DBS Business Review is a new open access, annual academic journal published by Dublin Business School. Prior to the official launch of the journal, we interviewed Marketing Lecturer/Course Director and Editor in chief of DBS Business Review, Alan Morgan, and Head of Library Services and Managing Editor of DBS Business Review, Marie O’Neill, to find out exactly what we can expect from the academic journal.
How did the idea for the DBS Business Review come about?
Alan: Based on the work which my colleagues in the School of Arts and the Library did on producing the SAH Journal, we wanted to do something initiated from DBS yet collaboratively with other institutions. There is also a gap in the academic business publishing world for open access journals, as most business journals are behind paywalls.
Marie: DBS Library along with faculty at DBS and from across the sector already publishes a cross institutional, open access, peer reviewed journal called Studies in Arts and Humanities. The journal has been very successful and is now indexed on an international EBSCO research database.
Buoyed by this success, the DBS Library team felt that there was an opening for a second DBS published journal in the business discipline. Alan Morgan, Course Director for Marketing at DBS shared this vision and Editorial and Advisory Boards were assembled with faculty, librarians and academic managers from DBS and across the sector to make this vision a reality. The publication of DBS Business Review has provided DBS faculty and librarians with an additional opportunity to engage in a critically important form of scholarly activity which is journal publication.
In the National Strategy for Higher Education to 2030, the Government states that it is critically important for students to learn in an environment that is informed by the latest research. The publication of a peer reviewed, academic journal at DBS evidences a commitment to research and scholarship by DBS faculty and Library staff, which ultimately enhances the learning experience for students at DBS.
What can we expect from DBS Business Review and who will contribute to the journal?
Alan: The journal is a cross institutional, international endeavour which features peer reviewed articles from a range of academic contributors including undergraduate and postgraduate students alongside faculty, submitted from across the sector. Editorial Board and Advisory Board members include academics, librarians and academic management from institutions such Dublin Business School, Manchester Business School, Cork Institute of Technology, Waterford Institute of Technology, Institute of Technology Tallaght, Dublin Institute of Technology, London Metropolitan University, Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology, Dublin City University, Griffith College Dublin and University College Dublin.
DBS Business Review also seeks to dismantle some of the boundaries that exist between disciplines such as Business and Arts. We welcome submissions with an interdisciplinary focus. We also welcome academic papers, original research, as well as reflections written within the frameworks of accounting and finance, innovation and design, digital media, management, marketing, international business, corporate governance, business ethics, human resource management, retail management, IT, event management, strategy, project management, business law, etc.
The work coming from the contributors is coming from various disciplines across business academia. We have also incorporated business interviews with brand leaders together with conference and book reviews.
Marie: There is a growing open access publishing movement in the higher education sector. The Irish Government has also published its National Principles for Open Access Policy Statement. An interesting aspect of the journal is that it accepts high quality submissions from students as well as from faculty and business practitioners. It is intended that the cross fertilisation of this broader academic conversation will spark new insights and innovations within the business community. It also means that high performing students at DBS and beyond have the opportunity to publish in a peer reviewed, academic journal during their studies.
What were your main reasons for wanting to go ahead with the journal?
Alan: To create an open access platform that supports peer reviewed work. The other motivations were around a collaborative approach by encouraging submissions from all institutions and in particular to promote student work at undergraduate, postgraduate and PhD level.
Marie: As a third level institution, it is critically important that DBS engages in the full range of scholarly activity that one would expect to find in an institution committed to the highest academic standards. The publication of a peer reviewed, academic journal at DBS evidences a commitment to research and scholarship by DBS faculty and Library staff. Additionally DBS Business Review has further revitalised the research culture of DBS by providing faculty and Library staff with the opportunity to participate in a broader range of scholarly activity including editorship and Editorial Board membership.
How often will a new journal be published? The journal is an annual publication and will be published in September each year.
How can people access the journal? The journal will be available to view at www.dbsbusinessreview.ie after the launch date of September 14th.
Any final comments on the process or what your hopes for the Business Review are?
Alan: I would hope that the Journal is accepted for what it is - an open access peer reviewed top quality free Business journal. A key goal of the journal is to facilitate a robust and dynamic scholarly communication across business schools in Ireland and beyond, including non-cognate disciplines. The journal also aims to infuse these conversations with ideas and submissions from professionals, practitioners and industry experts. It is intended that the cross fertilisation of this broader conversation will spark new insights and innovations as well as foster enthusiasm, humanity and creativity within the business community.
Marie: I would like to acknowledge the work of the management team of the journal which also comprises the following DBS staff members - Alan Morgan, Jane Buggle, Deputy Librarian and Joan Colvin Postgraduate and Law Librarian. Alan is Editor in Chief and Jane and Joan are Senior Editors.
It is also critically important to acknowledge Editorial Board and Advisory Board members, contributors and peer reviewers.
A key vision for the journal is that it becomes a key, open access platform for the showcasing and dissemination of high quality academic research in the discipline of business in Ireland and beyond. A second key vision is the incorporation of library publishing skills into the next iteration of the MSc in Information and Library Management at DBS so that future generations of librarians are equipped with the skillset of open access, peer review journal publication.
The launch for DBS Business Review is on the 14th September at DBS. Please visit Eventbrite for further information and to reserve a ticket. All welcome.