Advancing a Rigorous and Multidisciplinary Tradition of Nature and Applied Science in J

1. Background

In an era marked by powerful AI content generators and the rapid spread of information on social media, the role of a scientific journal as a bastion of trustworthy knowledge has never been more critical. As the Editor-in-Chief of J, I am keenly aware that our journal must champion the highest standards of scientific rigor while embracing the wide breadth of disciplines that J was designed to serve. From its inception, J (ISSN 2571-8800) was conceived as an open-access, peer-reviewed forum for high-quality research across the natural and applied sciences, focused on fast dissemination of scientifically sound results. We now seek to build on that foundation by clearly articulating our commitment to a literature-based, methodologically rigorous tradition of science—one that spans fundamental natural sciences through practical applications and emphasizes multidisciplinary approaches to real-world problems. In this editorial, I outline the vision for J moving forward: a journal of applied science in the broadest sense, where robust theory meets empirical validation, and where knowledge is advanced in a manner both scientifically rigorous and societally relevant.

2. Commitment to Scientific Rigor and Literature-Based Research

At the core of J’s identity is an unwavering commitment to the scientific method and to evidence-based inquiry. We affirm that all submissions must be grounded in rigorous methodology and supported by the existing literature. Whether a paper presents a new experiment, proposes a theoretical model, or synthesizes prior findings, it should demonstrate a firm grasp of relevant scholarly work and a respect for well-confirmed theories. Our peer-review process reflects this priority. In line with J’s original ethos, reviewers are asked to evaluate manuscripts solely on the soundness of their methods, analysis, and reasoning, not on subjective notions of novelty or impact. This means that if a study is conducted with appropriate rigor, draws on relevant literature, and its conclusions logically follow from the data, it can be accepted. By focusing on validity and avoiding hype, we ensure that what we publish contributes reliably to the body of scientific knowledge.

Crucially, a literature-based approach underpins this rigor. We expect authors to situate their work in the context of what is already known. A strong J submission will articulate how it builds upon, contradicts, or fills a gap in previous studies. For example, a recent article on high-rise building aerodynamics combined fluid dynamics simulations with the adjoint method to optimize tower design [1]. Such work exemplifies how theory, prior research, and careful experimentation come together to advance applied science. Going forward, J will emphasize this kind of integration of past knowledge with new insights. In practice, this means more than just citing literature for form’s sake; it means actively engaging with it. Authors should derive hypotheses from established theory, use proven techniques (or explicitly justified novel ones) in their methods, and compare their results with earlier findings. By demanding this level of scholarship, we uphold a tradition of cumulative science, where each article in J becomes a reliable link in the chain of knowledge.

Maintaining scientific rigor also entails a respect for transparency and reproducibility. We encourage authors to provide comprehensive methodological details (e.g., experimental protocols, datasets, code) so that others may replicate and build upon their work. J has always promoted the publication of full experimental details and controls, and we continue to support initiatives like open data and pre-registered studies. Particularly in an age when AI can produce text with ease, it is vital that real research be distinguishable by its depth and verifiability. A robust, literature-backed study serves as a bulwark against misinformation, because it carries the weight of documented evidence and reasoned analysis. By fostering this rigorous, evidence-based culture, J will help ensure that science remains, as it should be, a self-correcting pursuit of truth.

3. Natural and Applied Sciences: A Broad Scope with an Applied Focus

One of J’s great strengths is its breadth of scope. As an open-access multidisciplinary scientific journal, J welcomes research from all disciplines of the natural and applied sciences, reflecting the understanding that insights in one field can catalyze advances in another. Our scope spans Biology and Life Sciences, Chemistry and Materials Science, Computer Science and Mathematics, Engineering, Environmental and Earth Sciences, Medicine and Pharmacology, Physical Sciences, and Public Health & Healthcare, among others. We cover work from fundamental physics to clinical medicine, from environmental science to computational modeling. This inclusivity remains a defining trait of J.

Within this broad umbrella, however, we are positioning J with a sharper applied science focus. By this, we do not mean excluding fundamental or “basic” science, far from it. Instead, we encourage authors to highlight the potential real-world application or implication of their fundamental research. In other words, J is the journal of applied science across all fields. We recognize that today’s theoretical discovery in a “natural science” domain can be the seed of tomorrow’s technology or solution. Thus, we welcome theoretical articles provided they articulate or demonstrate how the theory engages with empirical reality or could drive new applications. A paper in pure physics or biology, for instance, should clarify how the insights might influence practical systems, inform further experiments, or intersect with other domains. This applied orientation ensures that even our most fundamental contributions maintain a line-of-sight to the broader scientific enterprise and societal needs.

The Journal rightly emphasized the importance of natural sciences in our scope. We fully embrace foundational research in areas like physics, chemistry, biology, and mathematics. Strengthening our coverage of natural sciences will enrich the journal, not only by publishing breakthrough discoveries, but by laying the groundwork for applied research in engineering, medicine, environmental management, and more. We envision J as a venue where, for example, a novel material science finding stands alongside an engineering study that uses that material in a device, or where a new algorithm in computer science might be applied in a healthcare context. By housing such diverse content under one roof, J can facilitate cross-pollination between fundamental science and applied solutions. Indeed, our updated strategy since 2020 explicitly reoriented J “towards papers focusing solely on natural and applied sciences,” underscoring our commitment to both sides of this spectrum. We cherish our role as a generalist scientific journal, one that does not silo knowledge, but rather connects it.

