On Redesigning an Academic Journal

The purpose of this paper is to explain the process of redesign that the JOURNAL has recently undergone, and to discuss likely changes in the submission and editing process which may soon affect authors, editors, and reviewers. Written by one of the editors of the JOURNAL in his capacity as designer of its new appearance and overseer of its production editing, the paper argues for the importance of design and layout—elements of the delivery of the theory and results of papers almost entirely overlooked by authors. After outlining pitfalls in moving from typewriter to typesetter, the paper describes the design choices made at the JOURNAL, and its partly automated copy-editing. Using standard protocols, authors and editors will increasingly communicate electronically. The paper includes discussion of mark-up text processors and suggestions for authors who wish to submit their manuscripts on computer disk.