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Organizer of Shanghai Federation of Social Sciences
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Editor's Note
How a question that should not be a problem becomes a problem
Zhong Weimin | Executive Deputy Editor of journal of Tsinghua University (Philosophy and Social Sciences Edition).
Not long ago, I participated in a journal symposium, in which many participants raised the question: Can an article signed by a doctoral student be published now? I was surprised that they asked such a question, and even more surprised that as an editor-in-chief of scholars, there could be such a ridiculous idea? In order to avoid identity discrimination, many years ago we began to make a lot of attempts, such as the Journal of Nanjing University and the Journal of Tsinghua University, in the introduction of the author, only write the name and unit, not only do not mark the name such as the "Yangtze River Scholar Award Program", and even do not mark the identity of professors, associate professors, lecturers or doctoral and master's students, that is, do not disclose the author's identity to the reader at all. This, of course, also poses some difficulties for evaluation agencies in statistics and research, but we believe that this is one of the important ways to avoid discrimination on the basis of status.
Supporting young scholars is an important responsibility of academic journals, and almost every journal will say this, but to put it bluntly, many journals are just verbal and posing. Refusing to publish a doctoral dissertation is a very typical practice. Of course, this cannot be entirely attributed to academic journals, and the root cause is that the current academic system and evaluation mechanism do not encourage such practices of academic journals, because many evaluation institutions (including the selection of core journals) actually regard authorship and whether they are funded projects as important criteria for academic evaluation, and may account for a higher weight. In addition, because ph.D. students have not yet officially entered the academic community, their articles are rarely cited, that is, there will be no data contribution to the journal. As we all know, core journals are currently a scarce resource in the academic community, and many journals try to do everything in order to keep or enter core journals, among which not issuing or as little as possible to publish doctoral and master's articles is one of the easiest ways to do it. Therefore, when we have a "sympathetic understanding" of this approach of some academic journals, especially those with lower rankings and critical points, academic journals must survive after all.
That is to say, supporting young scholars, which was not a problem, has now become a problem, and it has become a big problem. With high-level journal resources scarce and the number of young scholars increasing year by year, it is becoming increasingly difficult for young people to publish articles. There is some truth in the criticism of academic journals in society, and as journal people, we should indeed reflect on it. However, the root of the problem is not in the journal, but in the overall academic ecology. Efforts must be made to change the academic ecology before this problem can be fundamentally solved. First of all, all universities and research institutions must truly "break the five onlys" and no longer divide the journals into three, six, nine, etc.; secondly, the evaluation institutions must adjust the evaluation indicators, such as canceling the extra weight of the identity level and increasing the weight of the journals that support young scholars; third, academic journals should strengthen self-discipline, do not advocate the labeling of authorship, especially do not advocate the practice of specially marking whether there is a Hat such as a Yangtze River scholar.
The master's and doctoral stage is a period of the most academic creativity of young people, and I hope that colleagues in the journal community will work together to build an academic platform for young scholars. This is not only a specific measure for academic journals to "break the five onlys", but also a good strategy for academic journals to win the trust of young scholars. The Journal of Zhejiang Gongshang University can break the convention and publish undergraduate papers, which can be said to have a good start and deserve praise.
Hopefully, this problem shouldn't be a problem, and it really won't be a problem a day earlier.
On the growth path of young scholars, we walk together
Gao Shihua | editor-in-chief of The Study of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression
In January 2013, I took over as the editor-in-chief of the Study of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, and I was faced with the situation of the manuscript: there are many manuscripts in existence, but not many people can issue them. The situation of the manuscript is not optimistic, a hundred articles can not pick out a few articles can be used, so the editorial board discussed and decided, take a long-term view, focus on discovering and supporting young authors, they are the future of academia, continuously support them, the magazine will have a steady stream of manuscripts, there will be a future.
From November 30 to December 1, 2013, the editorial department of Anti-Japanese War Research and the Department of History of Hangzhou Normal University jointly held the first "Seminar for Young Scholars in the History of the War of Resistance Against Japan", providing a platform for young scholars to communicate and exercise, and leaving some good manuscripts for publication. The "Young Scholars Seminar on the History of the War of Resistance Against Japan" (hereinafter referred to as the "Youth Association") has been held for 8 sessions this year, and has become a brand conference in the field of anti-Japanese war research, and a number of academic magazines have adopted the mode of this journal to hold seminars for young scholars.
The number of papers submitted, participated in and published by previous YMCA papers is as follows:
The first session of 86 articles submitted, 30 participated in the conference, 12 published.
The second session of 90 articles submitted, 31 participated in the conference, 12 published.
The third session of 126 articles submitted, 36 participated in the conference, 12 published.
The fourth session of 132 articles submitted, 35 participated in the conference, 15 published.
The fifth session of 146 articles submitted, 32 participated in the conference, 13 published.
The sixth session of 162 articles submitted, 36 participated in the conference, 14 published.
The seventh session of 211 articles submitted, 40 participated in the conference, 18 published.
