Editorial – A Flying Start!
Abstract
It is with great pleasure that we welcome you to issue 1 of Chemical Science 2011. In this Editorial, we look back over the first six months and focus on what promises to be a great year ahead.
The Vision
It is almost 16 months now since Chemical Science was announced to the scientific world at the ACS National meeting in Washington. These 16 months have been exciting and rewarding, and the journal has got off to a strong start. From day one, the vision for Chemical Science has been clear: to build a top tier journal to compete with the other three leading journals in the field. To achieve this goal, we must continue as we have started and publish research only of exceptional significance. Indeed, the quality of the science is the most important criteria for the future success of Chemical Science. As guardians of the quality, the 15 world-leading and dynamic Associate Editors have kept the bar high and this has resulted in six high quality issues in 2010. These first six issues are just the ‘tip of the iceberg’ and we hope you enjoy the broad coverage of cutting edge research included in issue 1 and beyond in 2011.| “Easy and straightforward submission and review process. Competent and efficient editors and staff.” Professor Lukas Novotny, University of Rochester, USA |
The Submissions
2010 submissions to Chemical Science exceeded our expectations, and there is certainly no change as we move in to 2011. We have already received contributions from over 30 countries proving the message about Chemical Science is definitely spreading widely. Perhaps most rewarding, however, is the significant number of articles that we are publishing from the US and the UK (Fig. 1). Having such strong support from two premier chemical communities sends a powerful message to the chemical science world. | ||
| Fig. 1 Breakdown of published articles in Chemical Science. | ||
We are also delighted to see such strong support from other major forces in chemistry including Japan, Switzerland and Germany. The quality of submissions from China over the last few months has also been excellent and we expect this trend to continue into 2011. For 2011, we see the addition of many other communities to the Chemical Science roster as a central goal for our journal.
The Science
One of our original aims was to ensure subject balance in each issue, and not to become focused on any one particular area. With the efforts of all the Associate Editors and the journal development team we have succeeded in meeting this aim. To date we have received submissions from all areas of the chemical sciences and this is reflected in the subject breakdown of articles that we have accepted in 2010 (Fig. 2). | ||
| Fig. 2 Subject breakdown of accepted Edge articles in Chemical Science. | ||
For 2011 we will be looking to appoint two further Associate Editors to give us presence and handle research articles in the fields of bioinorganic chemistry and polymer science. These appointments will further strengthen an already impressive Editorial Board and widen the subject expertise. The Editorial Board will continue to be supported by our dynamic and committed Advisory Board who are already publishing with us and helping to promote the journal at every opportunity. Full details will appear on the Chemical Science Blog in due course (http://blogs.rsc.org/sc).
| “The quality of the papers, wide spread exposure and growing reputation is a strong indication that the journal has hit the ground running and looks set to rival some of the other general chemistry journals.” Professor Duncan Graham, University of Strathclyde, UK |
The Quality
The quality of the Edge articles published in Chemical Science has been first class, with many featured in the wider scientific press. Of particular note were articles by Professor Julius Rebek, covering the encapsulation of the uranyl dication, and Professor Xueming Yang, who reported the site-specific photocatalytic splitting of methanol on TiO2(110). These articles have been featured in Chemical & Engineering News, the UK Telegraph online and Editors choice in Science. Unfortunately, there is not room in this Editorial to discuss all the high quality science published in Chemical Science in 2010 but we would like to thank all our authors and referees for supporting us in the early stages of the journal.The Visibility
Maximising the visibility of Chemical Science has always been important for our success. This is why the pdfs of all articles published in Chemical Science in 2010 and 2011 will be completely free. Essentially, anyone can read articles published in Chemical Science at anytime without charge – a significant benefit not offered by any of our competitors.We have also had a substantial presence at key conferences in 2010, including both ACS National meetings. In December 2010, shortly after the publication of issue 1, 2011, we, along with many members of the Editorial Board, will be hosting a Chemical Science launch reception at Pacifichem in Hawaii, one of the most well attended and significant conferences of the year.
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| Fig. 3 Plenary Speakers Photograph at ISACS 1, Challenges in Organic Chemistry and Chemical Biology, San Francisco. | ||
2010 also heralded the launch of the International Symposium on Advancing the Chemical Sciences (ISACS) conference series (Fig. 3). This high profile conference series was launched in partnership with Chemical Science, a further creative step to ensure the success of the journal. The first three events, held in San Francisco, Budapest and Hong Kong covering Challenges in Organic Chemistry and Chemical Biology; Physical Chemistry and Nanoscience; and Inorganic and Materials Chemistry were hailed by all who attended as a tremendous success. The conferences also generated a large number of high quality Edge articles which have already been published in Chemical Science.
The Future
So what is there to look forward to in 2011?First and foremost, we will be working hard to ensure the quality of all articles published in the journal remains exceptionally high. This, without doubt, is the most important action for 2011.
We are pleased to announce the inaugural Chemical Science lecture award. The recipient will be selected by the Editorial Board in the spring of 2011 following the close of nominations. The lucky recipient will be invited to give three lectures in 2011. They will receive £2000 towards travel and accommodation, with the venues selected and agreed in consultation with the Chemical Science Managing Editor.
The next generation of ISACS conferences (4, 5 and 6) will take place in MIT, Boston; Manchester University, UK; and Peking University, Beijing covering Challenges in Renewable Energy; Chemical Biology and Supramolecular Chemistry; and Organic Materials. These conferences will play a significant role in supporting the success of Chemical Science in 2011.
