At the Turn of the 21st Century: Reflections on Our Science

As the new century began, I took over as editor of the journal. By all accounts I inherited a robust journal — thanks to my predecessor. I made little adjustments on process and expanded the Editorial Board to reflect important emerging topics in human factors. The journal I “inherited” was in good shape, and I hope I left it a little better. In this paper, I reflect on the state of our science after making over 500 decisions over eight years (four as editor and four as associate editor). My reflections include issues concerning our theories, methodologies, and practice. These are offered as food for thought and in the hope that as we all reflect on the state of our science, we strive to make it better, more robust, and more relevant and that it has a greater influence on the world we live in. Time will tell.