Carbohydrate Polymers – The first forty years

This article, although not a scientific paper, traces the history of the development of interests and research in carbohydrate polymers leading to the inception of the journal Carbohydrate Polymers and its progress in the first forty years. The article is based on the experiences and input to the journal by the surviving founding editor-in-chief and looks not only at what has happened in forty years of the journal's publication but extends to the author's personal views on what the journal can be expected to contain over the next forty years. The author also includes comments on the principles and development of how papers submitted for publication have been handled and what can be expected in future editorial automation, and in strategies to avoid fraudulent publications.