Forty-one years of Kybernetes
Article Type: Editorial From: Kybernetes, Volume 41, Issue 10
It is often said that the past is another country. This is certainly true for Kybernetes which was founded and developed during a period of intense technological change. Its origins lie in the 1960s when computers, for example,were still referred to as “electronic brains” and thought of only as being “arithmetical machines”. In each of our volumes we followed these technological advances and related them to systems and cybernetics. A summary of the relevant journal sections of Contemporary Cybernetics and Systems was published in our 40th Anniversary Issues, together with a brief history of the origins and progressive development of Kybernetes from 1971 to 2011(Kybernetes, 2011; Hutton and Rudall, 2012).
Since this is my last editorial for the journal, I was asked to include some reminiscences about my time as Editor-in-Chief. Modesty forbids me from claiming all of the credit for its rise from humble house journal for The World Organisation of Systems and Cybernetics (WOSC) to a ten issues a year journal,publishing special issues and including some 200 papers and contributions each year. Alex Andrew has drawn a more balanced account in his appreciation published in this issue, highlighting the dedication of our team.
The journal’s success, as we believe, is the result of the work of an enthusiastic team of compilers. This team included our publishers, who encouraged us to grow the title with a more liberal interpretation of our remit for what could easily be regarded as a niche subject area, and colleagues,including leading academics in the field, who were prepared to take on the ever increasing task of producing an international journal. Dr Andrew was a leading member of the team and brought to our endeavours great experience and insatiable energy.
In the brief history of this journal (Kybernetes, 2011, pp. 7-8.) we outlined how Dr Jack Rose founded Kybernetes and formed a company to publish the journal. A few years later, it was acquired by Emerald Group Publishing, at the time already a successful publishing house which specialised in management publications, and was based in Bradford, Yorkshire, UK. I had been with Kybernetes since its beginning as a Section Editor, having met Dr Rose when he visited my computing laboratory in Rugby, UK in the 1960s.
He was suitably impressed, I believe, because he asked me to join him in a number of publishing ventures. He firmly believed that cybernetics was not catered for in the literature. In consequence, he was the inspiration behind,not only the founding of several international organisations, but also numerous journals, charged with publishing the current researches and developments in the emerging fields that accompanied the advances in science, and technology. At his behest I was invited to become editor or joint editor with him of four major international publications. One of these was Kybernetes, which I joined for its inaugural issues. Since this time, the journal has moved from strength to strength.
At this time Emerald started its “Awards for Excellence” program,designed to recognise and reward the outstanding work of its journals authors’. The Emerald Literati Network has continued this and it was one of the most successful ideas of the time. Combined with an Editors’ Conference it was held annually. Kybernetes embraced the idea and we attended every one. The Kybernetes Award was named the Norbert Wiener Award for Excellence and its recipients were more than pleased to return to their institutions suitably honoured. Our team was encouraged by the “Leading Editor Award”on at least three occasions. But the real success of these events proved to be the opportunity presented to meet the company staff and to be able to network with fellow editors and journal contributors. It was a very worthwhile exercise,now sadly no longer held, but of course, the awards continue.
The journal’s links with WOSC have over the years been strengthened by invitations to Professor Stafford Beer and to Professor Robert Vallee to be our first Patrons, and also by the appointment of EAB Members from the world organisation. Even greater collaboration was achieved when our Internet Editor was appointed Director-General, and the Editor-in-Chief appointed Vice-President of the organisation. Similar links have now been made with the UK Cybernetics Society.
It was at a Literati Network Editors’ meeting held in the Reform Club in London that I recall several editors raising the question of Emerald making more use of computers in its production process. The company had, of course, started moving in this direction but it was ironic that another journey into the unknown had started there. The present extensive online services and working are evidence of the publisher’s foresight in embracing what is now accepted as the standard way of publishing journals. Perhaps this should be expected since the founder of the Internet was an early contributor to Kybernetes.
In leaving the journal after 41 years I do recognise the challenges it faces in future years. The whole process of the way in which journals are produced is being questioned and at a time when more and more sophisticated electronic technology is being marketed. I have every confidence that the journal will continue to prosper and I wish the new team of editors every success in the future. As to Emerald, I need to especially thank the many past Kybernetesmanaging editors/publishers and support staff, for not only carrying out their responsibilities so conscientiously, but also for the friendly way in which they have interacted with our team and with our authors. This has been particularly true over the last two years when we lost key members of our team but still succeeded in meeting all of our production deadlines in a timely fashion. They already know how much their loyalty and dedication over the years has been recognised and appreciated.
Those members of the journal’s Editorial Advisory Board, who not only contributed their service, but also acted as peer reviewers, and in many cases,as invited Guest Editors, undoubtedly made valuable contributions to its success.
Finally, there would be no journal, without both our contributors and, of course, our reviewers. These have mainly been academics who usually receive no financial reward, but who wish to not only improve their own research group’s status in their chosen fields, but wish to make a difference by providing new ideas and methodologies by entering the global marketplace of cybernetics,systems and management science through the medium of this journal.
Brian H. RudallEditor-in-Chief
