Reflections on Eleven Years with PCCP

Back in August 2003, I first joined the Editorial staff of Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics. The journal was then in its infancy and striving to become established as a distinctive home of impactful research, respectful of the heritage of its two predecessor journals Faraday Transactions and Berichte der Bunsengesellschaft für Physikalische Chemie.

At that time, PCCP (as it soon became known) was publishing around 650 papers per year, mostly in gas-phase research areas, and predominately from Europe (at the time, 6% of published articles were from the US and less than 3% from China). All manuscripts were handled in-house, and the journal's Impact Factor was 1.7.

Over the past 11 years, with my Royal Society of Chemistry colleagues and the journal's Boards and Owner Societies, I have strived to meet and exceed the expectations of the broad research communities PCCP serves. Serving the community is the reason PCCP exists, and this has been foremost in our minds throughout this time.

To build community support of PCCP, I have travelled extensively, visiting institutes and participating in conferences and meetings in many countries to establish, develop and maintain close connections with scientists: our existing and potential authors, readers, referees and board members. I have been consistently humbled by the friendly support of the very many researchers I have met, by the all-pervading spirit of open communication of both science and of feedback, and with very kind hospitality. I thank you all.

I believe PCCP is now a community-spanning and a truly international journal. In 2014 we expect to publish 2600 insightful articles. We now have weekly publication and seven excellent Associate Editors supplementing the dedicated Royal Society of Chemistry Editorial Office. All Editors diligently and efficiently handle and evaluate manuscripts against consistent high scientific and ethical standards. PCCP now enjoys the support of 19 co-owner Societies spanning 4 continents, and outstanding Editorial and Advisory Boards. We have invited and published many hundreds of topical Perspective articles and themed issues, and run well-received PCCP-branded symposia and events. Our newly-released Impact Factor has risen to another record high, of 4.2.

With this Editorial, I announce that I am leaving my role as Executive Editor of PCCP. It has been a great pleasure leading and working to develop PCCP over the last 11 years, and I am proud of the journal's many achievements.

I am especially grateful for the support of the many PCCP Editorial Board members, Owner Societies and Ownership Board members, and my Royal Society of Chemistry colleagues who have worked with me on the journal. I would like to pay particular tribute to the Editorial Board Chairs and Deputy Chairs I have been fortunate to work with: in chronological order Profs. Mike Ashfold, Bert Weckhuysen, Pekka Pyykko, Martin Suhm, Daniella Goldfarb, David Nesbitt and Seong Keun Kim. They have worked extremely hard to ensure PCCP's progress has been maintained and reputation enhanced, and have been a source of frequent and invaluable advice, wise judgement and friendship.

(l-r) Profs. Seong Keun Kim (PCCP Associate Editor), Graham Hutchings (RSC Faraday Division President), David Nesbitt (PCCP Deputy Chair), Katsuhiko Ariga (PCCP Associate Editor), and Philip Earis (PCCP Executive Editor), at the PCCP Symposium at Seoul National University, Korea, October 2012

To ensure the continued success of PCCP, I am pleased to inform you Dr Anna Simpson will be appointed as Executive Editor of PCCP from 14 July 2014.

Anna brings to this role her extensive experience as Deputy Editor of the Royal Society of Chemistry journals Green Chemistry, Food & Function and Photochemical & Photobiological Sciences and, more recently, Deputy Editor of PCCP. Anna grew up in Edinburgh and performed her undergraduate studies in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry at Durham University, graduating in 2005. She received her PhD in Biochemistry from Cambridge University in 2009. After spending a year on the Royal Society of Chemistry's Science, Education and Industry Graduate Training Scheme, she joined the Publishing department in 2010.

Dr Anna Simpson, incoming Executive Editor

Please join with me in offering Anna continued support to help achieve ever-greater success for PCCP.

With my best wishes,

Philip

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