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Quality & Quantity

International Journal of Methodology

Publishing model:

Quality & Quantity - A new era of Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology - Collaborate or Fall Behind

By the Editor-in-Chief: Han Woo Park

Quality and Quantity has provided a multidisciplinary venue which researchers can use in advancing the methodology-based scholarly communication and research innovation. The dynamics of the development of social scientific methods are complex. In this regard, Professor Vittorio Capecchi, the former Editor-in-Chief, has made unprecedented achievements in maintaining the journal’s reputation, encompassing qualitative and quantitative methods of research.

Following this tradition, as the inaugural Editor-in-Chief, I plan to continue collecting an excellent mix of articles that represent both humanities-based observation and metrics-oriented scholarly work, rather than leaning towards one specific methodological perspective. Particularly in an era of big data, a new role of social science methodology journal lies in publishing papers on a mixed method of quantitative and qualitative techniques. Furthermore, I will go beyond European scholars to become a more global journal to discuss the scientific results via rigorous methods produced in Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and the Americas.

While Quality and Quantity has focused on methodology, quite a few submissions are empirically focused with specific subjects, rather than methodology itself. When it’s hard to tell the boundaries between topical and methodological approaches, I will strive to identify if there are any intellectual merits for extending conceptual and methodological frameworks from the manuscripts. In doing so, Quality and Quantity aims to help diverse readers understand complicated processes within a society, through new indicators to measure the latent aspects of societal, political, cultural, and economic events.

The phrase “publish or perish” is now turning into “collaborate or fall behind.” In order to meet this new paradigm, I have invited prominent researchers to form a new editorial/reviewing board and run a preliminary evaluation system composed of Associate Editors who handle the submitted manuscripts for external review. I am eager to publish special issues that focus on specific methodologies more actively than in the past. I expect guest editors will promote innovative methodological findings throughout the broader community of social scientists.

The days of academic research being isolated from society and being alone, that is, solo author from a single institution, discipline, or nation-state, are now past. Scholars need to have better relationships with people from different walks of life. During the fourth industrial revolution, knowledge production goes through four “C” stages: Codification through publishing, Citing for acknowledging others’ works, Communication via social media (i.e., curation of scholarly content that is relevant to the online environment), and Cooperation throughout three stages alluded earlier. Performance-driven activities that end with publication and citation are important, but so called “research mobilization” is not made without the tailored communication with the outside world.

What mattered in scholarly communication was the “discovery” of new knowledge and “justification” through peer review. The production and diffusion of knowledge were close to one-sided flow. However, a new digital technology called for a shift in traditional model and an academic community started strengthening an “interactivity” and now, needs to consider adopting a “responsive” communication in the omni-media era. Publons.com that tracks review activities and Altmetrics.com, which measures the wider diffusion of publications, are the latest trends.

In closing, Quality and Quantity will continue to have a leading role in building a methodological diversity and excellence by collaborating with new stakeholders as well as partnering with its long-time readers.

Thank you always for your contribution and time in submitting your valuable research and reviewing manuscripts, which not only assists me in reaching my decision, but also enables the author(s) to spread their research at the highest possible quality.

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