versions of MNRAS articles are made available 36 months after publication (delayed open-access model), on both the journal website and the Astrophysics Data System. MNRAS also permits self-archiving by authors on personal webpages, in institutional repositories, and on the arXiv server (green open access). Also, authors are provided with a link to a perpetually freely accessible PDF file, the idea being that the file itself should not be hosted by the author nor by anyone except the publisher, while the link to it can be freely distributed. This is the modern equivalent of offprints, paper copies of the article which used to be provided to the author to distribute, freely, as he or she saw fit. Authors do not assign copyright to the RAS or OUP, but are required to grant an exclusive licence to publish the article prior to its publication. Editors-in-chief The following persons have served as Editor-in-Chief (formerly titled Managing Editor or simply Editor): David Flower (2012–present) Robert Carswell (2008–2012) Andy Fabian (1994–2008) John Shakeshaft (?–1994) Roger Tayler (1979–?) Function performed by the Secretaries of the RAS Council (1881–1979) Arthur Cayley (1874–1881) Richard Proctor (1872–1874) Arthur Cayley (1860–1872) Robert Grant (?–1881) Richard Sheepshanks Abstracting and indexing The journal is abstracted and indexed in: See also The Astronomical Journal The Astrophysical Journal Astronomy & Astrophysics Astronomy & Geophysics References Citations Works cited External links Astronomy journals Publications established in 1827 Oxford University Press academic journals English-language journals Royal Astronomical Society academic journals Astronomy in the United Kingdom 1827 establishments in the United Kingdom Journals published between 27 and 51 times per year