Objectives and Scope
“Knowledge is the result of the synthetic activity of consciousness.”
J. E. Creighton (1896). The Nature of Intellectual Synthesis
Sustainability issues are complex and interwoven. In order for our understanding of these issues to advance in a timely fashion, they need to be explored from multiple angles simultaneously.
Innovations in any given field - especially those that are counterintuitive - must be acknowledged and promoted in the wider research community; and equally, false "good ideas" need to be visibly debunked.
However, the natural, social and human sciences have different vocabularies, standards and methodologies. In addition, the issues can be perceived quite differently by theoreticians and practitioners, by scholars, public bodies and private sectors. Furthermore, each field has its own means of publishing and disseminating knowledge.
There is a need to bridge these gaps.
S.A.P.I.EN.S provides a central platform for sustainability research, where key ideas from all fields are published. Rather than publishing original research from individual fields, our priority is to publish reviews and opinion pieces that give a global perspective on the issues, in jargon-free language that facilitates access to interested parties from other fields.
S.A.P.I.EN.S publishes review articles (Surveys, Analyses, Introductions) and evidence-based opinions (Perspectives, Views) that integrate knowledge across disciplines. Authors are required to make explicit:
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what is known;
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what is unknown, or not yet established;
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explanations of methodologies or paradigms employed;
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a clear delineation between hypothesis, fact and conclusion.
Prospective authors are encouraged to send a short synopsis to the managing editor.
S.A.P.I.EN.S: sharing knowledge, preparing for the future.