On December 12, 2025, the fourth session of the “Department of Business Administration · Meet the Journal Editors” lecture series was successfully held in Room 1205 of the SEM Building at the School of Economics and Management, University of Science and Technology Beijing. The lecture featured Professor Ruby Lee from Florida State University, Co-Editor of the Journal of Product Innovation Management (JPIM). Faculty members and graduate students attended the event, which was marked by a strong academic atmosphere and active engagement.
The lecture, titled “Publishing High-Quality Research and Frontiers in Innovation Management,” drew on Professor Lee’s editorial experience at JPIM. From the perspective of a leading international journal editor, she provided in-depth insights into topic selection and submission strategies for high-quality academic publications, and shared the latest research trends in the field of innovation management.
Professor Lee began by introducing the positioning, development history, and editorial structure of JPIM. She analyzed the key research themes and emerging trends emphasized by the journal, helping faculty and students better align their research topics with the journal’s scope and priorities. Addressing common concerns about academic publishing, she explained the journal’s fair and transparent review process, as well as the collaborative role of editors and authors in improving research quality. She systematically outlined each stage of the publication process—from initial screening and peer review to final editorial decisions—and offered practical suggestions for increasing the likelihood of manuscript acceptance.
Beyond the question of how to publish, the lecture also addressed the more fundamental issue of what kinds of research are worth publishing. Drawing on recent focal topics in JPIM, Professor Lee emphasized the importance of emerging areas such as liquid innovation, AI-enabled innovation, business model innovation, and public value–oriented innovation. She highlighted the need for innovation management research to provide stronger explanatory power and practical relevance in addressing global challenges.
This lecture not only offered valuable guidance on publishing in top-tier journals but also encouraged deeper reflection on the future direction and academic responsibility of innovation management research. Through face-to-face interaction with an international journal editor, participants gained clearer and more profound insights into conducting globally impactful research in this field.
Speaker Profile
Professor Ruby Lee is a Professor at Florida State University and currently serves as Co-Editor of the Journal of Product Innovation Management (JPIM). She is also a board member of the Product Development and Management Association (PDMA) and enjoys a strong academic reputation in the fields of international marketing and innovation management.
She received her Bachelor of Social Work (Honours) from the University of Hong Kong, a Master’s degree in Marketing from The Chinese University of Hong Kong, and a PhD in Marketing from Washington State University. Her research expertise includes marketing strategy, innovation management, strategic alliances, and international business. Her work has been published in leading international journals such as Journal of Marketing, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, International Journal of Research in Marketing, Decision Sciences, Marketing Letters, Journal of International Marketing, and Journal of Product Innovation Management.
Contributed by: Department of Business Administration
Reviewed by: Jin Jiahua
