Journal of Cell Science
Encyclopedia
The Journal of Cell Science (formerly the Quarterly Journal of Microscopical Science) is a peer-reviewed
scientific journal
in the field of cell biology
. The journal is published by the The Company of Biologists with 24 annual issues.
and George Busk
. The publisher of the early issues was Samuel Highley of Fleet Street
, London
, with John Churchill and Sons
(later J. & A. Churchill) taking over from 1856. The journal's original aims, as described in a preface to the first issue, were not limited to biology, but encompassed all branches of science related to the microscope
:
.jpg)
Contributors to the first issue include Thomas Henry Huxley, Joseph Lister
, William Crawford Williamson
, and George Shadbolt
. The contents of the early issues are diverse, and include original research articles, translations of papers published in other languages, transactions of the meetings of the Microscopical Society of London (later the Royal Microscopical Society
), and book reviews. The journal also published short notes and memoranda, aimed "to gather up fragments of information, which singly might appear to be useless but together are of great importance to science"; the editors encouraged non-specialist submissions to this section, considering that "there are few possessors of a Microscope who have not met with some stray fact or facts which, published in this way, may not lead to important results." The editors also intended "to relieve the graver and more strictly scientific matter of the Journal by lighter contributions, such as will be found useful to the beginner, not uninteresting to the advanced observer, and of interest perhaps to the general reader."
Lankester and Busk co-edited the journal until the end of 1868. Lankester continued to edit the journal with his son, Ray Lankester
until the end of 1871.
, served as editor for twenty-five years, from 1920 until his death in 1946. Oxford University Press
took over as publishers in 1920.
In 1946 or 1947, George Parker Bidder, then the owner, gave the journal to The Company of Biologists, a company he had founded in 1925 in a successful bid to rescue the failing British Journal of Experimental Biology
. Initially, Oxford University Press remained the publishers on behalf of the Company of Biologists, but production was later transferred to Cambridge University Press
. In 1952, The Company of Biologists became a registered charity, and full editorial control passed to the journal's editor-in-chief.
From 1946, the journal was edited jointly by Carl Pantin
, an experimental zoologist
and physiologist
, and John Baker
, a cytologist
. Under the latter's influence, the journal accepted a growing number of papers in the relatively new discipline of cytology, now usually termed cell biology
. After Pantin's retirement in 1960, the scope of the journal was refocused on the field of cytology, which the editors defined as "Everything that relates directly to the structure, chemical composition, physical nature, and functions of animal and plant cells, or to the techniques that are used in cytological investigations". Subsequent editors include H. G. Callan
and A. V. Grimstone.
In 1966, the journal was redesigned and relaunched under the new title Journal of Cell Science, reflecting its altered scope. It continued to be published broadly quarterly until 1969, when the frequency increased to between six and nine issues per year. In the mid-to-late 1980s, to reduce publication lead times and compete more effectively with Cell
(which had been launched in 1974), The Company of Biologists moved away from Cambridge University Press and set up its own in-house typesetting and printing for its journals, by then three in number, becoming pioneers in using disks from authors. Publication frequency also increased, at first to ten issues in 1987, then monthly between 1988 and 1995, finally becoming fortnightly in December 1996.
as PDF
s, with a text version additionally available from 2000. Content over 6 months old is freely available, and all articles are available to readers in developing countries via the Health InterNetwork Access to Research Initiative
. Since 2004, authors have retained copyright of their material, licensing their contributions to the journal.
In addition to research papers and reviews, the Journal of Cell Science includes critical commentaries and an occasional column, "Sticky Wickets", offering "controversial views of life-science research".
The current editor-in-chief is Fiona Watt
(Cancer Research UK
, Cambridge).
Peer review
Peer review is a process of self-regulation by a profession or a process of evaluation involving qualified individuals within the relevant field. Peer review methods are employed to maintain standards, improve performance and provide credibility...
scientific journal
Scientific journal
In academic publishing, a scientific journal is a periodical publication intended to further the progress of science, usually by reporting new research. There are thousands of scientific journals in publication, and many more have been published at various points in the past...
in the field of cell biology
Cell biology
Cell biology is a scientific discipline that studies cells – their physiological properties, their structure, the organelles they contain, interactions with their environment, their life cycle, division and death. This is done both on a microscopic and molecular level...
. The journal is published by the The Company of Biologists with 24 annual issues.
Foundation and early years
The journal was established in 1853 as the Quarterly Journal of Microscopical Science (Q. J. Microsc. Sci.). The founding editors were Edwin LankesterEdwin Lankester
Edwin Lankester MRCS, FRS was an English surgeon and naturalist who made a major contribution to the control of cholera in London: he was the first public analyst in England.- Life :...
and George Busk
George Busk
George Busk RN FRS was a British Naval surgeon, zoologist and palaeontologist.-Biography:Busk was born in St Petersburg, the son of the merchant Robert Busk and grandson of Sir Wadsworth Busk...
