Message from the Editor
Although I am new to the role of editor-in-chief (EIC), I am hardly a stranger to the INFORMS Journal on Computing (IJOC). I joined as an associate editor in 1995 when I was a quite junior faculty member at the University of Pittsburgh. When David Woodruff was elevated to EIC from area editor six years ago, I took his place as area editor of heuristic search. Now, after some 23 years, I am honored and jubilant to assume the EIC role for the IJOC.
The IJOC is recognized for its uniqueness, the intersection of operations research and computer science, and for its heritage of high-quality and thought-provoking papers. It is my intention to maintain this distinction and to advance the visibility and profile of the journal, as well as to judiciously expand its realm to include developing areas that fit within our scope and mission.
A few aspects of the IJOC are changing. We will return to an immediate publication by paper model rather than an immediate publication by issue model. This will better allow us to develop thematic groupings in issues as well as allow for special issues. The latter is also a change, and we are seeking proposals for special issues with the aim to publish one approximately every 18 months. Another alteration is that papers submitted for consideration will be required to include two additional items. The first will explain why that particular area of the IJOC was selected, and the second, which will be published with the paper, will be a description of how the paper meets the mission and scope of the IJOC. These are efforts to ensure that the papers submitted are congruent with our distinguishing aspect of interfacing operations research and computer science and find their way to the proper area for review. Finally, we plan to implement some awards, including one or more best paper awards, and awards to recognize exceptional reviewers. If you have any ideas in this regard, please let me know.
As the last part of this message, I want to pay tribute to all of the past editors-in-chief of the IJOC. These are (in chronological order) Harvey Greenberg (recently deceased), Bruce Golden, David Kelton, Prakash Mirchandani (briefly), John Chinneck, and David Woodruff. I have had the privilege of working with most of them over the years and am especially grateful for the mentoring and tireless good humor of Dave Woodruff. I also want to thank the outgoing and incoming area and associate editors. Through their dedication and hard work, this journal continues to flourish. We are a volunteer force united by a passion for the advancement of our field and a commitment to the IJOC.
All my best,
Alice E. Smith
