Emphasis upon publication as a means of "diffusing knowledge" was
expressed by the first Secretary of the Smithsonian. In his formal
plan for the institution, Joseph Henry outlined a program that
included the following statement: "It is proposed to publish a series
of reports, giving an account of the new discoveries in science, and
of the changes made from year to year in all branches of knowledge."
This theme of basic research has been adhered to through the years by
thousands of titles issued in series publications under the
Smithsonian imprint, commencing with _Smithsonian Contributions to
Knowledge_ in 1848 and continuing with the following active series:
_Smithsonian Contributions to Anthropology_
_Smithsonian Contributions to Botany_
_Smithsonian Contributions to the Earth Sciences_
_Smithsonian Contributions to the Marine Sciences_
_Smithsonian Contributions to Paleobiology_
_Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology_
_Smithsonian Folklife Studies_
_Smithsonian Studies in Air and Space_
_Smithsonian Studies in History and Technology_
In these series, the Institution publishes small papers and full-scale
monographs that report the research and collections of its various
museums and bureaux or of professional colleagues in the world of
science and scholarship. The publications are distributed by mailing
lists to libraries, universities, and similar institutions throughout
the world.
Papers or monographs submitted for series publication are received by
the Smithsonian Institution Press, subject to its own review for
format and style, only through departments of the various Smithsonian
museums or bureaux, where the manuscripts are given substantive
review. Press requirements for manuscript and art preparation are
outlined on the inside back cover.
Robert McC. Adams
_Secretary_
Smithsonian Institution
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