Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Encyclopedia
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (MNRAS) is one of the world's leading scientific journal
s in astronomy
and astrophysics
. It has been in continuous existence since 1827 and publishes peer-reviewed
letters and papers reporting original research in relevant fields. Despite the name, the journal is neither monthly nor does it carry the notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
.
(RAS). Until 1960 it carried the monthly notices of the RAS, at which time these were transferred to the newly-established Quarterly Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society (1960–1996) and then to its successor journal Astronomy & Geophysics (since 1997). Until 1965, MNRAS was published in-house by the RAS; since then, it has been published by Blackwell Scientific Publications (later Wiley-Blackwell) on behalf of the RAS.
As well, the journal is no longer monthly, with thirty-six issues a year divided into nine volumes.
articles on original research in astronomy and astrophysics.
Two sorts of article are carried by MNRAS: papers, which can be of any length, and letters, which are published more quickly but are limited to five pages in length. Letters used to appear on pink pages in the print edition of the journal, but are now only published in full in the online edition with a contents list in the print edition. Editorial control of the journal is exercised by the RAS through an editorial board of professional astronomers; as of July 2007, the Editor-in-Chief is Robert Carswell.
, the RAS has experimented with open access by charging authors (at their option) for publication (hybrid open access model
), allowing free access by anyone without charge. It may extend this choice to MNRAS. However, fellows of the RAS are given free online access to the RAS journals as part of their membership benefits. Downloadable PDF versions of MNRAS articles are made available via the Astrophysics Data System
36 months after publication (delayed open access model
), although not through the Blackwell site. MNRAS also permits self-archiving
by authors on personal webpages, in institutional repositories
, and on the arXiv
astro-ph server. Authors do not assign copyright
to the RAS or Blackwell Publishing, but are required to grant an exclusive licence to the article prior to its publication.
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...
s in astronomy
Astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
and astrophysics
Astrophysics
Astrophysics is the branch of astronomy that deals with the physics of the universe, including the physical properties of celestial objects, as well as their interactions and behavior...
. It has been in continuous existence since 1827 and publishes peer-reviewed
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...
letters and papers reporting original research in relevant fields. Despite the name, the journal is neither monthly nor does it carry the notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Royal Astronomical Society
The Royal Astronomical Society is a learned society that began as the Astronomical Society of London in 1820 to support astronomical research . It became the Royal Astronomical Society in 1831 on receiving its Royal Charter from William IV...
.
History
The first issue of MNRAS was published on 9 February 1827 as Monthly Notices of the Astronomical Society of London and it has been in continuous publication ever since. It took its current name from the second volume, after the Astronomical Society of London became the Royal Astronomical SocietyRoyal Astronomical Society
The Royal Astronomical Society is a learned society that began as the Astronomical Society of London in 1820 to support astronomical research . It became the Royal Astronomical Society in 1831 on receiving its Royal Charter from William IV...
(RAS). Until 1960 it carried the monthly notices of the RAS, at which time these were transferred to the newly-established Quarterly Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society (1960–1996) and then to its successor journal Astronomy & Geophysics (since 1997). Until 1965, MNRAS was published in-house by the RAS; since then, it has been published by Blackwell Scientific Publications (later Wiley-Blackwell) on behalf of the RAS.
As well, the journal is no longer monthly, with thirty-six issues a year divided into nine volumes.
Content
MNRAS publishes peer-reviewedPeer 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...
articles on original research in astronomy and astrophysics.
Two sorts of article are carried by MNRAS: papers, which can be of any length, and letters, which are published more quickly but are limited to five pages in length. Letters used to appear on pink pages in the print edition of the journal, but are now only published in full in the online edition with a contents list in the print edition. Editorial control of the journal is exercised by the RAS through an editorial board of professional astronomers; as of July 2007, the Editor-in-Chief is Robert Carswell.
Open access
The stated policy of the RAS is "to focus on high quality papers through rigorous peer review and, as far as practicable, to provide free publication." Authors are not charged for publishing in MNRAS, with the costs of publications being met by subscriptions. In its other journal, Geophysical Journal InternationalGeophysical Journal International
Geophysical Journal International is a monthly , peer reviewed, scientific journal, published monthly by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the Royal Astronomical Society and the Deutsche Geophysikalische Gesellschaft . Publishing formats are original research papers, research notes, letters, and book...
, the RAS has experimented with open access by charging authors (at their option) for publication (hybrid open access model
Hybrid Open Access journal
A newly popular variation on open access journals is the Hybrid Open Access Journal. This refers to a journal where only some of the articles are open access...
), allowing free access by anyone without charge. It may extend this choice to MNRAS. However, fellows of the RAS are given free online access to the RAS journals as part of their membership benefits. Downloadable PDF versions of MNRAS articles are made available via the Astrophysics Data System
Astrophysics Data System
The Astrophysics Data System , developed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration , is an online database of over eight million astronomy and physics papers from both peer reviewed and non-peer reviewed sources...
36 months after publication (delayed open access model
Delayed open access journal
Delayed open access journals are traditional subscription-based journals that provide open access or free access upon the elapse of an embargo period following the initial publication date...
), although not through the Blackwell site. MNRAS also permits self-archiving
Self-archiving
To self-archive is to deposit a free copy of a digital document on the World Wide Web in order to provide open access to it. The term usually refers to the self-archiving of peer-reviewed research journal and conference articles as well as theses, deposited in the author's own institutional...
by authors on personal webpages, in institutional repositories
Institutional repository
An Institutional repository is an online locus for collecting, preserving, and disseminating - in digital form - the intellectual output of an institution, particularly a research institution....
, and on the arXiv
ArXiv
The arXiv |Chi]], χ) is an archive for electronic preprints of scientific papers in the fields of mathematics, physics, astronomy, computer science, quantitative biology, statistics, and quantitative finance which can be accessed online. In many fields of mathematics and physics, almost all...
astro-ph server. Authors do not assign copyright
Copyright
Copyright is a legal concept, enacted by most governments, giving the creator of an original work exclusive rights to it, usually for a limited time...
to the RAS or Blackwell Publishing, but are required to grant an exclusive licence to the article prior to its publication.
See also
- Astronomical JournalAstronomical JournalThe Astronomical Journal is a peer-reviewed monthly scientific journal owned by the American Astronomical Society and currently published by Institute of Physics Publishing. It is one of the premier journals for astronomy in the world...
- Astrophysical JournalAstrophysical JournalThe Astrophysical Journal is a peer-reviewed scientific journal covering astronomy and astrophysics. It was founded in 1895 by the American astronomers George Ellery Hale and James Edward Keeler. It publishes three 500-page issues per month....
- Astronomy and AstrophysicsAstronomy and Astrophysics* Astronomy and Astrophysics has a 2010 impact factor of 4.410.-See also:*The Astronomy and Astrophysics Review*Advanced Satellite for Cosmology and Astrophysics*Astronomy & Geophysics*Astronomical Journal*Astrophysical Journal...
External links
- Official website
- MNRAS on Astrophysics Data SystemAstrophysics Data SystemThe Astrophysics Data System , developed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration , is an online database of over eight million astronomy and physics papers from both peer reviewed and non-peer reviewed sources...