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Taking Stock of Applied Aging Research

At the conclusion of my term as editor-in-chief of The Gerontologist, I have some observations to share and much gratitude to express. Beginning with observations, I emphasized several points to the Publications Committee members when interviewing for this position. First and foremost was my view that TG is an applied aging research journal. This means that authors should clearly elucidate the implications of research findings for practice and/or policy and not simply give them short shrift in the concluding paragraph of the Discussion section.

It was not uncommon for me to return manuscripts to authors with the request to revise prior to review in order to meet this expectation. Although I held fast to the premise that research should be guided by theory or a conceptual model and adhere to rigorous methods, I believe the close tie between the findings and important practice or policy issues is equally important. Ideally, investigators should frame research questions with an eye to their implications for practice or policy, but this was not a common occurrence. It may have been an uphill struggle because most of us were not trained in effective approaches for linking aging research, practice, and policy issues and tend to move in somewhat circumscribed disciplinary circles. However, the expectation seemed to have borne some fruit, because the number of submitted manuscripts in which authors neglected to address the application of findings diminished over time.

Another point I emphasized when interviewing for the editor position was the value of students learning by doing, and thus my interest in including students as novice reviewers as often as possible. It is gratifying to say that the novice review corps has grown over the years, and the quality of their work has been exemplary. The enthusiasm they have demonstrated in volunteering to help and their timely and insightful reviews evidence the commitment of these new professionals to the field of gerontology.

When I began my term, there appeared to be some concern that qualitative research was not welcome in the journal. My hope is that this rumor has been dispelled, as evidenced by the increased number of excellent qualitative and mixed-method articles that have been published. Over time I learned to be more lenient with the word limit for these articles in an effort to provide adequate space for a full description of the methods and findings. In addition, the Publications Committee helped matters by graciously agreeing to increase the number of pages per issue to accommodate the growing number and types of submissions.

The number of submitted manuscripts increased over the past 4.5 years, numbering more than 1,600. There is no way that anyone could adequately manage this volume without assistance from a great many people. The section editors worked very hard to boost the quality and quantity of submissions and to fulfill their duties in a timely manner; hence, many thanks to Bob Binstock (book review editor), David Biegel and Nancy Morrow-Howell (Practice Concepts editors), and Bob Yahnke (audiovisual editor). The editorial board members performed incredibly well as reviewers and advisors, bringing a rich diversity of perspectives and talents that have had a major impact on the quality of the journal. They, along with the nearly 600 other reviewers whom I called upon, were amazingly generous with their time, and I greatly appreciate the care they took to provide thoughtful assistance and constructive comments in their reviews. I will be forever beholden to them. The GSA Publications Department staff provided excellent support and timely advice as well as helped us weather the task of moving the journals to the Allentrack online submission system. Jeanne Hoban, the assistant editor, has been superb in her role, and many of you who have been in communication with her know what a pleasure she is to work with. To the hundreds of authors who submitted manuscripts, thank you for striving to have your work featured in the journal. I appreciate your graciousness when it could not be accommodated. The incoming editor-in-chief, William J. (Jim) McAuley, has been a valued colleague as an editorial board member, reviewer, and contributing author. I have every confidence he will do an outstanding job, and I welcome him as he takes the helm.

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