Guest Editor’s Note

Abstract

The process of writing review articles originally materialized as a component of the student evaluation process during the final year of their research projects, coinciding with the closure of universities due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In these challenging times, final-year honors degree students dedicated themselves to extensive literature research from their homes. As the evaluation phase concluded, it became evident to the Chemistry department that several of the review articles had reached a remarkable level of quality, making them suitable for publication in a reputable scientific journal.

Thus, the idea emerged to compile and publish these outstanding articles in a special edition of our esteemed journal, Current Scientia, formerly known as the Vidyodaya Journal of Science. This endeavor involved meticulous scrutiny and enhancement of both the content and coverage of the articles, a collaborative effort between the students and their dedicated supervisors. The contributions of the supervisors were invaluable in this process.

Reflecting upon the circumstances, one might consider the period of house arrest during the pandemic as a blessing in disguise. It provided an opportunity for students and supervisors to invest more time and effort into refining their work. The synergy that emerged between them during this challenging time is truly commendable.

With the publication of this special issue, we hope that it will set a new precedent and ignite the academic curiosity of scholars from various departments within the faculty. We aspire to encourage academics to craft their own high-quality review articles in their respective fields for potential publication in this journal in the future, fostering a culture of scholarly contribution and collaboration.

Dr. Mahesh Karunarathne
Guest Editor
Special Issue Current Scientia (formerly Vidyodaya Journal of Science Special Issue)