Editor's Page

On behalf of all the publishing staff at Virginia Tech, welcome to the Journal of Extension in its new electronic format. We are excited by the opportunity to be the host institution for this milestone venture. We know our new format represents a significant change from what we have been use to and comfortable with. There are many challenges before us, and with your help we are certain we can make this a successful undertaking.

Our goal is to continue to provide a forum for publishing the best and latest information and opinions about a wide variety of Extension issues, experiences, approaches, practices, and techniques. The content of the Journal remains essentially the same as before. Submission categories include: Feature Articles, Research in Brief, Ideas at Work, Tools of the Trade, and a new Commentary section. We are particularly interested in hearing from our readership through the Commentary section. In this section, we would like to promote a dialogue of issues important to Extension. To this end, we will work towards publishing the Journal six times a year and decreasing the turnaround time of manuscript submission to publication to six months or less.

The change to an electronic format has been an extremely challenging and adventurous learning experience. Many people have been involved and need to be acknowledged. Teresa Hypes and Cheryl Kieliszewski are the backbone of the editorial operation. Without them I would be truly lost. Tom McAnge and Patrick Robinson at Virginia Tech and Dirk Herr-Hoyman of Florida are responsible for the technical aspects of publication. Without them we would not be able to publish electronically. Ellen Ritter, the former editor, did a wonderful job of providing information on editorial operations to assure a smooth transfer of these tasks, including suggestions for the new electronic format. Colleen Schuh, the outgoing assistant editor, has been invaluable in making the transition and is the driving force in marketing the electronic Journal. Jim Summers, president, and Judith Jones, of the Journal of Extension Board have provided exemplary leadership, administrative support, and direction in this transition. Thanks also to all of the Board and Editorial Committee members who have been extremely helpful and willing to provide assistance at a moments notice to get the new electronic Journal up and operational.

Please continue to communicate your comments, ideas, and suggestions on the new electronic format. Let's all work together to make the electronic Journal of Extension a useful and effective resource for the Extension system.

MTL