Systems, Man & Cybernetics - April 2015 - 4

Editorial

by M.E. El-Hawary

Discussing
Differences Between
Magazines and
Transactions

he second issue of IEEE Systems, Man, and Cybernetics Magazine comes to you
delayed because of our learning and
growing process. Our team is working to minimize this delay while
making the issue valuable for your
professional development.
Questions regarding the difference in content between the transactions of the IEEE Systems, Man,
and Cybernetics Society (SMCS) and
this magazine have been raised by
members of our community. As the
question relates to an IEEE publication, it made sense for me to look
for guidance offered by the Publication Services and Products Board
(PSPB). The answer to the question
"What is the difference between
IEEE journals, transactions, letters,
and magazines?" appears on the
PSPB website (https://www.ieee.org/
publications_standards/publications/
subscriptions/clientservices/info/
faq_clientservices.html):
Journals, transactions, and letters are the primary means for
publishing technical papers
concerning original work in
IEEE fields of interest. Journals, transactions, and letters
may also contain reviews and
tutorial papers concerning such
Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/MSMC.2015.2451851
Date of publication: 16 September 2015

ters are for the publication of brief
papers, usually three to four pages in
length. While it is a matter of editorial
policy for transactions to include tutorial and review articles, magazines
are the place for tutorials, reviews,
and summaries updating a technical area to encourage exploration of
novel ideas.
I also find it useful to refer to the
scope of the magazine, which states:
The scope of content published
work. The primary purpose of
within IEEE Systems, Man,
journals, transactions, and letand Cybernetics Magazine
ters is to disclose and provide a
matches the technology areas
permanent archival record of
within the Society's fields of inoriginal technical work that
terest. Article subjects include
advances the state of the art or
the integration of the theories of
provides novel insights. Papers
communication, control, cyberin journals, transactions, and
netics, systems engineering, and
letters should be
human-factors enof lasting value to
gineering as well
the professional
as their applicaas judged by the
tion to the variety
Magazines are
authors' peers
of systems includthe place for
through a formal
ing human-matutorials, reviews,
review process.
chine, biological,
and summaries
Magazines are
technological, and
characterized by
societal. The magupdating a
regular and conazine is intended
technical area
tinuing issues with
to communicate
to encourage
significant technito readers about
exploration of
cal content in
the activities and
addition to generactions of the
novel ideas.
al news and reguSMCS's governing
lar columns.
body, its technical
What is clear from
committees, and
this statement is that IEEE magazines
its Chapters. Furthermore, the
carry general news and regular (opinmagazine will offer educational
ion) columns. As for technical conmaterial such as technical retent, the transactions are definitely
view papers and publish contrithe natural home for original and
butions on educational activinew results that advance knowledge
ties, industrial and university
in a field of interest. If the articles
profiles, conference news, book
include information about research
reviews, and a calendar of imobjectives, methods, study design,
portant events.
measurements, and conclusions, they
This scope articulates the magazine's
are probably reports of original recoverage and is good for both readers
search from an academic journal. Letand potential authors.

IEEE SyStEmS, man, & CybErnEtICS magazInE A pri l 2015

https://www.ieee.org/

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Systems, Man & Cybernetics - April 2015