Metal Mine was founded in 1966, just as the country’s Third Five-Year Plan was about to be launched. It was established by the former Ministry of Metallurgical Industry, and its title was inscribed by Mr. Guo Moruo in his own handwriting. It is now co-sponsored by Sinosteel Maanshan General Institute of Mining Research Co., Ltd. and the Chinese Society for Metals, with Professor Wang Yunmin, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, serving as editor-in-chief. Since its birth, the journal has taken serving the nation’s self-reliance and self-strengthening in science and technology and promoting the prosperity and development of mining as its fundamental mission. After sixty eventful years, it has gradually explored a development path with clear positioning, distinctive characteristics, and remarkable results.
Since its founding, Metal Mine has always closely followed national strategic deployments, adhered to a demand-oriented publishing direction, focused on scientific research achievements across the full life cycle of mineral resources and energy development and utilization, and given priority to high-level research results of major academic value or engineering application and promotion value. The journal’s columns include Thematic Reviews, Mining Engineering, Mineral Engineering, Electromechanical and Information Engineering, Mine Blasting, Geology and Surveying, Safety and Environmental Protection, Comprehensive Utilization, Mineral Materials, etc. It also sets up special columns from time to time and invites domestic experts and scholars to serve as guest editors-in-chief.
The journal adheres to the publishing philosophy of “content is king” and continuously optimizes its publishing process. The editorial office has formed a “four-in-one” team consisting of the editorial board, peer reviewers, responsible editors, and technical editors, providing solid support for improving the journal’s quality. At the same time, the editorial office has assembled a high-level expert team, targeting national strategies and industry needs, to plan and publish high-quality academic special issues. Following the principle of “strengthening the foundation, consolidating the base, and opening up new prospects,” it has established a Young Expert Academic Committee and actively recruited young and middle-aged scholars with academic influence to join its reviewer and editorial board teams, gradually forming a systematic journal operation mechanism of “editorial board review, hotspot collection, review solicitation, special issue planning.”
The editorial office of Metal Mine operates under a model of independent operation and sole responsibility for its own profits and losses. After years of continuous exploration, it has successfully embarked on a virtuous development path in which journal quality and market operations advance in tandem. By organizing various business activities, the editorial office brings together scientific and technological peers, carries out interactive operations between readers and authors around the journal’s content, and has achieved significant economic benefits. Following the principle of meeting the needs of readers, authors, and advertisers, the editorial office integrates human resources, information resources, and software and hardware facilities to maximize its business objectives.
Metal Mine has continuously expanded its service boundaries. From journal publishing to book publishing, it jointly established a “Mining Publishing Center” with Anhui Science and Technology Publishing House to publish academic monographs or compilations of achievements. From paper-based exchange of achievements to offline academic exchanges, it founded two industry academic conference brands: the China Mining Science and Technology Conference (CMSTC) and the China Young Mining Scientists Forum (CYMSF). From print media to digital media, it led the establishment of the “Non-coal Mine Science and Technology Information Service Platform,” realizing diversified online service models such as education and training. Its responsible editors have actively devoted themselves to academic research and have also made achievements in technical investigation and consulting. Through the platform of Metal Mine, the editorial office has effectively built a “four-party” collaborative exchange platform among university scholars, R&D personnel from research institutes, engineering technicians from enterprises, and equipment manufacturers. By broadening the breadth and depth of its services, the editorial office raises publishing funds for the journal’s development, achieving an organic unity of social and economic benefits.