Academic Publishing in Transition

Abstract

To progress from a broad, poorly understood and semicoherent domain to a recognized and successful field or profession, several observers have suggested that futures studies and applied foresight require appropriate professional standards. While the issue has been around for a while, published work on this subject is still relatively uncommon. This paper address that concern. It is derived from two sources: first, a research project on the “health” of futures studies from 2009 and, second, a content review of several recent volumes of the journal Foresight. The resulting analysis raises questions that need to be debated more widely. It also serves as a call for further work of this kind by different people, using different methods, to round out and further develop this account. A central question is as follows: what standards should be applied and by whom?