The new editor introduces himself and his vision for the journal as the flagship for the organization and to publish high quality articles that add to the knowledge base, challenge existing opinion, and epxlain the implications of research applied to practice

Denson, Eric L.

English

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6 ACADEMIC ATHLETIC JOURNAL New Editor's Statement Eric L. Denson University of Washington As I assume the editorship of the Academic Athletic Journal, this seems to be an appropriate time to share my aspirations for the AAJ. Before taking on that task, several "thank yous" are in order. First, I would like to thank Kathy Lyons, the former editor, for encouraging me to consider serving as the editor and gener-ously sharing her wisdom and experience during the transitional period. It did not take me long to appreciate the. magnitude of the position and the effort and dedi-cation that were such key parts of her work as editor. Thanks are also due to Dr. Janice Jordan, mentor extraordinaire, for providing additional encouragement, the previous editorial board for their contributions, and finally to the University of Washington Department of Intercollegiate Athletics for financial and material support for this undertaking. In many cases, a journal serves as the flagship for an organization. It is a major publication that represents one part of the organization that all of its mem-bers see, in contrast to events such as national conventions, whose influence is at times limited to those who attend. Perhaps more importantly, the journal is a document that represents the organization to those who are not members. The journal is often the first link between the organization ·and prospective members. In that regard it may serve-<lepending on how it is perceived-as an important resource and an enticement to pursue membership in the organization, which is important since strength in numbers is often a prerequisite to greater influence, and. a strong and active membership is the lifeblood of any organization. Cer-tainly, the N4A is no exception to that. Apart from its value as a flagship for the organization, the journal is also an important disseminator of information. In this way, the journal is a forum for both research questions and application. It represents an opportunity to present the state of the art of knowledge in the field, and to do so in sufficient depth so that other professionals may apply that knowledge to their own institutional environ-ments. The journal is also a way to stimulate thought and debate among profes-sionals involved in providing support services to student-athletes. With this issue, the AAJ ushers in several. changes. The editor and composi-tion of the editorial board have changed. Another change with the AAJ is the inclusion of an index of all articles published in the journal from 1986 to 1995. This index will be updated annually to reflect the articles published during the past year and should be useful to authors wishing to review the literature, as well ACADEMIC ATHLETIC JOURNAL 7 as new members wishing to know what has been previously published in the jour-nal. The most obvious change, of course, is the cover. Even the best designs need to be changed occasionally in order to get people's attention. This seemed to be a natural time to redesign the cover, as well as the layout of the journal. The basic philosophy of the journal has not changed, however. The primary audience remains the same-the psychologists, counselors, teachers, and advi-sors to studenFathJetes who make up the membership of the N4A-and the ar-ticles published in the journal will continue to emphasize that audience. As editor, I am committed to maintaining the readability of the journal's articles, while in-creasing the number and quality of scientifically rigorous submissions. Efforts will be made to expand the readership of the journal so that those currently lack-ing access to it will be able to gain such access, as the journal's contributors have important things to say that other_s sho_uld hear. The purpose of the journal will continue to be publishing high quality articles that add to the knowledge base, challenge existing opinion, and explain the implications of research. Because ours is an applied field, articles considered for publication must clearly address practical applications as well theoretical foun-dations. As our field evolves, sharing information about what we do in our pro-grams that works, and explaining the nuts and bolts of those processes remains an important task and one that this journal will ask its contributors to share in. In closing, it is a privelege to serve N4A as the editor of the AAJ, and I look forward to hearing from lots of prospective authors. Thanks and enjoy! 

New Editor's Statement

https://krex.k-state.edu/bitstream/2097/43098/1/AAJ-1996-11-1-Spring-1-Denson.pdf

New Editor's Statement

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