Changes afoot

Happy New Year (is it too late to say that?) from the whole team here at Classical and Quantum Gravity and CQG+.

We’re starting the new year with an injection of fresh blood. Due to a bit of reshuffle at IOP Publishing, I (Holly) will be moving teams to work on our biophysics titles. As a result of this, Benjamin Sheard will be taking over as Publisher of CQG. Ben is already very familiar with CQG having worked on it for quite some time a couple of years ago, so his name might be familiar to you.

Out with the old, in with the new

You might also start seeing some new faces around these parts as a new editorial operations team takes over to manage CQG peer review, many CQG+ invitations and the journal mailbox.

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has supported the journal and our little blog here. I’ve only been working on it for a couple of years, but it’s been an absolute pleasure to work with everyone I’ve encountered. A particular note of thanks goes to the CQG Editorial Board and our Guest Editors who have contributed so much to the journals’ success and made my job that much easier.

I know that all of you will welcome Ben (back) to the community, so be sure to stop by the IOP Publishing stand at your next conference and say hello!

Stay tuned for our next announcement … it’s a big one!

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.

So long, and thanks for all the manuscripts

Adam Day is the Publisher of Classical and Quantum Gravity

Years ago, I sat, somewhat nervously, in a small, dimly lit room in an old office block. I’d applied for a dream job and I was expecting to learn the outcome of that application. A senior member of staff tactfully began the meeting with some friendly small-talk that did absolutely nothing to calm my nerves.

I’d heard of CQG – even before I’d seen the job advert. Reputed for its high standards of peer-review, it also held the distinction of being the first physics journal on the web. Clearly, this was a journal for brilliant pioneers and innovators (submit here) and I wanted to be part of that. Furthermore, I’d enjoyed studying relativity as an undergraduate and had hoped to become a gravitational-wave researcher, so the science of CQG was already close to my heart.  I can’t even remember the colour of the walls in that old office, but I can still hear the words “I’d like to offer you the job” very clearly.

Looking back

Highlights of 2016 now free to read

By Clifford Will.

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Clifford Will is the Editor-in-Chief of Classical and Quantum Gravity, Distinguished Professor of Physics at the University of Florida, Chercheur Associé at the Institut d’Astrophysique de Paris, and James McDonnell Professor of Space Sciences Emeritus at Washington University in St. Louis.

I am delighted to present the CQG Highlights of 2016 which are now free to read.  This prestigious annual collection is selected by the editorial board and includes notable papers on gravitational waves, black holes, general relativity, cosmology, quantum gravity and more.

As well as being free to read on the web, each paper is promoted by the journal in a number of campaigns.  Watch for the CQG Highlights brochure at your next conference.

CQG Highlights remains one of CQG’s most popular promotions.  Don’t miss your chance to be included in CQG Highlights of 2017 by publishing your next great paper in CQG.

 

 

Happy new year!

By Clifford Will.

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Clifford Will is the Editor-in-Chief of Classical and Quantum Gravity, Distinguished Professor of Physics at the University of Florida, Chercheur Associé at the Institut d’Astrophysique de Paris, and James McDonnell Professor of Space Sciences Emeritus at Washington University in St. Louis.

What a year for gravitational physics!  In February, the LIGO and Virgo Collaborations (LVC) announced the first detection of gravitational waves.  The MICROSCOPE satellite test of the equivalence principle took to the skies in April and, in June, LISA Pathfinder surpassed all expectations in demonstrating the key technologies required to detect gravitational waves in space.  As if all that wasn’t enough, the LVC announced a second detection of a binary black hole merger later that month.  By September, NASA revealed that it would rejoin ESA in funding the LISA mission with a view to launching a 3-armed space interferometer by 2030.  Could we have wished for more?

CQG launched a focus issue on the topic of gravitational waves in 2016 edited by Peter Shawhan and Deirdre Shoemaker.  You can submit your next great paper on gravitational waves to the issue which is currently open to submissions and will be promoted in a number of channels throughout 2017.  All submissions will be subject to CQG’s usual high standard of peer review.

To keep track of the latest CQG publications and news in 2017, you can follow the CQG+ blog or follow the journal on social media (Twitter, Facebook).

I want to express my appreciation to all CQG authors, referees and readers who supported the journal in 2016.  I particularly wish to thank the journal’s Editorial Board Members and Advisory Panel Members who assist in directing the strategy of the journal and who oversee CQG’s peer review.  I also welcome new Board and Panel members to CQG. I look forward to working with all of you in the coming year.

With the LIGO detectors’ second observation run underway, I am certain that we have more to look forward to in 2017.

The world we live in – #GR21

This is the second in a series of posts timed to coincide with the GR21 meeting. Keep an eye on CQG+ this week, for more posts on gravitational waves, the CQG Highlights and more.

Adam Day admiring the view from the top of the Rockefeller Center in NYC

I once had the experience of trying to find journal articles in an old bricks and mortar library. I spent a whole afternoon scouring a few thousand journal copies (and never did find what I was looking for). Information was scarce in those days and there were few ways to get it.

Watching scholarly communication develop since then has been interesting. In many ways, it’s now much easier to find papers – especially when you know exactly what you want to read. However, readers increasingly now find

What can CQG+ do for you?

Adam Day is the Publisher of Classical and Quantum Gravity and CQG+

Our primary goal with CQG+ is to raise the visibility of some of the best papers in CQG.

Take a look at the table below this post: it shows the 20 most downloaded papers in CQG since the launch of CQG+.  At the time that the data was collected, 15 papers had been promoted by CQG+. 13 of those are to be found in the top 20 (and the other 2 are not far behind).

This leaves no doubt in my mind that CQG+ is achieving its goal – but what does this mean for you?

CQG is 30

Adam Day is the Publisher of Classical and Quantum Gravity and CQG+

Time contracts when you are enjoying yourself! It doesn’t seem like 5 whole years have passed since we were celebrating CQG’s quarter-century – and we certainly have had a lot to celebrate over that short time – including a substantial rise in the number of high quality papers published by CQG.

In recognition of this excellent research, we are launching this new companion website, CQG+. Readers of CQG+ can look forward to notifications of high quality papers published in CQG and unique insights into those papers from authors and referees. Additionally, CQG+ will feature the latest news from CQG including notifications of new focus issues, the famous CQG highlights and more. Sign up for email alerts using the box at the foot of this page.