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Farewell Editorial

Editor, Journal of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences

MY four-year term as editor of the Journal of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences (JG:PS) has flown by. I am extremely grateful to have had this opportunity. Yes, it has been time consuming, but serving in this role has been rewarding, challenging, and satisfying. I have especially enjoyed broadening my knowledge of the literature, deepening my appreciation of the diversity in the field, and getting to know many more of the talented researchers who study psychological aspects of aging.

The state of JG:PS, I am happy to report, is excellent. I am proud that many of the indicators of quantity and quality show we are flourishing. The number of submissions has increased steadily, and the impact factor for the journal has also climbed each year. I am very pleased with the overall quality and range of submissions. We have made good progress on a number of other fronts. We started publishing the "New Directions in Aging" papers and related commentary on an average of once per year. These papers have received special attention, and I see them as a way to highlight exceptional research programs with great potential for advancing the field. We have progressed technologically as well. All current journal content, including the table of contents, abstracts, and articles are accessible online. We began in 2000 by using regular mail as the main method for submissions and reviews, moved to electronic review submission in 2001, and introduced electronic manuscript submission in 2002. In 2003 we converted the entire manuscript submission and review process to a state-of-the art, online system with Allen Press. All of these changes have helped to streamline and speed up the review process, and reduce the publication lag.

I could not have done this job without the tremendous support and assistance from many people and organizations, and I wish to thank all those who contributed. The GSA Publications Committee and other GSA editors have been valuable sources of wisdom and guidance on many issues. I appreciate the generous support from the GSA administration and publications staff. Jennifer Campi, the director of publications, has been especially helpful, and it has been a pleasure to work with such a highly competent professional. I thank the administration and my colleagues at Brandeis University and my family for supporting me during my tenure as editor. My editorial board and ad hoc editors have been superb, and they were more than willing to take on reviews and to make helpful recommendations for reviewers. I instituted the yearly editorial board awards to give special recognition to those who went above and beyond the call of duty by submitting reviews with an extremely fast turnaround, or completing an overall large number of reviews. The yearly editorial board meetings were fun and productive. The many ad hoc reviewers also deserve a note of gratitude. I was pleased with the high quality reviews and generally constructive suggestions that reviewers consistently made. Collin Chang was instrumental in getting the journal office started during my first year. I extend a very special thanks to Cynthia Davis, the editorial assistant for the journal, who has done an outstanding job of running the journal office over the past three years. I do not think I would have succeeded in this job without her. She has kept things going and kept me on track. Over the past year she has invested a great deal of effort in making the transition to the online manuscript submission and review system and has helped to work out many of the glitches. All of this Cynthia has done in a most pleasant and highly professional way.

I know the journal will be in good hands as I pass the editorial responsibilities to my successor, Dr. Thomas Hess. Although this issue is the last one under my editorship, I will continue to process the papers that are currently in the system, and I plan to bring them to closure quickly, publishing all my remaining papers in the 2004 volume. Starting on January 1, 2004, all new manuscripts should be sent to the new editor. The journal's Web address remains the same (http://psychsoc.gerontologyjournals.org), and the online system (http://jgps.allentrack.net) should help make the editorial transition go smoothly. I pledge to do whatever I can to help in this process, with a continued commitment to maintaining JG:PS's status as premier journal on psychological science and aging.

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