Editorial: The limitations of limitations

摘要

All research is imperfect and consequently it has become something of a standard practice that authors offer, towards the end of their paper, a short description of the various limitations that the perceptive reader may have already observed. On the one hand, openly acknowledging the limitations is a form of academic honesty, and perhaps an exercise in humility. On the other, the limitations can be a fruitful source of ideas for future research since even if these authors were unable to overcome these limitations, others may yet do so. Identifying limitations is thus a useful exercise that helps readers make sense of the current research as well as inform future researchers of new possibilities and directions.