This special issue has been a long time in development. The Editorial Board identified the topic of Research Education During Residency as an important area worthy of an entire issue over 5 years ago. In our opinion, every residency should have two very important goals: 1) to produce some successful psychiatric researchers, and 2) more importantly, to produce practicing psychiatrists who truly value the research enterprise, appreciate its challenges and possibilities, and who are sophisticated, critical consumers of the research literature.
After a number of "fits and starts," Laura Roberts, M.D., took over the issue in addition to her continuing work as Special Assistant to the Editor-in-Chief. She was joined by Dr. Michael Bogenschutz in assembling the issue. The results, in our opinion, have far exceeded our hopes. The organization she selected, involving surveys, model curricula (including evaluation of them), and individual profiles of successful psychiatrist/researchers and how their residency contributed to their success, provides a comprehensive view of the current state of the field, its possibilities, and the direction our efforts should take to produce more psychiatric researchers (who will have maximum opportunity to make significant contributions).
This issue is all the Editorial Board had hoped for—and more. We hope our readers agree.