This editor profile is the twelfth in a series which will introduce you to a selection of our editors.
This week we have an interview with David Clary, Editor of Chemical Physics Letters

What aspect of being an editor do you find most rewarding?
You always get the latest things coming through in your field and associated fields. Every year is changing, there’s never a dull moment.  The field of chemical physics is very broad and touches many areas of science.  For example, we have a lot of papers now in nanoscience.  We were pioneers in publishing papers on fullerenes, (molecules of carbon that look like soccer balls,) and that started the whole field of nanoscience.

Can you describe how it feels when you come across a groundbreaking paper?
I have to be honest and say that you’re never quite sure if a paper is going to be a big one.  Sometimes it can have excellent reviews and then it never takes off. And other times a paper that becomes groundbreaking receives poor reviews. One of the reasons is that the most groundbreaking research tends to be more controversial and so the reviewers tend to be more critical. 

What advice would you give to a new editor?
I think that the key thing is to be very careful in picking referees. You need experience to pick good ones and networking is crucial in this field. It’s a good idea to go to conferences to meet potential authors and referees. 

What would you change about your role as editor or the scientific journal publishing industry if you could?
I think there’s too much emphasis these days on impact factors in journals.  There are many areas of excellent science, such as mathematics, where you don’t get highly cited.  I don’t think the impact factor is the only thing- the number of quality papers is more important.

How do you balance your role as editor with your other roles?
The nice feature of being an editor is that you can do it in your own time, anywhere in the world.  Being an editor is an interesting job and if you’ve got a computer you can just get on with it. Nowadays, authors expect very fast turnaround and that comes with electronic submission. Also, competition has increased between journals and I think that’s healthy. It’s good for science. 

When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be a soccer player and I still do. I only realized I wanted to be a scientist when I was 18, and I got very keen on chemistry. I had very good teachers at school and university and that was crucial. 

Why did you choose chemistry as your field of study?
I think it’s the variety of the subject.  Every molecule is different. I am a theoretical chemist and it’s very satisfying when you can explain properties of diverse molecules.  Everything depends on molecules. The fundamental theory of chemistry, wave mechanics, was developed by Schrödinger. He was standing in this office, where I’m sitting talking to you now, on 9 November 1933, when he got the call to say that he’d won the Nobel Prize.

Tell me about collaboration.  What is the secret to success?
As a theoretical chemist, the key is to collaborate with people who do experiments, so you can prove a theory that you think is good. It’s very exciting if you make a prediction in theory and then someone proves that it’s correct.

What is the biggest lesson you've learned in your career?
If you want to be a scientist you should try to study fundamentals. And try to do something original- don’t go with the routine.

What is your biggest achievement?
In the late 1980’s, I worked out a way to apply Schrödinger’s wave mechanics to study chemical reactions.  It is now possible to use this method to calculate rates of chemical reactions, using computers, and predict those rates quite accurately.

What are you currently reading?  Would you recommend it?  If so, why?
I like reading biographies and history books.  I’d recommend ‘Bird Song’ by Sebastian Faulks.  It’s just a beautiful story about the First World War. 

What is your favorite quote?
"I think I can safely say that nobody understands quantum mechanics." It’s by Richard Feynman and if he can’t understand quantum mechanics, then that leaves a lot of work for us to do.

Who or what is your biggest inspiration?
Erwin Schrödinger. My whole scientific career has been involved in solving his equation for molecules. I find my personal connection to him, through his Fellowship at Magdalen College, Oxford, where I am President, inspiring.

What would you like your legacy to be?
Demonstrating how theory can explain rates of chemical reactions of larger molecules.

What do you like to do for fun?
I like having good meals, watching sports and spending time with my family.  I have a season ticket with Ipswich Town Football Club, who I have been supporting for 48 years.  They once won the league and cup, some years ago now, and I have great pride in that.