This edition of the SAJCD showcases some of the best research currently being carried out in the field of communication sciences and disorders, both locally and abroad. You will find here a stimulating mix of audiology and speech pathology papers – linked together by the developing contexts in which the work was carried out, and the desire to build the evidence base for our work in this context.
I am extremely proud of the journal’s growth over the last few years – both in terms of the number of papers submitted (we are very often run off our feet as we try to manage them!) and also the quality of the papers and the peer reviews we receive. Our website http://www.sajcd.org.za/index.php/SAJCD/index has almost 300 registered users who regularly download papers, carry out reviews or submit papers of their own. In addition to these regular users, we have an impressive set of stats about the number of ‘casual’ visitors to the site each day and the frequency with which papers are downloaded by interested parties from all over the world. Our small journal is widely read.
The editorial board has a responsibility to support and develop the academic writing and reviewing skills of all interested members of the profession. This is a commitment that we take seriously, especially given the small size of our professions and our developing context where funding for postgraduate training and research support is often limited. In some cases, an editor (together with input from anonymous peer reviewers) may work intensively with first-time authors – sometimes over rather extended periods of time – to ensure that a paper is ready for publication and meets the required standard of the journal. We are proud of the support we have given and the generous feedback we receive about this developmental approach – it makes the editorial process worthwhile.
This will be my last volume of the SAJCD as editor. It is time for another editorial team to take over. I want to thank my co-editors: Vivienne Norman who has given of her time and expertise so generously and efficiently over several years, and Dunay Taljaard who acted as a co-editor for this year’s edition. Our editorial board consists of a stalwart group of individuals who support and advise the core editing group; thank you for your support, wisdom and dedication. Peer review is a key component of high-quality scholarly publishing; reviewers are asked to make a considerable investment of their time and energy in carrying out this work. Thank you to everyone who has carried out peer reviews for the journal over the past few years – your contributions are greatly appreciated.
Michelle Pascoe
Editor-in-Chief