COVID-19 Scholarship Shines in Journal Collections

By CEO James Appleby, BSPharm, MPH

The gerontological research community should be proud of the way it has responded to the need for study of the COVID-19 pandemic. The work of many scholars has resulted in dozens of articles on the topic appearing in GSA’s journals, and this has resulted in several important new themed collections and special issues.

The February and March issues of The Gerontologist are special issues made up of invited papers under the theme of “Gerontology in a Time of Pandemic.” (Following the call for papers, the editorial team received 132 submissions from 25 different countries!)

The accepted papers address a broad span of topics, from psychosocial challenges of the pandemic for older people to ageism to intersectionality and inequalities related to COVID-19 impact and response. As Editor-in-Chief Suzanne Meeks writes in the opening editorial to part one, “The papers in this collection reflect the diversity of our international author base, and the heterogeneity of older people and their experiences of the pandemic.”

Part two opens with “COVID-19 Recommendations for Research From The Gerontological Society of America COVID-19 Task Force,” authored by Barbara Resnick and Sheryl Zimmerman. This piece is noteworthy because it provides a summary of the need for ongoing research in specific research areas, as identified by many GSA members and categorized by the task force.

The Journals of Gerontology, Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences has a virtual collection on COVID-19 out this month, too, in the March medical sciences section, following a collection that appeared in the November issue. And both the biological and medical sciences sections had collections in the September issue as well.

The Journals of Gerontology, Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences has also developed a rich catalog of papers, showcased in several new and upcoming virtual collections. The psychological sciences section released “What Can We Learn About Psychological Aging By Studying Covid-19” in February with an opening editorial by Associate Editor Lynn Martire and Editor-in-Chief Derek Isaacowitz.

For March, the social sciences section features “COVID19- Trends, Disparities and Consequences for Older Adults,” with a lead editorial by former Editor-in-Chief Deborah Carr; this will be followed by collections on “LTC and COVID-19 Challenges for Care” and “Global Perspectives on COVID-19” in April and May, respectively.

And rounding out GSA’s interdisciplinary focus, also check out the final 2020 issue of Public Policy & Aging Report, “Policy Considerations for a Post-COVID Presidency.”

Congratulations to our authors, reviewers, and editors, for rising to meet the challenge!