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I was appointed editor of Sociology of Religion shortly after accepting my appointment at Wake Forest University, and I have appreciated the continuing support I receive from the sociology department and the university for my editorial work (recognized on the inside front cover of each issue of the journal). As I state in my “Editorial Vision," my central aspiration for the journal is that it is seen as a vibrant and professional outlet for the best sociological thinking about religion. I want to build on its distinguished past while looking forward to an exciting future. When I took over as editor, I inherited a journal with a long history (68 volumes through 2007) and solid reputation in the field. But it had also, in my estimation, gotten a bit complacent editorially and sloppy in its production. I knew from my informal networks that many established and some rising young scholars were not sending their work to the journal. So, I set about overhauling the journal. I personally undertook having the cover redesigned (see new design at right); I designed (along with Wake Forest student Benjamin Sinclair), launched, and continue to maintain the journal’s website (www.sorjournal.org); I restructured the editorial board and revised (for the first time in 20 years) the “Notice to Contributors”; I initiated electronic submission of manuscripts and electronic distribution of manuscripts to reviewers; and I committed to having an average editorial lag time of less than 16 weeks. (These changes are described in detail in my 2005-06 Editor’s Report.) The journal currently has an acceptance rate under 18 percent and an average editorial lag time of under 15 weeks (see 2006-07 Editor's Report). This, along with the thoroughness of our substantive and technical editing of manuscripts, is making the journal once again a premier outlet in the field. Not only are we publishing work by top scholars in the field like Robert Wuthnow (Princeton University), Christopher Ellison (University of Texas), and Christian Smith (University of Notre Dame), but we are also once again getting the attention of younger scholars and others in the field. Although it can be hard to assess the contribution we are making, the email messages about the journal that are included in this portfolio reassure me that we are on the right track. Before I was appointed editor, some members of the executive council of the Association for the Sociology of Religion–the journal’s sponsoring society–wondered aloud whether I would be able to edit the journal without having graduate students available to assist me. I assured them that I would be able to utilize Wake Forest undergraduates as editorial interns to the same effect. Through fall 2007, ten undergraduates–seven sociology majors–have worked with me as editorial interns. I have benefitted from their contribution to the day-to-day operations of the journal, and I believe they have benefitted educationally by getting to see the inner workings of the academic publishing process. All of the editorial interns are recognized on the inside front cover of the journal and on the journal website.
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