208 submissions for the eighth session, 36 articles attended the conference, and 9 articles have been published (and many more will be published).
In the way of discussion, the YMCA insists that "the paper is everything, and the discussion is everything", and the paper only looks at the quality and discusses it comprehensively and thoroughly. It has three features:
First, before the meeting, the paper will be sent to the participants, please read in advance, the conference does not set a paper reading, state the time, directly into the review, each paper designated a main reviewer to comment, and then free discussion, everyone can ask questions, questions, comments, and finally ask the author of the paper to respond. The author does not read out and explain the paper, saving time, enabling the meeting to discuss more fully, improving the quality of the meeting, and avoiding the meeting falling into the formalistic seminar mode. The conference's review of the paper can be described as merciless, from the title, structure, and writing to the citation of the data and the significance of the research, each paper is more or less pointed out, and the discussion is in-depth and comprehensive.
2. High-level scholars are invited to preside over the meeting and guide the discussion. Senior scholars and young scholars gathered together to share research experience and exchange academic experience. In addition to formal meetings, the YMCA also often uses the evening time to arrange free discussions to provide young scholars with the opportunity to directly communicate and dialogue with senior scholars, so as to facilitate young scholars to gain more lessons.
Third, after the meeting, according to the level of papers and the results of the conference discussion, leave a certain number of articles for publication. Because young scholars are still in their growth stage, their papers, whether it is the degree of logical rigor or the level of writing, there is room for further revision, and the responsible editors need to invest more energy in the editing process, and the responsible editors have paid hard work for this, and have also been well evaluated by young scholars.
The editorial department of "Anti-Japanese War Studies" advocates the "history of the Great War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression", advocates breaking the boundaries of Chinese history and world history, and studies the War of Resistance Against Japan from the perspective of global history and overall history.
"Anti-Japanese War Research" actively provides publication opportunities for the participating scholars of the YMCA, so starting from the 2nd issue of 2016, the "YMCA Papers" column has been set up to provide a fixed paper publishing garden for the participating young scholars. Of course, young scholars outside the YMCA submit papers, and the editorial department also pays more attention and publishing opportunities according to the quality of the paper.
The editorial office does this, and the effect is not one-sided. Young scholars, including participants in the YMCA, have provided more sources for the magazine, and the magazine can publish a number of informative and innovative papers, many of which are due to the gifts of young scholars attending the conference, "Anti-Japanese War Research" is a companion of young scholars, growing up with them and promoting the in-depth study of the War of Resistance Against Japan.
Supporting the growth of outstanding young academic talents is the affection that academic journals should have
Huang Hai | president and editor-in-chief of Quest magazine
The contradictions and pressures between authors and academic journals seem to be a difficult sticking point to unravel. On the surface, it is the author's demand for publications that exceeds the supply of publications, but from another point of view, it is the shortage of high-quality manuscript sources in the academic community for publications. In order to compete for high-quality manuscript sources, many academic journals have joined the "big war" of manuscripts, academic journals have their own rules of publication and review process, in addition to some head journals, if only from the review efficiency, data performance and other short-term effects to consider, other quite a number of publications may be more inclined to ask famous artists, everyone, professors and mature authors of the manuscript.
General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out in his reply letter to the editorial board of Wenshi zhe that high-quality academic journals should support the growth of outstanding academic talents. To run a high-quality academic journal is to have feelings and responsibilities, to provide a display platform for excellent academic achievements, to provide a creative stage for outstanding academic talents, and then to contribute to the construction of philosophy and social sciences with Chinese characteristics. Outstanding academic talents include mature masters, young scholars in their infancy and relatively young students. For the latter, academic journals should be more patient and determined, and pay more energy in theme selection, review, editing, proofreading and other links. All of them have grown up from youth and have experienced the stage of continuous maturity, and the current "young students" may be the future "famous masters". Therefore, to support the growth of outstanding young academic talents is to support the growth of the journal itself within a longer time span, which is a vision, a pattern and a feeling for the journal to form its own future group of outstanding authors.
It should be said that over the years, many academic journals have this feeling, providing a platform and creating conditions for supporting the growth of more outstanding young scholars. In particular, the practice of the Journal of Zhejiang Gongshang University is particularly eye-catching and refreshing. In recent years, the Journal of Zhejiang Gongshang University has supported outstanding young students through the form of "Academic Newcomers" competition. As we all know, many master's and doctoral students generally have a difficult time publishing articles independently, and the journal published an undergraduate paper in the 5th journal of 2021, which deserves full recognition and encouragement. Since 2018, we have also begun to open a column of "New Era New Quest Youth Forum", and each issue has launched a special topic to provide a platform for the majority of young scholars and young students without high titles and high academic qualifications, "not only titles, not only academic qualifications, not only identity, only quality", to support the growth of young scholars, so far has published more than 60 youth forum articles in 24 groups, which include young professors, young teachers, and young students.
