With this issue, Advances in Nursing Science enters its 20th year of publication. As with other kinds of anniversaries, I was drawn to looking back over the years to reflect on what had brought us along this far. Here are a few excerpts that I found in the From the Editor column:

ANS will focus on articles that address the full range of activities involved in the development of science, including empirical research, theory construction, concept analysis, practical application of research and theory, and investigation of the values and ethics that influence the practice and research activities of nursing science.

*1978, 1(1), p. i

From an editorial standpoint, we have conceived a broad concept of "science," recognizing the philosophic, ethical, and political forces that influence the development of our science.

*1980, 3(1), p. xii

From its inception, we have intended for ANS to provide a means of public debate and discussion of professional, scholarly, conceptual, and theoretical issues in nursing.

*1983, 5(4), p. xi

There is a very real paradox in maintaining a balance between high standards of scholarship and encouraging creativity, but I have learned that these two objectives need not be at odds with one another.

*1984, 7(1), p. viii

Based on your responses to ANS during its first decade, the journal we have all formed has proven to be something of real worth, worth that extends beyond the material boundaries of the pages and the words printed on them. Part of what we have created together is a character, an essence, a uniqueness that is represented by this particular journal.

*1987, 10(1), p. x

I am aware that ANS has earned a reputation for taking risks with what we publish, and that we publish some work that is considered controversial by many. We also have earned a reputation for excellence, while pushing the limits of what might be possible and thus creating new possibilities for the future. While ANS has been an avenue, it is the support of the nursing community that has forged the path and made possible the journal's existence.

*1990, 12(3), p. vi

As we of the nursing community reflect more fully on the philosophic foundations of our science and our practice, we can recognize points where conscious decisions and reaffirmations are needed for clarifying our most fundamental values and beliefs. In so doing, we move between and beyond the paradoxes of clarity and questioning, of certainty and uncertainty, of conviction and possibility.

*1991, 14(1), p. vi

I anticipate that this and future issues of the journal will continue the tradition of providing the discipline with a provocative and stimulating springboard from which to debate, to consider alternatives, and to imagine new possibilities for the future.

*1995, 17(3), p. viii

The intentions that have gone into the formation of ANS seem quite clear. I hope that the message is equally clear that every reader, every subscriber, every author of manuscripts, and every manuscript reviewer is vital to making these intentions come into reality. I extend to each of you my heartfelt appreciation for your support, participation, and responsiveness to what this journal has become. I also extend to each one the invitation to continue to participate in bringing about the continual evolution not merely of the journal, but of nursing as a vital discipline.

Peggy L. Chinn, RN, PhD, FAAN

Editor