ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY October 1957, Vol. 29,
EDITORIAL
No. 10
APPLIED JOURNALS, ACS Director o f Publications, C. B. Larrabee Editorial Director, Walter J. Murphy
Fundamental Data Publication
Executive Editor, James M. Crowe Production Manager, Joseph H. Kuney ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY Editor, Lawrence T. Halleti Managing Editor, Robert 0. Gibbs EDITORIAL HEADQUARTERS WASHINGTON 6, D. C. 1155 Sixteenth St., N.W. Phone Republic 7-5300
Teletype WA 23
Associate Edifors: G. Gladys Gordon, Stella Anderson, Ruth Cornette, Katherine 1. Biggs, George 8. Krantz Assisfont Edifors: Betty V. Kieffer, Arthur Poulos, Robert J. Riley, Robert J. Kelley, Hanns 1. Sperr Ediforial Assistants: Ruth M. Howorth, Eugenia Keller, Sue M. Solliday, Malvina B. Preiss, Marjorie H. Swenson, Ruth Reynard Sfaff Arfisf, Melvin D. Buckner BRANCH EDITORIAL OFFICES CHICAGO 3, ILL. Room 926 36 South Wabash Ave. Phone State 2-7686 Teletype CG 725 Associafe Editors: Kenneth M. Reese, Chester Placek Assisfont Editor: Laurence J. White HOUSTON 2, TEX. 718 Melrose Bldg. Phone Fairfax 3-7107 Teletype Associafe Edifor: Bruce F. Greek
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NEW YORK 16, N. Y. 2 Park Ave. Phone Oregon 9-1646 Teletype NY 1-4726 Associofe Edifors: William 0 . Hull, Harry Stenerson, Howard J. Sanders, D. Gray Weaver, Walter S. Fedar, Morton Salkind SAN FRANCISCO 4, CALIF. 703 Mechanics' Institute Bldg. 57 Post st. Phone Exbrook 2-2895 Teletype SF 549 Associafe Edifor: Richard 0. Newhall EASTON, PA. 20th and Northampton Sts. Phone Easton 91 1 1 Teletype ESTN Pa 48 Associafe Ed3or: Charlotte C. Sayre Ediforiaf Assistants: Joyce A. Richards, Elizabeth R. Rufe, June A. Barran EUROPEAN OFFICE Bush House, Aldwych, London Phone Temple Bar 3605 Cable JICHEM Associofe €difor: Albert S. Hester Contributing Editor:
R. H. Muller
Advisory Board: R. M. Archibald, H. F. Beeghly, H. 0 . Cassidy, Harvey Diehl, R. M. Fowler, louis Gordon, J. I. Hoffman, E. E. Leininger, H. A. Liebhafsky, V. W. Melache, John Mitchell, Jr., R. 0. Russell, 0. D. Shreve, A I Steyermark, J. H. Yoe
HE difficulties of collecting, compiling, editing, and publishing fundamental physical data are growing steadily. Collecting data by searching the existing literature, by private communications, or other means is an arduous, time consuming task. Yet many devoted scientists spend much time in this effort. One group, for example, has been engaged for some time in compiling ultraviolet and visible organic electronic spectral data from the time such material first appeared in 1946 to 1955. It was not until they got well into the project that they began to realize the cost and magnitude of such an effort. The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry organized a new commission this year to work in the area of molecular spectra data. This commission expects to center its efforts on encouraging publication of such data. Several other groups are working in the infrared field. The National Research Council and National Bureau of Standards have a joint effort, the Documentary Molecular Spectra (DMS) in England, and the Sadtler series are good examples. Some of this material is also published in book and handbook form. Even after such material is collected, there is a big job of compiling it into a coordinated, useful body of information. It must then be reviewed carefully and edited. At this stage, to become of use to scientists. the data must be published. Here the problem becomes one for the editor. Some of the difficulties he faces are outlined in an article by Van Zandt Williams (see page 1551). One of the major ones is to find space to publish such data. Over the years, ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY has pioneered in publishing certain types of fundamental data including x-ray, crystallographic, and infrared. Almost 20 years ago, for example, more than 50 pages were devoted to an article "Chemical Analysis by X-Ray DiffractionClassification and Use of X-Ray Diffraction Patterns." This article set forth powder diffraction data for 1000 chemical substances [AXAL. CHEM.10, 457 (1938)l. Five years later, ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY published another contribution exceeding 50 pages, entitled "Infrared Spectroscopy-Industrial Applications." This article included spectrograms of 363 organic compounds [ANAL.CHEM.15, 659 (1943)l. With this issue, the editors are initiating publication of a new series of infrared quantitative analytical data (page 1552). Material for this special feature was collected, compiled, and reviewed by the Coblentz Society. With the growing interest in this field, the editors feel that it will be helpful to the analyst t o have this material accessible in a readily usable form. The problem of publishing fundamental data is still with us and is bound to become more acute as time goes on. ANALYTICSL CHEMISTRY, through such efforts as those cited above, will attempt to do its part.
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Adverfising Management: REINHOLD PUBLISHING CORP. 430 Park Ave., N e w York 22, N. Y. (For Branch Offices see page 103 A)
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