Editorial transition and future directions

I am deeply privileged and humbled to assume the role of Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Comparative and Applied Criminal Justice (IJCACJ), succeeding Dr. Mahesh Nalla, who tirelessly served in this role since 1999. Dr. Nalla has already provided a comprehensive account of the Journal’s beginnings and advances since its inception in 1977 (Nalla, 2023), so I will not delve into that here. Instead, I will focus on the prospective challenges and opportunities for the Journal, especially in its mission to advance understanding of crime and justice globally and encourage scholarly contributions from around the globe.

From my perspective as IJCACJ’s Editor-in-Chief for just the last six months, I outline observations that present challenges but also opportunities for growth. I categorise these into three interwoven areas that I believe directly impact the relevance and utility of IJCACJ: content, region, and access.

Rigorous content is the lifeblood of any academic journal. Rigour, both in theory and in methods, is critical to informative and useful content that can advance the boundaries of our discipline’s knowledge base. For journals that profess “international” content, an additional and essential consideration is for content to also include contributions from around the globe. In a review of international criminology and criminal law journals (those that have “international” in their titles or their aims and scope statements), Faraldo-Cabana and Lamel (2021) found that 78% of authors and 82% of the editorial board members of these journals are Anglo-American, and very low proportions of articles use international data. This as a challenge for international journals, but also presents opportunities. Scholars, particularly those from the global south, face a myriad of challenges when publishing their work. For many, language poses a significant hurdle, especially when attempting to publish in English-dominated academic journals. Then there is little access to necessary resources and research materials within their countries. Scholars from the global south also often face difficulties in networking and establishing connections with peers across the globe due to geographical, cultural, and financial constraints. All these and more, impede their ability to produce high-quality and impactful research that can make it into a publishable manuscript. These challenges are complex and journal editors are not particularly equipped to address them. I argue, however, that awareness of the many challenges faced by international scholars, particularly those in the global south, is a step forward. Editors, although in a limited way, have the opportunity to provide guidance through outreach efforts and the capacity to appoint editorial board members who understand the challenges of scholars from the global south. As Editor-in-Chief of IJCACJ, I plan to invest in outreach efforts particularly in underrepresented countries to create opportunities for scholars in these countries to engage in the creation of global knowledge about crime and justice. Their diverse perspectives and unique insights are vital for a more inclusive and comprehensive global understanding of crime and justice.

Region is inextricably linked with content. As already shown, international criminal justice and criminology manuscripts are produced by scholars or use data derived chiefly from the global north. Carrington, et al. (2019) were hopeful because of evidence pointing to a burgeoning contribution from the global south, indeed a positive development. We know that there are distinct challenges in different regions of the world, and the voices of scholars in these areas will significantly advance our global knowledge of crime and justice. In South and East Asia, for example, significant issues include human trafficking, drug trafficking, and environmental crime, which are strongly influenced by socioeconomic dynamics, political instability, and weak law enforcement systems. Corruption remains deeply entrenched in many judicial systems, undermining their credibility and effectiveness. Latin America and South America also grapple with high levels of violent crime often related to drug trafficking and gang activity. Enforcement agencies are frequently under-resourced, resulting in elevated levels of impunity, which undermines public trust in the criminal justice system. African countries face multifaceted and complex challenges to their criminal justice systems, with culture, socio-economic inequality, and a lack of resources and public trust also foremost in these challenges. With these complexities around the globe, international journals can provide a platform that expands our knowledge of global crime and justice and enable discussions of reasonable solutions to pressing global challenges.

Finally, access is key. Subscription to refereed, peer-reviewed journals is often prohibitive for many universities in less developed countries. This lack of access limits the ability of scholars to stay updated with the latest research in their fields and consequently impacts the quality and relevance of their work. At a more fundamental level, this lack of access also hinders scholars’ ability to stay informed of the rudimentary structure and process of publishing a scientific manuscript. Fortunately, publishers have recognised this challenge and are providing some access to scholars from the global south. Taylor and Francis, for example, has developed the STAR (Special Terms for Authors & Researchers) programme that allows researchers from designated countries in the global south, access to fifty articles for free within a 12-month period. These opportunities still need to be made more widely known, and outreach efforts by journal editors can assist towards this end.

In sum, I believe that an “international” journal, to be truly international, needs to facilitate knowledge sharing among scholars across the globe or scholars who work across multiple nations. A platform that encourages scientific rigour in crime and justice research is vital in advancing knowledge in our field, informing policy, and shaping innovation. The contributions of international scholars are crucial in this platform.

The IJCACJ has made strides in publishing work from underrepresented countries and scholars from the global south. We are committed to continuing and strengthening this trend. We encourage submissions from around the globe, from scholars in the West and in the United States, and particularly from our colleagues in the global south. IJCACJ will actively seek out and encourage submissions from authors of diverse nationalities and cultural backgrounds. Our editorial board is committed to advancing our outreach across countries to truly create an international presence in the Journal.