents of the Society which we had acquitted, and this procedure was important for our Society since it was about a colleague of ours unfortunately. We are a little behind of the calender due to limited number of articles, however we noticed a significant increase recently, and we all hope that we can publish 2006 volume in the same year. This is very important for us to be able appeal Citation Index. We always tried hard not to compromise in context of qualification, and peer review procedure though published in delay, and we now hope to be more successful on reaching you on time. Sincerely, Şebnem Korur Fincancı, Prof. Dr.

  • Vol. 10 No. 1 (2005)

    Dear Colleagues, The Bulletin of Legal Medicine begins 10th year of publishing with this new issue of the volume. All researchers, authors, peer-reviewers, and colleagues who work for the publishing procedure enthusiastically and voluntarily created an established journal together, and performed a good work for determined goals recently. We all worked twice more for the last year, and catched up with the date, and this will be extremely helpful to reach our main goal. We had decided on the principles just in the beginning of publishing this journal together with our first editor-in-chief Prof. Dr. Serpil Salaçin, and never compromised to abandon our principles as a peer-reviewed scientific journal albeit any problems that arised during the whole course. Thus we are determined to renew and multiply our energy in the second decade. Modified injury scale for evaluation of trauma cases according to the new Penal Code had been accomplished, and published in the beginning of this year. The 6th Symposium of Forensic Sciences will be held in Elazığ, and the main topic will be changes in forensic expertise with recent amendment of legislation. The Bulletin of Legal Medicine is a very strong instrument to share most recent knowledge, and to improve our practice. We should use this instrument effectively. Sincerely, Şebnem Korur Fincancı, Prof. Dr.

  • Vol. 9 No. 3 (2004)

    This last issue of the year completes 9th volume of our Bulletin. Our everyday practice is going to change drastically with amendment of Turkish Penal Code, as well as other several legislations. Associate Professor Yasemin Balcı had written an article on injury scales, and we have discussed this topic on several occasions. A symposium has been held in December on these amendments, and academics who had worked for the new Turkish Penal Code also participated. We are going to have a workshop in January, and preparations for a new injury scale for liability will be completed by then. Assoc. Prof. Yasemin Balcı is the leader of this teamwork, and the result is very important for evaluation of clinical forensic medicine cases on terms of evidence based medicine. We have to mention one more sad event that occurred at the end of this year. Our respected colleague Prof. Dr. Mehmet Aykaç passed away, and left us with intolerable sorrow. We hope to serve for our dearest colleagues who have left us with a valuable burden of responsibility. Sincerely yours, Şebnem Korur Fincancı, Prof. Dr.

  • Vol. 9 No. 2 (2004)

  • Vol. 9 No. 1 (2004)

    This year begins with many amendments that may influence medicolegal practice. These topics will mostly be discussed during the 6th Congress of Forensic Sciences. The Congress will not have the opportunity to be held in neither of the Medical Faculties of Istanbul University. Istanbul University Cerrahpaşa Medical Faculty demanded a very high allowance for the congress halls in spite of the strict budget of the Society of Forensic Medicine Specialists. However, Yıldız Technical University will be our congress center, and we are all grateful to the Rectory of this University, particularly Prof. Ayhan Alkış. We hope that the presentations of this congress will be sent for publication in our Bulletin after the review process. Sincerely yours, Şebnem Korur Fincancı, Prof. Dr.

  • Vol. 8 No. 3 (2003)

    We finished one more year of publication. With an utmost grief, we witness the loss of our colleagues, and distinguished professors every year, recently. Dr. Sebahattin Okumuş, and Prof. Dr. Talia Bali Aykan were our last losses. We all know Prof. Aykan with her struggle to establish autopsy, and its significance in our country. The Bulletin of Legal Medicine had published an article written by Anthony Busuttil with an appendix of Council of Europe on recommendation about aotopsy, and Harmonization of the Performance of the Medico-Legal Autopsy in the first issue, just 8 years ago. We observe that most of the articles have been about autopsy findings in spite of insufficient material. Turkey is in an era of many amendments of law. These amendments will hopefully lead to end the lack of material in the Universities. Sincerely yours, Şebnem Korur Fincancı, Prof. Dr.

