Editorial

Citation

Svensson, G. (2008), "Editorial", European Business Review, Vol. 20 No. 5. https://doi.org/10.1108/ebr.2008.05420eaa.001

Editorial

Article Type: Editorial From: European Business Review, Volume 20, Issue 5

This special issue – number 2 of a series – includes articles that address topics that contribute to the ongoing discussion and debate of academic journals and academic publishing.

Academic journals provide a forum for scholars to communicate their research efforts and the interpretive views of their findings to others within and beyond the research community. Academic publishing is often based upon a peer review process. In extension, these two themes are inter-connected. The latter serves the purpose to perform quality assurance and quality control of the former.

Published articles address – but are not limited to – up-to-date reviews, academic viewpoints, debatable/controversial topics of discussion, implications for scholars/academia and suggestions for the future. There are two tentative questions that are implicitly addressed:

1. 1.

   Are there paradigmatic and/or myopic views in academic journals and academic publishing?

2. 2.

   What are the opportunities and threats to – and strengths and weaknesses of – academic journals and academic publishing within and across continents?

This special issue includes thought-provoking and challenging articles that are empirically or conceptually related to the themes of academic journals and academic publishing.

The first article entitled “Scholarly marketing publication – the American advantage?” is authored by Professor Barry J. Babin of Louisiana Tech University, USA. He addresses factors contributing to the likelihood of a manuscript submitted to a marketing research journal being rejected with special emphasis on a potential advantage for American authors.

The second article entitled “Scientific identity of ‘top’ research journals in the broader discipline of marketing: findings and queries” is co-authored by Professor Göran Svensson, Assistant Professor Terje Slåtten and Assistant Professor Bård Tronvoll of Oslo School of Management, Norway and Assistant Professor Thomas Helgesson of Halmstad University, Sweden. They provide insights into the publishing requirements of “top” research journals in the broader discipline of marketing. It also provides some challenging and discomfiting findings.

The third article entitled “Publishing on publishing: streams in the literature” is authored by Professor Michael Jay Polonsky, Deakin University, Australia. He attempts to develop streams within the literature on academic publishing in marketing and thus draws together a diverse cross-section of works. It provides suggestions as to the future directions for future research in the various streams.

The fourth article “Academic publishing in marketing: best and worst practices” is authored by Professor David Stewart of University of Southern California, USA. He offers observations regarding best and weak practices with respect to academic publishing in marketing. It is a practical guide to the academic publication process in marketing.

Peter November of University of Wellington, New Zealand is the author of the last article of this special issue entitled “Marketing knowledge myopia”. He examines whether or not marketing academics practise what they preach. He raises the question whether they are marketing oriented in their main business of knowledge creation and dissemination?

I hope that you – the reader of the European Business Review – will find the five contributions of this special issue of great intellectual interest and stimulation. I also believe that scholars will find that they contribute to the current and ongoing debate in academia concerning the publishing of research. In fact, these articles may be used for teaching purposes in higher education and doctoral programs, as well as at higher research seminars in academia.

Keep an eye out for special issues in the European Business Review during 2008 and onwards. For example, another forthcoming special issue in progress for 2008 is on bridging the gap between management theory and practice.

Welcome to the thought-provoking and challenging world of European Business Review!

Göran SvenssonOslo School of Management, Norway