The oxygen evolution reaction (OER) was investigated at 60 degrees C in 15wt% NaOH solution on nickel electrodes. Different surface treatments such as sandblasting and/or chemical pickling were employed. Fresh and aged electrodes were subjected to electrochemical measurements. The galvanostatic electrochemical ageing was performed for 21 days, applying an anodic current equal to 150 mA cm(-2). From the Tafel plots for the OER, two well-defined Tafel slopes were observed for all the electrodes, before and after the electrochemical ageing. This behaviour is due to the transformation of Ni(OH)(2) to beta-NiOOH, which is the "right type of oxide" for the oxygen evolution reaction. The kinetic parameters obtained on the electrodes with different surface finishing show that the sandblasted/pickled nickel substrate loses its electrocatalytic properties for the OER early on in the experiment.