Editorial - Michel Freyssenet

The problematic and the organization of the second programme were discussed during the French group's work day on Oct 11; in the morning by the executive secretariat and in the afternoon in the plenary session. In the rubric "Research Questions" you will find the questions raised during the debate on the problematic. In "Programme News" the propositions for organization are laid out in table-form, just as they came up during the discussions on Oct 11. You can also read about the position of projects and the steps to be taken to get the necessary financing. The problematic and the organization will be adopted during the International Steering Committee Meeting on Nov 22-23. However, neither of the two will remain fixed. The problematic will evolve and fill out as the programme moves ahead, so as to capitalize on our reflection and to formulate more precise questions. The organization will certainly have to be adapted according to the problems met along the way.

Let us recall at this point that the problematic of the second programme, as for the first, does not consist in adopting theoretical substance to be applied to our subject, an impossible choice, inoperable and needless in a network of researchers from very different orientations, disciplines and countries. It consists, rather, in clarifying a major research question in the period of time that we know, as much from a practical as from a scientific point of view and also to define as rigorously as possible the steps and the means necessary to answer it.

On the 11 Oct, when starting the second programme, it appeared necessary to reexamine the different forms of publication of our work. This point is essential obviously, for researchers who have got together on the basis of the intellectual interest they have in the questions tackled and the discussion they bring about, and not on the basis of financial aid, as is the case with other types of network.

The problem is as follows. The GERPISA members who have contributed to the programme in various ways, have not all found their place in the books coming out, either because their texts were of a very analytical nature or because they were not focused on the theme of the books. Some of those who find themselves in this position were able to have their articles published in scientific reviews. Others had their work published in Les Actes du GERPISA. But these two solutions are not entirely satisfactory. The first is not always suitable for the researcher since his article can end up in the middle of other articles on very different themes in a review that in not necessarily geared at the appropriate readership that the researcher would like. The second solution, Les Actes du GERPISA, which has the advantage of having an international readership of researchers and practitioners who are interested in the automobile industry and in the themes that we deal with, retains the character of a network publication and does not have the status of a scientific review, which the researcher could take advantage of without dispute, on behalf of the university authorities and of research.

We can consider several solutions. First of all, Les Actes du GERPISA can rightfully evolve in the direction of a scientific review. Several of the issues already published are quoted in articles, books and bibliographies, proving the interest they have aroused. For the most part the texts are quality texts. If certain had some final perfection work done on them they could equal the others. An editorial committee and an international scientific committee are going to be formed. The layout is going to be the same as that of a review. In 1996-1997 Les Actes will come out every two months on average. A second, complementary solution also looks possible. It seems as if two editors, one French and one English, are likely to be interested in an annual publication, maybe even a half-yearly one, in which texts on our themes would be gathered together. We are going to examine this possibility in the next few weeks.