A Little Bit of This and a Little Bit of That: An Update

During the past few days, a little birdie flew overhead and indicated repeatedly (via extremely loud chirps) that it was time to present information to the readers of the Annals. With the assistance of a couple colleagues (and a few little birdies), I have developed some questions with responses. I also provide some comments about the Editorial Board and review process, and conclude with a few tidbits—which may or may not be surprising.

Questions or, Perhaps, QTSBA (Questions That Should Be Asked)

1. Is There a Preference for Specific Types of Manuscripts to Be Published in the Annals?

I am certain that the Annals has a tradition, buttressed by cultural or historical perceptions, that tends to influence the types of manuscripts that are submitted. As per my goal to be inclusive, the accepted and published articles, from the initial issue in Spring 2011 to the present, cover a wide range of topics with implications for education and other relevant areas of interest. Topics include social-emotional development, writing, sign language interpreting, inquiry-based science instruction, use of captions, cochlear implantation, dual diagnosis (deafness and autism), the role of counselors, and memory research and deafness—among others. The participants under study in these manuscripts represent users of a variety of communication modes (sign, speech, etc.) and a wide range of degrees of hearing loss, from slight to profound; some participants are members of the Deaf culture (e.g., Deaf Identity, Deaf World, etc.).

As Editor, I am committed to maintaining inclusiveness and to publishing high-quality articles that have proceeded through a rigorous review process. I have no qualms with respect to the use of a specific research paradigm (e.g., quantitative, including single-subject designs; qualitative, including critical and postmodernist analyses), or even with respect to theoretical framework (e.g., behaviorism, cognitivism, socioculturalism, or any other “isms”). With at least two methodologists as reviewers, I intend to accept manuscripts that have sound technical merits as well as adequate literature reviews. I have also attempted to encourage contributors to use more inclusive language in describing their samples (e.g., d/Deaf and hard of hearing) and to be meticulous in their inclusion of demographics of the sample (e.g., degree of hearing loss).

In short, the Annals is a scholarly research journal that encourages the submission of primary (empirical) research (qualitative or quantitative) as well as secondary analyses (meta-analyses, research reviews, etc.). The Annals also encourages theoretical (including metatheoretical) papers and position papers, but these works must be based on a strong, extensive integration of research studies and/or extant theory.

2. Can Members of the Editorial Board Contribute Manuscripts to the Annals? Is This a Conflict of Interest?

Not only can Editorial Board members contribute manuscripts; I strongly encourage these members to do just that. In fact, prior to becoming Editor, I was a member of the Editorial Boards of several other journals, and their Editors strongly encourage contributions (actually tooting their horns for contributions). Since my tenure, there have only been four members of the review board who have published in the Annals—Stephanie Cawthon (regular refereed review and invited), Harold Johnson, Cheri Williams (regular refereed review and invited), and Ye Wang. One other review board member’s manuscripts have been rejected twice—demonstrating that the double-blind review process maintains the same standard of rigor regardless of the source of a contribution. Given the wide range of interests, philosophies, and expertise of our Editorial Board, I do not see a conflict of interest. My goal is to expand the Editorial Board, and this is an ongoing process.

3. Can the Editor Publish in the Annals? Is This a Conflict of Interest?

In my view, the Editor of the Annals should not submit or publish manuscripts in the regular literary issues (published four times a year). In short, I will not publish any of my manuscripts in the Annals (under the regular refereed review process) as long as I am Editor. I can do a special issue (typically under the invited category or with the Spring Reference Issue...