  • Vol. 8 No. 2 (2003)

    The first announcement of 6th Congress of Forensic Sciences has reached all of us. All our colleagues have been working for the congress, of which Cerrahpaşa Medical Faculty has taken the main responsibility for organization. 16th General Assembly of Istanbul Faculty of Medicine had been accomplished recently. Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Eisenmenger from Ludwig Maximillian University of Munich presented “Identification of the skeletal remains of Martin Bormann by mtDNA Analysis” in the Department of Forensic Medicine, and a discussion about the specialty training and job description of forensic medicine specialists in Germany and European countries had taken place. We presented all of the volumes of the Bulletin of Legal Medicine, and related our good will to see Prof. Eisenmenger as one of the international advisory board members, and he expressed his pleasure. The Society of Forensic Medicine Specialist has been accepted as an observer member of the European Council of Legal Medicine, and as the official journal of the Society, we hope to carry our journal among the international indices as well. Sincerely yours, Şebnem Korur Fincancı, Prof. Dr.

  • Vol. 8 No. 1 (2003)

  • Vol. 7 No. 3 (2002)

    One more year of the Bulletin has ended. This year we enlarged our editorial board and publication committee. A team-work is necessary for publishing a scientific journal, and to share the experience widely is the responsibility of this team. The Bulletin has been published for 7 years, and a strong scientific concept has been established in all these years. The valuable contribution of our former editor, Prof.Dr. Serpil Salaçin should be reminded. We are sure that this scientific nature of our publication policy, which we established through a team work will be preserved in the future. Although new requirements for academic evaluation, particularly the obligation of for having articles published in journals which are accepted in international science citation indexes, has decreased the number of articles sent for being published in national journals, similar trend of our journal has changed recently, and increasing number of articles waiting for publication is a display for acceptance of the scientific nature of our publication policy. Sincerely yours, Şebnem Korur Fincancı, Prof. Dr.

  • Vol. 7 No. 2 (2002)

    We are very glad to share the new issue of our journal. It is important to be able to publish the Bulletin of Legal Medicine more frequently since there has been a new decree of specialization, and the discussions should be focused on the standard training for four years, together with log books of the trainees. All these discussions can be shared immediately by this journal, nevertheless we shall also need an effective meeting to constitute our specialization board. New requirements for academic evaluation, particularly the obligation for having articles published in journals which are accepted in international science citation indexes, has decreased the number of articles sent for being published in our journal. However, we all should know that The Bulletin of Legal Medicine is periodically published, and fullfills the requirements of Turkish Medical Index through all of the necessary observations, so we can apply for international indexes if we catch up with the immediate year. We have to feed our journal with our new researches, and support its publication not only with our qualified articles, but with our mostly delayed payments for subscription to our Society as well. Sincerely yours, Şebnem Korur Fincancı, Prof. Dr.

  • Vol. 7 No. 1 (2002)

    A new year begins for our journal. This new year brings a fresh arrangement to our field of specialization. A decree of specialization had been accepted this year, and duration of our training have been four years, bearing a similarity with most countries. It is now urgent to discuss the model of training and form the minimum standards for four years. We had published a prospective decree of the specialization board, and had begun to discuss the minimum standards in the second volume of our journal in 1997. It is time to discuss these topics immediately and decide on a new training schedule. We had published an article in this issue in which a discussion on a training model of two years have been carried out. Although the duration of training had been changed as 4 years, this article as accepted by the advisory board before this alteration, is thought to be appropriate to be published to make the discussions gain speed through this topic. The Bulletin of Legal Medicine goes on publishing, though with a delay. Turkish Medical Index still includes our journal and no information has reached us in the contrary. We hope to receive more articles, and catch the actual publishing year in a short time, and apply for international indexes. Sincerely yours, Şebnem Korur Fincancı, Prof. Dr.

