Abstract
It was another strong year for the Journal of Applied Gerontology (JAG), and I am excited to share some milestones from 2015. Prior to doing so, there are many people to thank who have helped ensure that JAG continues to grow. Ashley Lyle has done a wonderful job as Managing Editor this past year, and the 40-member Editorial Board has again excelled in its service to JAG. The journal continues to receive great guidance and support from the Southern Gerontological Society’s Publications Committee (ably chaired by Connie Coogle, PhD), the SAGE Publications team (led by Lauren Schroeder), the Executive Committee of the Southern Gerontological Society (presided over by Don Bradley, PhD earlier in 2015 and now Christy Jensen, PhD), and the many wonderful members of the Southern Gerontological Society at-large.
Empirical Updates
Impact Factor
After many years of diligent effort, I am happy to report that JAG’s impact factor has risen above 1, from .923 in 2014 to 1.125 in 2015! This is wonderful news, and speaks to the high-quality research we have received and published. I also want to caution the readership of JAG that it is possible our impact factor may dip under 1 in the upcoming 2 years; as I summarize below, JAG is going to increase the number of issues published in 2016 (from 8 to 12), and in 2015 we included a special online-only issue to continue to address the backlog of articles awaiting print publication. So, while we can all celebrate the increased impact factor, we must continue our efforts to ensure that the JAG impact factor continues on an upward trajectory (or does not suffer too sharp a drop-off).
Acceptance Rate
The acceptance rate of new submissions continues to speak to the rigor of JAG. In 2015 to date (August 31, 2015), the acceptance/non-rejection rate for new submissions was 81.9%. It is important to note this is likely conservative, as the new submission rate does not account for those papers that are revised and resubmitted and then subsequently rejected (which does occur, albeit rarely). I thank the Editorial Board and reviewers for their ongoing efforts to ensure that the papers published in JAG are of the highest quality possible.
Number of Submissions
One particular area of growth is the increasing number of submissions received. In 2014, we received well over 300 submissions for the first time (n = 326). This was a marked increase from past years. We are on pace to receive slightly more submissions for 2015; as of August 31, 2015, we have received 229. This means we can expect 345 submissions by year’s end. Clearly, authors continue to see JAG as a worthwhile outlet for their work and the increasing number of submissions again speaks to JAG’s increasing profile in the discipline!
Online Usage
Our online usage numbers remain extremely strong. In 2014, 85,403 full texts of articles were downloaded and online articles were accessed 532,949 times. As of August 31, 2015, users have downloaded 50,427 full texts of articles and accessed articles 310,406 times. With this in mind, we project a similar rate of online access for JAG in 2015 (an estimated 85,000 full text articles downloaded and articles accessed 530,000 times). Much credit goes to the SAGE team and those of you who continue to promote the journal and its wonderful content, as this is evidence of a robust use of JAG articles online.
Ongoing Initiatives and Developments
Addressing the Backlog
We continue to make progress in our backlog. Although many of the articles that were published in 2015 had been awaiting in-print publication for approximately 2 years (which is not acceptable to me), part of this is due to two factors: (a) the large increase in submissions we have received over the past 2 years and (b) the decision I made in 2014 to publish articles by theme regardless of acceptance date. Although we in part reaped the rewards of the latter decision based on our greater impact factor this year, it also contributed to the ongoing backlog issue. In 2015, I attempted to blend two approaches: continuing to publish groups of articles by theme but only for those that have awaited print publication for the longest period of time (please note that as of 2013, all articles accepted in JAG are rapidly uploaded to OnLine First as well as PubMed/MEDLINE). In 2016, with the increase in issues as well as the articles that were already published in 2014, I anticipate our backlog will be approximately 8 months following the publication of 12 issues.
Other Ongoing Improvements
The journal continues to receive positive feedback based on the thematic “bundling” of issues, and several articles published this past year received media attention. Under the able leadership of Jennifer Craft Morgan, we continue to host podcasts with authors of various articles (http://sagenursing.sage-publications.libsynpro.com/webpage/category/Journal%20of%20Applied%20Gerontology). Twice a year or more, I have highlighted “Editor’s Choice” articles that I think are worthy of your attention (http://jag.sagepub.com/cgi/collection). Finally, JAG once again continued its tradition of publishing book reviews in 2015, and at least three additional book reviews will be published in the first issues of 2016.
What Can You Do to Help?
I continue to make the same entreaty that I do each year: there are several steps you, the readers, can take to enhance the profile of JAG!
Please join me in celebrating JAG’s many accomplishments in 2015. We look forward to another great year in 2016, and much of the journal’s success is due to the great work of Ashley Lyle, the Editorial Board, SAGE, the Southern Gerontological Society, and you the reader! Thanks to all who continue make JAG a scientific journal of quality.