The year of 2013 has been an amazing journey for me as an editor of this new journal Surface Innovations. I am still learning how to make the journal more appealing to readers and attract contributions from the best in the profession. With the help from many colleagues and friends in my field and incredible support from the publishing crew and managing office, we have assembled four issues in 2013 containing many quality articles on the engineering and science of surfaces and coatings. The first three issues of 2013 included two regular issues (SI1 and SI3) and one themed issue (SI2) on Nanostructured Coatings, Surfaces and Films led by our associate editor, Dr. Kock-Yee Law. This last issue (SI4) concludes Volume 1 with a few articles on antibacterial materials, biomaterials and wettability.
For the first time in Surface Innovations, we include an opinion article, which I hope will motivate researchers to share diverse laboratory experiences in surface characterization methods as well as interpretation of experimental data. Such contributions, in my opinion, are extremely valuable to all of us considering the current eruption in a number of technical articles published, some of which are based on controversial methodology and terminology. A number of such articles with misused techniques and misinterpreted experimental results will, most likely, continue to appear in the ever-increasing number of journals. It is the duty of experienced researchers and scientists to step up and share best practices, experimental protocols and interpretations to serve as guidelines to the young researchers and investigators exploring new surface characterization methods.
I hope that every reader of Surface Innovations found interesting and relevant contributions in this year. Upcoming Volume 2 will appear as attractive as Volume 1, with four issues planned, of which three are special issues. The articles for the first issue of 2014 are already lined up and address ‘Enhancing Cell and Tissue Response via Surface Modification’. Dr. Kevin C. Baker of Beaumont Hospital in Detroit (USA) is leading the effort in compiling this issue. Prof. Lucyna Hołysz from the Maria Curie-Skłodowska University (Lublin, Poland) is currently working on an issue on ‘Layers at Interfaces’. Finally, Dr. Kock-Yee Law is assembling his second special issue entitled ‘Nanostructured Coatings, Surfaces and Membranes’.
I hope that many of you will continue supporting the development of Surface Innovations. Solid scientific and engineering contributions and constructive feedback from all of you are crucial to the success of this journal. I am looking forward to working with many of you in 2014 and beyond.
