I've got a new job!

After a decade of research, it's time for me to look for other pastures. My search has led me to the offices of MDPI in Basel, an open access publishing company, and taking up a role first as a trainee, then in due course a fully-fledged managing editor.

I'm obviously very excited about the move and the new opportunity. I passionately believe that all publicly funded research, in fact all research, should be made publicly available. Fundamental research is not not a commercial activity - that comes further down the line - and to me there seems little to be gained by hiding your results from others. There is much to be gained from spreading the results of science as far and wide as possible. Interested amateurs and those in developing countries have a huge amount to gain from open access, and it's difficult to see what the authors have to lose.

MDPI believes this as passionately as me. They also have a professional approach, aimed at making the high quality research freely available and are committed to sustainability in many different forms. I'm hoping I make a useful contribution!

Ok, so part of me misses the daily striving for a breakthrough that comes with a research project, but it's also so exciting to involved in the final steps of the research of so many, and to be surrounded by so much research from a host of different disciplines.

The blog will continue with contributions from time to time, but possibly with a more publishing-focused bent. I should also stress that the views here are entirely my own, although every effort will be made not to offend or upset my colleagues at MDPI - I figure that will make my life easier!