Abstract
In the January 2014 edition of Teaching Sociology we introduced the “Ask Teaching Sociology” column about ethical issues related to teaching. I solicited questions from readers of the journal and members of the Teaching Sociology Google group. One of the most frequently asked questions was about the ethics of using breaching experiments, especially in introductory-level courses. I had planned to ask someone to write about this topic, when Matthew Braswell submitted his teaching note to the journal. As it moved through the review process, it became obvious to me that his piece raised all of the ethical concerns that I wanted to be examined in such a column, so with his permission, his teaching note is also our ethics column for this edition. I think you will find it an interesting read, which might cause you to rethink the use of such an exercise.
I also want to talk about the transition to the next editor, which will happen in just a few months. My tenure as editor will officially end at the end of this year. It is hard to believe that five years as editor have come and gone. I want to thank the four individuals who applied for the position. While I do not yet know who will replace me (that will be decided by the ASA Council in early March), there are some things that I want to share with authors and prospective authors: The new editor begins working six months ahead of the official start of her or his term. So by July or August of this year, all
As always, thank you for supporting the journal by submitting your manuscripts and agreeing to be reviewers. I hope that you have a good spring term.