Dear colleagues,
Firstly, I would like to say that it is a great honour to take over the position of Editor-in-chief of Experimental Agriculture, one of the most important journals devoted to publishing original and high quality papers addressing the many facets of agricultural sciences in subtropical and tropical areas. Tradition! I would say that this single word has an enormous meaning for me. I am proud in serving Experimental Agriculture, a journal published by the Cambridge University Press since 1933. Originally titled The Empire Journal of Experimental Agriculture (1933-1964), the publication's mission was ambitious “every new fruit of discovery and invention in the agricultural field”, publishing critical information for improving agricultural systems. So pertinent was the Journal's remit that it was recognised in an article published in Nature in May 27th, 1933. Currently, Experimental Agriculture has an Impact Factor of 1.079 (ISI Thomson Reuters) and stands as a Q1 journal in ‘Agronomy and Crop Science’ (SCImago Journal and Country Rank). In 2015, we received submissions from the five continents, with the majority coming from Asia and Africa. Thank you for considering Experimental Agriculture as a potential journal to publish your paper!
The outstanding position of Experimental Agriculture in agricultural science ranking metrics is a consequence of the tireless hard work of previous Editors-in-Chief. At this time, we must acknowledge the efforts made by Sir Russell, Prof. Hudson, Dr. Summerfield, Dr. Lupton, Dr. Jones, Prof. Carr and Dr. Harris. Over the last 83 years, all these scientists have furthered the journal's development to ensure its continued success and prestige. The current interest of authors and readers in Experimental Agriculture is a testament to the important contributions of these individuals. Cambridge University Press has also played a sizeable role in the Journal's success, supporting the publication of Experimental Agriculture since the beginning. Our publisher is the oldest printing and publishing house in the world, continuously publishing books since 1584. Among those books, I must cite the second edition of Isaac Newton's Principia Mathematica published in 1713. The longstanding commitment of Cambridge University Press to the dissemination of the highest quality scholarship has always driven the Journal's editorial approach, resulting in the continuous improvement of Experimental Agriculture.
Now, I believe you have realised why I am so proud in serving the Journal as the next Editor-in-Chief. As an author and reviewer, I have experienced both sides of the editorial process and, while there is much to praise, scope certainly remains for improvements. Our first aim is to reduce the time taken to evaluate submissions, while maintaining the quality of peer-review. With the introduction of a rapid initial assessment of submissions, taking into account their quality, impact and novelty, we will save time both for authors and for reviewers. Alongside this focus on improving evaluation speeds, we are also eager to increase the number of contributions from America, Europe and Oceania and stimulate all researchers in the field to submit their best papers to Experimental Agriculture. Our team is confident that a rapid and high quality peer-review process will be one way to attract more authors and increase our visibility.
Would you like to see your paper in a scientific journal with a long history in agricultural sciences and produced by the same publisher that served Sir. Isaac Newton? Give us the opportunity to appreciate your paper. As the current Editor-in-Chief of Experimental Agriculture, I welcome your contribution!
