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Author: Stefan G. Hofmann

¹ú²úÂÒÂ× celebrates and recognises our editors and teams for their achievements in editorial board development, journal growth, increasing diversity, and more. In this blog series, based on inspirational contributions from the 2023 Celebrating Editorial Impact event, editors-in-chief from across ¹ú²úÂÒÂ× share exciting and innovative initiatives they are pursuing, the journey to implementing them, and the impact these have had on their journals and communities.

In today’s post, Stefan G. Hofmann, Ph.D., Editor-in-Chief of Cognitive Therapy and Research, shares how he approached journal growth and adaptation to a changing publishing landscape by establishing editorial board engagement and leveraging special issues to cement the journal as a thought leader in its field. 

Scientific journal publishing is changing rapidly, with the proliferation of academic journals and the resultant decline in submissions and impact. As the editor-in-chief of the journal since 2012, I’ve been considering how we can adapt to this new context.

Adapting to a challenging landscape of academic journal publishing

What are the general principles of adaptation? Whether in natural or organisational systems, variation, selection, and retention are well-recognised as the key to evolution and adaptation. For our efforts to invigorate the impact and relevance of Cognitive Therapy and Research, I set out to use these principles:

• Variation: Being flexible
• Selection: Finding our niche
• Retention: Continuing what seems to work.

Cognitive Therapy and Research is an interdisciplinary journal publishing on the research and practice of cognitive behavioural therapy and covering diverse areas of psychology since 1977. Considering the dynamic and vibrant nature of the field and journal publishing in general, and the stagnation in overall submissions and impact, it was high time to invigorate Cognitive Therapy and Research.

Competing with an ever-growing number of new journals, including open access, as well as other phenomena such as ChatGPT and predatory publishing, I decided to focus our efforts first and foremost on the editorial board and its people as the driving force of our engagement.

The editorial board as key to engagement and impact

The editorial board is very meaningful to maintaining the quality and reputation of an academic journal, as well as its strategic direction. By cultivating and maintaining a diverse and dynamic editorial board, we drive engagement, attract high-quality submissions, and boost the overall impact of the journal.  

I believe that choosing the right people – engaged and committed, that cover broad and relevant research trends – is key to a meaningful editorial board that supports and elevates the journal. And investing thought, time, and resources in the editorial board is important to maintain its impact on the journal.

To ensure that Cognitive Therapy and Research’s editorial board remains on top of emerging trends and perspectives in the relevant fields covered by the journal, we engage in meticulous selection and periodic rotation of editorial board members.

By fostering a culture of active engagement, we aim to give our editorial board members a voice and create a community where people feel appreciated. We value the work and commitment of each and every colleague who devotes time to the journal in the editorial board, and recognise the importance of these efforts.

To encourage and support engagement, we capitalise on opportunities to meet and discuss different topics, for example inviting editorial board members to dinners at conferences or arranging online brainstorming sessions. This is to ensure that members’ ideas and contributions are presented and can be taken into consideration in the decision making process on the journal’s development and operation.

Keeping up with the trends: Special issues

Listening to the trends in a research field and presenting them in the journal is important for staying up to date and covering important scientific milestones for our readership. It is vital and sometimes challenging to find the correct balance between research trends and brief flareups of excitement, but the journal needs to reflect what is going on in the field. To stay abreast, remaining curious, active, and engaged at conferences and meetings is essential.

Special issues, I believe, are a great instrument to setting milestones and giving future guidance. This is why I strategically try to put together at least one special issue each year on current topics, and connect it to an important occasion, when possible. An example is the special issue titled , which marked the 100^th birthday of Aaron T. Beck, founder of cognitive behavioural therapy and our journal Cognitive Therapy and Research.

Stimulating growth and continuing the momentum

Since I began actively addressing the invigoration of the journal by empowering the editorial board and proactively publishing special issues regularly, we’ve seen a meaningful impact on Cognitive Therapy and Research. The numbers of various growth indicators such as submissions, publications, and downloads at Cognitive Therapy and Research have increased.  

2023 saw a 28% increase in submissions as compared to the year prior, and the upwards trend for submissions continues with a projected further 10% raise by the end of 2024. Publications have risen 84% (!) in 2023, with 109 articles published (compared with 59 in 2022). And the journal received 625,021 downloads in 2023, a 19% increase from 2022.

Returning to the principles of adaptation, I think that while fluctuations are normal, being committed and willing to learn is important for the long run. We continue with the momentum and upward trajectories, focus on the unique aspects that distinguish the journal from others, and capitalise on what works. Cognitive Therapy and Research is an outlet of an open and vibrant community, providing a platform for incisive discourse and relevant research.

Looking forward, we need to reflect and contribute to shaping the Zeitgeist in our field (specifically for us this means topics such as personalisation, technological advances, cultural aspects of psychopathology). I believe that with our solid editorial engagement strategy and strategic initiatives such as regular special issues, we are ready to navigate the current and future challenges with resilience and foresight. 

Want to find out more about initiatives that make journals more accessible, impactful, and inclusive? Check out our special event: Celebrating Editorial Impact in 2023, which showcased contributions from ¹ú²úÂÒÂ× editors-in-chief about the exciting strategies and projects enriching their journals, as well as their wider research communities.