Solutions

For a sustainable and desirable future

About us

Solutions is a nonprofit print and online publication devoted to showcasing bold and innovative ideas for solving the world´s integrated ecological, social, and economic problems.

The journal brings the cutting edge ideas of academics and professionals in the field to an audience of policy makers, business leaders, and engaged members of the public. Launched in January 2010 as a bimonthly. Our interactive website features our exclusive archive of peer-reviewed articles and our online community of fellow problem solvers.

Our mission is to provide a forum for developing and discussing seriously creative ideas to solve society´s most pressing problems in an integrated way.

The aim of Solutions is to encourage and publish integrative solutions to the world´s most pressing problems: climate disruption, loss of biodiversity, poverty, energy descent, overfishing, air, water, and soil pollution, and human population growth, to name a few. Solutions is a forum for putting the pieces together, prompting intelligent discussion of what can be done, and what should be done.

Solutions is an online and print journal, a hybrid between a popular magazine and a peer-reviewed journal. It is intended for a broad audience that reaches beyond traditional academic journals to the informed public. It will provide a much-needed forum, devoted to whole-system solutions and the design of an integrated human and natural world.

What makes us unique?
• Solutions is a hybrid peer-reviewed journal and popular magazine (think Nature meets the New Yorker). It is on the web, on newsstands, and in libraries. It´s intended to allow serious, creative dialogue and discussion at the highest level across a range of perspectives, while still being understandable and engaging to the lay public. It moves beyond the current culture of argument that casts even the most complex problems as polarizing debates.
• It focuses on real, integrative solutions. Our rule of thumb for articles is no more than one-third of the paper should describe the problem, while at least two-thirds should be devoted to solutions.
• We use a more constructive review process that encourages reviewers to not only critically evaluate articles but to contribute to the ongoing discussion in creative ways, including publishing accompanying "In Focus" pieces or even becoming coauthors.
• We are a nonprofit and are using a "public radio" model for much of our funding: individual, business, and institutional sponsorships and grants allow the website to remain free, open access, and unbiased.
• We have sponsorships and partnerships with a broad range of businesses, institutions, and academic societies, allowing us to function as a community space while bridging the gap between a variety of perspectives.
• Print subscription prices are kept low for both individuals and institutions to ensure that the ideas featured in Solutions will be as widely available as possible.
• We use the creative commons share licensing system ("copylefting" rather than copyrighting) to spread information more broadly while maintaining appropriate credit for authors.
• We have a world class, transdisciplinary, multisector editorial board to ensure that we have the best available ideas from a broad range of perspectives.
• Our hard-copy publication is printed on a Forest Stewardship Council certified paper stock.

Ida Kubiszewski is the Managing Editor of Solutions.

For other net participants we can offer an expert guidance through trained staff, give an expert opinion, procure expert information and establish new contacts in the field of our work.