We often take for granted the idea that there are research journals in every field of learning, but they would not exist if they were not needed. As researchers, we assume that good research should be published in a suitable research journal. Thinking through the reasons for having research journals might help us to do our work better. With Production Planning & Control in mind, some of the main roles are the following.
Research journals provide a source of useful information and knowledge that can easily be located and read. Readers could include managers in industry, researchers and students. By publishing the best papers available, and by focusing special issues on important topics, we try to fulfil the need for information. By providing indexes and online searching we help readers to locate articles. Part of this role in dissemination information is to develop knowledge of best practice – what ideas and concepts work the best in industry? Papers may test, compare and evaluate existing and new approaches and ideas.
By focusing on problems emerging in industry, the journal tries to set the agenda for future research. This gives the journal a role in guiding future research and it means that writers should stay close to industry in order to report the latest emerging problems and trends. It should mean that researchers can use the journal to help set the direction for their investigations. Another way the journal provides guidance for researchers is by the peer review system. Papers that are submitted for publication have to be reviewed by competent peers, who ensure that appropriate research methods are used, besides ensuring that the work is reported correctly with the necessary reference to earlier work.
Peer review provides a kind of quality certification for published papers, which means that published authors can be proud of their achievement, and that readers can have confidence that what they read has been deemed to be acceptable. Journals also have a role in developing a community of researchers who can exchange ideas across the world. To support this function, Production Planning & Control publishes short biographies of authors, together with their pictures. Hopefully, this encourages researchers to see each other as individuals and not be afraid to contact each other and exchange ideas.
Probably the most important function of a journal is to encourage the use and consideration of new ideas, for the benefit of all. In order to do this, the journal must provide the means to showcase current research findings in an accessible manner. The beneficiaries of this role should be managers, consultants and software developers who can implement new ideas in industry, and researchers who can follow the needs identified and develop and test new ideas. Production Planning & Control welcomes papers from any writers who have sound, useful material to report, and thanks its reviewers and readers for their kind attention.
Stephen J. Childe
Editor