A number of Financial Analysts Journal authors and potential contributors have asked me to clarify the philosophy behind article selection for the FAJ—in particular, what we mean by “original” research. The description of the FAJ's philosophy in the Submission Guidelines states that we are looking for <disp-quote></disp-quote>

original research in investment analysis, investment management, and related subjects.… We seek articles that are practitioner oriented, forward looking, and rigorous. Articles should enhance an analyst's human capital by providing insights and wisdom unavailable from other sources.

In short, the editorial policy of the FAJ is to showcase manuscripts that describe research of practical relevance to the investment management professional. Articles at the intersection of theoretical soundness and practical application are the hallmarks of the FAJ. Our objective is to produce a collection of theoretically sound original research that can further the knowledge and practice of the investment management practitioner. In this context, “original” includes fresh, first-time adaptations of academic papers from leading finance journals suited to our practitioner purposes. We welcome such adaptations of original research.

Our guidelines for submission go on to describe the form and presentation of ideas that we have found most useful for our practitioner readers: <disp-quote></disp-quote>

Articles must be fresh, original, well documented, and carefully reasoned; they should clearly state the implications of the research for practicing analysts.

In all FAJ articles, we strive to ensure the highest quality of theory and methodology by requiring effective introductions and relevant bibliographies. A strong introduction that provides the background to the article and a comprehensive reference list are essential for providing practitioners with directions toward the basic research underlying the article.

I hope this discussion has been helpful to contributors. I and the rest of the FAJ staff are always willing and happy to answer your questions about suitability of articles or any other aspect of the FAJ philosophy or operations. For the full Submission Guidelines, please see our Submission Guidelines, or call us at 434-951-5442.