www.ccp-online.org | CCP 2 (2008): 1-2
Editorial: Promising start and new developments
Dear Readers,
We are pleased to present to you the second issue of the e-journal “Communication, Cooperation, Participation: Research and Practice for a Sustainable Future” (CCP). Before we introduce into the five papers and public reviews of this issue, we would like to look back briefly to the first issue and make some general remarks regarding the further development of the journal.
After we have launched the first issue we have gotten a lot of positive feedback and support from around the world. Especially the inter- and transdisciplinary approach of the journal has led to positive reactions by readers and the public peer review process was evaluated by some readers as interesting and innovative. Even though it was and is not easy to find reviewers for the public review process and only few readers participated actively by contributing statements, we will keep going with this experiment. We believe firmly that science should appreciate the digital media and its potential for open access and more interaction between authors, reviewers, readers. To our opinion this is especially relevant for inter- and transdisciplinary sustainability science.
Based on the experience of the first six month online we decided together with our advisory board on three things:
1. We will rename the journal with the next issue in spring 2008 into “International Journal for Sustainability Communication”. There are two reasons for this change: on the one hand we have serious difficulties with our journal in China, because the abbreviation ‘ccp’ is connected to Chinese Communist Party. And on the other hand, the new name is just easier to communicate.
2. We will open the journal for special issues. This gives the advantage to highlight important topics in all journal sections: scientific paper, praxis paper, student paper, book review. The first issue in 2008 of the “International Journal for Sustainability Communciation” will be a special on Climate Change Communication. Guest editor for this issue will be Professor Edward Maibach from George Mason University.
3. We are very aware that there is a growing pressure and orientation toward journal rankings. For a new journal with an explicitly inter- and transdisciplinary orientation this is tricky situation: in order to become a listed journal you need visible authors – but to attract visibile authors you should be listed. In the upcoming years we will try hard to establish the “International Journal for Sustainability Communication” as an important journal for the growing community of sustainability science and practice.
The current issue reflects the inter- and transdisciplinary approach of the journal. We have two scientific papers, which touch upon different aspects of ‘new’ media and ‘old’ media. The contribution of Dennis Mocigemba discusses to what extent the new interactive developments of Web 2.0, such as podcasting, may open up new opportunities for grass roots activities in sustainable development. The article of Lars Kijerulf Petersen analysis the rituals of environmental expertise. Both articles have provoked controversial reviews. Dear readers, you are invited to contribute to this discussions by public statements. The two papers in the praxis section deal with different aspects of education for sustainable development. The UNESCO decade on education for sustainable development just started this year, so we are pleased to have this papers in this issue. We are looking forward to foster this topic in the future. Finally we have a very interesting student paper from students of Wageningen University. The authors conduct in their paper an analysis on the media coverage following an oil tanker disaster.
Dear readers, we wish you a pleasant and fruitful reading!
Sincerely,
Yours,
Harald Heinrichs
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Promising start and new developments |