The Torch is Passed...Again

Gary P. Jacobson, PhD

The topic of this month's editorial is “passages” and the passages here refer to the ending in 2023 of our JAAA editorship that began in 2012.

When Devin McCaslin and I accepted the Editor-In-Chief (EIC) and Deputy Editor-In-Chief (DEIC) positions, there had been only one previous editor of JAAA—and that editor was Dr. James Jerger. That, as they say, was a “tough act to follow.” However, with the assistance of my long-time friends and colleagues, Dr. Devin McCaslin (DEIC) and Dr. Erin Piker (Continuing Education Editor), we kept the journal in business and added some thought-provoking special issues.

During our decade of tenure, we noticed that the number of high-quality submissions from the United States was decreasing, leaving submissions from other nations to fill the void. Of course, there is nothing wrong with publishing high-quality manuscripts written by scientists outside of the U.S. However, when these manuscripts outnumber domestically produced manuscripts, we need to pause and try to understand the reason for the change.

One explanation may stem from the knowledge that, compared to decades earlier, there are fewer PhD audiologists and definitely fewer graduates with “clinically oriented” PhDs. For years, we could depend on these individuals to contribute interesting and immediately clinically applicable papers for publication.

We can argue until “the cows come home” why this change has occurred. However, the advent of the AuD, which has arguably increased the quality of entry-level audiologists, has reduced the numbers of potential contributors to the science base of our profession. Remember, one of the “draws” of the AuD was that it was developed to be a clinical doctorate where the curriculum emphasized contemporary patient care and less research design and statistics.

Overall, the reduction in the number of PhD audiologists (likely mostly due to the economic realities of the cost of acquiring a PhD degree) has the potential to imperil the autonomy of audiology. That is, in discussions both scientific and philosophical, it is far more likely that a traditional PhD-level scientist (e.g., PhD audiologist or auditory scientist) with basic research training will be invited to participate in the discussion, rather than an audiologist without this type of scientific training. If audiologists are not the source of the scientific advancements in the auditory and vestibular sciences, there is no doubt that other professionals (e.g., physical therapists or physicians) will be happy to accommodate.

Remember, audiology is still considered a “young” profession, having been born during the 1940s. As such, moving forward, course adjustments that benefit our “Great and Noble Profession” can be expected.

Your editors have been mindful of our audiology pioneers in the process of assembling each issue of JAAA. We hope that we have “done no harm” as we have attempted to disseminate the latest and greatest developments in the auditory and vestibular sciences.

Further, we look forward to the tenure of Dr. Erin G. Piker, the next Editor-In-Chief of the journal. Serving as EIC for the past decade has been a singular honor for me. Devin and I will be available to answer any questions the new “crew” might have.

Also, we want to express our appreciation to Kathie Felix, who has served as our managing editor during this time of transition from publishing the journal at Sheridan Press to publishing with Thieme Medical Publishers. I would be guilty of gross understatement if I said the switch was simple. However, Kathie has been able to accomplish the transition and still publish 10 issues of JAAA each volume year. She has been the epitome of “grace under pressure.” Kathie, thank you.

Finally, I want to express my gratitude to Dr. James Jerger for his continuing support of our Profession for these many years. It is impossible to describe in the confines of an editorial the profound and measurable impact he has had on our Profession. Quite simply, he has been the archetype of the clinical scientist. Without his contributions, ours would be a very different-looking—and far less interesting—profession. As I have written previously, Dr. Jerger was the reason I, and countless others of my generation, became audiologists. Once again, the torch is passed…

Be well, gentle reader.

Publication History

Article published online:
29 July 2024