Jan Servaes

Communication is essential for global impact

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Quantity = quality? At the start of volume 34 We have important news to share at the start of a n... more Quantity = quality? At the start of volume 34 We have important news to share at the start of a new volume of Telematics and Informatics. Our Impact Factor (IF), as calculated by Thomson Reuters, has jumped from 1.120 in 2014 to 2.261 in 2015. We are currently the 14th top journal among the 86 listed in the Information Science and Library Science field, and this without any affiliation to a professional association! Telematics and Informatics has become one of the leading journals examining the social, economic, political and cultural impacts and challenges of information and communication technologies. Though based in the computer science division of publisher Elsevier, we do so from an interdisciplinary and international perspective. The diversity of topics and themes, the varied methodologies and research tools used by authors coming from different parts of the world, as well as the composition and expertise available in our Editorial Board, are further proof of this. Publisher Elsevier has therefore decided that, from 2017 onwards, Telematics and Informatics will publish 8 in stead of 4 issues annually. The Impact Factor (IF) is the ratio of the citations to a journal in the most recent year to a count of articles and reviews published in the journal in the prior two years. It is the 'ranking' standard not only used by the publishing industry, but also by academic and research institutions in recruitment, promotion and appointment, and funding decisions. Already in 2014 we expressed some concern about this (see Servaes, 2014) with reference to the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA http://am.ascb.org/dora/). Our performance in other impact metrics has also improved. For instance, our SCImago Journal Rank (SJR) went up from 0.539 in 2014 to 0.737 in 2015. SJR is a prestige metric based on the idea that 'all citations are not created equal'. Citations are weighted, depending on the rank of the citing journal. Though we are very pleased with our new status, we consider it a bit of a mixed blessing as well. While Telematics and Informatics is doing extremely well in quantitative terms, we need to remain vigilant about the quality of our output. Since we became a so-called SSCI journal, the number of submissions has quadrupled. However, the number of rejections has followed suit. Our current reject rate is close to 80%; in other words only one out of 5 submissions gets accepted for publication after revision. Some rejections can be considered 'desk rejections', meaning that the authors did not pay proper attention to the posted objectives of our journal. While we try to be as welcoming and inclusive as possible, our objectives clearly state that ''Telem-atics and Informatics is an interdisciplinary journal examining the social, economic, political and cultural impacts and challenges of information and communication technologies. Current technologies and issues of interest include — but are not limited to — e-commerce and e–governance, the WWW, the 2.0 paradigm, regulation of digital technologies, social networking , special user groups, mobile and wireless communications, peer-to-peer learning, green computing, alternative community networks, ICT for sustainable development, globalization and security, management and policymaking, advertising and the internet, use of ICT in healthcare and education ". In addition, in order to stay on top of our field, we are looking for innovative and creative contributions, rather than slight adaptations or duplications of old models. Our journal attracts a lot of papers that are well-designed methodologically and theoretically, but that are poorly grounded in literature reviews and serious theory discussions, and therefore make very little contribution to the field or, plainly put, are rather dull. Many reviewers make observations like: (1) The paper only adds one or a few constructs to well established theories like the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) or Diffusion of Innovations (DOI), or integrates two very well established theories. (2) The paper takes a proxy view on the ICT artifact, i.e. a theory is applied on a new ICT (e.g., a tablet application for health practitioners), but there is no reflection on how the socio-material characteristics of the artefact affect the assumptions or hypotheses in that theoretical model.

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TELE Quality=Quantity? 2017

Quantity = quality? At the start of volume 34 We have important news to share at the start of a n... more Quantity = quality? At the start of volume 34 We have important news to share at the start of a new volume of Telematics and Informatics. Our Impact Factor (IF), as calculated by Thomson Reuters, has jumped from 1.120 in 2014 to 2.261 in 2015. We are currently the 14th top journal among the 86 listed in the Information Science and Library Science field, and this without any affiliation to a professional association! Telematics and Informatics has become one of the leading journals examining the social, economic, political and cultural impacts and challenges of information and communication technologies. Though based in the computer science division of publisher Elsevier, we do so from an interdisciplinary and international perspective. The diversity of topics and themes, the varied methodologies and research tools used by authors coming from different parts of the world, as well as the composition and expertise available in our Editorial Board, are further proof of this. Publisher Elsevier has therefore decided that, from 2017 onwards, Telematics and Informatics will publish 8 in stead of 4 issues annually. The Impact Factor (IF) is the ratio of the citations to a journal in the most recent year to a count of articles and reviews published in the journal in the prior two years. It is the 'ranking' standard not only used by the publishing industry, but also by academic and research institutions in recruitment, promotion and appointment, and funding decisions. Already in 2014 we expressed some concern about this (see Servaes, 2014) with reference to the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA http://am.ascb.org/dora/). Our performance in other impact metrics has also improved. For instance, our SCImago Journal Rank (SJR) went up from 0.539 in 2014 to 0.737 in 2015. SJR is a prestige metric based on the idea that 'all citations are not created equal'. Citations are weighted, depending on the rank of the citing journal. Though we are very pleased with our new status, we consider it a bit of a mixed blessing as well. While Telematics and Informatics is doing extremely well in quantitative terms, we need to remain vigilant about the quality of our output. Since we became a so-called SSCI journal, the number of submissions has quadrupled. However, the number of rejections has followed suit. Our current reject rate is close to 80%; in other words only one out of 5 submissions gets accepted for publication after revision. Some rejections can be considered 'desk rejections', meaning that the authors did not pay proper attention to the posted objectives of our journal. While we try to be as welcoming and inclusive as possible, our objectives clearly state that ''Telem-atics and Informatics is an interdisciplinary journal examining the social, economic, political and cultural impacts and challenges of information and communication technologies. Current technologies and issues of interest include — but are not limited to — e-commerce and e–governance, the WWW, the 2.0 paradigm, regulation of digital technologies, social networking , special user groups, mobile and wireless communications, peer-to-peer learning, green computing, alternative community networks, ICT for sustainable development, globalization and security, management and policymaking, advertising and the internet, use of ICT in healthcare and education ". In addition, in order to stay on top of our field, we are looking for innovative and creative contributions, rather than slight adaptations or duplications of old models. Our journal attracts a lot of papers that are well-designed methodologically and theoretically, but that are poorly grounded in literature reviews and serious theory discussions, and therefore make very little contribution to the field or, plainly put, are rather dull. Many reviewers make observations like: (1) The paper only adds one or a few constructs to well established theories like the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) or Diffusion of Innovations (DOI), or integrates two very well established theories. (2) The paper takes a proxy view on the ICT artifact, i.e. a theory is applied on a new ICT (e.g., a tablet application for health practitioners), but there is no reflection on how the socio-material characteristics of the artefact affect the assumptions or hypotheses in that theoretical model.

