Polymer Testing 5 (1985) 401-402

Editorial

It does not seem like five volumes ago that Polymer Testing started but in fact the first letter suggesting the journal dates back to 1977. The principal argument in favour of a journal devoted to testing was, and remains, that in journals concerned with polymer technology in general, testing topics are not given space to discuss the details of apparatus and methods which are of interest to test laboratory staff, and the subject is spread thinly over many journals. There were plenty of arguments against.

Polymer Testing has succeeded in that it has become recognised as a focus for papers on testing matters, and its circulation demonstrates that a journal dealing with the specialist subject of testing, if indeed such a wide topic as testing could be called specialist, is welcomed. I would not have volunteered to edit the journal had I not believed that the basic reasons for its introduction were correct and naturally I am pleased that five volumes have been successfully produced. How- ever, I am very conscious of some of the intentions which have not as yet been realised.

The aims and scope of Polymer Testing say that it provides a forum for discussion of matters of interest to workers involved in the testing of rubbers and plastics as well as for the publication of their work. It is a disappointment that al though the papers are there, discussion in the way of letters has been noticeable only by its absence, q-he subject mat ter of papers has been very varied and I believe there has been a reasonably good balance between very practical and more scientific papers but apparent ly the journal has completely failed to achieve any interaction or exchange between testing workers.

Publication schedules introduce practical difficulties to printing news items in a journal of this type but nevertheless I had hoped that there would have been more announcements , short communications, reports of conferences/exhibit ions and other items of general testing interest which would contribute to Polymer Testing being truly the forum for testing matters.

Clearly I would like to encourage more letters and other short

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Polymer Testing (5) (1985)---~ Elsevier Applied Science Publishers Ltd, England, 1985. Printed in Northern Ireland

402 Editorial

c o m m u n i c a t i o n s - - a n d whils t on the sub j ec t , w o u l d a n y o n e ca re to c o n t r i b u t e a gues t ed i t o r i a l ?

R. Brown