Academia and practice in public management

One of the reasons that this journal was launched 24 years ago was to provide a place for academics and practitioners working in public finance, management and policy-making to talk to each other. And many do. However, there remain perceptions in both communities that this process of communication is not as open and useful as it might be. Thus, practitioners may feel that some academics appear reluctant to take account of the real world of politics. Equally, some practitioners may consider that academics are remote and communicate their ideas and results in ways that are almost inaccessible to practitioners. The reasons for such divergent views are of interest. The extent to which it is possible and, indeed, desirable to bridge this divide is worthy of consideration. Clearly the very existence of this journal with the aim of providing a forum for academics and practitioners is evidence of the view of the editorial team that it is important we talk to each other. Nevertheless our belief should not stop us debating this important issue in more depth. Therefore the journal welcomes viewpoints from people from both communities. If the various views are aired and debated, perhaps some solutions will emerge. To start this discussion and to encourage a lively interchange we invited past Editor, Francis Terry, to think about the assertion that research in the natural sciences seems to have a noticeable impact on our lives but that it is hard to recall any major impacts from university-based research in the social sciences. © CIPFA, 2004.