Editorial

Emotion Review
Vol. 1, No. 1 (Jan. 2009) 2
2009 SAGE Publications and
The International Society
for Research on Emotion
ISSN 1754-0739
DOI: 10.1177/1754073908097174
http://emr.sagepub.com

James A. Russell and Lisa Feldman Barrett

Department of Psychology, Boston College, USA

Emotion is one of the great hubs in the scientific study of the

human condition. Yet emotion remains one of the great mysteries of life. Scholars in the natural sciences, social sciences, and
humanities study emotion. Emotions have been defined as brain
states, bodily states, behaviors, feelings, cognitions, social roles,
cultural practices, or any combination of the above. Some
scholars believe that emotions are what make us human. Others
believe emotions are vestiges that interfere with our rational
thought. Others believe that emotions are what link us to our
animal cousins. Still others say that emotions link us to our
immediate surroundings and cultural heritage. For humans to
understand their place in the world, we need to understand the
nature of emotion. Such understanding will occur only when
scholars from different national and cultural backgrounds, different disciplines, and different points of view can communicate their ideas and scholarly investigations to one another and
consider perspectives that are different from their own. We must
work toward a common language and understanding.
The International Society for Research on Emotion (ISRE)
has launched its first journal, Emotion Review, to facilitate a
dialogue about emotion in all its forms across national and disciplinary boundaries. Emotion Review is unique in its mission to
publish outstanding articles that are broadly integrative both
within and across different disciplines of inquiry. Articles best
suited for Emotion Review will be thought-provoking, forwardlooking, and enjoyable to read. Because the journal is explicitly
interdisciplinary, articles must not only meet the highest standards of scholarly excellence but also communicate to the broad
audience of emotion researchers in the various disciplines.
Emotion Review will primarily publish conceptual articles
that advance a particular point of view. Articles may review the
literature on a specific topic or on a program of research.
Articles may advance a theoretical perspective. They may offer
speculation and provocative opinions. Controversial ideas are
welcome. Empirical articles that make a clear conceptual

contribution will also be considered. We are also open to

publishing debates, book reviews, and biographies (or autobiographies) of important scholars. Articles may be published on
their own or as part of an interrelated series on a given topic.
Most articles will be accompanied by commentaries by other
emotion scholars (to be published in the same issue or in later
issues). We will publish both invited and unsolicited commentaries. We welcome other suggestions on format and content.
Emotion Review has assembled an international and interdisciplinary editorial board that reflects the goals of the journal.
All articles will be peer-reviewed before publication. Some articles will be submitted, others invited. Authors considering a
submission should feel free to contact an Editor or a member of
the editorial board in advance to discuss the suitability of the
proposed paper. In the manner of many top journals, submissions will be triaged. Those that are judged to be inappropriate
for the journal (because of content or a lack of attention to interdisciplinary concerns) will be returned without an external
review. Articles judged to be appropriate and of high quality
will be sent on to outside reviewers. Authors are encouraged to
provide a list of potential reviewers at the time of their submission, along with contact information and their relationship to
the author. Editorial board members will also be asked to nominate potential reviewers from their discipline. Reviewers will
be asked to focus on the conceptual advance offered by the
paper, along with its suitability for an interdisciplinary audience. It is an Action Editors responsibility to decide whether or
not a submission will be published, and such decisions will be
informed by, but not reduced to, reviewers comments. Multiple
revisions of an article before a decision is rendered will be
avoided when possible. In cases where someone from the
Editorial Board submits a paper, a guest Editor will be secured.
Emotion Review is an exciting adventure and we welcome
all of you to join in. We look forward to receiving your
manuscripts.