Veterinary Sciences Tomorrow (VST) is published exclusively on the World Wide Web, under the domain name ‘Vetscite'. It is a refereed journal that provides reviews and opinion papers only, not original experimental data. It is an international current awareness journal for veterinary and related research scientists and publishes a new issue every three months. Inbetween issues there are regular updates, including items in the News and Education sections, Letters to the Editor, etc. New and updated items will be highlighted on the home page. Our articles, reviews and editorials intend to provide up-to-date scientific information that is interesting and relevant to all those working in the veterinary research environment, in its broadest sense. VST also provides links to other quality resources on the World Wide Web that we feel are worthy of recommendation.

We believe that basic science, medical and veterinary research together make-up one single community of biomedical research. Thus, we aim to provide information that will encourage an interdisciplinary exchange of ideas and, whenever possible, original and thought provoking opinion on matters important to the biomedical community as a whole. The journal is divided into six content orientated sections, each of which is described below:

• Home
"Veterinary Sciences Tomorrow" is an international electronic journal for scientists, academic teachers, graduate students and policy makers. It publishes refereed reviews, interpretation and opinion on topics relevant to the veterinary sciences, including animal health and welfare. Authors contributing to the journal are chosen for their recognised expertise in specific subjects.
"Veterinary Sciences Tomorrow" is an independent journal that aims to provide a global forum for the veterinary research arena, particularly for graduate schools and research institutions dedicated to the veterinary and animal sciences. It is an online current awareness publication that will attract readers from all disciplines related to the veterinary sciences. A particularly attractive feature for readers will be the maintenance of a database of scientists that will ensure the journal is a one-stop portal for contact information.

• News
You will find up-to-the-minute scientific news in this column. Amongst other things will be the latest trends in research provided by specialists and policy makers, breakthroughs and other items of interest announced in the international press that have specific relevance to the veterinary sciences and the announcement of Nobel Prize winners in the biomedical sciences. We also wish to publish news from relevant scientific associations and societies, for instance the dates of forthcoming conferences, meetings and workshops, as well as reports from these events after they have taken place. This section will be updated more regularly than the quarterly publication of reviews and full-length articles.

• Education
This section is dedicated to graduate students in the veterinary environment and their supervisors. In due course, it will contain different types of teaching aids, such as articles, posters, slide collections and videos. It will also provide news from graduate schools all over the world, publish their education programmes and discuss trends in graduate education. It will provide a specific place for the discussion of PhD topics and aims to bring into contact with one another those students who are studying similar subjects. Career opportunities in the veterinary sciences and a VST-initiated award, to identify the "Graduate Student of the Year", will be presented here, too. This section has huge potential and we anticipate an exciting evolution in its content, with considerable influence coming from our readers.

• Tools
"Tools" could be likened to the "Material and Methods" section found in standard primary publications. It is different, however. Here, you will find articles that discuss new and emerging technologies, as well as the potentialities and limitations of established techniques used in biomedical research; also, independent reports on products, such as research tools and fine biochemicals; and reviews and assessments of new instrumentation. The information and discussion provided here should help you decide what laboratory 'tools' you may need for your research needs.

• Policies
This section focuses on the relationships between scientific insight and its translation into legislation. It will look at the issues involved in risk assessment and public perception, act as a legal watch by addressing new, or newly modified, laws pertaining to animals issues and will explain and discuss the often controversial subject of intellectual property rights and patents.

Mission Statement
Veterinary Sciences Tomorrow (VST) is an electronic current awareness journal that aims to encourage and support the worlwide veterinary research community; it also wishes to give the community a sense of identity and an appreciation of quality. It will publish state-of-the-art reviews for scientists, academic teachers, graduate students and policy makers as well as interpretation and opinion on research findings and issues important to animal health and welfare. Above all, it aims to encourage the veterinary research community to participate in an interdisciplinary exchange of ideas and the establishment of mutually beneficial collaborations.

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