While the history of interest in voice quality dates back at least as far as Henry Sweet (e.g. 1890), there was for many years little agreement on how to classify voice quality or how to transcribe it as part of a phonetic transcription. Indeed, there is not even agreement on precisely what the term covers in that it is often restricted to aspects of voice quality derived from vocal fold activity, rather than the fuller meaning which encompasses features derived from supralaryngeal settings of the articulators. Authors such as Nolan (1983) have used the phrase long-term quality as an alternative; however, in this article we will retain the traditional term but with a wide application to account for voice quality derived from airflow features, vocal fold activity, and supralaryngeal activity.

A contract has been signed with Cambridge University Press to publish the Handbook of the International Phonetic Association. The volume will be a resource containing concise information on the use of the International Phonetic Alphabet and guidance on how to use it. The draft text circulated in JIPA 25(1) has been edited by Francis Nolan based on comments received from readers. The Handbook will also contain the Illustrations of the use of the International Phonetic Alphabet for different languages, which have been published in JIPA since 1989, and Appendices with a variety of reference material including Principles of the IPA, computer coding tables for phonetic symbols, extended symbol usage, history, statutes and by-laws.