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Over the past few months, several of our readers have raised the question of whether we publish "papers" or "articles" in Journal of System Safety. Heretofore, we have edited in favor of the word "articles." The choice of that word to describe each issue's two featured
whatevers
goes back to the time before Ann Waterman and I took over as publisher and technical editor just how far back we don't know, as our collection of old issues is incomplete. Some of our contributing authors have made a compelling case for "papers," citing (among other things) definitions of these two words in Merriam-Webster's dictionary. Yet we must assume that our forebears had their reasons also. Hence, the conundrum.
To try to resolve it, we, too, consulted Merriam-Webster specifically, the online edition, as this is an electronic edition of the journal but instead of guidance, we found there only the basis for more questions. More than anything, we were intrigued by the secondary or, in some cases, the primary definitions. For example, the first and presumably primary definition for "paper" is a felted sheet of (usually vegetable) fibers, followed by its definition as a "piece of paper." Subsequent definitions mention schoolwork, as well as a type of container or wrapper. This is fascinating, as they all do apply, in a way. Our print edition encompasses all of those things, but what about this edition? Have we published "papers" if they are indeed only glyphs on a screen, existing somewhere in cyberspace? If not, do they become papers when printed? This is quite a puzzle.
For Merriam-Webster's explanation of the word "articles," we were stunned by its definition as an "item of business" and as "a thing of a particular and distinctive kind." How very true! In its previous incarnations, Hazard Prevention (as the Society's publication was formerly called) was essentially a republisher of papers from the Proceedings of the International System Safety Conference, and those were exactly that, although the Table of Contents listed them as articles. The journal has changed quite a bit since then, now publishing a wide variety of material that is new, challenging, and at times, controversial. But what is that material, exactly?
This issue of eJSS features a fine submission from Dr. Dan Vavrick on detonation threshold calculations for insensitive munitions tests. It came to us in right-justified format with underlined headings, obviously according to someone's formal specification. Also featured in this issue is Dr. Paul Ray's "Implementation of the Continuous Risk Management Process for Space Programs," which presents some reporting as well as impressive technical content. One might be tempted to call one a paper and one an article, but we think both words apply.
Even if we decide to make such a determination, we can't really be exact about it, can we? However, we can assume that the author knows what it is, and from now on, we'll let him or her decide. When it says "paper," we will no longer change it to "article." Still, we hope that all of you won't be too quick to jump on the "it's a paper, durnit!" bandwagon. Articles have a grand and glorious place in publishing and in history, and I challenge anyone to say that the "whatevers" in the renowned pages of Smithsonian, Atlantic Monthly and Scientific American lack scholarly merit. I can say with certainty that the ones in Journal of System Safety are worthy of such renown.
Thanks again for all the compliments on the quality of the journal, and for the ongoing submissions that continue to make it great. Call them whatever you like, but keep them coming.
As for our journal, it will continue to evolve with all of the fascinating questions as you raise them.
Niles Welch
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