editorial
Analytical Chemistry Applications PapersOCriteria
A
large fraction of papers submitted to and subsequently published in this journal deal with basic principles of chemical measurements, including innovations in concepts, experimental design, and instrument components and associated theory. Another large fraction of submitted papers deal with application of a known measurement principle to a particular analytical situation, either a broad-scale (global) measurement or one at some specific locationOeither a geographical location or a kind of institution. Many papers, of course, contain both basic and application elements, and for some, the distinction is unclear. After review by the Editors and external reviewers, less than one-half of the aggregate of these kinds of submitted research papers will become accepted for publication. The Editors of Analytical Chemistry regard the selection of the most innovative and impactful of both basic and application research papers as an important responsibility of the journal and believe that neither need be preponderant over the other. With a growing international diversity of applications, making quality selections of applications papers similarly grows more complex. To clarify our selection process for such papers, the Editors have developed some written criteria which are in use today. This Editorial shares these criteria to aid authors in the most appropriate choices of manuscripts to submit to the journal. The following are different ways the Editors describe applications papers that would be possibly acceptable manuscripts: a) those on very difficult applicationsOi.e., so difficult that nothing comparable has yet been published even though attempts have been made (this could be due to a difficult matrix or very low analyte concentrations or a particularly difficult analyte to work with, etc.); b) an interesting application evaluating unique or rare samplesOi.e., moon/Mars rocks, meteorite samples, novel deep-sea samples, artwork, and important/ rare biological samples; c) an application producing data that are part of an important larger story and provide an important addition to that story (e.g., forensic, environmental, health,
10.1021/AC9025225 2009 AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
Published on Web 12/01/2009
defense, etc.); d) an important analytical problem requiring a significant decrease in expenditure of time or other resources, a lower detection limit or response time, or an increase in dynamic range; e) a timely topical application (e.g., melamine in milk) for which use of known methods is shown to offer significant advantages over existing alternatives; f) an application demonstrating or requiring a “twist” of existing methods to achieve miniaturization, in vivo usefulness, a lower detection limit, etc.; g) an application methodology with performance improved relative to the best of established methods; h) a use of established methodology showing an improvement in a quantitative metric (e.g., sensitivity, resolution, etc.) that will advance the application’s area; and i) solving a previously unsolved but important measurement problem, even if done with old approaches. The following are descriptions of submitted applications papers that would be much less likely to be acceptable: a) minor modifications (incremental changes) to well established methods; b) using an established methodology for an easy or unimportant analyteOeven if not reported on previously; c) using a known method or a method not yet used on a specific analyte in the face of existing reports of superior results (in whatever merit) obtained with other techniques; d) proposals of measurement applications that lack sufficient method validation results or offer scanty hard data to prove the measurement’s reliability, robustness, selectivity, etc.; and e) a routine application of an existing analytical method on “just another sample”. The reader will perceive that the above are multiple ways to “say the same thing”. I hope that our readers and authors will find these descriptions useful.
DECEMBER 1, 2009 / ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
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