Editing Nature (journal) (section)

===Background===
The huge progress in science and mathematics during the 19th century was recorded in journals written mostly in [[German language|German]] or [[French language|French]], as well as in [[English language|English]]. Britain underwent enormous technological and industrial changes and advances particularly in the latter half of the 19th century.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Schroeder |first1=Robert |last2=Siegel |first2=Gretta E |s2cid=143466709 |title=A Cooperative Publishing Model for Sustainable Scholarship |journal=Journal of Scholarly Publishing |date=2006 |volume=37 |issue=2 |pages=86–98 |doi=10.1353/scp.2006.0006 |url=https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/ulib_fac/66 }}</ref> The most respected scientific journals of this time were the refereed journals of the [[Royal Society]], which had published many of the great works from [[Isaac Newton]] and [[Michael Faraday]] to [[Charles Darwin]]. In addition, the number of popular science periodicals doubled from the 1850s to the 1860s.<ref name="Bar3">{{harvnb|Barton|1996|p=3}}</ref> According to the editors of these popular science magazines, the publications were designed to serve as "organs of science", in essence, a means of connecting the public to the scientific world.<ref name="Bar3"/>

''Nature'', first created in 1869, was not the first magazine of its kind in Britain. One journal to precede ''Nature'' was ''Recreative Science: A Record and Remembrancer of Intellectual Observation'',<ref>{{Cite web|title=Recreative Science: Record and Remembrancer of Intellectual Observation (1860–62)|url=https://conscicom.web.ox.ac.uk/article/recreative-science-record-and-remembrancer-of-intellectual-observation-1860-62|access-date=2021-05-13|website=conscicom.web.ox.ac.uk|language=en}}</ref> which, created in 1859, began as a [[natural history]] magazine and progressed to include more physical observational science and technical subjects and less natural history.<ref name="Bar7">{{harvnb|Barton|1996|p=7}}</ref> The journal's name changed from its original title to ''Intellectual Observer: A Review of Natural History, Microscopic Research, and Recreative Science''<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Intellectual Observer: Review of Natural History, Microscopic Research and Recreative Science (1862–68)|url=https://conscicom.web.ox.ac.uk/article/the-intellectual-observer-review-of-natural-history-microscopic-research-and-recreative-scie|access-date=2021-05-13|website=conscicom.web.ox.ac.uk|language=en}}</ref> and then to the ''Student and Intellectual Observer of Science, Literature, and Art''.<ref name="Bar6">{{harvnb|Barton|1996|p=6}}</ref> While ''Recreative Science'' had attempted to include more [[Outline of physical science|physical sciences]] such as [[astronomy]] and [[archaeology]], the ''Intellectual Observer'' broadened itself further to include literature and art as well.<ref name="Bar6"/> Similar to ''Recreative Science'' was the scientific journal ''Popular Science Review'', created in 1862,<ref name="Bar13">{{harvnb|Barton|1996|p=13}}</ref> which covered different fields of science by creating subsections titled "Scientific Summary" or "Quarterly Retrospect", with book reviews and commentary on the latest scientific works and publications.<ref name="Bar13"/> Two other journals produced in England prior to the development of ''Nature'' were the ''[[Quarterly Journal of Science]]'' and ''Scientific Opinion'', established in 1864 and 1868, respectively.<ref name="Bar6"/> The journal most closely related to ''Nature'' in its editorship and format was ''[[The Reader (weekly)|The Reader]]'', created in 1863; the publication mixed science with literature and art in an attempt to reach an audience outside of the scientific community, similar to ''Popular Science Review''.<ref name="Bar6"/>

These similar journals all ultimately failed. The ''Popular Science Review'' survived longest, lasting 20 years and ending its publication in 1881; ''Recreative Science'' ceased publication as the ''Student and Intellectual Observer'' in 1871. The ''Quarterly Journal'', after undergoing a number of editorial changes, ceased publication in 1885. ''The Reader'' terminated in 1867, and finally, ''Scientific Opinion'' lasted a mere 2 years, until June 1870.<ref name="Bar7"/>