Transfer of scientific knowledge to practitioners: Do we need a reform of the journal policy?

Abstract

Milberg (2014, Applied Vegetation Science, this issue) argues that scientific journals do not adequately respond to the practical needs of vegetation management. To bridge the gap between scientists and practitioners, he proposes a reform of applied vegetation research and of the journal Applied Vegetation Science. As the Chief Editors, we agree that it is vital to make the results of our studies accessible to decision-makers and managers, but this cannot be at the expense of scientific research, or its publication. International scientific journals are source of theoretical foundations for applications, therefore they cannot be transformed to primarily solve practical issues while giving up their focus on understanding processes. © 2014 International Association for Vegetation Science.