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Musings of an outgoing executive editor: recognising an enduring profession and guarding against cultural bias in journal publications

I am stepping down as executive editor of APJSWD by the end of this year. This issue (December 2014) will be my swansong. It has been six years since I took up editorship of the Asia Pacific Journal of Social Work and Development (APJSWD) as its managing/ executive editor. Six years gives one lots of time to get to know a journal very well. It is long enough to understand its origins and purpose; and long enough to invest energies to revamp it, transitioning it from a local to an international publisher, from two issues to four issues per year, from hard copy only to mainly online soft copy. After six years, how would I describe APJSWD? I think it is a humble journal with a proud and admirable history. It is a journal with a bright future. Started in 1991 as a collaboration between the National University of Singapore and the Asian and Pacific Association for Social Work Education (APASWE), its aim then and now continues to be the dissemination of social work and social development research in the Asia-Pacific region (see Ngiam, 2012, for a brief history of APJSWD). This is a diverse region with a wealth of indigenous practices that should be carefully researched and the research shared. What a laudable goal! However, this diversity makes it challenging for unifying a line of inquiry, and a common language and format for information sharing. In my role as editor, I have often struggled to find a balance between ensuring quality of articles and diversity in representation. Yet the journal has continued on with this aim in mind, despite its limited resources. A humble journal indeed. How has the journal survived? Besides its compelling theme that continues to generate a healthy stream of submissions and readership, I think the hard work and tenacity of my predecessors have played a large part. I name them here: S. Vasoo, Tan Ngoh Tiong, Ng Guat Tin, Ngiam Tee Liang, Kalyani Mehta and Murli Desai. Dr Vasoo, who was the pioneering editor-in-chief, deserves special mention. He was instrumental in kick-starting APJSWD, and continued to fundraise for the journal long after he had stepped down from either editorship of the journal or headship of the Department of Social Work in NUS. The Social Work Department has also continued to be the main institutional supporter. To a large extent, the development of a journal is shaped by the orientation of its editor. I think I have had a strong orientation towards representativeness, because I believe that there is much to celebrate of the rich diverse experience and voices from Asia-Pacific. As I pass the baton to the next editor, the journal will morph. Already, some restructuring of the editorial board is underway. I am excited with the next leap of growth that the journal will experience. Dr Hong Song Iee, who takes over from me as executive editor, is a social gerontologist with an impressive publication record. Together with the editor-in-chief, Marcus Chiu, who is a prolific health and mental health scholar, they form a strong team that will uphold the rigour and quality of the journal. They will bring APJSWD to new heights.