Journal of nuclear research and development sees light of day

The idea of creating a new publication dedicated to nuclear research, development and innovation in nuclear power was born some years ago, against the backdrop of the nuclear renaissance. Nuclear power generation has proven its capacity to offer viable solutions to meet the strong demands of modern society, such as a continuous increase in electricity consumption, the need for guaranteeing energy security, the reduction of CO₂ emissions … and the list goes on. After Fukushima nuclear power was once again thrust into the media spotlight, attracting the glare of attention from experts, policy-makers and the general public. A great emotional outpouring was noted from people around the world, followed by an increase in anti-nuclear sentiment. A significant re-evaluation of existing nuclear power programmes in some countries then occurred. Rapid political decisions were taken.

In our opinion nuclear power is at a crucial turning point; a tough decision lies ahead about whether or not to accelerate the development of a new generation of nuclear systems and to find the best possible solutions to the radioactive waste problem in order to achieve the objective of sustainable nuclear energy that modern society so craves. It is time for new research and new developments in the nuclear power sector.

So, the inauguration of our new publication in the spring of 2011 gave us an opportunity to exploit the special attention that the world is currently paying to nuclear issues. The Journal of Nuclear Research and Development (ISSN 2247 – 191X, ISSN-L = 2247 – 191X), www.jnrd-nuclear.ro, of JNRD, is a bi-annual publication, edited by the Institute for Nuclear Research (INR) Pitesti, Romania, whose Scientific Council is responsible for putting it together. An Advisory Group for Editorial Policy has been authorised by the INR Pitesti Scientific Council to supervise the Journal’s editorial policies and practices. Responsibility for overall policy matters concerning JNRD lies with the Editor in Chief and Deputy Editor in Chief. JNRD editors are responsible, in a delegated way, for the scientific content and editorial matters related to the Journal.

JNRD established an international Editorial Advisory Board, whose members have the appropriate experience and scientific proficiency that the Journal demands.

It aims to cover a large range of nuclear research data. It offers free-of-charge publication to any original and authentic contribution related to nuclear power, giving special attention to interdisciplinary research. The objective of the Editorial Board is to bring together scientists and highlight valuable areas of research in order to promote effective and viable solutions to real challenges. The journal also pays equal attention to issues related to the role of the public in the decision-making process, to transparency and to participation as pre-requisites for a modern society. Research dedicated to nuclear education and knowledge management are welcome in the journal too and are considered crucial components for the future development of nuclear energy.