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On our own behalf (2000)
DIE ERDE - A new profile for the new millennium
DIE ERDE is the oldest German-language journal of geography. Founded in 1834 as the organ of the Gesellschaft für Erdkunde zu Berlin, it was retitled in 1949 and still bears the same name today: DIE ERDE, Zeitschrift
der Gesellschaft für Erdkunde zu Berlin.
In the 166 years since its inception, DIE ERDE has covered advances in German-language geography with contributions by leading geographers from Germany and abroad, and has helped to strengthen the high reputation of
German geography throughout the world. DIE ERDE also helped to ensure that, for many years, the ability to read German was essential in order to follow the latest academic discussions. After the second world war
English established itself as the language of science. Even though two-thirds of DIE ERDE’s circulation are still mailed abroad, innovative research by German academics receives scant international attention
if published only in German-language journals.
A second trend has modified the importance of geography in Germany: increasing specialization. This development has also affected other academic disciplines, yet in the case of geography it has led to a certain
hollowing-out of the subject’s core. Advances are often made in lines of research more closely related to neighbouring subjects than to the central issues of geography, an originally synthetic and integrative
discipline. In an increasingly complex world, systemic, synthetic and integratively networked approaches to research are needed rather than specialization, as evidenced by the growing importance of interdisciplinary
research. Located at the intersection between the arts, social and natural sciences, geography is a primarily interdisciplinary science whose strengths include the ability to find specific orientations within the
wide range of research methods and theories. Following in the tradition of Alexander von Humboldt, DIE ERDE is in a position to strengthen the systemic and/or the integrative regional-geographical approach as the
current situation demands.
Accordingly, the editors have decided to sharpen the profile of DIE ERDE to take appropriate account of these two aspects - adapting to English as the language of the scientific community and pursuing
integrative-systemic approaches. The start will be made in 2001, the first volume in the new millennium. In keeping with the tradition of DIE ERDE, this will not involve a different packaging (cover, layout), but
rather a careful rethinking of the underlying concept.
DIE ERDE’s new profile
A forum for research into earth systems and regions
Starting with the 2001 issues, the subtitle „A forum for research into earth systems and regions“ will signal DIE ERDE’s new position. Readers will find articles or special issues that pursue a systemic,
integrative, synthetic or networked point of view. Our focus will be twofold: on topics investigating a global or regional system or a problem requiring a systemic approach (such as desertification, food resources,
natural hazards, metropolization, global change), and on integrative regional-geographic research in specific regions of the Earth (e.g. Southeast Asia, the Andean countries, the Orient, Brazil). Each year we will
publish at least one special issue for earth systems and one for earth regions introduced by a state-of-the art article written by a moderator.
Such special issues run the risk of concentrating on established authors, so care will still be taken to request contributions from young scientists. We will continue to publish miscellany issues in which young
researchers present their results. Postgraduate students will still be requested to submit papers to DIE ERDE. As described below, the new ERDE will offer them a gateway to international academic discussion. Each
issue, including the miscellanies, will contain an editorial, which as a rule will be written by one of the editors. It will present the papers in the respective issue and explain the reasons for their selection.
A forum for German-speaking geographers and the international scientific community**
The 2001 issues of DIE ERDE will see a second innovation: most of the papers will be published in English. The extended summaries, captions in German and English, and résumés in French will remain. In this way, DIE
ERDE will act as a gateway to the international scientific community for German-speaking authors. It will also provide a forum of discussion for German and non-German-speaking reseachers since the use of English
will enable colleagues from abroad to participate more fully in discussions of the scientific community in central Europe.
The state-of-the-art introduction will enable the moderator to set the results of German-language specialist literature in an international context, but also to draw international attention to German-language
publications and their results. In this way DIE ERDE will contribute to enhancing the image and international awareness of German-language geography.
In contrast to state-of-the-art articles in American journals, the introductions in DIE ERDE will mainly cite papers by authors who are not native speakers of English. Apart from English, only French, Spanish,
Portuguese, German and Russian have been able to maintain their status as languages of science, while German remains important in Eastern Europe and Japan. As far as possible, innovative research results presented
in such papers will be included in the state-of-the-art introductions. In this way DIE ERDE will fulfill an intercultural function and help to overcome science’s Western European or American focus. This aim
will be supported by the French résumés, summaries in Spanish, Portuguese or Russian being added as required.
For international readers who are interested in cultivating the German language, DIE ERDE will publish annual Verhandlungen (proceedings), which in future will also contain scientific contributions such as
manuscripts of lectures given at the Gesellschaft für Erdkunde. The Verhandlungen will be mailed to all members of the Gesellschaft as well as to subscribers and exchange partners.
We shall continue to increase DIE ERDE’s presence on the internet. Our website contains summaries of papers in German, English and French, and - where appropriate - in Spanish, Portuguese or Russian in order to
increase the journal’s citation levels.
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