It is a great honour to be taking over the helm of The Mariner's Mirror, which for over a century has been the most prestigious maritime history journal in the world. I would like to sincerely thank the previous Honorary Editor, Professor Hugh Murphy, and the Editorial Board for granting me this opportunity and our Chairman and Council for their support. I would also like to thank Douglas Ford for taking over the reins as the new Reviews Editor.
Professor Murphy has steered The Mariner's Mirror since 2005, fiercely driving forward an agenda of raising standards, improving quality and enhancing the journal's international reputation. He deserves enormous credit and will be a hard act to follow.
As readers will no doubt have gathered, with this issue we are embarking on an exciting new era for The Mariner's Mirror. For many years the society has grappled with the changing nature of publishing. In 2006 the Research Information Network published a report which indicated that 98.2 per cent of researchers used online search engines, mainly Google, as their primary means to access information. A follow-on report on e-journals in 2009 found that 96 per cent of science journals and 86 per cent of humanities journals were available online and that the majority of researchers were downloading digital copies of articles in preference to accessing hard copies. For these people the wealth of knowledge contained within The Mariner's Mirror may as well not have existed. If it remained as a print-only journal it would have rapidly dwindled into obscurity and an almost inevitable demise. It is against this background that we have now entered into a publishing partnership with Taylor & Francis, one of the world's leading academic publishers with enormous expertise in digital publishing, which brings us into line with best practice in scholarly publishing. The Mariner's Mirror is now published both in print and digitally and the complete run of the journal from 1911 will be available to search and download via the Taylor & Francis website. This not only provides scholars with easy access to a hundred years of nautical research but will also dramatically increase its global visibility and readership, securing new subscribers to the journal and members of the society. It will also increase the range and number of authors wishing to publish their research within its pages. This new publishing model secures a vibrant new future for The Mariner's Mirror and for the society as a whole. (See ‘Modernizing the Society in the Digital Age’ on p. 125 for further details). Taylor & Francis will seek to expand the number of non-member subscriptions for institutions and individuals. However, members of the SNR will continue to receive four issues of The Mariner's Mirror per annum as usual, plus a range of other benefits. The partnership with Taylor & Francis will also open up additional member benefits which will be announced separately. The subscription rate for membership remains very good value at £40 a year.
Inevitably the change of format has entailed some minor changes in style and layout in order to conform to the demands of digital publishing. However, we have tried as much as possible to preserve the look and feel of the journal that has been so familiar to our readers over many years.
Each editor puts their own stamp on the journal and I will be no different. I am proud of The Mariner's Mirror's long tradition of promoting the work not just of established academics and revered professionals but also talented and enthusiastic amateurs and budding new researchers from all walks of life. The journal has always been based on empirical research, with an analysis of primary evidence providing the backbone of any article. Quite rightly we have steered clear of the worst excesses of theoretical musings that are indulged in certain quarters. It has also promoted a diverse array of subject matter ranging from archaeology and ethnography to naval tactics and administration, merchant seafaring, shipbuilding and almost everything else in between that relates to humankind's relationship with the sea. I will endeavour to uphold these principles. Back in 1910 The Mariner's Mirror was conceived to ‘encourage research into nautical antiquities, into matters relating to seafaring, and ship-building in all ages and all nations, into the language and customs of the sea, and into other subjects of nautical interest.’ Despite the technical innovations that we are now introducing I see no reason to deviate from this noble intent.
Anderson Medal
The Society for Nautical Research is delighted to announce that the winner of the Anderson Medal for 2011 is Sam Willis for The Glorious First of June: Fleet battle in the reign of terror, the last of his ‘Hearts of Oak’ trilogy. The medal commemorates R. C. Anderson, one of the founding fathers of the society, and is awarded annually to a work which is considered to have made a significant contribution to maritime history.