Journal of Happiness Studies

Abstract

History The Journal of Happiness Studies (JOHS) is an interdisciplinary forum on subjective wellbeing. The first issue appeared in 2000. Founding editors were Ed Diener, Alex Michalos, and Ruut Veenhoven. All three were members of the International Society for Quality of Life Studies (ISQOLS) as were most of the members of the editorial board. The journal has roots in the social indicator movement and emerged as a split-off from the successful journal of “ Social Indicators Research” that got ever more submissions on happiness. Alex Michalos was at that time the editor in chief of “Social Indicators Research,” which he established in 1973. The journal rooted also in the positive psychology movement that emerged at that time and in which Ed Diener was a key person. Ruut Veenhoven was founder of the World Database of Happiness and as such central in the field. The publishing house was Kluwer Academic in the Netherlands, the same publisher of Social Indicators Research. Kluwer Academic became part of Springer Publishers, which now hosts several more scientific journals on well-being, such as “Quality of life Research” since 1997, “Applied Research in Quality of Life” since 2003, and “Psychology of Well-Being” since 2011. The first editor in chief was Ruut Veenhoven (2000-2004), followed by Ed Diener (2005), Bob Cummins (2005-2009), and Antonella della Fave (since 2009).