Geoengineering and Refereed Journals: A Survey

Refereed journals represent the most important source of reviewed technical information and should play a key role as a continuing education tool, and towards the advancement of geoengineering research and practice. A survey was performed to investigate the relationship of members of the geoengineering profession with refereed journals. The online survey posed a series of questions and collected primarily multiple-choice responses. A total of 464 geoengineers from 74 countries participated in the survey, and the results are presented. The survey results indicate that even though refereed journals are recognized as an important source of information in geoengineering practice and research, the majority of survey participants are either not subscribed, or are subscribed to only one refereed journal. The causes of this strikingly low journal subscription are identified and discussed. Low journal subscription likely negatively impacts geoengineering practice, as well as the integration of research results in engineering practice and may also impede the journals' role as a continuing education tool.