. The publisher of the early issues was Samuel Highley of Fleet Street
Fleet Street
Fleet Street is a street in central London, United Kingdom, named after the River Fleet, a stream that now flows underground. It was the home of the British press until the 1980s...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, with John Churchill and Sons
Churchill Livingstone
Churchill Livingstone is an imprint of a medical publishing company owned by Elsevier Ltd, but previously owned by Harcourt and Pearson. It was formed in 1971 from the merger of E & S Livingstone, Edinburgh, Scotland, and J & A Churchill, London, England. It is but now integrated with the rest of...
(later J. & A. Churchill) taking over from 1856. The journal's original aims, as described in a preface to the first issue, were not limited to biology, but encompassed all branches of science related to the microscope
Microscope
A microscope is an instrument used to see objects that are too small for the naked eye. The science of investigating small objects using such an instrument is called microscopy...
:
Joseph Lister, 1st Baron Lister
Joseph Lister, 1st Baron Lister OM, FRS, PC , known as Sir Joseph Lister, Bt., between 1883 and 1897, was a British surgeon and a pioneer of antiseptic surgery, who promoted the idea of sterile surgery while working at the Glasgow Royal Infirmary...
, William Crawford Williamson
William Crawford Williamson
William Crawford Williamson was an English naturalist and palaeobotanist.-Life:Williamson was born at Scarborough, North Yorkshire. His father, John Williamson, after beginning life as a gardener, became a well-known local naturalist, who, in conjunction with William Bean, first explored the rich...
, and George Shadbolt
George Shadbolt
George Shadbolt was a British writer, editor, student of optics and photographer with a strong interest in innovative techniques, who was active during the 1850s–60s. Reported to have made the first microphotograph, he was also an early advocate of photographic enlargement, as well as compound and...
. The contents of the early issues are diverse, and include original research articles, translations of papers published in other languages, transactions of the meetings of the Microscopical Society of London (later the Royal Microscopical Society
Royal Microscopical Society
The Royal Microscopical Society is an international scientific society for the promotion of microscopy. RMS draws members from all over the world and is dedicated to advancing science, developing careers and supporting wider understanding of science and microscopy through its Science and Society...
), and book reviews. The journal also published short notes and memoranda, aimed "to gather up fragments of information, which singly might appear to be useless but together are of great importance to science"; the editors encouraged non-specialist submissions to this section, considering that "there are few possessors of a Microscope who have not met with some stray fact or facts which, published in this way, may not lead to important results." The editors also intended "to relieve the graver and more strictly scientific matter of the Journal by lighter contributions, such as will be found useful to the beginner, not uninteresting to the advanced observer, and of interest perhaps to the general reader."
Lankester and Busk co-edited the journal until the end of 1868. Lankester continued to edit the journal with his son, Ray Lankester
Ray Lankester
Sir E. Ray Lankester KCB, FRS was a British zoologist, born in London.An invertebrate zoologist and evolutionary biologist, he held chairs at University College London and Oxford University. He was the third Director of the Natural History Museum, and was awarded the Copley Medal of the Royal...
until the end of 1871.
Under Ray Lankester and Edwin Goodrich
After Edwin Lankester's retirement, Ray Lankester remained an editor, with co-editors including E. Klein, William Archer, Joseph Frank Payne, and W. T. Thiselton Dyer. From 1878 until 1920, he served as the sole editor, amassing a total of over fifty years as an editor of the journal. The journal flourished under his guidance, becoming one of the leading British science journals. His successor, Edwin Stephen GoodrichEdwin Stephen Goodrich
Edwin Stephen Goodrich , was an English zoologist, specialising in comparative anatomy, embryology, paleontology, and evolution. He held the Linacre Chair of Zoology in the University of Oxford from 1921 to 1946...
, served as editor for twenty-five years, from 1920 until his death in 1946. Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press is the largest university press in the world. It is a department of the University of Oxford and is governed by a group of 15 academics appointed by the Vice-Chancellor known as the Delegates of the Press. They are headed by the Secretary to the Delegates, who serves as...
took over as publishers in 1920.
The Company of Biologists and relaunch
Journal of Experimental Biology
The Journal of Experimental Biology is a peer-reviewed scientific journal in the field of comparative physiology and integrative biology. It is published by The Company of Biologists from editorial offices in Cambridge, United Kingdom.- History :...
