The Annals of Family Medicine is a new peer-reviewed research journal that aims to support a transdisciplinary learning community of those who generate and use new knowledge about health and primary health care. It is born out of the growing need to advance the knowledge base for the fundamental primary care functions and relationships. These relationships involve caring for individuals, families, and communities in ways that integrate, personalize, and prioritize health care to reduce the burden of illness. Family practice and the primary care disciplines need a forum to develop an integrated body of knowledge and a generalist paradigm that is grounded in science, practice and different ways of knowing. The Annals aims to be such a forum. The Annals features original research from the clinical, biomedical, social and health services sciences. Contributions on methodology and theory develop the underpinning for future research that advances the field. Selected systematic reviews draw on explicit methods to synthesize what is known and to move beyond - to advance theory or methods, or to identify new research directions. Essays from reflective clinicians, patients, families, communities, and policymakers portray a personal perspective on illness, health, and generalist health care. The Annals features interactive online discussion groups called TRACK (Topical Response to the Annals Community of Knowledge). TRACK provides an opportunity for readers to actively engage in discussion of the implications of each published article. In addition to article-specific discussions, an open forum provides a mechanism for readers to introduce other important topics. This open forum also allows investigators to quickly publicize emerging findings and to gather input from those who are potentially affected by their work. Select aspects of the online discussions will be synthesized in subsequent issues of the Annals in a regular editorial feature called On TRACK. A limited number of submissions will be published as letters to the editor.