IIW History 1990-2015

Lippold took on the role of Chair of the Editorial Board. Also, at that time, open submission to WiW was introduced to allow manuscripts to be submitted directly to the journal without prior screening and recommendation by the IIW Working Units. This process allowed papers to be screened by the editors first and then reviewed by the appropriate Working Unit Chair before going through the peer review system, if considered acceptable. This change allowed greater improvement in quality and diversity in the submission of papers. Over 170 papers were submitted by open submission in 2015, with 30 of this total entering the peer review system. All three editors were justifiably proud that WiW was to publish 90 papers in the six issues in 2015, all of the highest quality resulting in the publication of over 900 pages of fundamental and applied research associated with materials joining. 22 In addition to the continuing role of WiW as the flagship for IIW, an important part of the 2013-2017 business planning process was the opportunity to implement modern communication technology for global technology transfer. 23 It is difficult to believe that, looking back to 1990, the main asset of IIW in terms of communication was an elementary global telephone system that made it easier to contact people all around the world and little else. 24 At that time IIW also had a rather antiquated computerised database listing technical documents that had been prepared by its respective Working Units. The aim of the database was to make the documents, which were stored on floppy discs, available to industry at a cost of CHF 2 250 for the full set. The database covered topics such as welding processes and allied technology, physics of welding, design and fabrication, fatigue of welded structures, welding terminology, etc. This was really the first attempt by the Institute to enter a ‘brave new world’ in the use of

computerised systems for both information storage and the dissemination of technical documentation. Further progress was minimal despite continual advances in computer technology although IIW was to further update the database and software when Windows and DOS versions became available in 1995. In embracing technical change the Institute introduced an electronic bulletin board in 1994 that was not successful and was little used since it failed to stimulate interest among members. Interest in the database also started to decline around the mid- 1990s, in all probability due to the increasing costs of updating information to current subscribers of the database. However, two important initiatives that did attract

keen interest were the publishing of the 1st edition of Fatigue Design of Welded Attachments and Joints by Prof. Dr-Ing.

Cécile Mayer

FOUNDATIONS FOR SUCCESSFUL COMMUNICATION