2N Analyst, January 1995, Vol. 120 Editorial This has been a phenomenal year for the Analyst and also a difficult one as a result of the large increase in the number of papers submitted for publication. Even with a rejection rate similar to that in 1993 we have seen a 45% increase in the number of pages published in 1994 (approximately 2826) over 1993 (1566). The increase in submissions has come about as a result of a determined effort to exapand the coverage of the journal with particular emphasis on biological papers (19% increase); clinical (78% increase); food analysis (33% increase); and geochemical analysis (90% increase). The subject areas we are placing particular emphasis on in 1995 are: chemometricshtatistics; speciation; chroma- tography and electrophoresis; imaging techniques; and bio- materials.However, we encourage submissions in all areas of ana- lytical science. We are also now making a bigger impact in North America, thanks to our US Associate Editor, Dr. Julian Tyson. Papers from the US made up 13% of all published papers in 1994 compared with 9% in 1993. Most of you will have noticed our redesigned cover and new format interior; we may be the oldest, continuously-published English language analytical science journal but, as ever, the papers we publish are at the forefront of current analytical research. We believe the new format reflects this image. The use of colour, where appropriate, inside the journal also helps to promote the understanding and clarity of some difficult principles, particularly in Tutorial Reviews. The electronic revolution in journals publishing seems to have begun in earnest now and many of you have indicated that the RSC has been slow to offer authors the opportunity to submit their manuscripts on disk.This is because the savings expected in time and costs are not substantial. However, we are now accepting manuscripts on disk, but to avoid confu- sion, authors should not send disks with their original manuscripts, but wait until they are asked to carry out revisions such that the information on the disk exactly matches that on the revised hard copy. Using author disks should save us a small amount of time; however, authors should still ensure that they check proofs carefully. As Professor Miller has mentioned in his Editorial, any peer-reviewed journal such as The Analyst stands or falls, mainly, by the quality imparted to it by the referees. Our referees have coped with an incredible amount of work on our behalf throughout 1994 and yet maintained the quality of their reports. We offer them our sincerest thanks and hope that they will maintain the standards of refereeing that we have become familiar with. Finally, 1994 saw a complete change in the personnel working on The Analyst leading to intensive on-the-job training for the new staff concerned and resulting in small backlogs throughout the year. Since then, procedures have been altered to allow a continuous production process as opposed to the batch system used previously. This change has allowed a more even flow of work and will hopefully result in Harp Minhas shorter publication times. Editor