Call for Papers

Deadline January 31, 2022

The Systemic Design Association is delighted to announce the launch of a society-published journal for disciplinary contributions in the field, initially titled the Journal of the Systemic Design Association. The SDA expects to publish the journal semi-annually, with two issues scheduled for 2022. Articles in the first issue will follow the November 2021 RSD10 Symposium, as the first issue will develop articles from presentations and themes of the RSD proceedings.

The first call for submissions for the inaugural issue of the Journal of the Systemic Design Association is now open through January 31, 2022. Articles developed from the themes of the RSD10 Symposium are welcome, as well as the following themes and issues:

1. Societal crises and problematiques as context for systemic design intervention
2. Second-order cybernetics and systemic design, involving reflexive dialogue, language structures, or cultural construction
3. Sociotechnical systems design for flourishing, circularity, or regenerative ecologies
4. Systemic design methodology, supported by practice or implementation research
5. Design research applying systemic or cybernetics theory for transdisciplinary studies of ecological or environmental interventions
6. Systemic design approaches to transformative systems change in complex social contexts

Specifications

Authors are invited to submit manuscripts that meet the following guidelines:

• Articles should be composed between 10 and 20 unformatted pages, 5000 – 10,000 words, not including references. For initial editorial review, images are included inline with text.
• Use traditional scholarly format in manuscripts, according to guideline spec. Format and feedback will be provided following acceptance for peer review.
• Standard Word files in 11 pt Calibri, 1.5 line spacing, embedded images (for review only)
• Total file size less than 10 Mb (compress or insert images to manage file size)
• Submission via EasyChair 
• Submission deadline January 31, 2022

More Information

Please contact Peter Jones.

Background

The SDA Publications Working Group completed a review of publishing options in Winter 2021, and they decided to launch a society journal publication in 2022. The team evaluated the current best-available range of online publishing options and assessed the feasibility and quality of both publisher and third-party hosting options. As SDA was also simultaneously developing the new SDA website, the group carefully considered the capabilities for self-publishing and managing reviews. The search yielded the most effective (and most cost-effective) approach was to self-publish using the updated and highly capable WordPress platform, using plugins as needed to produce a high-quality platform. The journal review mode, EasyChair, will handle the editorial review process.

The “Journal of the Systemic Design Association” will be the title-designate until a distinctive title is approved through further review and member feedback The SDA Journal will officially launch at the RSD10 Symposium and will announce the first call for submissions for two semi-annual issues per year. The first issue, which will be limited to a small number of quality articles, will be published following the first reviews, soon after the start of the new year.

Three publication titles are envisioned:

1. The SDA Journal will publish peer-reviewed open-submission research articles and final work developed from RSD proceedings.
2. Design Briefs will publish essays and selected systemic design case studies chosen by editorial review.
3. SDA will also host an online collection of system maps (with abstracts).

The initial Editorial team is recommended by the SDA board as follows:

Editor-in-Chief: Peter Jones
Deputy Editor-in-Chief and Managing Editor: Silvia Barbero
Executive editor (1 person)
Assistant Managing Editor (1 person)
Associate Editors Section editors for themes and issues