Farewell editorial
| Author | Andrew Goldsmith |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/26338076221148225 |
| Published date | 01 March 2023 |
| Date | 01 March 2023 |
| Subject Matter | Editorial |
Farewell editorial
Andrew Goldsmith
College of Business, Law and Government, Flinders University, Adelaide,
South Australia, Australia
This issue represents the final issue under the joint editorship of myself and Mark Halsey. It has
been an honour for both of us to serve in this capacity for two terms. As many of you will know,
new editors are taking over the helm from the second issue in 2023 –Asher Flynn (Monash)
and Rebecca Wickes (Griffith). We congratulate Rebecca and Asher on their selection for this
role and wish them all the best for their three-year term. They will undoubtedly bring a fresh
vision and renewed energy to the Journal while continuing to build upon its current strengths.
Across our six-year tenure, we have been ably assisted by Caitlan Miller and Dr Sharyn
Goudie, who have guided the journal on a day-to-day basis in their role of managing editor.
We thank them for their important contributions. We also are extremely appreciative to the
many reviewers who have read and evaluated the 500+submissions received in that time.
Being an editor for such a period provides a unique vantage point into the workings of a
particular scholarly community at a national level, but also, to a lesser extent, internationally.
Academic publishing requires effort not just by those seeking to have work published but also,
as noted, by those involved in the reviewing and assessing of that work. In our time, we have
been pleased by the increased diversity of work submitted to the journal, by internationally
based as well as Australian scholars.
However, it is true to say also that the task of finding suitable reviewers has become far more
onerous and time-consuming. While it is tempting to attribute this problem to the growing pres-
sures upon academics in the form of teaching and administrative responsibilities, from the edi-
torial chair, the explanation is more complicated. There needs to be a greater acknowledgement
of, and discussion around, the importance and hence value of this work. Mentoring junior scho-
lars along these lines could assist in overcoming this problem.
There is no doubt this is a challenging time generally for academic journals and, not least,
for those in editorial roles. Journal editing is a public role more openly exposed now than a
decade ago to the currents of cultural criticism. Editors today must at times navigate the diffi-
cult waters of social media. In such times as criminologists, we need to reflect upon, and not
lose sight of, what unites us as a discipline. The importance of peer reviewing and rigorous
research remains, I think, key to defining what it is we share. The success of this journal
Corresponding author:
Andrew Goldsmith, Department of Law, Flinders University, GPO Box 2100, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Email: andrew.goldsmith@flinders.edu.au
Editorial
Journal of Criminology
2023, Vol. 56(1) 3–4
© The Author(s) 2023
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DOI: 10.1177/26338076221148225
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