Preface from the New Editor-in-Chief

Abstract

This issue of Population Research and Policy Review is the first to appear under my editorship. The previous editor, Professor David Swanson of the University of California at Riverside, as well as the editor before him, Professor Elwood Carlson of Florida State University, have helped to develop PRPR into a prominent international journal for population research. The journal is affiliated with a regional professional association in the United States, the Southern Demographic Association (SDA), but its authors, reviewers, editorial board, and readers represent all regions of the world. The publisher, Springer, and particularly Evelien Bakker and Marielle Klijn, have also made outstanding contributions to the growing reputation of the journal. Population Research and Policy Review encourages submissions under a very comprehensive definition of population research and a wide range of data and methodologies. It is expected that submissions will have an explicit connection with population policy at some level. It is preferred, although not necessary, that authors connect with research topics that have previously appeared in this journal. Thanks to the Editorial Manager software used by our publisher, the submission and review process is now entirely online. Soon after the online submission of a paper to the website, two potential reviewers are contacted. The review process is entirely blind, in the sense that reviewers do not know the names or affiliations of authors, and authors do not know the names or affiliations of reviewers. Potential reviewers sometimes take a long time simply to acknowledge the email inviting them to do a review, and after agreeing to do a review they sometimes take a long time to provide it; sometimes they never do so. Most delays arise from these sources. Authors can monitor the progress of their paper on the website. If it appears to be stuck, emails to the journal are in order and will receive a prompt response.