ABOUT PUBLISHING

AEpub, the new publication manual of the RAE-Revista de Administração de Empresas of FGV/EAESP, brings publishing guidelines and shows authors the main dimensions that form the evaluation process of articles submitted to the Journal. It is worth briefly recalling the process: the first step is the initial selection by the editor-in-chief, who evaluate the text’s publication potential and forwards it, if suitable, for review by the scientific editors, specialists in the thematic area. Because the field of Social Sciences has grown massively in the last few decades, we have become, as Boaventura de Souza Santos says, “specialized ignorants”. Therefore, the editorial body includes specialists for this thematic multiplicity. The second step is taken by the scientific editor, who may recommend rejecting the article or forwarding it to the blind-review process. This phase includes an evaluation by reviewers, who suggest certain improvements to the article, and may even involve various rounds until it is accepted for publication. The role of reviewers, in this case, is to suggest changes that, based on their experience and knowledge, are aimed at improving the article (Rai, 2016); however, they do not decide on its approval or rejection. The scientific editor recommends (or not) its publication, and the editor-in-chief has the final decision. If the article is accepted, the third phase includes a grammar review.

This is the process, but what is the importance of the review? After all, why is it essential to conduct it? Over the years, the scientific community has enhanced the review of articles and, thereby, of journals: good articles reinforce the quality of journals, which attract the submission of good articles. In Brazil, in the area of Administration, Tourism and Accounting, this process has become consolidated since 2002, with the guidelines for periodicals issued by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (Capes) and the active participation of various professors engaged in research across the country. Even though many people question this process, in essence, the assessment conducted by periodicals reinforces the pursuit of quality of graduate programs' scientific production (Trzesniak, 2016).

Although we may sound repetitive, what qualities are appreciated in scientific articles? Basically, contributions to the field of research which can fill theoretical gaps after exhaustive, up-to-date literature reviews. Articles considered for publication are the ones that present a well articulate theoretical framework, clearly described methodological procedures, and conclusions that are relevant both for theory and practice. Similarities should be avoided. Many authors reproduce contents without proper citation, usually of their own articles, which causes their rejection. When similarities concern dissertations, theses or articles presented at congresses, however, the article is not rejected. Described in this way, these criteria seem simple and straightforward, but the efforts to achieve such results are not easy. In the first semester of 2016, 500 articles were submitted to the Journal, but only 20 were accepted for publication. This should not serve to discourage, but rather reaffirm the importance of research quality. One can never overstress the need of rigor in methodological procedures and substantive theoretical reviews, which underpin quality research. Rigor, however, must not kill creativity, which contributes to developing knowledge, reviewing concepts that have crystalized into truths, and/or solving the complex problems we experience (Eisenhardt, Graebner, & Sonenshein, 2016).

RAE's latest issue presents three articles approved at the Fórum de Varejo (Retail Forum) in partnership with the 8º Congresso Latino-Americano de Varejo (8th Latin American Retail Congress [CLAV]), selected by Delane Botelho and Leandro Guissoni. The issue brings three other articles, in addition to a review of Júlio Lobão's book Finanças Comportamentais: Quando a economia encontra a psicologia, and book recommendations on "transdisciplinarity" and "institutions and the performance of companies".

Enjoy your reading!

Maria José Tonelli | Editor-in-chief
Professor at Fundação Getulio Vargas, Escola de Administração de Empresas de São Paulo – São Paulo – SP, Brazil

REFERÊNCIAS

• Eisenhardt, K. M., Graebner, M. E., & Sonenshein, S. (2016). Grand challenges and inductive methods: Rigor without rigor mortis. Academy of Management Journal, 59(4), 1113-1123. doi:10.5465/amj.2016.4004
  » https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2016.4004
• Rai, A. Writing a virtuous review. (2016). MIS Quarterly, 40(3), 3-10.
• Trzesniak, P. (2016). Um Qualis em quatro tempos: Histórico e sugestões para Administração, Ciências Contábeis e Turismo. RC&F-Revista Contabilidade & Finanças, 27(72), 279-290.

Publication Dates

• Publication in this collection
  Nov-Dec 2016