  • Vol. 6 No. 3 (2001)

    The Bulletin completes a publication period with this issue. We have expressed that we are at a milestone nearing a new century in the first issue. And our scientific field is also at the verge of paramount change, thus it is our responsibility to provide a scientifically rich environment to the young and newly joining colleagues. The time and content of the postgraduate education and defining the professional boundaries are urgent tasks before us. We are aware that different approaches to forensic medicine syllabus in various countries, being seen as a sub specialty and as an assistant to law alienates us to our profession and lays obstacles to freely express ourselves. We have to experience the negative outcomes of these definitions in the daily institutional relationships. In order to establish an independent scientific field, independent research and scientific curiosity are required. A scientific discipline defined as a helper to law is destined to be confined to questions raised by the law. Scientific qualities are to be lost in a restricted scientific environment. The forensic medicine specialists should know that the Bulletin is a medium for establishing an independent research climate. The law, as well as other scientific disciplines, will benefit from independent researches. We might enrich the productivity. Science, thanks to its nature, cannot go forward in the presence of any kind of restrictions. Sharing our works will help in building a scientific milieu and it is in our reach to succeed this. Only if we let our reasoning free and do not describe our field within the limits of referrals... Şebnem Korur Fincancı

  • Vol. 6 No. 2 (2001)

    We are glad to be able to publish the new journal in the days of economic instability as well as deep concerns about the future of the medicine in Turkey. We are aware that at the point of planning the life, confronting with the emergence of hopelessness worries especially the young colleagues newly joining the scientific field. Naturally, we cannot preserve and nurture any component of the Forensic Sciences just by cutting its ties with life in a protective attitude. It is impossible to establish the structure of Forensic Medicine and Sciences free of the realities of the country, social movements or economic surprises. However, to express our studies at the national and international level, especially through our journal which succeeded to be published uninterrupted, will strengthen us. Within the context of adoption to the EU, the task of strengthening the basis of Forensic Medicine Education, the dreams of many of us for many years, is still carried on. Two years and even one year of postgraduate education have been too short in compare to the international standards. Self criticism gives us the strength to grab the future. Therefore it is our task to define the facts, evaluating the past with respect to current situation and determining the deficiencies and fight against them before assigning the fiels to new colleagues. Undoubtly the minimum postgraduate education period for forensic medicine should be four years. Not only the length of time but also the content of the curriculum should be adequate and qualified. Our young colleagues are smart and hopeful. It is our task to prepare the way for them and let them go on safely. It is our belief that we will create these opportunities together. Şebnem Korur Fincancı

  • Vol. 6 No. 1 (2001)

    Dear colleagues,
    Several questions such as how and in which frequency arise from a publishing process of a scientific journal. We worry whether we can create a certain amount of curiosity among our colleagues by publishing the Bulletin of Legal Medicine.
    A scientific journal is an important tool to share scientific knowledge when it is published periodically. The dynamic and cummulative nature of scientific knowledge lead scientists to read these periodics. However, the research articles should have an effect to create curiosity and a willingness for further researches.
    We can not expect a scientific media without curiosity. Thus, we hope to publish such researches that may improve our scientific knowledge in consistence with twentyfirst century, and draw your attention.
    We know that science does not present an absolute truth. Nevertheless, the scientific knowledge that is cummulated in these journals w ill be the result of shared hypothesis to be discussed and met in a concensus, and all together we hope that they will have an effect for improvement of this field.
    Şebnem Korur Fincancı

  • Vol. 5 No. 3 (2000)

    Dear colleagues, We can claim that we have an influential and worthy past as a medical journal on forensic sciences in our country, and also we declare that we shall have an hopeful future with great expectations. This journal has been published for five years. Although publishing process has been painful from time to time, it is congenial for a periodic publishment in general. Academic milieu of our country developed a consent for the scientific content of this journal, and now we must aim international approval. This is our duty to bring our journal forth to be accepted in citation indexes, and we need the help of our international advisory board members in this context. The Society of Forensic Medicine Specialists together with the Department of Forensic Medicine of Istanbul University Istanbul Medical Faculty succeeded in the organization of the 4th Congress of Forensic Sciences. The team work of forensic scientists together with forensic physicians was the main objective of this congress, and the majority of our forensics community participated in an intense program. We have come to an end of publishing the manuscripts of the poster presentations of the 3rd Congress as a supplement to the Bulletin, and the oral presentations will follow these in the first issue of 6th volume. We have enjoyed a pleasing event in the year of 2000. The Journal of Forensic Medicine has been revived, and a new journal on clinical forensic medicine is on the way. We wish a successful period of publication for these journals. Şebnem Korur Fincancı

  • Vol. 5 No. 2 (2000)

