Editorial pubs.acs.org/JPCA
Cite This: J. Phys. Chem. A 2018, 122, 1925−1925
Virtual Issue Highlighting Articles That Describe New Methodologies Soon To Be Considered for Publication in JPC
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Scientific tools are required to obtain new physical insights. As new technologies become available, scientific tools advance, propelling experiments that generate new knowledge and understanding of physical chemistry. We recognize that the work involved in developing new physical methodologies is important to report but does not always generate immediate new physical insights. The New Tools and Methods in Experiment and Theory section is meant to eliminate the publishing gap between methodology developments and scientific discovery for the physical chemistry community. We encourage our readers to examine the articles in this Virtual Issue, which span the breadth of physical chemistry, and we now welcome submission of manuscripts that describe new methodological developments.
cience often progresses only as quickly as technology allows. Recognizing this fact, The Journal of Physical Chemistry A/B/C (JPC) will soon be introducing a new section that focuses explicitly on articles that describe New Tools and Methods in Experiment and Theory. In the past, the primary criteria for publication in JPC has been the reporting of new insights into phenomena in physical chemistry. Manuscripts submitted to this new section should report new advances in experimental and theoretical/computational methodologies that will enable new physical insights in the near future. We seek manuscripts that report new instrumentation, new optical designs, and new computational approaches that may not yet have been applied to a novel scientific problem but have laid the necessary foundation for exciting discoveries in physical chemistry. In the coming months we will be redefining the sections of JPC, as will be described in an Editorial published in the March 15th Issue (#10) of all three parts of JPC, and in the most recent version of the Guidelines to Authors. Though most of the changes involve rearrangement of topics within individual parts, we will be introducing a new section that focuses explicitly on articles that describe new methodologies (both experimental and theoretical/computational). JPC has always considered manuscripts that “present a new theoretical or computational methodology of general interest.” The new intent is to include experimental methodologies as well. Manuscripts that are submitted to this section should provide a description of what is new and novel about the experimental approach as well as what studies will be now possible with the reported work. Studies that utilize previously developed computational approaches to new systems would not be considered appropriate for this part of JPC. Manuscripts should set the stage for experiments or computations by describing the methodology and proving its capabilities. The section will be part of JPC A, although we expect that submissions will be applicable to studies that could be found in other parts of JPC. This Virtual Issue was compiled to exemplify the types of articles that we could envision being published in this section of JPC. These examples are drawn from articles that were recently published in all three parts of JPC. The physical significance reported in each of these articles variesthey were all judged under the old guidelinesbut each reports an exciting experimental or theoretical/computational advance that will soon be applied to novel systems, if not already. These articles would all be appropriate for the new methodologies section, as would similar articles only being demonstrated on model systems. We also highlight an article on SERS applied to detection of a pathogen in blood (DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcc. 6b03027). Although SERS is not a new method, similar manuscripts will be considered if important new capabilities are reported. All manuscripts that are submitted to this section, whether instrumental, computational, or synthetic, will be judged by physical chemists and so must speak to that audience. © 2018 American Chemical Society
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Anne B. McCoy, Deputy Editor Martin T. Zanni, Senior Editor ASSOCIATED CONTENT
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The Supporting Information is available free of charge on the ACS Publications website at DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpca.8b00611. Table of contents for the New Tools and Methods in Experiment and Theory Virtual Issue (PDF)
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AUTHOR INFORMATION
ORCID
Anne B. McCoy: 0000-0001-6851-6634 Martin T. Zanni: 0000-0001-7191-9768 Notes
Views expressed in this editorial are those of the authors and not necessarily the views of the ACS.
Published: March 1, 2018 1925
DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpca.8b00611 J. Phys. Chem. A 2018, 122, 1925−1925
