2 JOURNAL OF ANALYTICAL ATOMIC SPECTROMETRY, FEBRUARY 1986, VOL. 1 Editorials The Birth of JAAS! As indicated by Professor West in his Foreword, the publication of a new inter- national journal by the Royal Society of Chemistry is an unusual and consequently extremely exciting event. To those of us closely concerned with the conception and the planning and design of JAAS, the past year has been a hectic one. We naturally hope you like the result, and that you will find in the course of time that JAAS has become both indispensable and a good read. The decision to go ahead with the introduction of a new journal in the field of analytical atomic spectrometry aimed principally at the user of modern instrumentation was taken only after a carefully conducted and thorough market survey.We are pleased to say that the positive response to this has been rein- forced by many messages of support and encouragement from all over the world received since the release of our earlier publicity. Current submissions of papers are higher than we anticipated at this stage, and the over-all quality suggests that our colleagues already feel that JAAS will represent an attractive vehicle for the wide dissemination of new ideas and concepts in this subject. We are particul- arly grateful to those authors with suffi- cient confidence in both JAAS and the RSC to submit papers before having the opportunity to see a copy of the journal. We hope they are not disappointed! It is interesting that the principal tech- niques of atomic spectrometry have apparently reached substantial maturity.The slow pace of the commercial develop- ment of new ideas always seems to make the subject static. Who would have thought in 1960, however, that atomic absorption and inductively coupled plasma emission spectrometry would occupy their present positions in the field of trace element analysis? An objective of JAAS is to bridge the gaps between the researcher, the manufacturer and the user, to help to reduce the long delay time between the conception of an idea and its wider or general utilisation. This applies equally to major instrumental develop- ments such as ICP-MS, laser based instru- ment systems or continuum source AAS, as to novel but more minor technical advances such as new hydride generation configurations, the slotted tube atom trap or indeed to the use of platforms in elec- trothermal atomisation.Often a manu- facturer will work hard to produce and present a new instrument system or dev- ice, but articles from users are very slow to appear in the literature. We hope that users of modern instrumentation will find JAAS an important vehicle for describing applications of and modifications to new systems, as we anticipate that other users as well as the manufacturers will find such papers valuable. The organisation of JAAS is set out on the preceding pages. We are delighted to have received the enthusiastic support of a wide range of atomic spectroscopists who have either agreed to join the Advi- sory Board or are continuing to collabor- ate over the production of Updates. We believe that the efficient production of a journal requires the attention of full- time staff.The Editor, Judith Brew, is already known to many spectroscopists, but we hope that many others will meet her and other members of the Board at analytical and spectroscopic conferences in 1986. Papers from North America should be submitted through our US Associate Editor, Jim Harnly, who will operate a rapid local review procedure prior to normal editing in London. This issue illustrates the desired inclusion of papers of all types and length (full papers, short papers and communications), an informative news section, together with our first Update and bibliography. To those of us who have been involved in the production of Annual Reports on Analy- tical Atomic Spectroscopy (ARAAS), the incorporation of reviews or Updates in JAAS is both exciting and rewarding.ARAAS was always well received but often too late. In its new guise, publica- tion of the ARAAS reviews will be rapid and immediately more comprehensive and available to the user. The complete compilation of papers from journals and conferences will also provide a unique information dissemination mechanism. Although the Editorial Board has wor- ked hard to ensure an attractive and valuable new journal, we realise that we are unlikely to have got everything right first time. The first issue will be distri- buted widely and we would genuinely welcome constructive comments from readers. We would also welcome informa- tion on a world-wide basis on future conferences, meetings, etc.for the news section of the journal. Many people have already contributed much time and effort to the production of the journal. I would particulary like to thank Professor Tom West who has taken time off from his duties at the Macaulay Institute for Soil Research and as Secretary General of IUPAC to produce a stimulating Fore- word for this issue. Our thanks must also go to the staff of the Journals Department of the RSC for their patience and their creative contributions over the past year, and also to the officers of the Analytical Division who enthusiastically supported the introduction of a new RSC analytical journal from the outset. We have been particularly heartened by the enthusiastic and active support of many scientific colleagues. Eighteen months ago we felt that there was a niche in the scientific literature for a journal like JAAS, and nothing has happened since to change this view.We hope it will make a significant and lasting contribution to our science. J. M. Ottaway Chairman, JAAS Editorial Board A New Journal to Complement The Analyst A measure of the success and interest of a new scientific activity is that it can sustain a primary journal for the dissemination of fresh developments. Hitherto, such jour- nals covered a full scientific discipline, and later on just divisions of disciplines. More recently, just single subject areas have had primary journals dedicated to them. Having regard to the considerable developments and widespread interest in atomic spectrometry over the last 25 years or so, it is perhaps surprising that there has not been a primary journal devoted to applications of this still developing area within the larger field of spectroscopy. This is no longer the case for the day has arrived and the first issue of the Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry is pub- lished by The Royal Society of Chemistry under the aegis of its Analytical Editorial Board and with its own editorial structure of staff Editor, Editorial Board and Advisory Board. The Analytical Editorial Board, which also has responsibility for The Analyst and Analytical Proceedings, extend their very best wishes to all who have been con- cerned with this launch and commend the Journal of Analytical Atomic Spec- trometry to all who are engaged and are interested in the field, wherever they may be. J. D. R. Thomas Chairman, Analytical Editorial Board