    This year will be a reproductive year for The Society of Forensic Medicine Specialists for the 4th Congress of Forensic Sciences is going to be held together with the Department of Forensic Medicine of Istanbul University Istanbul Medical Faculty. The team work of forensic scientists together with forensic physicians will be presented during the congress, and we are sure that all of the presentations will emphasize the importance of walking together towards the same destination. We have been publishing the manuscripts of the presentations of the 3rd Congress since the last issue of the 4th volume as a supplement to the Bulletin, and the presentations of the 4th Congress will follow these. Although the articles that have been published in our Bulletin are all peer reviewed by at least two members of the Advisory Board, the presentations that have been and will be published are not peer reviewed, because they are accepted for presentation during the Congress, and the supplement is considered as a separate and independent part of the Bulletin which is dedicated to the Congress. The 4th Congress is going to have a main theme of human rights due to the importance of the year 2000, and round table discussions on different aspects of human rights are planned as plenary sessions. The headlines of round table discussions will vary from the rights of elderly to fetus, and eminent people of these issues will participate and contribute these discussions.

  • Vol. 5 No. 1 (2000)

    An editorial change has occured from this issue on. I wish to greet you as the new editor of this journal, although i had worked for it as the associate editor from the beginning. We have been a team, we were inexperienced in some ways. Nevertheless we were hopeful, and we are still hopeful because a new productivity has raised through an unproductive period. Many young colleagues joined us, and they are motivated, and supported by seniors who had suffered for long. Our former editor has been one of the major supporters of the juniors, and she decided that she has accomplished her mission for the journal as an editor, although she will still go on working with us in the advisory board. We are lucky that we have had the chance to work together with her, and we have learned so many since. Our journal has suffered a delay, and tried hard to catch the time. However, the gap seems to be filled in a short time as the productivity of our colleagues has gained speed recently. The hard times appear to come to an end, and our former editor has passed us an easier mission to accomplish. I received a very nice letter from the former editor, and i have been moved by this emotional process. All this march had been a grand experience of fellowship, and a precious earning for us. This fellowship and the development through the process has been for the benefit of The Society of Forensic Medicine Specialists, and this solidarity and collaboration will hopefully be a model for our junior colleagues. I expect to accomplish my mission, and leave this relay race in a confidence for the future. Prof.Dr.Şebnem Korur Fincancı

  • Vol. 4 No. 3 (1999)

    We witness the delay of some journals which have a history of two centuries, recently. Although they are citated by Index Medicus, Current Contents, and EMBASE, nobody consider this delay as a sign of disappearance. This may be due to the tradition and identity of scientific periodics that both the journals and the associations have acquired in the meanwhile. However, there is a hurry and carelessness for the periodics in the countries without significant scientific tradition, and many periodics do not consider peer review as an important issue. The efforts of developing a scientific tradition can easily be abandoned, and a habit of choosing the easiest way may overcome, thus this danger should never be overlooked. I have tried to mention this issue before. Peer review presents a possibility of discussion before an article is published, and this special future contributes much for scientific develeopment. However, through out the history of science sometimes we meet the story of an important article that has had an influence on scientific development which had not caught the opportunity to be published in a peer reviewed journal. Nevertheless i meant to share my opinion without any subjectivity that the advisory board and the authors are the important components of establishing a scientific tradition for scientific journals. We shall have a supplementary part of our bulletin from now on. Oral and poster presentations of III"-1 Congress of Forensic Sciences which had been held at Kuşadası in 1988 are going to be published in consequence. Altough this effort took some time, and this may be considered as a serious delay for the autors, we hope this supplementary part to be a rememberance just before the IVth Congress

  • Vol. 4 No. 2 (1999)

    In this issue, you will have the opportunity to read a commentary on a book which describes the scientific research and interpretation methods in our field as well as articles on forensic medicine and forensic sciences. We have decided that it would be adequate to introduce you the book "Forensic Epidemiology" after the editorial article based on the methods of scientific studies which is published in the last issue. Hope you would find it fruitful...

  • Vol. 4 No. 1 (1999)

    Since the appearance of the bulletin, the editorial board have supposed that this page will be a communication site for the members. It is obvious that it is not functioning sufficiently. On behalf of the members of the Society of Forensic Medicine Specialists I would like to give my appreciation to all who have given efforts in publication of this issue.

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