Scientific Society Journals: the Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia

Abstract

In the 1950s and 1960s the increased specialization of science led to the formation of discipline-based scientific societies. Some of these, among them the Astronomical Society of Australia, began their own refereed journals. The Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia, which has now been continuously published by the Society for over 50 years, has undergone many changes in that time in response to the changes in the publication landscape. The method of production has advanced from manual to computer typesetting and from printed volumes to purely electronic publishing. The content of the journal has changed from short conference papers to formal research papers that now, under the impact of citation indices, face strict refereeing and are mixed with major invited review papers. Dedicated editors have maintained the journal despite a preference from many members to publish in better known overseas journals as well as strong opposition from within the society to the costs involved in maintaining a research journal.