Guest Introduction to the 40th Anniversary Issue: Manifestos, Web Pages, and Continuities in Criticality

A decade ago, JCI marked its 30th anniversary with a tracing of mastheads (McLuskie, 2004) once manifesto-like in character, but less so as the journal moved through its first three decades. Now, at its 40th year, the word “Inquiry” in the journal’s title still announces an orientation that aims beyond method. Whether discussing the field and its problems or offering alternative modes of inquiry, JCI has a reputation as a space for fresh academic air (more on the history, importance, and perennial vulnerability of that reputation in a moment).