Editorial

Citation

Newell, G. (2020), "Editorial", Journal of Property Investment & Finance, Vol. 38 No. 6, p. 501. https://doi.org/10.1108/JPIF-09-2020-169

We regularly hear property academics talking about the property journals being lowly ranked; particularly in comparison to the finance journals. These journal ranking issues have potential implications for property academics getting promoted or getting tenure.

But the solution is not to make our property research look more like finance research; with its increased focus on methodology (and heavy econometrics) and just trying to replicate some issue from the finance journals. This sees too many papers currently at a micro level with a low “so-what?” factor; often this “so-what?” issue is totally neglected in the paper.

I know that the method of study is critical in our research; but so is highlighting the implications of our property research. It is often a neglected section of our papers. I often say to my students that there is more to life than regression coefficients; meaning they need to highlight “the story” and say clearly what their research means to the property industry. This is a constant concern for the many papers I referee for a range of property journals; where many papers are masses of statistics, dense tables and little insight or story.

For me, the solution is at two levels. Firstly, publish in the high quality property journals; this includes Journal of Property Investment and Finance.

Secondly, and equally important, is that we need to enhance the stature of property research by showing that property is important in its own right in the fuller context of business, management and the environment. We tend to use a very narrow lens when we do property research; we are biased about its importance. But we need to show to others outside the property space why it is important; just using advanced econometrics or mimicking finance issues will not do this in itself.

How should we do this? Clearly, it is by also publishing in the property-related journals. But this needs to go well beyond just the finance journals; it needs to also include the urban studies, business, management and environmental journals.

Only by publishing in these property-related journals we can show that property research is important and relevant. But think outside the finance journals for a fuller impact and bigger context for why property research is important. Importantly, these journals embrace the full spectrum of research methodologies (not just the finance paradigms) and give you ample scope to tell the story and the “so-what?” side of your research...........and why property is strategically important in a fuller business, management and environmental context.

So it is largely an identity crisis for property research. At one level, it is our problem and not our Deans' problem. We need to change, expand our focus, choose a wider research lens and be smarter in how we highlight that property is important. Papers in the property-related journals and increasing the “so-what?” factor are key ingredients in solving this identity crisis.