Editorial pubs.acs.org/JAFC
JAFC over the Years 1999−2014
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t has been my pleasure to serve as JAFC Editor for the past 15 years. A lot of things have happened during that period. Here are a few that have affected JAFC. In 1999 manuscripts were handled manually, via hard copy for the most part. Authors prepared and shipped six copies of their manuscripts to us, which were then mailed out to reviewers. In a major departure from the past, the editorial and peer review process began the transition to electronic manuscript handling in February 2002. By around 2007 the process became entirely Web based, from submission to peer review, to revision if needed, and ultimately to decision and publication. The results of this sweeping change by ACS Publications Division from hardcopy to Web have been faster manuscript processing time, no page charges to the authors, and faster and broader distribution of information. It also resulted in less work for authors, reviewers, and our staffs by essentially eliminating paper distribution. That manuscripts are handled electronically now has become essential because of the increased numbers of manuscripts submitted and processed; currently around 6000 manuscripts are submitted each year, versus 1400 in 1999. Authors from the United States were the main contributors in the early years of my editorship, but now manuscripts come primarily from international authors/institutions. China is now the largest country of origin for submitted manuscripts, contributing more than 33% of total manuscripts. Ongoing outreach efforts to China, Brazil, and other nations, including visits to meet with authors and reviewers at international conferences (Figure 1), as well as appointment of Associate Editors and Advisory Board members from those geographical areas, have helped to increase the submission and acceptance statistics. Much of our focus has been on increasing the quality and impact of manuscripts published in JAFC. Total number of citations and ISI impact factor have steadily increased, plus we are a leading journal in terms of news coverage of published articles. Authors receive more visibility for their published work
by both mechanismshigh impact adds to scientific stature, and media coverage translates to effective outreach. The JAFC best paper award (Figures 2 and 3), instituted in 2013, presence
Figure 2. Editor Jim Seiber congratulates winners of the 2014 Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry Research Article of the Year Award Lectureship in the AGFD category, given at the ACS National Meeting in San Francisco, August 2014. From left to right: Susanna Soares, Wolfgang Meyerhof, Jim Seiber.
at international meetings, including publishing clusters from many such meetings, and increasing our Web-based recognition of awards and other accomplishments of Associate Editors and
Figure 3. Stephen J. Cutler (right), winner of the 2014 Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry Research Article of the Year Award Lectureship in the AGRO category, is congratulated by Editor Jim Seiber (left) at the ACS National Meeting in San Francisco, August 2014.
Figure 1. Associate Editor Zhen-Yu Chen speaks to a room full of prospective authors about publishing in JAFC at a scientific meeting in China. © 2014 American Chemical Society
Published: December 31, 2014 12485
dx.doi.org/10.1021/jf5054645 | J. Agric. Food Chem. 2014, 62, 12485−12486
Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
Editorial
Editorial Advisory Board (EAB) members have been aimed at increasing the visibility of JAFC. We are soliciting and receiving many more Reviews and Perspectives than in the past, increasing our impact factor, and we now offer a fast-track Letters category for publishing urgent work with a focused, brief format. The categories that define the scope of JAFC have been streamlined and modernized. This is a continuing and evolving task. Improvements have been made to solidify our leadership position, given that there are now several new journals in agricultural and food sciences. Food, the science behind food, and its importance to good health have caught the attention of the research community as well as the public. Strong chemistry has been at the core of what JAFC is about, and it will continue to be a distinguishing feature. The chemistry related to antioxidants has been a major theme since about 1990, so much so that Associate Editor John Finley once quipped that we should change the name of the journal to “Journal of Antioxidant and Food Chemistry”. We have aimed to position JAFC for the research challenges of the present and future. The agricultural chemistry behind biofuels and biobased products is an example, as well as increasing focus on biopesticides and nanomaterials. The very recent development of commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol facilities was made possible by research, published in JAFC and other outlets. JAFC has been a leader in metabolomics, proteomics, and genomics applied to agriculture and food. Nanotechnology is a current focus area for JAFC, following on publication by JAFC of an ACS Selects on this topic earlier in 2014. This effort to expand coverage of emerging topics while maintaining strength in traditional areas is an ongoing challenge. I leave the position of Editor-in-Chief with many good feelings toward all in the JAFC family, particularly our Associate Editors, EAB members, office staff in Davis (Loreen and Ann), and colleagues in the ACS Publications Division and ACS Divisions of AGFD and AGRO as well as our many authors and reviewers worldwide. I thank USDA’s Agricultural Research Service for allowing me to be a federal Senior Executive Service Center Director and also editor of a major journal. The two appointments added value to the work conducted in each area. I look forward to continuing with teaching and service in related areas in my home department at the University of California, Davis, Environmental Toxicology. The Journal will be in good hands with incoming Editor-inChief Dr. Thomas Hofmann, and the continuing efforts of our incredibly dedicated and knowledgeable Associate Editors and EAB members. I offer my support to Thomas and the Associate Editor team as they move forward. The Journal will continue to pursue excellence in publishing the research of agricultural and food chemistry, building upon a 60 year legacy, made possible by the efforts of thousands of authors, coauthors, and reviewers who share their time and intellect to advance the knowledge of applied chemistry.
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Jim Seiber, Editor
AUTHOR INFORMATION
Notes
Views expressed in this editorial are those of the author and not necessairly the views of the ACS.
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dx.doi.org/10.1021/jf5054645 | J. Agric. Food Chem. 2014, 62, 12485−12486
