Solidarity of Purpose: Building an Understanding of Consumers through a Community of Scholars

Abstract

We are honored to have been given the opportunity to serve as coeditors of the Journal of Consumer Research ( JCR ) and are inspired by this responsibility. Our overarching goal is to continue to publish the best scholarly research through an editorial process that respects the vision of authors while deploying the talents of a devoted and skilled team of associate editors and reviewers. We are committed to building a coherent understanding of consumers and consumption so that scholars from a broad array of disciplines, marketers, policy makers, and consumers will find value in JCR . Our aspirations for the journal are very high, because it is already in tremendous shape. We admire the intellectual leadership and approach of John Deighton, who leaves the journal and the field it represents in robust health. We are encouraged by John's wisdom, generous scholarship, and devoted service to the consumer research community. Thank you, John, for the enduring contribution your stewardship of JCR has given to our field. During John's term, submissions of new manuscripts to the journal have increased 60%, exceeding 600 in 2010. Total decisions per year have reached 800. Each issue contains high-quality work of substantial value. Further, any editor would envy the community of scholars that the journal comprises. The number of submitting authors is large and drawn from diverse regions and backgrounds. Advising the editors and, in the process, assisting these authors is a correspondingly large, hardworking team of volunteers who serve as associate editors, editorial review board members, and ad hoc reviewers. These referees set out to do what is right for the field and for authors, devoting considerable time to these efforts. They do so because they are dedicated scholars. We also believe they do so because this is a worthwhile field that is still young, with the potential for tremendous future impact.