JTAER: Evolving Aims, Sections, and Development Strategies

The field of electronic commerce has entered a new phase of accelerated transformation. Advances in artificial intelligence, data science, virtual reality, and distributed computing platforms are changing both how commerce happens and how value is produced, regulated and experienced in society. As a result of the many ethical issues associated with these changes, there is increasing concern about digital inclusion, digital literacy, and the regulation of electronic commerce around the globe; thus, the focus of electronic commerce is no longer solely on technology or management, but on society as a whole.

As a result, Journal of Theoretical and Applied Electronic Commerce Research (JTAER) has taken steps to revise and expand the scope of the journal, reflecting both the existing, solid scholarly base of the journal, as well as the potential for new, interdisciplinary and socially relevant research in electronic commerce.

JTAER’s updated aims provide clarity as to the journal’s role as an internationally recognized, peer-reviewed, open access journal serving the interests of researchers, policymakers and practitioners working together to develop and influence the direction of electronic commerce in the future. The update of the aims statement clearly defines the journal’s commitment to theoretical and practical research in digital commerce, while recognizing that digital commerce is a complex and ever-changing phenomenon due to emerging technologies (e.g., artificial intelligence, blockchain, Web 3.0 and immersive commerce) and changes in how businesses are conducted and products/services consumed (e.g., platform economy, social commerce, and sustainability-driven commerce). Additionally, there are many social issues that need to be addressed with respect to digital commerce such as ethics, privacy, digital exclusion and climate impact. Ultimately, the updated aims statement emphasizes that the Journal intends to report innovation in digital commerce; however, the Journal will critically examine the impact of such innovation on individuals, organizations, markets and society around the world.

The updated scope of JTAER expands the journal’s intellectual breadth while maintaining its coherence. Specifically, the updated scope includes, among others, data science, digital marketing and trust, entrepreneurship and platform innovation, fintech and decentralized finance, immersive commerce, and digital governance. The updated scope reflects the fact that research in the digital commerce area is rapidly becoming more interdisciplinary and spans multiple fields of study such as law, ethics, sustainability studies, psychology, information systems, and computer science. Therefore, the journal invites contributions that have been developed through an integrated perspective since digital commerce cannot be studied from a single disciplinary point of view.

To realize the updated aims and scope, JTAER has also refocused its section structure to better reflect the present and emerging research streams. While JTAER’s long-standing strengths in analytics, marketing, entrepreneurship, and digital business are still maintained, the titles and descriptions of each section have been updated to provide a more accurate representation of advances made in AI-based decision making, consumer experience and trust, sustainable business models, and digital governance.

Furthermore, two new sections, Immersive Commerce, and Emerging Technologies and Ethics, Law, and Digital Society, establish the journal as a leading outlet for scholarly work in what are now two significant areas of inquiry regarding digital commerce (previously underrepresented in the journal), while providing flexible structure and intellectual anchor points for both authors and reviewers to engage with the evolving field of digital commerce.

Collectively, these updates confirm JTAER’s position as a premier outlet for quality, impactful research in the area of digital commerce. By aligning its aims, scope, and sections with the evolving technological, organizational and societal context of the digital commerce environment, the journal is well-positioned to facilitate a global, innovative, and relevant scholarly discourse regarding the future of digital commerce. The journal looks forward to continued contributions from the international research community as JTAER continues to advance its mission in this next phase.