Antarctic Science—5th BIG year!

Extract

As Antarctic Science enters its fifth year, it is time to assess progress and review the opportunities for Antarctic research in the coming years. The journal appears to have filled a useful niche, established arange of regular (and irregular!) contributors, and is taken by the majority of major polar libraries world-wide. Quality of production has improved with new equipment but rate of publication has fallen with increasing numbers of acceptable contributions. Cross-disciplinary papers have been few — but perhaps that is because few Antarctic scientists have undertaken the challenge of cross-disciplinary studies? Glaciology and most aspects of atmospheric sciences are still under-represented.

Our first special issue on the palynology of James Ross Island has been well received and a second, on a Southern Ocean cephalopod symposium, is planned for 1994. These special issues are a bonus to subcribers who get the extra pages free. The editors are keen to receive proposals for other special issues with offers of appropriate funding.