Year II—The NDT 2024 Editorial

After nearly two years of consistent activities, the journal NDT (ISSN 2813-477X) [1] has become fully operational, with a solid foundation established through high-quality submissions, a dedicated editorial process, and an engaged readership. This editorial reflects on the journal’s journey, highlights key milestones, and outlines the path ahead to promote innovation and collaboration in the field.

The expectations outlined in the previous editorial regarding dynamic growth and transdisciplinary advancements in non-destructive testing (NDT) have been positively realised. Over its inception in March 2023, NDT has witnessed an encouraging response from the research community, with significant contributions addressing both conventional and unconventional challenges. The increasing diversity and quality of submissions highlight the growing focus on multi-source, multi-scale, and multi-temporal approaches, emphasising the expected shift toward transdisciplinary research.

To illustrate this progress, an analysis of the journal’s activities reveals promising trends. This includes a steady increase in submissions and an expanding global authorship base. Following up our initial 6 publications in 2023, NDT published 34 articles in 2024, including a diverse mix of Editorials, Technical Notes, Reviews, and Research Articles. Europe leads in representation, followed by North America, Asia, and South America. Of the 40 papers published so far across two Volumes, most collaborations occur within the same organisation (51.3%), followed by inter-organisational collaborations (30.8%). International collaborations account for 10.3%, whereas single-author contributions make up 7.7%. While this reflects strong national-level research, there is a clear opportunity to foster more international collaboration in the sector [2]. It is important to note that submissions are welcomed and valued regardless of collaboration type.

The diversity of subjects published in NDT reflects the field’s interdisciplinary growth. Leading the way is Electrical Instrumentation & Measurement (32.5%), highlighting the key role of sensors and automation in advancing the non-destructive sector. Other notable subjects include Concrete and Reliability Engineering (10% each), both central to infrastructure and materials testing. Asphalt (7.5%) and Diagnostic & Therapeutic Ultrasound (7.5%) demonstrate expanding non-destructive testing applications in pavement science and medical diagnostics, respectively. The inclusion of Environmental Imaging & Sensing and Remote Sensing (7.5% each) highlights the increasing intersection of NDT with environmental monitoring and sustainability. Mechanics (7.5%) and Electromagnetism (5%) reflect the continued evolution of NDT techniques in materials science and computational modelling. Finally, Archaeology (5%) illustrates the contribution of NDT to cultural heritage preservation. These statistics outline that the research community is actively engaging with non-destructive testing science, technology and their applications and enhancing the multi-dimensional direction envisioned for the field. The mentioned figures are positively supporting NDT’s ongoing path in indexing and archiving, positioning the journal well for future inclusion in major multidisciplinary databases, including Scopus.

As the journal grows, it continues to align with its Aims and Scope by fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and embracing both conventional and emerging technologies, significantly advancing non-destructive testing science. The diversity of submissions over the past year highlights the journal’s success in supporting interdisciplinary contributions across theoretical, numerical, and practical domains. The journal has made significant progress in three key areas: (i) improving data collection, processing, modelling, and interpretation to enhance NDT methods and applications; (ii) developing diagnostic tools that integrate multi-source, multi-scale, and multi-temporal data for broader applications; (iii) advancing technological solutions that use innovative sensing methods to enhance the capabilities of NDT.

The journal’s growth is supported by an expanding Editorial Board with multidisciplinary expertise, ensuring rigorous peer review while managing a growing number of submissions. A recently established Topical Advisory Panel enriches the journal’s research scope and offers both established and early-career researchers the opportunity to gain editorial management experience, supporting the development of next-generation editors.

NDT has also pioneered open-access knowledge dissemination through its NDT Webinar Series [3]. These bi-monthly events, led by prominent experts, provide a platform for emerging topics, foster community engagement, and enhance outreach to a global audience. Future initiatives, such as the introduction of graphical abstracts, aim to enhance the visibility of research outputs and strengthen NDT’s role in facilitating scientific communication.

In conclusion, NDT is well positioned to advance cutting-edge research and contribute shaping the future of non-destructive testing science. The journal will continue to promote international collaboration, inclusivity, and a focus on sustainability and digital transformation—goals aligned with broader trends in scientific publishing and NDT.

Entering our third year of publication, I would like to thank the authors, reviewers, and editorial team for their invaluable contributions, as well as the Editorial Office for their continuous support and contribution to the expansion of the journal. Together, we will continue driving innovation, addressing global challenges, and inspiring the next generation of researchers and practitioners in non-destructive testing.