The Editor’s Report

[The following is a slightly modified and updated version of the report made verbally to the LSA membership at the annual meeting in New York City on January 4, 2019, by Editor Andries Coetzee.]

During 2018, Language has continued to do well, with a strong submission record, a reasonable ‘time to decision’, and a good reader base. The health of the journal is a reflection of the continued support we receive from the linguistics community. The editorial team is deeply appreciative of this trust and support, and also cognizant of the responsibility that comes with this trust.

Changes in the editorial team

The terms of two of our associate editors ended in January 2018, and we extend appreciation and thanks to them for their service to the LSA: Grant Goodall (University of California, San Diego) and Line Mikkelsen (University of California, Berkeley). We also welcomed three new associate editors as members of the editorial team: Khalil Iskarous (University of Southern California), Christina Tortora (City University of New York), and Lisa Travis (McGill University).

Changes in editorial leadership

In 2018, the LSA membership voted to approve a change to the structure of the editorial leadership at Language. Starting in January 2020, the journal will be led by an editor and co-editor who will serve in staggered three-year terms. A search is currently ongoing for a co-editor who will serve in that position together with the current editor, Andries Coetzee, from January 2020 to January 2023. In January 2023, the co-editor will then transition to become editor for three years, and will be joined by a new co-editor. This new structure of the editorial leadership will ensure continuity in the editorial transition at Language.

Language by the numbers

Volume 94 of Language consisted of four issues comprising 1,002 pages in the printed section, containing twenty-six research articles, nineteen book reviews, and one obituary. The online section of the volume had 345 pages, consisting of one article in the Historical Syntax section, three in Phonological Analysis, one in Language and Public Policy, two in Teaching Linguistics, one jointly published in Language and Public Policy and Teaching Linguistics, two in Research Reports, one in Discussions, and five Replies to earlier Language articles.

During 2018, we received a total of 173 submissions. Of these submissions, 129 have been declined, eighteen accepted, and the remaining twenty-six are still under consideration. The breakdown of submissions by section is given in Table 1. The average time between submission and editorial decision during 2018 was just over three months.

Table 1.

Submissions by journal section during 2018.

Special thanks

We owe much gratitude to the community of linguists who continue to support the journal through choosing to submit to Language and through their willingness to serve as referees. We also acknowledge the continued support of the LSA staff (Alyson Reed, Rita Lewis, and David Robinson), Patrick Farrell (in his capacity as the LSA Publications Advisor), the LSA Executive Committee, and Alicia Stevers (Language editorial assistant). Language continues to maintain very high standards in copyediting in no small part due to the dedication of Hope Dawson as our copyeditor and proofreader, assisted by proofreader Emily Moline.

The Language editorial team is composed of a group of dedicated individuals whose contributions ensure the continued success of the journal. Special thanks go to every member of the editorial team for 2018, including co-editor Megan Crowhurst, book review editor Lauren Squires, and associate editors John Baugh, John Beavers, Eugene Buckley, Kathryn Campbell-Kibler, Donna Christian, Matthew Gordon, Kazuko Hiramatsu, Khalil Iskarous, Christopher Kennedy, Roger Levy, Diane Lillo-Martin, Carmel O’Shannessy, Michal Temkin Martínez, Christina Tortora, Lisa Travis, George Walkden, Linda Wheeldon, David Willis, and Kie Zuraw.

The editorial team wishes to thank the following individuals who generously agreed to contribute their time and effort to the essential task of refereeing submissions.

• Klaus Abels

• Adam Albright

• Artemis Alexiadou

• Cynthia Allen

• Henning Andersen

• Raul Aranovich

• Mark Aronoff

• Leslie Atkins Elliott

• Harald Baayen

• Mireille Babineau

• Mark Baker

• Sjef Barbiers

• Matthew Barros

• Michael Becker

• Misha Becker

• Susana B...