One last thing…
Don't forget that you can keep up-to-date with all the latest Chemical Science developments including awards, new board members, ISACS and much more, by following us on Twitter (http://twitter.com/chemicalscience), the Chemical Science blog (http://blogs.rsc.org/sc), the journal homepage (www.rsc.org/chemicalscience) and, of course, our weekly e-alerts. So make sure you don't miss a trick and stay tuned.| “I have a new place to enjoy distinguished chemistry. It is Chemical Science. I hope Chemical Science will have continued success in the chemical publishing world.” Professor Zhang-Jie Shi, Peking University, China. |
In Summary
We are aware that many challenges lie ahead but we remain committed to achieving our original goal, namely, to become a leading force in the dissemination of high quality chemical science research. We would like to thank our Associate Editors for all their efforts in the first year as well as the Journal Development and Editorial Production teams based in Cambridge. We also extend special thanks to all the researchers and referees who have published with us or provided reports in the first six months and hope you will continue to support the journal in 2011. Finally, we invite you to submit your best research to Chemical Science in 2011 and be seen with the best, as recognition does truly start here.
Professor D W C MacMillan, Editor-in-Chief
Dr Robert D Eagling, Managing Editor
Kathryn Atkinson, Senior Publishing Editor
Joanne Thomson, Deputy Editor
RSC PUBLISHING
Quality and Growth Continues
It's quality that really matters at RSC Publishing. And the 2009 Journal Citation Reports® proved that our quality is better than ever as our average impact factor (IF) rose from 4.9 to 5.4. It's an impressive figure, especially when compared with the average for a chemistry journal of 2.4.But we don't rely on just one or two titles to boost our average. It's our entire collection that counts: of the top 20 journals in the multidisciplinary chemistry category, 25% are from RSC Publishing; and 90% of our titles have an IF over 3.
Our list of titles continues to grow: Food & Function and Catalysis Science & Technology are the latest titles to join our expanding portfolio. Plus, the number of articles we've published has increased by 74% in the last 2 years alone. We remain committed to providing a world-class publishing service to our authors, and delivering cutting-edge chemical science to readers throughout the world.
The IF and article growth figures provide a clear indication that more researchers than ever before are recognising journals from the RSC as a key resource to access the very best research.
2011 Books
With steady front-list growth and cutting-edge content, delivering excellence and authority, the RSC is one of the world's leading chemical science print and online book publishers.At nearly 1000 eBooks equating to one third of a million pages, the RSC eBook Collection delivers outstanding online research and opinion in a multitude of areas of the chemical sciences. Nine new RSC eBook Subject Collections offer additional flexibility.
With over 90 new print titles planned for 2011, including: second editions of seminal texts; and new RSC Polymer Chemistry and RSC Metallobiology series launching, our contribution to chemistry collections worldwide is diverse, topical and high impact. Expect another first class collection of best selling chemical science titles in 2011.
NEW RSC Publishing Platform
Access one million journal articles and book chapters in one simple integrated search.The new RSC Publishing Platform has been developed in consultation with the international scientific and librarian community. Together we have identified the best and most valued interface and features that connects you with the highest quality scientific research. With one single search box, easily access our books, journals and databases for students, academics, researchers, scientists and professionals.
Free Online Access
Free online access is available to all our newest journals, and more - all you need to do is register for an RSC Publishing personal account. Then, when you are logged in, you will be able to access all our free content. Currently this includes:• All content of our newest journals for the first 2 volumes
• Any articles that are part of a special free access promotion (eg ‘hot’ papers, web theme issues, etc)
• All journal content published more than two years ago (dating back to 1997)
• A sample chapter from each book in the RSC eBook Collection
With your username and password you can access the free content any time, any place – all you need is internet access. Register at www.rsc.org/personalregistration.
If your institution is a current customer with IP registered, you will be able to access all free content. Other institutions can apply for free online access to our newest journals using our online form: www.rsc.org/freeaccess.
ChemSpider
Have you heard about the RSC's award winning chemical structure and text based search engine - ChemSpider? It's FREE!ChemSpider provides access to:
• millions of chemical structures
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• tools to upload, curate and use the data
• a multitude of other online services like the RSC Publishing Platform
ChemSpider is one of the richest single sources of structure-based chemistry information.
Visit www.chemspider.com (for mobile devices: cs.m.chemspider.com)
RSC 2011 Conferences and Events
As a learned society host more than 300 international conferences and events, the following have been outlined as areas you may find of interest. Visit www.rsc.org/ConferencesAndEvents to view the complete schedule of events for 2011.• EICC-1: First EuCheMS Inorganic Chemistry Conference, Manchester, UK, 11–14 April
• 6th International Symposium on Macrocyclic and Supramolecular Chemistry (6-ISMSC), Brighton, UK, 3–7 July
• 10th International Conference on Materials Chemistry (MC10). The flagship event of the Materials Chemistry Division, Manchester, UK, 4–7 July
• Challenges in Renewable Energy (ISACS4), Boston, USA, 5–8 July
• 22nd International Symposium: Synthesis in Organic Chemistry, Cambridge, UK, 11–14 July
• Challenges in Chemical Biology (ISACS5), Manchester, UK, 26–29 July
• Challenges in Organic Materials & Supramolecular Chemistry (ISACS6), Beijing, China, 2–5 September
International Year of Chemistry 2011
On request by UNESCO, the UN has proclaimed 2011 as the International Year of Chemistry (IYC) and has asked IUPAC to coordinate the events. The IYC is to increase the public appreciation of chemistry in meeting world needs; to encourage interest in chemistry among young people; and to generate enthusiasm for the creative future of chemistry (see: http://www.chemistry2011.org/).The RSC enthusiastically endorses the IYC 2011, supporting this important initiative through a series of events and activities.
| This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2011 |