Editorial

Abstract. The Journal of Micropalaeontology is now well-established as an international publication covering all aspects of microfossils and their applications both in applied studies and in basic research. This has been brought about through the unstinting efforts of the two previous editors, Lesley Sheppard (1982-87) and Mike Keen (1988-94), and their supporting Editorial Boards. Last autumn, the officers of the Society decided that with the appointment of a new editor, the journal should be published through the Geological Society Publishing House.

Since becoming Editor in March, my first task has been to implement the arrangements with the Geological Society. The advantages to the BMS are several. First, there is now a clear separation of duties between the Editorial Board, who will handle all aspects of scientific content and quality control of manuscripts accepted for publication, and the Publishing House, who will be responsible for the entire process of publication and distribution. Second, we gain from professional advice over format and layout. Third, the competitive pricing includes advertising in Geological Society publication lists and reciprocal arrangements with other major geological societies throughout the world. The first obvious manifestation of these changes is in the newly designed cover which now includes a list of keywords, the ISSN number and a bar code to conform with modern publishing practice.

Another major change of policy concerns the role of the Editorial Board. Previously, each Specialist Group nominated an editor who then handled manuscripts appropriate to his or her specialty. As the number of Groups has