There was no shortage of research on central banking, and, indeed, central bankers themselves did and continue to publish peer-reviewed research in leading journals, not to mention many working papers published by central banks and other outlets.
This work was prevalent, but there was a sense that there lacked a place for scholarly research that focused exclusively on central banking and could serve as a forum for the community of central bankers around the world. The creation of the International Journal of Central Banking filled this deficit.