Better late than never…

Abstract

This is my last issue as editor of ALT-J, and it's been a hard issue to let go of. Not because of any misguided sentimentality, but simply because the UK's Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) seems to have caused us serious problems. Grainne Conole, in her last editorial, reflected on some of the lessons learnt from the RAE; one thing that this issue has taught me is that the researchers affected by the exercise either rushed to say all they could before the deadline or else have worn themselves out with all their writing and don't want to do it any more. It's fortunate for us that ALT-J is an international journal, rather than being tied entirely to one nation's policy initiatives.