Introduction to Volume 10, Issue 1 of topiCS.

Abstract

In this issue, we lead with the topic, Coordination and Context in Cognitive Science, from Topic Editor Chris Kello (University of California, Merced). Kello's introduction begins with a quick introduction to the concepts of the dynamics of coordination and phase transitions in forms of human behavior as diverse as walking, neural activity, and dinner conversations. He then transitions to a series of short introductions to each of his six articles. His introduction provides a gentle introduction to this approach, and each of the six papers provides an update on the progress made in advancing the role of context and coordination in cognitive science. Second in this issue is a comment by Ian Apperly (University of Birmingham, England), on last October's topic, Memory and Common Ground Processes in Language Use, which was organized by Sarah Brown-Schmidt. The two next topics are both “Best Ofs”—the best papers presented at their respective conferences. The first batch was curated by Topic Editors Bill Kennedy (George Mason University, U.S.) Marieke van Vugt (University of Groningen, The Netherlands), and Adrian Banks (University of Surrey, England), and includes revised and expanded versions of the best five papers presented at the 2017 meeting of the International Conference on Cognitive Modeling. The last topic is a perennial favorite of mine and includes revised and expanded versions of three prize-winning papers presented at the 2017 Cognitive Science Conference (London): the Best Perception & Action paper, the best Higher-Level Cognition, and the Marr Prize winner for Best Student paper. In case you missed it … a brief mention of topics appearing in recent issues of topiCS A year ago, in January 2017 (Volume 9, Issue 1) we featured Cortical Color by Topic Editor Berit Brogaard (University of Miami) and two Best Ofs … the Best of the ICCM 2016 Conference and those papers from the 2016 Cognitive Science Conference which had won prizes and accepted our offer to expand their conference paper and publish it in topiCS. As of this writing (October 2016) less than a year has passed since 9:1's publication, but its papers are already garnering citations by the metrics used by the Web of Science. Specifically, the papers in the collection of five ICCM papers have gained five citations and those in Topic Editor Berit Brogaard's “Cortical Color” topic have been cited twice. Going back in time to January 2016 (Volume 8, Issue 1), we find that Topic Editor Stephan Lewandowsky's collection of 12 papers on Future Global Change and Cognition has gathered an impressive 66 citations, including an impressive 15 citations for Ranney and Clark's paper on “Climate Change Conceptual Change,” which has been designed on ISI's Web of Science as a “highly cited paper.” These designations are given to papers in the “top 1% of the academic field of Psychiatry/Psychology based on a highly cited threshold for the field and publication year.” The six papers from 2016's collection of “Best of” ICCM papers are attracting attention as well with a collected total of seven citations. All we can say is to keep reading topiCS for the greatest and latest breaking work in Cognitive Science. To would-be Topic Editors, we say, “Keep those proposals coming in!” topiCS has established itself as the “go-to” site for curated collections of papers on timely topics of interest to the broad cognitive science community. topiCS encourages letters and commentaries on all topics, as well as proposals for new topics. Letters are typically 400–1,000 words (maximum of two published pages) and will be published without abstract or references (possibly 1–2 but usually none). Commentaries are often solicited by Topic Editors prior to the publication of their topic. However, commentaries after publication are also considered and should range between 1,000 and 2,000 words. Most commentaries should not have an abstract and should not include many references. The Executive Editor and the Senior Editorial Board (SEB) members are constantly searching for new and exciting topics for topiCS. Feel free to open communications with a short note to the Executive Editor (grayw@rpi.edu) or an SEB member (SEB members are listed under the Editorial Board heading on the publisher's homepage for topiCS (http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1756-8765/homepage/EditorialBoard.html).