You talkin' to me?

Advancing knowledge through robust research is an honourable aim- being scientific, finding the right methodology, executing project phases meticulously, and reporting on the outcomes as objectively and accurately as possible. But may I begin my inaugural editorial by saying that an even higher ideal to advancing knowledge is critiquing it as it happens. Reflective practice is not just something to be done by academics in their teaching- reflective practice is what we should all be doing as we go about undertaking our various day-to-day work tasks. For the engineer engaged in research and development, whether in industry or government, reflective practice means to analytically critique what they are doing and why they are doing it. The answers to these questions are not simple and often confronting, and beginning a dialogue with peers, superiors, and employers can be difficult if the mechanisms for open discourse are not espoused by one's organisation.