International Journal of Communications Law & Policy

EDITORS' STATEMENT - ISSUE 2

Writing About the Future in the Present

"Writing about the past in the past" is the continual accusation laid by users of academic research, whether government, industry or, increasingly, students. This frustration at the lack of contemporary relevance in the universities' function is compounded by two relatively recent concerns of which universities are 'late adopters'. These are: the globalisation paradigm in its many forms, and the onset of digitalised information transfer.
These associated phenomena have led proponents to suggest that the social sciences should respond by rephrasing their mission, presently defined by the nation-state and spatially defined by their local physical environment, towards a multinational and 'virtual' Internet project. However idealistic or captured these propositions, given that state funding defines most academic research, and a teaching environment their confines, there is truth in the accusation that mass participation public universities are a largely twentieth century project of nation-states. Operating from these confines frustrates international communications, due to the resource and communication deficiencies which universities share with other public service institutions. Academics are 'knowledge-rich' but 'information-poor'. Increasingly, resource constraints are encouraging private funding, from the 'information-rich' but often surprisingly 'knowledge-poor' in multinational corporations.
The challenge is both to democratise information, and to disseminate knowledge within international networks of academics and user communities. This project must avoid both capture by user interests, and dilution of academic review processes, twin concerns of the incumbent academic community. There is then the need to create a 'quality controlled' environment, which the journal seeks to accomplish through the rigour of the editing and review process. Additionally, there is a need to identify the aim of electronic dissemination. Simply reproducing a paper journal would appear an exercise in distribution efficiency, lacking academic innovation.
It appears to the editors that the transition of academic discourse from paper to electronic means will involve a 'convergence' of technology with traditional mindset over a process of years or, more probably, decades. In a research field as intimately connected to contemporary change as the legal regulation of communications, paper dissemination is an implausible solution. It is therefore suggested that a policy of 'co-existence' best describes the approach of the editors and our contributors. While academic distinction and career development are most likely to be determined by paper publication, the electronic medium will afford opportunities to share current research. Colleagues are aware that most innovation, in the disciplines associated with communications policy formation, is undertaken in conference and seminar papers and proceedings. These colloquia very often involve the engaged user community utilising academic intermediators to provide a coherent and rigorous intellectual framework for their analysis. It is this inclusive discourse which the journal aims to encourage, in as near 'real-time' as is editorially feasible, given the resource constraints described above.

The Editors

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