Microscopy and Microanalysis, the sister publication of this magazine, is currently the #1 microscopy journal in the world, according to the Thomson-Reuters-ISI organization that ranks scientific journals on the basis of Impact Factor. This ranking is based on our Impact Factor of 2.992 for the year 2008 (the most recent data available). This is the culmination of a long climb from the journal's beginning in 1995.
The mission of Microscopy and Microanalysis is to provide readers with original research reports and timely reviews that chronicle advances and applications in all microscopy and microanalysis techniques. This is not a static field. Improvements in image resolution and versatility have recently been reported in many areas: light microscopy, scanning probe microscopy, and electron microscopy. In addition, the detection, identification, and quantification of small regions of compounds and alloys has also improved. Thus, the need for such a journal has never been greater.
Electronic publication of citable papers, prior to print publication, is now routine. These forthcoming papers may be viewed under “first view” at the journal website: http://www.journals.cambridge.org/MAM. The number of manuscript submissions to the journal continues to rise, which leads to improved quality in published papers. In turn, this will further strengthen the journal's impact and influence.
Electronic subscriptions have made Microscopy and Microanalysis available to more than 1,500 libraries worldwide. There were nearly 340,000 full-text views of articles in 2008 and over 390,000 in 2009. The journal is affiliated with a dozen national and international microscopy and microanalysis societies. Members of these societies may obtain personal subscriptions at the lowest cost of any microscopy journal. Microscopy and Microanalysis is clearly making an impact internationally; manuscripts submitted in the last two years came from the US and 32 other countries.
Thus, in the 15 years since publication began, Microscopy and Microanalysis has gone from obscurity to the first rank of microscopy journals. I encourage authors to submit their manuscripts to this important journal.