Academic journals have their own pressures, young students also have their own pressures, how the pressure between the two can be transformed into a driving force for both sides to move forward together, we still need more efforts. This is a systematic project that requires the academic community, the journal community, the reprint evaluation system, the academic evaluation system, etc. to think together, explore together, reach consensus, and form a synergy.
Academic journals should have a natural responsibility to support the growth of outstanding young academic talents
Zheng Yinglong | President and Executive Editor of Zhejiang Gongshang University Magazine
On May 9, 2021, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out in his reply letter to all the editors of the editorial department of Wenshizhe: "High-quality academic journals are to adhere to the original intention, lead innovation, display high-level research results, support the growth of outstanding academic talents, and promote Academic exchanges between China and foreign countries." ”
Youth is the hope of the country and the future of the nation. General Secretary Xi Jinping is very concerned about the growth of young people. On April 30, 2019, in his speech at the commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the May Fourth Movement, General Secretary Xi Jinping raised the cultivation of the young generation to the height of major strategic tasks related to the future and destiny of the party and the country, put forward specific requirements for caring for youth work, and emphasized that we should be the confidants of young friends, the enthusiasts of youth work, and the guides of young people. As a platform for leading academic innovation, academic journals should have the courage to take on the heavy responsibility of cultivating young talents, be the "guides" of young talents, stimulate their enthusiasm for innovation, and help them grow into talents. In academic research, young people are active in group thinking and full of enthusiasm for innovation. Academic journals support the growth of outstanding academic talents with the vision of Bole and the spirit of the ladder, "help the horse, help a hand", and carry forward the spirit of daring to support "small people", which is of great significance to the academic growth of young scholars.
In terms of the publication of academic achievements, supporting the growth of young scholars requires the joint efforts of young scholars and academic journals. On the one hand, young scholars should aspire to be university questions and true scholars, adhere to the academic concept of excellence on the basis of exploration vigor and passion, strive to create academic products, and win the recognition of the academic community with excellent academic works; on the other hand, academic journals should also abandon identity prejudice, based on pure academic quality, select excellent academic works, have more patience, give young scholars more support and guidance, and provide more opportunities and platforms for their achievements. This is the natural responsibility of academic journals to take on the unique vision to support future masters.
In recent years, the magazine of Zhejiang Gongshang University has made some explorations and practices in supporting the growth of academic newcomers. The magazine is responsible for editing and publishing two journals, "Business Economics and Management" and "Journal of Zhejiang Gongshang University". In order to provide young scholars with an academic development platform and help their academic growth, the two journals have set up a "Youth Forum" column and an "Academic Newcomer" paper competition. First, the "Youth Forum" column is not only the title, not only the academic qualifications, not only the identity, only the quality, to the young scholars at home and abroad to solicit papers, from 2018 to the present each issue has 2-3 young scholar articles, these articles have undergone strict review and control, the quality is superior, the column has a number of articles every year by the four major abstracts reprinted. The second is to hold a "Academic Newcomer" essay contest for students of the university. The main innovations of the "Academic Newcomers" Thesis Competition are: (1) taking the initiative to extend an olive branch to doctoral students, master's students, and undergraduates; (2) in addition to the cultivation links such as expert cultivation lectures, teacher guidance, and on-site defense, special links for the cultivation of "academic newcomers" by well-known peer scholars in the form of anonymous review experts; (3) holding a national academic conference with the theme of "academic newcomers" growing into talents, inviting famous scholars, anonymous review experts of the competition, and famous authors of the two journals to participate. The winners of the "Academic Rising Star" Award were invited to make keynote speeches. The original intention of this is that in time, when these academic newcomers grow into university students, this is also the harvest season of our publications, and for young scholars, this inspiration, this feeling will have a special meaning.
Holding such an "academic newcomer" competition is the first in the country, and this academic exploration activity has not only been well received by teachers and students in the school, but also has a great response in the domestic academic circles. The winning work of the Second "Academic Newcomer" Essay Competition "Undergraduate Group" Academic Rising Star Award issued by the Journal of Zhejiang Gongshang University in the 5th issue of 2021 - "Generalized Application and Value Balance of the Documentary Evidence Proposal Order System - Concurrent evaluation of the new Article 47" has been widely praised by the academic community and the media. The article has been reprinted by more than a dozen influential public accounts and media such as Frontiers of Legal Science, Qingta, Academic History, China Youth Daily, Surging News, Tencent News, etc. After a number of public accounts and media published relevant tweets, the number of reads exceeded 10,000, and the number of relevant tweets read by Academic Zhi and China Youth Daily reached 100,000+.
Telling The Chinese story well and spreading the Chinese voice requires the participation and relay of young scholars. The two magazines of Zhejiang Gongshang University will continue to adhere to the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, face the major strategic needs of the country, and from the perspective of combining history and reality, theory and practice, continue to insist on holding the "Academic Newcomer" Thesis Contest and the "Youth Forum" column, continue to support the growth of academic newcomers, and make their due contributions to the prosperity of philosophy and social science with Chinese characteristics.
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