The transition of Demography from the University of Washington–Seattle to the University of Michigan on May 1, 2013, was a smooth one, facilitated by many people. Outgoing Editor, Stew Tolnay, has been available when needed and handled some of the manuscripts initially submitted under his editorship; his influence is evident in this issue, which is largely composed of articles accepted during his editorship. Others who have been instrumental in the transition include Managing Editor Laura Tesch, members of the Population Association of America (PAA) Publications Committee, the former Deputy Editors and Editorial Assistants, and the exceptional current team of Deputy Editors. Sara Zobl also deserves recognition for quickly mastering the role of Editorial Assistant and then some.

My editorial philosophy is straightforward. The state of Demography is outstanding, and the foundation for maintaining its excellence lies in continuing to publish first-rate demographic scholarship. Thus, my primary focus is to continue to attract and publish the very best work in our field. I am aided in this effort by an editorial team that, together, has extensive knowledge of the field—both its core and recent innovations. I am also strongly committed to timeliness; an important goal is to maintain the relatively short turnaround time for review, currently at about three months, without compromising the quality and rigor of the peer-review process.

It has now been a half-century since the birth of Demography. The first issue (1964), under the editorship of Donald Bogue, named 15 “Editorial Assistants.” The current issue names 16 Deputy Editors and an Editorial Board comprising 61 demographers, up from 39 under the past editorship.

One reason for the sharp uptick in the number of Editorial Board members is related to a major trend I wish to underscore: the continuing increase in the number of submissions we are tackling. I do not think the details of the increase in submissions or the implications of this surge for editorial operations and maintaining rapid turnaround times are well known to the entire PAA membership. As shown in the graphic, the number of new submissions per year ranged from 191 to 224 between 2004 and 2007. This number increased to 296 by 2009 and to 383 by 2012. Our most recent data indicate a continuing increase: the number of new submissions for 2013 will be roughly 450.

figure a

The numbers may eventually climb even higher. Focusing on comparisons of recent months in 2013 versus 2012 is instructive. As shown in the table below, the number of new submissions was substantially higher in 2013 than in 2012 (282 vs. 222).

Number of New Submissions to Demography, by Year and Selected Months

 

2012

2013

May

22

38

June

34

44

July

33

41

August

34

33

September

25

41

October

42

45

November

32

40

Total

222

282

For the single month in which there were more new submissions in 2012 than 2013 (August), the difference is trivial (34 vs. 33). The mean number of monthly submissions was roughly 32 for 2012 and 40 for 2013. If submissions remain stable at about 40 per month, we can expect 480 new submissions per year.

The continued growth of Demography, the flagship journal of the Population Association of America, is both exciting and promising. The Deputy Editors and I are delighted to be involved in this important work, and we take our stewardship of the journal seriously. We wish to recognize not only the past and current editorial teams for making Demography the touchstone for the field, but the many of you who continue to submit your best work to Demography and those who make the time to review even when time is in short supply.

Pamela J. Smock, Editor