Shaping the Future of the Gerontechnology Journal: Current Status, Challenges, and New Opportunities
Convener: Yeh-Liang Hsu, Editor-in-Chief, Gerontechnology Participates: Associate editors, reviewers, authors and readers of Gerontechnology
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AbstractISSUE: The use of technology to support aging societies has become a major global trend. Research on aging and technology is now widely published across journals in engineering, medicine, health sciences, and social sciences. However, Gerontechnology remains the only academic journal explicitly dedicated to this interdisciplinary field and carrying its name and mission. Since its establishment in 2001 as the official journal of the International Society for Gerontechnology (ISG), it has played a unique role in defining and advancing the field. Unlike most academic journals operated by professional publishers, Gerontechnology has been independently managed by ISG, with editorial and operational work conducted largely on a voluntary or part time basis. While this model preserves academic independence and identity, it also creates significant operational challenges. Limited resources, a lack of a systematic publishing infrastructure, and delays in peer review due to low reviewer response rates have affected efficiency and the author experience. In addition, the journal has not yet been indexed in major citation databases such as the Science Citation Index (SCI), limiting its visibility and attractiveness to authors. Commercial publishers have expressed interest in acquiring or partnering with the journal, offering potential improvements in infrastructure and impact, but raising concerns about preserving autonomy, identity, and mission. CONTENT: This roundtable will present an overview of the journal’s current status, including submission trends, editorial workflow, indexing progress, and operational structure. Participants will share perspectives on the journal’s strengths, limitations, and strategic importance to the gerontechnology community. Key questions include how to improve review efficiency, increase visibility and scientific impact, attract high-quality submissions, and evaluate potential collaboration with professional publishers while preserving the journal’s unique identity. Structure The session will begin with a brief presentation by the Editor-in-Chief outlining the journal’s current status and key challenges. This will be followed by invited comments and open discussion among editorial board members, ISG leadership, authors, and participants. The round table format is intended to encourage active exchange of ideas, diverse viewpoints, and collective exploration of possible future directions. CONCLUSION: This round table aims to engage the gerontechnology community in a shared discussion about the future of its journal. The goal is to identify practical and strategic pathways to strengthen editorial processes, enhance scientific impact and visibility, ensure long-term sustainability, and preserve the journal’s unique role as the dedicated scholarly platform for gerontechnology.Keywords: gerontechnology, academic journal, scholarly publishing, editorial strategy, scientific impact, journal sustainability
Convener: Yeh-Liang Hsu, Editor-in-Chief, Gerontechnology Participates: Associate editors, reviewers, authors and readers of Gerontechnology (2026). Shaping the Future of the Gerontechnology Journal: Current Status, Challenges, and New Opportunities. Gerontechnology, 25(2), 1-10
https://doi.org/10.4017/gt.2026.25.2.1705.3