A Q&A with the Editor in Chief of the New CAS Journal

Taresa LaRock, CAS Communications Coordinator, spoke with Gary Dean, the new editor in chief of the CAS journal, on his vision for the latest CAS venture.

Curtis Gary Dean, Editor in Chief, New CAS Journal

LaRock: What progress has been made recently with the journal?
Dean: We have a fully staffed Editorial Board and are open for business. Guidelines for submission of papers are posted on the CAS Web Site. Seven papers have been submitted to date and are at some stage in the review process. A few of these papers have come from non-CAS members outside of North America.

Several important tasks still remain. We are evaluating software from several vendors that manages online tracking of submitted papers. By logging into the system, authors, editors, and staff will be able to monitor the status of papers in the review and publication process. We are also searching for software that would make it easier for authors to submit papers online and reduce the burden on authors to make papers conform to formatting guidelines.

The goal is to make it as easy as possible for authors to get good, relevant papers into the journal. A printer for the journal still needs to be identified and a distinctive, visually appealing design for the journal developed.

We are not creating an academic journal but, instead, a journal that pulls in the best papers, whether practical or theoretical.

LaRock: Who should read the journal?
Dean: The journal will include both practical and theoretical research in casualty actuarial science and related topics. We hope to maintain a good balance between practical and theoretical articles so that every casualty actuary will be able to find something of interest. Our target audience will span the spectrum from practicing actuaries engaged in daily applications of actuarial techniques to academic researchers exploring the frontiers. Our journal articles should be of interest to actuaries around the globe, because even though local traditions and regulations often drive actuarial techniques, actuarial science is a discipline without boundaries.

There also will be articles of interest to a wider audience than actuaries. Topics such as enterprise risk management straddle actuarial, risk management, and investment areas.

LaRock: Why are you excited about the new journal?
Dean: The new journal will make high quality, original work in casualty actuarial science available more quickly than ever before. The Proceedings of the Casualty Actuarial Society served CAS members well for many years but we expect that the new journal will accomplish what the Proceedings did plus a lot more. The average time from submission of a paper until its distribution in print will be shorter because the journal will be published more frequently and will be soft-cover. We are also working to reduce the time that it takes a paper to be reviewed and edited.

Whereas the Proceedings was primarily a vehicle for CAS members to publish peer-reviewed papers, the new journal is open to anyone. We are actively soliciting papers from authors who may not have traditionally published in CAS publications. This should bring a wider range of ideas into the journal and, hopefully, more non-CAS members will become regular readers and contributors.

LaRock: When will the first issue come out?
Dean: Our best guess right now is May 2007 to coincide with the Spring Meeting. This is our current working date.

LaRock: What will this launch mean for the CAS?
Dean: The new journal is a logical step in the growth and development of the CAS. Whereas historically the CAS was focused on actuarial practice in the U.S. and Canada, our membership now practices in a global economy. We have members and exam takers around the world and are the largest society devoted to casualty actuarial science. The CAS is also a resource for developing actuarial communities. As the ranks of casualty actuaries grow worldwide the new journal will be an ideal resource for sharing ideas. Membership in the CAS is not a requirement for doing casualty actuarial work, but to be the premier organization in our field, we need to have a widely read and highly respected journal.

The journal's editorial board will be more active in reaching out to the academic community for intellectual contributions. We are not creating an academic journal but, instead, a journal that pulls in the best papers, whether practical or theoretical.