A New Era: “What Can I Know? What Ought I to Do? What May I Hope?”

The above quote is taken from Immanuel Kant’s (1787/1901) book, Critique of Pure Reason (p. 583), and reflects—at least on my intellectual level—my demeanor on becoming the new editor of the American Annals of the Deaf (January 1, 2011). First published in 1847, the Annals is purported to be the oldest continuously published English-language journal in North America. It is an honor to assume the responsibility of editorship. Although a good demeanor is crucial for success, it is daunting, but challenging, to follow the footsteps of Donald Moores, the outgoing editor (20+ years!). I thank Dr. Moores for working with me during the transition process.

The major focus of this editorial is to present my vision for the Annals. Along the way, new members of the Editorial Board will be listed. Finally, I provide a few brief remarks on conducting and reporting high-quality research, which is also the topic of the invited article in this issue by John Ryan, “Enhancing our Community of Inquiry: Thoughts on Principles and Best Practices in Research with d/Deaf and Hard of Hearing Individuals.”

In conjunction with members of the Editorial Board, I expect to continue the mission of the Annals; that is, to ensure that it is accessible to a wide audience, especially theorists, researchers, educators, and other relevant professionals invested in the welfare of individuals who are d/Deaf or hard of hearing. It is also critical for us to understand the need to be meticulous, courteous, and prompt with our reviews of submitted manuscripts from authors and to ensure the timely publication of the Annals issues. The most important goal is to ensure that the Annals remains a cutting-edge, high-quality, high-impact journal.

Having stated the above, it is pertinent to welcome the new members of our Editorial Board (in addition to Don Moores, who assumes his “new” role as reviewer):

• • Erik Drasgow (University of South Carolina)

• • Janet Jamieson (University of British Columbia)

• • Robert Kretschmer (Teachers College/Columbia University)

• • Carol LaSasso (Gallaudet University)

• • John Ryan (University of Vermont)

• • Beverly Trezek (DePaul University)

• • Ye Wang (Missouri State University)

• • Cheri Williams (University of Cincinnati)

I am confident that these new members, along with our continuing crew, will enhance the rigorous and quality of the review process.

There is a need to recruit additional individuals to increase our diversity and areas of expertise, given the range of topics in manuscripts submitted to the Annals. To accomplish this goal, I am open to recommendations (including self nominations) and will also solicit others, as needed, to serve as guest or invited reviewers to evaluate their potential to become members of the board. Maintaining high standards for the Annals requires the collaboration of the editor and members of the Editorial Board.

In articulating my vision for the Annals, the intent is to raise the bar. Although it is necessary to appeal to a wide audience, we must ensure that the Annals remains a prestigious scholarly journal with rigorously reviewed articles involving theory and research across a broad range of topics. I propose the following ideas to be considered by the Annals community and stakeholders.

Associate Editorship

Nearly all major journals with a robust readership and substantial number of submissions employ the voluntary services of associate editor(s). Associate editors, who are “action editors” for selected manuscripts, assist the editor in upholding quality, enhancing visibility, and in meeting deadlines. They can also serve as reviewers in special cases as needed.

The initial proposal is for the selection of two associate editors, one of whom will function predominantly as a methodologist. That is, one associate editor should have a strong background in the field of deafness with ample scholarly and research publications. The second associate editor should have a strong background in research epistemology and methodology, but may not be an “expert” in deafness. The primary role of the second associate editor would be to focus on the technical merits of research manuscripts (e.g., research questions/hypotheses, sample selection, procedures, data analyses, etc.). In addition, this person can...