Editorial: Psychology — A Multi-Shaped Crystal

Abstract

Nine months into 2009, the editorial team is delighted to confirm that it is on track to deliver the last issue of the year on schedule. This success can be attributed to a number of factors including the exceptional support from the editorial board, which has helped us reduce the backlog of articles that have been under review for more than five months. We have also finalised issue 40(1) (March 2010) and are in the process of compiling issue 40(2). The core editorial staff, including PsySSA president, Kopano Ratele; consulting editor, Anthony Pillay; consulting editor: statistics, Tyrone Pretorius; copy editors, Willy Nel and Martin Strous; and publishing editor, Erna Kinsey, are doing all they can to maintain on-time delivery and smooth running of the journal by dealing timeously (electronically or in person) with any potential problems.An impressive array of scholars have contributed to this issue where readers can gain insight into research endeavours in a number of psychological fields. The contributions focus attention on issues that cut across many subdisciplines of psychology (clinical, counselling educational, and research), maintain the standard ofprevious volumes and contain themes that provide a starting point for interpreting psychological reality. It is especially heartening to see that the HIV&AIDS pandemic is tackled head-on in an attempt to better understand and find ways of dealing with the phenomenon. As is always the case, the contributions reflect research conducted in all three research paradigms (qualitative, quantitative, and multi-method).The list of contributions is diverse in terms of institution, gender, and international profile. We nonetheless once again invite established and emerging black researchers to use the SAJP as an outlet for their publications; the SAJP remains committed to capacity building and supporting black scholarship. Private practitioners (not attached to tertiary training institutions) are equally welcome to submit contributions for consideration.As announced in the previous editorial, we have consulted various experts on ways to improve the impact ofthe SAJP. Prof. Mark Savickas, Editor: Journal ofvocational Behaviour and a leading scholar in the field of career counselling, indicated that articles covering meta-analyses of previous research/theoretical considerations are in great demand. This applies also to articles on the standardisation ofnew assessment instrumentssuch contributions will therefore be fast-tracked in future. However, at the same time, all articles dealing with issues of the day in an innovative, creative manner will also be most welcome. We urge authors to submit contributions that cast new light on 'old' issues in a novel way.At a recent editorial board meeting (Cape Town, 12 August 2009), it was decided to introduce one guest issue a year, and issue 40(4) will, in fact, be the first such issue (topic: Facing the archive: living through and with apartheid; guest editor: Prof. Garth Stevens). Future proposals for guest issues should be forwa...