Abstract
This issue of the International Journal of Behavioral Development marks a developmental transition. A new editorial team begins a new editorial term.
Permit me to introduce the new team: Brett Laursen (Florida Atlantic University) will serve as Editor-in-Chief. Todd D. Little (Texas Tech University) will serve as Editor for the Methods and Measures section of the journal. Five talented Associate Editors have been appointed: Patricio Cumsille (Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile), Denis Gerstorf (Humboldt University Berlin), Peter J. Marshall (Temple University), Letitia R. Naigles (University of Connecticut), and Melanie J. Zimmer-Gembeck (Griffith University). The team of Associate Editors is unprecedented in terms of the depth of talent and scope of interests represented. The Associate Editors are also unprecedented in terms of their geographical distribution: to the best of my knowledge, it is the first time that four continents have been represented. I am deeply grateful to all of these scholars for their willingness to serve the journal and the society. Donna Marion (Florida Atlantic University) will serve as the Managing Editor. I owe her a debt I will never be able to repay.
Much of our future success rests on the shoulders of our incoming Editorial Board. An illustrious group of developmental scholars volunteer their time and talent to ensure the success of the journal. Take a moment to review the list found on the inside of the cover. Join me in thanking them for their conscientious service as reviewers.
We have big shoes to fill. Marcel van Aken was a superb Editor, and his outgoing editorial team deserves our heartfelt thanks for their efforts. The following scholars served as Associate Editors for some or all of the previous editorial term: Jaap Denissen, Nathan Fox, Susie Lamborn, and Silvia Sörensen. Olivier Pascalis, an Associate Editor during the previous editorial term, graciously helped with the transition, continuing in the post for the first 6 months of 2014. Denis Gerstorf, who served for part of the previous editorial term, will continue as an Associate Editor. Finally, I would be remiss if I did not recognize Annemiek Karreman, who handled the day-to-day operations of the journal as Managing Editor in a fashion that we can only hope to emulate. The team was highly effective: turnaround times were low, and the impact factor rose. Our challenge will be to improve on what is clearly a record of accomplishment.
People often ask me about spelling. It is not that I am a particularly good speller. Rather, they are curious about the fact that the International Society for the Study of Behavioural Development spells “behavioural” one way and the International Journal of Behavioral Development spells “behavioral” a different way. I like to think of the difference as a reflection of the international character of the journal and the society. I also like to reflect on the history of the journal (see Hartup, 1996, for details), which was launched in 1976 with Franz J. Monks as the inaugural Editor. Monks is given credit for the use of the American spelling in the journal title, despite the British spelling of the society’s name. His reasons are lost to history. I can, however, shed light on another question that I often hear. What is the origin of the society’s logo? Bill Hartup recently wrote to me that George Butterworth (a founding member of the society) recruited his brother to design the logo and that logo still graces our publications. You read it here first.
Subsequent to Editor Monks and prior to Editor van Aken, a who’s who of developmental scholars have served as editors of the journal: Harry McGurk, Linda S. Siegel, Rainer K. Silbereisen, and William M. Bukowski. As scholars, leaders, and intellectuals, each left an indelible mark on the field of behavioral development. It is humbling to be listed among them.
Bespeaking the title of the journal, we seek to publish articles that are international and developmental. Many developmental journals aspire to be international, but none match the scope of our readers, authors, or reviewers. We are a life-span developmental journal. No other developmental journal publishes articles that represent (and sometimes cross) every period of life. Every article we publish will have a developmental focus. A study that employs a longitudinal or an experimental design is a candidate for an empirical article. As a general rule, a cross-sectional study should be submitted as an empirical report. The former will be longer than the latter (up to 8,500 words vs. up to 4,500 words).
We will continue the practice of prescreening submissions. Before sending a manuscript out for review, two editors will screen each submission to determine whether it is a good match for the journal and whether it is competitive for publication. At this point, a manuscript is either returned without review or assigned to an action editor. The initial screening will be completed within 1–2 weeks of submission, to allow authors of a returned manuscript to quickly submit to a more suitable publication outlet.
The International Journal of Behavioral Development should be one of the first journals that authors consider when making a decision about where to submit their work. Authors who submit to the journal can expect a timely turnaround and a thoughtful set of reviews. Prescreening helps to ensure both, because reviewers know that we will only solicit reviews of manuscripts that stand a good chance to be published.
The print issues of the journal will reflect the editorial transition for the remainder of the year, as we publish the last articles received under the term of the previous editor alongside articles submitted to the new editorial team. We expect the process will be complete by the end of 2014. It is important to note that the existing backlog will not impact the publication queue for new submissions, because space has been reserved for new material in each issue.
Our editorial team is committed to the publication of special issues and special sections on cutting edge topics. The themes are apt to be provocative—we seek to spur conversations and research on understudied areas of development. With this in mind, we are actively seeking suggestions for topics and guest editors with the potential to shape the direction of the field.
If you are a regular reader and contributor to the journal, I look forward to continuing the collaborative journey. If you are new to the journal, I welcome you to join us on a trip that is sure to be as diverse as it is eye-opening.