Volume 34, Number 1
January 2, 2001
© Copyright 2001 by the American Chemical Society
Editorial MACROMOLECULES: THE NEXT GENERATION With this first issue of 2001, it is my privilege to assume the Editorship of Macromolecules. I succeed Dr. Robert W. Lenz, who has most ably guided the journal through a 6 year period of unprecedented growth. During Bob Lenz’s tenure the number of Associate Editors has nearly doubled, in proportion to a steady increase in manuscript submissions. This increase in throughput notwithstanding, overall manuscript processing times have decreased, contributing to a very high level of “customer satisfaction” in a recent market analysis. Most importantly, Macromolecules is clearly established as the world’s leading journal for original polymer research, as exemplified by its standing as number one in total citations per year and number one in impact factor. Our community owes Bob Lenz, and indeed the entire team of Associate Editors, a great deal of appreciation for their many and successful efforts on our behalf. It is an exciting time for research in polymer science. Recent major advances in all areasssynthesis, molecular characterization, structural analysis, property development, simulation, and theoretical understandings have underscored the importance and vitality of our field. The hiring of new polymer faculty at many research universities demonstrates a universal recognition of the centrality of macromolecules to modern chemistry, chemical engineering, materials science, and physics. The steadily increasing rate of manuscript submission from outside the US indicates a similarly healthy outlook around the world. Of course, the recent award of the 2000 Nobel Prize in Chemistry to Alan Heeger, Alan MacDiarmid, and Hideki Shirikawa for their pioneering work in conducting polymers underscores this general excitement.
Within this context, what does the future hold for Macromolecules? Our highest priority must be to nurture the high standards of Macromolecules, first established by the founding Editors Field “Stretch” Winslow, Frank Bovey, and Walter Stockmayer. Their original vision was, in the words of a tribute to the first quarter century of Macromolecules (Macromolecules 1992, 25, 1), “rapid publication of rigorously reviewed high-quality research in a Society-sponsored journal that is affordable to the individual subscriber”. My predecessors have realized this vision; my responsibility is to see that it endures. Three words have characterized the scope of the journal: fundamental polymer science. This will not change. There is no call for, nor should you expect to see, drastic changes in the journal. However, you may anticipate evolution in various aspects of both the submission/reviewing process and the final product. For example, with this issue page charges are a thing of the past. The effective use of color, with editorial approval, will be free of charge. Web submission is just around the corner. The Editorial team will shortly be reexamining all aspects of the journal operation. Whether you participate as an author, a reviewer, a reader, or preferably all three, we are ultimately here to serve you. Please do not hesitate to communicate your comments and suggestions for the continued growth and success of Macromolecules! Timothy P. Lodge Department of Chemistry University of Minnesota
10.1021/ma002404h CCC: $20.00 © 2001 American Chemical Society Published on Web 12/26/2000
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