Andreea Enache
EJOP Editor
I had great difficulty in starting this article and convening with myself on its due content; and I can say that I have not yet come to a satisfying answer. The dilemma was mainly between whether I should bore you with or try to raise your interests in our frustrations, for, as you can easily imagine, such a pursuit as the one of making up a scientific psychological journal intended for the whole European research area cannot stem up but from some great disappointment; or, I could focus on the positive side of our attempt: that of rejecting the victim’s position and creating a space that will provide us with the external instruments for building up a community of people dedicated to scientific psychology and its best practices.
Maybe it is not only by chance that such a courageous initiative (that some would probably label as naïve) comes from a group of students and, even paradoxically (at least at first sight), from Eastern Europe. I personally cannot say if this will bring about your contempt or respect, your rejection or interest. What I can say is that we want this journal to be a starting point for communication and collaboration between students and professionals activating or interested in scientific psychology in Europe , and we see in this project a very good chance for developing and participating in a process that has already started: that of creating and enforcing the European research area.
The basic idea of our project is that attachment to quality and performance is built up in time and requires special efforts from both mentors and disciples. This is why we address students as well as professionals in our attempt to promote quality, interest in scientific research, communication and collaboration as basic principles of a successful career on both individual and social levels.
However, this project cannot attain its aims without the active participation of those to whom it is addressed and for whom it has been especially conceived. Practicing psychology at a high level of professionalism is not an easy task especially given the current social and economic context of Eastern Europe. The fact that the idea of such a project was born in one of its countries says a lot about the need for communication and exchange, both professional and cultural, between Eastern and Western Europe. In many ways, the Wall is still up.
We definitely do not presume that a project such a scientific psychological journal bringing together European students and professionals will make the job of putting it down. But we assume that our efforts and your participation will make a difference in what psychology will be in Europe and in what Europe will be in psychologists in the years to come.