Academy of Science South Africa 2005/6 Annual Report

ASSAf Programme 2Quest – Science for South Africa will be a science magazine with national impact in thedomains of school education, public understanding of science, and science literacy.publication of the South African Journal of Science, the Academy made a number of special awards, one toDr Baker for his thirty years of outstanding work as editor, one to Prof Johann Lutjeharms as the singlemost prolific author of articles over the last two decades, and one to Prof Phillip Tobias (MASSAf) forexceptional services to the journal during his career.In a recent bibliometric analysis, the South African Journal of Science, which is one of about twentyresearch journals published in South Africa indexed in the authoritative international Thomson ScientificISI system, achieved the highest impact factor among multidisciplinary journals from developingcountries, and was the only South Africa-based journal ranked in the second quintile among itsinternational counterparts (see Pouris A. S.Afr. J. Sci. 100, 515–517; 2004).The number of articles submitted to the journal increased by 60% in the last three years, andcontinues to grow steadily. In order to ensure that articles by the country’s young scholars are alsopublished, the editor and associate editor take considerable trouble to mentor and support researcherswho are inexperienced at presenting their work for publication in international-level journals.Dr Elizabeth LickendorfEditor of Quest: Science for South AfricaPublished by ASSAfPublishing QuestA quarterly magazine of high quality, presenting science for South AfricaThe Academy continued the publication of its science magazine Quest – Science for South Africa thatwas launched in 2004. Quest serves as a platform for communication about actual scientific research inSouth Africa. It strives to showcase South African science in action, and is aimed at the broad scientificcommunity, decision-makers, the public and students, and at inspiring the senior grades at secondaryschools.In the public sector programme, a sponsored copy is sent to every secondary school in South Africateaching science and mathematics. Feedback from these schools is very encouraging. Arrangementsare in place for Quest to be used extensively and cooperatively in those projects and initiatives of theDepartments of Education and of Science and Technology, as well as of the South African Agency for the26 Promoting Excellence in Science for Society