Focus and Scope: The first number of the Southern African Journal of Gerontology (SAJG), which appeared in October 1992 did not include an editorial. In our excitement to launch the journal we omitted to introduce SAJG to readers. This omission is put right in the second number. Future issues of the journal will include an editorial - sometimes written by a guest editor. The timing of the launch of the journal is important. The decision to produce a journal of our own in the southern African region was made on several grounds. First. it was felt that a journal could provide a forum for the exchange of knowledge on ageing in the region. Trends in ageing and problems of the aged have commonalities in all southern African countries. By pooling and sharing knowledge through such a forum. common solutions to problems can be found.
Second, researchers and gerontologists in South Africa have until recently been isolated as a result of academic sanctions imposed on them because of the country's apartheid policy. Over a decade or longer authors have experienced difficulty in having research published in international journals. A lack of two-way exposure during this period stunted the development of gerontology in the country. We thus felt that a journal of our own would provide a much-needed medium for publishing local research. At the same time, it would serve to expand gerontology in the region generally. Thirdly, we felt that there was sufficient interest in gerontological research in southern Africa to warrant a fully-fledged journal. The efforts of the Co-operative Research Programme on Ageing to a large extent promoted this interest in South Africa- and are continuing to do so. Fourthly, we noted that articles on gerontological topics were being published in a wide variety of social science. Medical health care, social work and other journals. The time had come. we felt also. to gather scientific articles on ageing-related matters- the corpus of southern African gerontologists - under a single cover. Finally, the field of ageing and the concerns of the elderly are of interest not only to academics and practitioners but are also relevant to policy makers. The political transformation period in South Africa is a critical time to review ageing issues and matters affecting the elderly. Hence we felt that a scientific gerontology journal could provide a valuable medium for publicizing the issues. as well as reporting new thinking on how the matters should be dealt with.
Publication Frequency: This journal ceased publication in 2000.
