As from 1997, the Journal of Anatomy will be published in 8 issues per year instead of the current 6. The purpose is to reduce the time between acceptance and publication. Otherwise there will be no change in editorial policy. The Journal will continue to publish high quality papers on human and comparative anatomy and cell biology, both experimental and descriptive. Articles on experimental pathology are also acceptable if they contribute to the understanding of normal structure and function. Review articles, if topical and authoritative, are welcome. Short reports are published: these should not exceed 5 pages of printed text. Reports on isolated anatomical variations, if of sufficient interest and relevance, are now included in the Correspondence section, to which letters on matters arising out of previously published papers or on questions of general anatomical interest can be submitted.