Making <i>Family Process</i> Truly International

Since Family Process began 46 years ago as the pioneering voice in family therapy theory, practice, and research, the world has become in one sense smaller, and in another, far more complex. We are able to communicate with one another across continents and oceans with the speed afforded by technology and air travel. At the same time, our appreciation of international differences has deepened, and the need for theoretical models, practice, and research to address these differences has never been greater. The reach of the journal, through online subscriptions, both personal and institutional, is increasingly worldwide. Among the top 10 users of the journal through Blackwell Synergy, seven are in countries outside the United States, including such places as the University of Zagreb and the University of Queensland. Among the top 10 downloaded articles last year, three were written by authors outside the United States, and among the top 10 cited articles last year, three were from authors outside English-speaking countries. Among submissions to Family Process in each year of my editorship, approximately half have been from countries outside the United States; two thirds were from European countries, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, China, and Israel, with the remainder from developing nations. However, examining the publication trends, accepted and published papers are three fourths from the United States and one fourth from a combination of European countries, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and Israel, with no publications from Central and South America, Asian countries outside Japan, the Middle East aside from Israel, and Africa. Manuscripts received for review from these parts of the world often either have not been written in sufficiently proficient English or have been on topics outside the journal's purposes. The need for international writing partnerships, affordable and good translations, and expanded knowledge of the mission of Family Process is evident in these trends. The board of the Family Process Institute and the journal's editorial board have been struggling to develop adequate responses to a number of issues, including the dearth of excellent articles from developing countries; the prohibitive costs of fine scholarly translation, particularly for manuscripts at the review stage, which may or may not be accepted for publication; methods for international mentoring; expansion of knowledge of the journal's content to more parts of the world to promote both readership and authorship; and the avoidance of intellectual colonialism that may result from the recruitment of articles that might otherwise publish in the journal of a country outside the United States. To begin to address these problems, I have recently appointed Janine Roberts to the newly created position of Associate Editor for International Scholarship. Dr. Roberts has taught, supervised, developed programs, and consulted internationally. She has maintained a commitment to family therapy in developing countries throughout her career. She is especially sensitive to the need to develop family therapy theory, practice, and research that fit diverse contexts; to promote an international exchange that is collaborative rather than hierarchical; and to aid in the dissemination of knowledge across borders. I am especially pleased to welcome her to the editorial team of Family Process. Following the board's request, Dr. Roberts is organizing the translation of all article abstracts into Spanish and Mandarin beginning with Volume 47 in 2008. These abstracts will appear on the Blackwell Synergy Web site. Our intention with this initiative is to expand our outreach initially in Central and South America, the Spanish-speaking Caribbean, Taiwan, China, and Southeast Asia. Through this availability of abstracts, we hope to send a clear message of our commitment to international scholarship and exchange of ideas and to broaden knowledge of the journal's scope for potential authors. Dr. Roberts is also surveying our current advisory editorial board for reviewers who can review in languages other than English in order to begin the process of securing one or more articles for publication from parts of the world not yet represented in the journal. We are also searching for ad hoc reviewers with this capacity. Mentors willing to work with colleagues in Latin America, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East to develop publishable articles for the journal are encouraged to contact Janine Roberts ([email protected]). Our 21st-century world is at once more accessible while confronting us with huge gulfs in knowledge of myriad family forms, the ways that people couple and parent, intergenerational relationships, the demands of daily life, the impact of living with continual war, the effects of the global economy on families, and beliefs that underpin healing practices, including the burgeoning of family therapy in some developing countries. In addition, migration around the world, both chosen and forced, requires that we begin to understand its impact and not assume that old models will suffice. I envision Family Process as the scholarly home for manuscripts addressing these concerns written by authors and read by readers from around the globe. Coming in March 2008: special issue on the family and asthma, guest edited by Barbara Fiese, Ph.D., and Frederick Wamboldt, M.D.

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