To authors from the natural sciences, we invite them to submit their fundamental research and join us in reflecting on its possible applications or interdisciplinary linkages. To authors from applied sciences and engineering, we encourage them to delve into the underlying science and to collaborate across disciplines. The problems of the real world do not respect academic boundaries, and neither does J. Our ideal article is one that is excellent in its own domain and accessible and interesting to scientists from other fields. For example, consider a recent J paper that used deep learning to improve multi-class diagnosis of lung diseases from chest X-rays [2]. By publishing such articles, we aim to send a message: whether it’s physics or psychology, software or sustainability, if the research is scientifically sound and tied to real-world impact, J is your journal of choice.

4. Multidisciplinary Collaboration for Real-World Solutions

Complex real-world problems rarely fall neatly within one academic field. As such, J promotes a multidisciplinary approach and actively seeks studies that cross traditional disciplinary boundaries. We believe J can serve as a meeting ground for different expertise converging on shared challenges. Our editorial sections span a wide array of sciences, and we often route manuscripts to reviewers from different backgrounds to ensure a broad perspective. The cross-cutting nature of J is evident in the variety of content we publish in a single issue. For example, Issue 1 of 2024 included papers in biology [3], engineering [1], computer science & medicine [2], energy/environmental science [4] and biomechanics/health technology [5]. Few journals present such a mosaic of disciplines side by side. We view this diversity as a catalyst: a civil engineer browsing our latest issue might stumble upon an AI method from a medical paper and realize it could be applied to structural monitoring; a biologist might find inspiration in a chemistry paper for a new experimental technique; a public health researcher could learn from an environmental science study when evaluating community interventions. By fostering this multidisciplinary readership and authorship, J aims to spark the kind of creative, integrative thinking that drives innovation.

Going forward, we will place special emphasis on studies that involve collaboration across fields or that demonstrate a multidisciplinary methodology. If you submit a paper that merges, say, geology and computer modeling, or psychology and software engineering, know that it will find a welcoming home here. Our broad editorial board, which includes experts from natural sciences through applied domains, stands ready to handle such submissions. We also encourage authors to discuss the broader impacts of their work across fields. In your discussion sections, don’t hesitate to speculate (within reason) how your findings might interest researchers in other areas or how methods from another field could enhance your study. This kind of awareness enriches the paper and broadens its appeal. J will increasingly highlight articles with multi-domain relevance as “Feature Papers” or “Editor’s Choice” selections, to showcase how interconnected modern science can be.

Multidisciplinarity is not just an abstract ideal; it is often the key to solving pressing global issues. Challenges like climate change, pandemics, sustainable development, or AI ethics demand inputs from various sciences and the humanities. While J focuses on natural and applied sciences, we recognize their intersection with social systems and policy. We thus remain open to papers at the interface of technology and society (for instance, a paper on the adoption of a healthcare innovation may involve sociological data; if grounded in empirical analysis, it would fit our scope). By facilitating dialogue between disciplines, J can contribute to holistic solutions, the kind that truly works outside the lab. In sum, we embrace the multidisciplinary and translational character of J as a defining feature that will be strengthened in coming years. The world’s toughest problems will be solved by coalitions of knowledge, and J is positioning itself to publish the science that emerges from those coalitions.

5. Conclusions and Vision Forward

As we chart the course for J in the coming years, our direction is clear: rigor, relevance, and reach. We will uphold rigorous standards that honor the scientific method and the cumulative wisdom of prior literature. We will focus on relevant, applied research that addresses real-world problems and advances multiple fields of natural and applied sciences. And through open access and multidisciplinary reach, we will ensure that the knowledge published in J connects with the people who can use it: scientists in other disciplines, educators, industry innovators, policy-makers, and the informed public.

In practical terms, authors submitting to J can expect thorough but constructive peer review, aimed at improving the clarity and validity of their work. The editorial team will be looking for that combination of scientific soundness and practical insight that defines an impactful paper. We will continue to collaborate with other journals in specific domains to triage submissions; if a manuscript doesn’t fit a specialized journal, we welcome it at J (with peer reviews transferred) so long as it meets our standards. This ensures that valuable research finds a home and isn’t turned away simply for being out-of-scope elsewhere. In fact, we see J increasingly becoming a hub for high-quality research that is “out of the box”—studies that might not squarely belong in a single-discipline journal but have merit and relevance across disciplines. We also invite more Special Issues that bridge fields. Such initiatives provide focused venues for emerging interdisciplinary topics, under the umbrella of J’s broad scope.

As Editor-in-Chief, I am excited about the future of J. The challenges we face, from ensuring food security and public health to developing sustainable technology and understanding the universe, all demand the kind of applied, multidisciplinary science that we champion. My pledge is that J will not only publish papers, but also nurture a community of practice and scholarship. I encourage readers and authors to engage with us: propose new ideas, serve as Reviewers or Guest Editors, and spread the word about findings published here. J is more than a collection of articles: it is a collaborative project to advance science in the service of humanity.

In the spirit of aspiration, let us imagine a young researcher or practitioner, inundated by the mixed quality of information online, asking: “Where can I find solid scientific studies that actually help solve the problem I’m working on?” We want J to be the resounding answer. By moving toward a rigorous and literature-supported tradition, anchored in empirical evidence and open to all disciplines, J will be identified as the journal of applied science for the real world, a beacon of reliable knowledge in the AI and social media age.

I look forward to the breakthroughs, big and small, that will be reported in our pages, from the next aerodynamic innovation that makes buildings safer, to AI tools that enhance clinical diagnosis, to comprehensive reviews that map the path forward in critical fields. Together, as contributors and readers of J, let’s advance a form of science that is at once methodologically sound, richly informed by past knowledge, and boldly aimed at improving our world. This is our vision for J, and I invite you all to be a part of it.