Today the possibilities for a sociology journal are almost limitless. The first sociology journals reflected the needs of scholars of the time. But sociology, its place in the world, and the dissemination of information has changed utterly. So in starting afresh, what a new sociology journal should retain and what it should offer to the audience are important issues to consider.

In this first edition, commemorating Ibadan Sociology at 50, we have decided to look back and see into the future. Thus, the contributors are some of the first set of Sociology graduates and teachers at the University of Ibadan. The focus is to look back and yet project into their expectations from where the new editions will follow.

The driving force behind the launch of Ibadan Journal of Sociology is open access which challenges the old subscription-based model. You can download

and distribute articles without restrictions (feel free to make a thousand copies, translate articles into other languages, put articles into books—just give the author proper credit).

Our large global editorial board reflects the diversity of sociology today and is intimately involved in what we do. In particular, members of the editorial board are a crucial part of our peer review process. As academic editors they, along with a senior editor of the journal, take research papers through the peer review process in a way that we believe provides the most constructive and fair review. We are delighted that members of our editorial board have also shown their support for our journal by submitting papers to us, even before we launched.

The Ibadan Journal of Sociology will be devoted to commentaries, lively debates, and diverse opinions, in particular giving neglected voices a place in the limelight. In this issue, we have presented articles from three countries that cover a huge range of topics (let us know what you think by taking our poll at ( www.ibadanjournalofsociology.org ).

Although we expect that many of our readers will be sociologists and anthropologists, we hope readers will range from social science students wanting to learn about the latest research on social and cultural issues, to teachers wanting to use an article in the classroom, as well policymakers in making decisions. Hence, we have several levels of comment on original research. Perspectives, written by an expert, are aimed at readers who are already familiar with the topic.

We have decided not to be part of the cycle of dependency that has formed between journals and the authors, an author that focuses overwhelmingly on promotion, thus sidelining many of the important social problems. Many journals have allowed their interests to become aligned with those of the ‘hungry authors’ by publishing based on ability to pay. Ibadan journal of Sociology will not accept to publish articles unless it relates to the theme of edition.

We will aim to have the highest levels of transparency in our published papers. We require authors to tell us of any possible competing interests; we in turn will tell readers about them. But, information flow should not be just one-way. Our editorial doors (or at least our E-mail boxes) are always open. We want your feedback on the journal: send us an E-mail or submit an e-Letter about any article in the journal, take part in our polls, contribute ideas for the magazine section and submit original research. Ibadan Journal of Sociology is a journal for the global social science community; we invite you to join in.