Foreword: Carbohydrate Research: a half century of carbohydrate science.

The article traces the history of the journal Carbohydrate Research from its debut in 1964 and its subsequent evolution to the present day, viewed from the perspective of one of the founding editors who served as a receiving editor until 2005. The concept of an international journal focused on the broad aspects of carbohydrate science found ready acceptance in the research community, and its volumes now serve as a unified archive of a significant proportion of published research data on all molecular aspects of carbohydrates. Changes in the editor line-up over the years are noted, along with the transition to electronic publishing, and the role of key people in the Elsevier Company toward the success of the journal.