Science & Technology Studies: Impact, Reader Engagement, and Expertise

The first edition of Science & Technology Studies, then named Science Studies, became available in 1988. Over the past 35 years, the journal has established itself as a prominent international publication, experiencing significant growth in publication volume, manuscript submissions, and readership. This paper commemorates these achievements and reflects on the journal's evolution. A key aspect of this exploration is our journal's role in the Open Access movement, which both enhances transparency and offers new tools for the analysis. The sections delve further into the topic of scholarly impact of STS, starting with a discussion of impact factor metrics followed by insights from our Editorial Team. The paper then utilizes the extensive archives of the journal and the capabilities of new tools to explore reader engagement with our publications. The paper concludes with a discussion of our way forward into the next years and decades.