. Initially, Oxford University Press remained the publishers on behalf of the Company of Biologists, but production was later transferred to Cambridge University Press
Cambridge University Press
Cambridge University Press is the publishing business of the University of Cambridge. Granted letters patent by Henry VIII in 1534, it is the world's oldest publishing house, and the second largest university press in the world...
. In 1952, The Company of Biologists became a registered charity, and full editorial control passed to the journal's editor-in-chief.
From 1946, the journal was edited jointly by Carl Pantin
Carl Pantin
Carl Frederick Abel Pantin FRS was a British zoologist. He was educated at Tonbridge School and Christ's College, Cambridge....
, an experimental zoologist
Zoology
Zoology |zoölogy]]), is the branch of biology that relates to the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinct...
and physiologist
Physiology
Physiology is the science of the function of living systems. This includes how organisms, organ systems, organs, cells, and bio-molecules carry out the chemical or physical functions that exist in a living system. The highest honor awarded in physiology is the Nobel Prize in Physiology or...
, and John Baker
John Baker (biologist)
John Randal Baker FRS was a biologist, physical anthropologist, and professor at the University of Oxford in the mid-twentieth century. He is best remembered for his 1974 book, Race, which classifies human races in the same way in which animal subspecies are classified...
, a cytologist
Cell biology
Cell biology is a scientific discipline that studies cells – their physiological properties, their structure, the organelles they contain, interactions with their environment, their life cycle, division and death. This is done both on a microscopic and molecular level...
. Under the latter's influence, the journal accepted a growing number of papers in the relatively new discipline of cytology, now usually termed cell biology
Cell biology
Cell biology is a scientific discipline that studies cells – their physiological properties, their structure, the organelles they contain, interactions with their environment, their life cycle, division and death. This is done both on a microscopic and molecular level...
. After Pantin's retirement in 1960, the scope of the journal was refocused on the field of cytology, which the editors defined as "Everything that relates directly to the structure, chemical composition, physical nature, and functions of animal and plant cells, or to the techniques that are used in cytological investigations". Subsequent editors include H. G. Callan
H. G. Callan
Harold Garnet Callan FRS FRSE was an English zoologist and cytologist.-External links:*...
and A. V. Grimstone.
In 1966, the journal was redesigned and relaunched under the new title Journal of Cell Science, reflecting its altered scope. It continued to be published broadly quarterly until 1969, when the frequency increased to between six and nine issues per year. In the mid-to-late 1980s, to reduce publication lead times and compete more effectively with Cell
Cell (journal)
Cell is a peer-reviewed scientific journal publishing research papers across a broad range of disciplines within the life sciences. Areas covered include molecular biology, cell biology, systems biology, stem cells, developmental biology, genetics and genomics, proteomics, cancer research,...
(which had been launched in 1974), The Company of Biologists moved away from Cambridge University Press and set up its own in-house typesetting and printing for its journals, by then three in number, becoming pioneers in using disks from authors. Publication frequency also increased, at first to ten issues in 1987, then monthly between 1988 and 1995, finally becoming fortnightly in December 1996.
Modern journal
Issues from 1853 are available online via the journal website and HighWire PressHighWire Press
HighWire Press is a division of the Stanford University Libraries that produces the online versions of high-impact, peer-reviewed journals and other scholarly content...
as PDF
Portable Document Format
Portable Document Format is an open standard for document exchange. This file format, created by Adobe Systems in 1993, is used for representing documents in a manner independent of application software, hardware, and operating systems....
s, with a text version additionally available from 2000. Content over 6 months old is freely available, and all articles are available to readers in developing countries via the Health InterNetwork Access to Research Initiative
HINARI
HINARI is the Health InterNetwork Access to Research Initiative. It was set up by the World Health Organization and major publishers to enable developing countries to access collections of biomedical and health literature. There are over 7000 journal titles available to health institutions in 109...
. Since 2004, authors have retained copyright of their material, licensing their contributions to the journal.
In addition to research papers and reviews, the Journal of Cell Science includes critical commentaries and an occasional column, "Sticky Wickets", offering "controversial views of life-science research".
The current editor-in-chief is Fiona Watt
Fiona Watt
Fiona Watt, FRS is a British scientist. She studies epidermal stem cells at the Cancer Research UK Cambridge Research Institute and the Wellcome Trust Centre for Stem Cell Research, at both of which she holds the position of Deputy Director. She received a DPhil degree in 1979 from the University...
(Cancer Research UK
Cancer Research UK
Cancer Research UK is a cancer research and awareness charity in the United Kingdom, formed on 4 February 2002 by the merger of The Cancer Research Campaign and the Imperial Cancer Research Fund. Its aim is to reduce the number of deaths from cancer. As the world's largest independent cancer...
, Cambridge).