Introduction: Editorship and the editing of scientific journals, 1750–1950

The editors of scientific journals are key gatekeepers for building careers and communicating knowledge, but we know far less about them than about scientific authors and readers. Using a variety of methodological approaches, this issue of Centaurus investigates the motivations for editorship, and the practices,strategies and resources needed to carry it out successfully. It asks us to reflect on how editors, editing and editorship have differed across countries, and over two centuries.