SYSTEM DYNAMICS REVIEW

 

REPORT OF EXECUTIVE EDITOR TO THE POLICY COUNCIL (SUMMER 2007) BOSTON

 

 

1.           Special 50th Anniversary Issue 23:2-3

 

A total of 15 accepted papers (including an introductory commentary by John Sterman) have been uploaded and are now in the production workflow. They are of quite varying length as compared to a standard research article. It is difficult to say when this issue will appear as it depends on such matters as timely return of proofs, but September is the likely date. A small number of papers which could not be fitted into the main double issue will appear in 23:4. All in all this should turn out to be a notable landmark issue in SDR. Congratulations to John Sterman and colleagues for steering this project through.

 

2.       Accepted Backlog

 

This is still a potential cause of concern although the situation has been obscured to an extent by the Special Issue. Two papers are accepted for 23:4 already, but there is still a need for editors and reviewers to turn around work in good time so that we attain a healthy accepted backlog. Accepted papers can be claimed to be published once they acquire a DOI and so the use of Wiley’s Early View to publish an accepted paper on the web can be no bad thing for the authors.

 

3.       Future Special Issues

 

Nikko Georgantzas reports that 9 submissions have been received in response to a Call for Papers for a special issue on Information System Dynamics. The CfP appeared in 22:3. Along with his colleague E. Katsamakas he is now sifting through the extended abstracts to determine a subset of authors who are being encouraged to submit full papers for review in the normal way. This should generate a full (or part) Special Issue in 2008.

Although tentative enquiries have been made, no firm proposals for further special issues have been made this year.

 

4.       Manuscript Central

 

Since January 2006 the editorial team have been using the Manuscript Central on-line system. This is the chosen Wiley online platform and is owned and managed by ScholarOne. Earlier this year SDR was switched into the Phase 2 system which allows referees to be contacted from within the system and return their reviews in the same fashion. Automatic reminders are fired off by email at previously agreed time triggers.

As with any new software there is a learning curve to climb and editors and reviewers have struggled at times. But I think most editors are now more confident with the system. Proficiency comes with repeated use but Wiley’s Matt Smith has been able assist when queries have arisen.

 

 

5.       New faces on the editorial team

 

Earlier this year Markus Schwaninger (Univ of St Gallen, Switzerland) kindly agreed to take on the role of Managing Editor in place of Pal Davidsen who had an extremely heavy workload at Bergen which was affecting his time to devote to SDR matters. His efforts in a difficult situation were appreciated. Markus is tackling the backlog but some authors are enduring an extremely long wait for a first review. The three main Managing Editors are currently handling between six and ten papers at varying stages of preparation and in view of the importance and worth of their role I have requested the Policy Council consider compensation for their attendance at the annual Editors Meeting. David Wheat (Univ of Bergen) has kindly agreed to join the team of Associate Editors. It is likely that one or two further Associate Editors will be enlisted in the near future and suggestions for possible nominees would be appreciated.

 

5.       Statistics

 

When considering the data below please bear in mind that we are only now moving towards the end of the slate of manuscripts which were ‘in process’ at the beginning of 2006 when MC became live.

 

A total of 94 (including 15 for the Special Issue) original manuscripts (not revisions) have been processed into MC since it went live: 42 in 2006 and 52[-15] so far this year. Peak submission months were Sept in 2006 and Jan/Feb and Jun/Jul this year.

 

There are currently 34 manuscripts in varying stages of the editorial process on MC and for which no final decision has yet been reached.

 

The ‘acceptance rate’ has not settled down yet on MC: if the Special Issue submissions are included it is 48.7%, but counting regular submissions only it is 1 in 6. My view is that factoring in non-MC (prior) submissions it is around 30-40%.

 

From the array of reports which Manuscript Central now offers I have extracted the following (see charts below which are based on all data recorded since MC went live). The ‘days to decision’ data will be dominated at the low end by papers rejected fairly quickly (or accepted in the case of the 15 Special Issue papers). From the rest we can see that the editorial process is too lengthy for many of the submissions. We should strive to reduce this tail for when we chart, say, 2008 on its own.

 

 

B. C. Dangerfield

July

 

  

 

Time from Submission to Decision for System Dynamics Review