The year 2024 marked a notable milestone for the Annals of Clinical Microbiology (Ann Clin Microbiol, ACM) with a transition to an English-language journal and taking the first steps toward becoming an internationally recognized academic publication. ACM achieved remarkable progress in strengthening its academic value and global presence throughout this transformative year.

The major accomplishments of 2024 included the successful publication of two highly specialized and impactful Special Issues: “Current Epidemiology and Diagnostics of Parasitic Infections in Korea” and “Current Epidemiology and Laboratory Diagnosis of Fungal Infections in Korea.” These issues, which were published between June and December, feature several insightful and valuable articles (Table 1), comprehensively overviewing the latest trends, challenges, and advancements in clinical microbiology. These Special Issues provide essential references for researchers, clinicians, and laboratory professionals by compiling expert perspectives and cutting-edge research. Their publication strengthened the academic reputation of ACM and substantially contributed to the advancement of clinical microbiology through fostering knowledge exchange and promoting research collaboration. We extend our sincere gratitude to the Special Issue Editors Prof. Eun Jeong Won and Prof. Jayoung Kim for their dedicated efforts in curating these collections and to all contributing authors for their insights and scholarly contributions. Encouraged by this success, we plan to continue this initiative in 2025 with a special issue dedicated to mycobacteria to provide an equally rich and impactful collection of research in this field.

The ACM journal website and submission system were comprehensively overviewed in May 2024. The redesigned website is more accessible, the archive has been enhanced, and the interface is now more userfriendly, allowing researchers to easily navigate ACM articles. We aim to further refine search functionality and optimize ACM visibility in search engines such as Google Scholar in the future. These initiatives are expected to considerably increase exposure and citation count of ACM articles. Additionally, we upgraded the submission and peer review process via adopting a globally recognized editorial manager system, aligning the ACM editorial workflow with international standards.

Another key development in the evolution of ACM was the full implementation of the Online First system, which ensures that accepted articles are published online ahead of their scheduled issue release. Regular ACM issues are published in March, June, September, and December of each year. Approved articles are available earlier with this initiative, allowing authors to gain visibility and citations sooner while providing readers with timely access to new research. We plan to expand the real-time online publication system in the near future.

A major goal of ACM in 2024 was to be indexed in PubMed Central (PMC) [1]. We rigorously refined our journal policies, editorial quality, and publication process to meet international standards. ACM received a “PMC Application Deferred” notice in January 2025 despite these efforts: we were not rejected; however, our application review has been postponed for one year, with reassessment scheduled for January 2026. Specifically, the National Library of Medicine (NLM) noted that a high proportion of articles were authored by editors and/or editorial board members. In addition, NLM noted editors and/or editorial board members were inconsistent in disclosing their editorial positions when coauthoring articles. In response, ACM plans to take proactive steps to address these concerns by significantly broadening the diversity of contributing authors. We will actively encourage submissions from a wider range of researchers, including those from different institutions and international backgrounds, to ensure a more balanced and inclusive representation in ACM publications. Additionally, our primary focus will be on attracting high-quality submissions from a broader author base while refining editorial policies and restructuring the editorial board. Over 2025, we will address the areas identified as requiring improvement, increase the quality and volume of our publications, and work toward successful resubmission.

The year 2024 was a turning point for ACM that was marked by both challenges and notable achievements. Although some areas require improvement, we are proud of our progress thus far. These accomplishments are the result of the collective efforts of our editorial board, authors, and reviewers, whose contributions have been instrumental in increasing the academic standing of ACM. In 2025, we will remain committed to enhancing journal impact and reputation, ensuring that ACM continues the journey toward becoming an international academic publication.