BMJ are pleased to announce the launch of the new online-only fully open access title, BMJ Open Respiratory Research. This is published by BMJ in partnership with the British Thoracic Society.

The aim of BMJ Open Respiratory Research is to publish high quality, peer-reviewed medical research in the respiratory field, to help improve healthcare outcomes globally. We aim to disseminate open access content quickly and continuously online, to ensure the very latest respiratory research reaches those that need it.

Quality is of the utmost importance and the journal will only consider articles that are original, coherent and technically sound. To ensure we can distribute research rapidly, there will be less emphasis on novelty and papers will not be judged on subjective criteria or potential impact. Research will be across all study types, from study protocols to phase I trials to meta analyses, including small or specialist studies.

We are delighted and honoured to partner with the British Thoracic Society on this journal. The Society's main charitable objective is to improve the care of people with respiratory disorders. The strength of this partnership will ensure that the published research is respected and valued, ensuring it meets our mutual objective to positively influence healthcare outcomes worldwide.