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After the second World War fundamental changes were taking place in the working mechanism and organization of research in nuclear sciences and it became increasingly important for scientists to know about and understand events shaping and assuring general growth and expansion. Realizing that research was becoming ever more specialized and that scientists needed objective developments in their own field I had the risky idea and initiative to establish an international journal which after some name changes became, as it’s known now, the Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry.

In spite of no few sceptics, an enthusiastic gathering of supporters and colleagues have joined me and the journal got started in 1968.

I knew that editors have important but indirect roles in sustaining integrity in communication research, and they have major and visible role in maintaining the high professional level of their journal.

Accepting tacitly the above-mentioned I have preferred as editor to adopt a different attitude and credo, that of a soccer referee: i.e. being as invisible on the court as possible.

Now as I am stepping down as EiCh it is reassuring that I have followed that credo during all those past years of my editorship.

I have to express how much honoured I have been to have had the confidence and cooperation of all the members of our editorial board. I am using this opportunity to thank them for having contributed that much to maintain the high professional standard of our journal.

Let me wish the new EiCh, (Zsolt Révay) much success and the journal to undergo events that promise to be every bit as dramatic and exciting as those of the past 47 years.