Editors’ welcome
Andy Fleet, Editor-in-Chief, David Shilton, Deputy Editor-in-Chief and Amy Whitchurch, Executive Editor, on the highlights of the first year of a new era for Geoscientist
As the year draws to a close, we reflect on what’s been achieved in 2021.
Geoscientist underwent a dramatic transformation at the start of the year with a complete redesign, the change from monthly to quarterly print distribution, and the launch of our new website, www.Geoscientist.Online. Since then, we’ve published articles on topics including volcanology, citizen science, engineering geology, climate change and net zero, while also touching on issues such as diversity and inclusivity, as well as the evolution of geoscience as a subject. We’ve visited regions as far flung and enigmatic as North Korea, Nepal and St Vincent, while discovering more about the world beneath our feet here in London.
We’ve visited regions as far flung and enigmatic as North Korea, Nepal and St Vincent
The new website has garnered tens of thousands of visits, with the articles ‘Some barriers are invisible’ (by Chris Jackson), ‘Where are the Black geoscientists?’ (By Munira Raji and Hendratta Ali) and ‘Reimagining applied geoscience for the energy transition’ (by Phil Ringrose) proving to be the top three most-viewed articles in 2021, so far. In addition to the existing Geoscientist Twitter account (@geoscientistmag), we’ve launched LinkedIn and Instagram channels for the magazine, achieving hundreds of thousands of impressions through our posts and growing our number of social media followers by 10% in seven months. Our Science Snapshot videos provide a popular way to dip into our science features when time is limited. It is heartening to see that our revised digital approach allows us to reach new audiences.
The editorial team has evolved, too. Following her stint as locum editor, Sarah Day has now left the Society. We are incredibly grateful to Sarah for her work on Geoscientist and happy that she will continue to write for us on occasion. We’re also in the process of building our Contributors Team and we received a number of strong applications following our call for volunteers earlier in the year. The team will begin writing in the coming months and we’ll introduce them in our Spring 2022 issue. Our Editorial Advisory Panel continues to provide invaluable guidance on our science features and we appreciate their efforts. Finally, we must thank all our authors. Geoscientist relies on voluntary contributions from the community and it is these stimulating submissions that make the publication rich and interesting.
With the current issue, we are moving out into the solar system as we wrap up the Society’s Year of Space. Despite the continued strain of pandemic-induced restrictions, the Society has had an incredibly successful year, the highlight of which for many was the Spacescapes exhibition held in the Burlington House Courtyard this summer.
2022 marks the Society’s Year of Sustainability, during which we will explore the role of geoscientists in delivering the energy transition and the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. As ever, if you feel motivated to contribute an article or opinion piece on this theme or another topic, please get in touch.