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How 'sustainable' is development communication research

This article argues that a focus on sustainability will allow us to engage the complexity that co... more This article argues that a focus on sustainability will allow us to engage the complexity that communication research for development and social change routinely encounters. We start with a brief historical overview, move to the need for sustainability as an organizing principle, then to a consideration of some theoretical and methodological approaches to sustainability, and finally to conclusions concerning the state of the field. In considering the course of development communication research through social change and the (r)evolution in development thinking, most historical accounts

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How 'sustainable' is development communication research

This article argues that a focus on sustainability will allow us to engage the complexity that co... more This article argues that a focus on sustainability will allow us to engage the complexity that communication research for development and social change routinely encounters. We start with a brief historical overview, move to the need for sustainability as an organizing principle, then to a consideration of some theoretical and methodological approaches to sustainability, and finally to conclusions concerning the state of the field. In considering the course of development communication research through social change and the (r)evolution in development thinking, most historical accounts

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The Chinese dream shattered between hard and soft power

Sometimes the Chinese dream is of sustainable development, of anti-corruption, of constitutionali... more Sometimes the Chinese dream is of sustainable development, of anti-corruption, of constitutionalism, of a clean environment, or of social harmony. Essentially, like the American dream or any dream for that matter, the Chinese dream can mean anything to anyone. However, more so than in 'democratic societies', where dreaming is free and extensively discussed, the authoritarian Chinese government and Communist Party seem to have a problem as these slogans do not resonate with the broader public, neither nationally nor internationally

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Walking on the other side of the information highway. Communication, Culture and Development in the 21st Century

Governments sometimes seem to forget that information and communication technologies may not only... more Governments sometimes seem to forget that information and communication technologies may not only have a direct impact on the economic development, but also on the political organization, and socio-cultural value system of a society. Many policy-makers seem to assume that technical and economic progress is simply a means to an end and that it hardly affects the culture in which it occurs. It seems as if they believe that they can achieve Western-style progress while at the same time retain the essential parts of their culture. This book takes a closer look at the other side of the information highway. It wants to find out what is happening on and around the dirt roads. It does so by looking at the problems of communication, culture and development from different perspectives: historical and futuristic, theoretical and applied, institutional and organizational, strategic and methodological. Global and local, globalization and localisation, are terms which could be used to characterize the processes of growing interconnection and interdependence in the contemporary world. It is generated by growing international economic, cultural and political cooperation and links, as well as by the need to respond together to complex problems which can be solved only on a planetary scale. The world is "shrinking" as a result of increased human mobility, and the increasing contacts between the world's people, possibly with the aid of cheap and speedy travel, the telephone, fax and the Internet. Barriers have been eased with the reduction in trade barriers, the expansion of capital flow and the transfer of technology. However, we lack insights into how the processes of cultural globalization and localisation actually operate in locally defined public spheres. We consequently also lack insights into how the global is linked to the local and how new perceptions of the global and the local lead to adjusted (cultural) identities. These are the issues which the 12 contributing authors of this book are trying to get a grip on.

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SERVAES, J., "Towards a consciousness expanding vision of the consciousness narrowing communications industry. " Centrum voor Communicaitewetenschappen, Leuven, 1983, 55 pp.

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PETER SHIELDS

Subscription Information. Annual Insti

JB Thompson

Intellectual property rights, communication, and the public domain in the Asia-Pacific Region

Drugs, development and the media: How has the media performed? Can it perform better?

and the Public Domain

In this chapter, we present the general concepts which are normally referred to in discussions on development communication. We will address the topic from a historical perspective

In recent years we have come to witness interesting, albeit somewhat puzzling, developments in the world of media communications: the transnationalization of national, and even local, television in several parts of the world; local appeal as a success formula for television but not for cinema; th...

Aconference, held in November 1998 in Istanbul by a group of scholars, lawyers, development specialistsand human rights activists, focussed on ‘how compatible a universal normative approach to development is with respect to the right of peoples and communities to self-determination as well as wit...

Viewing the South: How Globalization and Western Television Distort Representations of the Developing World (Hampton Press Communication Series)

Examining how television covers the majority world, this study examines the paradox that during t... more Examining how television covers the majority world, this study examines the paradox that during the period of rapidly increasing global connections, this medium is providing less and less world coverage. It offers a framework for understanding the relationship between globalization, television, and public understanding of the developing world.

Research in (development) communication and democratisation

European Communication Research and Education Association (ECREA)

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