Journal History
 

In 2002 BLIS Research started activities organising conferences and publishing proceedings with the BLIS Research Group in the Department of Business, Logistics & Information Systems at the University of Bolton, England, . The focus of the publishing and conferences was in the subject areas Business, Logistics & Information Systems. Conferences were held annually initially with a theme of e4sme with the papers presented being published in proceedings ISBN 0-9546784-0, with the best papers being published in BLIS Journal. BLIS Journal started as a peer-reviewed publication focusing on academic research in Business, Logistics & Information Systems subject areas. This continued up to 2019. During 2019 due to the emphasis of the papers being  submitted for review the editorial panel decided to re-focus the theme of the Journal to Business and Management and to archive all the previous publications as the Journal took a new direction. November 2020 is the first publication with this new focus. BLIS Journal continues to be an online peer-reviewed publication but with a specific academic focus of research in Business and Management. The evolution of BLIS Journal now has BLIS as a brand name and in January 2020 it was decided that BLIS would no longer be an acronym but would be the accepted name and brand for the journal and research activities.

During 2021 BLIS Journal regrouped with the aim to refocus the conciseness of the journal for 2022 and to increase annual publications from one publication per year starting in 2022. In addition to this it was decided that BLIS Journal would also concentrate on changing the concentration to publishing short articles and building international reach.

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Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Academic Publishing and Journal Relaunch

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a sustained and significant impact on academic publishing worldwide. From its onset in early 2020 through to the present day, academic journals have experienced prolonged operational and structural challenges affecting submission handling, peer review, editorial decision-making, and publication timelines.

Extended periods of disruption placed considerable pressure on editors, reviewers, and authors, many of whom faced increased workloads, remote working constraints, redeployment to institutional response roles, and reduced research capacity. These conditions led to delays in peer review processes, reduced reviewer availability, and longer publication turnaround times. In parallel, journals encountered administrative and production challenges as editorial workflows and publisher services adapted to unprecedented circumstances.

While digital publishing infrastructures enabled continuity, the cumulative impact of the pandemic has extended beyond its initial phases, with recovery and rebalancing continuing across the sector.

 

In 2026, the BLIS Journal enters a new phase with its relaunch as a Business, Management, and Digital Transformation Technology journal. The journal will publish two issues per year, reflecting a renewed focus on high-quality, applied, and research-informed scholarship addressing contemporary organisational, technological, and strategic challenges.

This relaunch marks a commitment to revitalised editorial processes, strengthened peer review, and timely publication, as part of the journal’s ongoing response to the lessons learned during and after the pandemic period.