EDITORIAL

Abstract

We are delighted to announce that Ecology has implemented a totally web-based system for manuscript submission. Authors no longer need to send hard copies or e-mail attachments to the Publications Office or the Editor-in-Chief in order to have their work considered for publication. Manuscripts may now be sent to the journal over the Internet in the original digital format (e.g., Word, WordPerfect, or LaTex), and there are several format options for figures, including JPEG, TIFF, and Excel. The new system will convert the files into a merged PDF for editors and reviewers. Please check 〈http://esapubs.org/esapubs〉 for current instructions before submitting new manuscripts. Peer review will be conducted via the same integrated system, with password-protected confidentiality for reviewers. Our hope is that the entire submission and review process will be expedited. We are confident that there will be significant savings in terms of postage and paper costs, both for ESA and for authors. Another benefit of the new system is that corresponding authors may check the status of their manuscripts on-line at any time. Authors and reviewers may also use the system to update their addresses and contact information. The Publications Office staff has worked diligently to test the new software during the last part of 2003. The aim has been to make the system as user-friendly as possible. Of course, we welcome feedback and suggestions from authors and reviewers for making further improvements. use of e-mail for submission of manuscripts and transmission of digital versions of manuscripts to reviewers; an increased page budget and the move to monthly publication, adopted in 2000; the establishment of Ecological Archives for digital publication of Appendices and Supplements; promotion of more concise submissions. The look of Ecology has evolved over the past few years, and it is not just the covers of the print versions that have changed. Published papers are shorter than in previous years. Most notably, nearly every issue now contains several Reports. These are papers that the editors and reviewers have recommended as both timely and important. The research findings in Reports should be of interest to all ecologists, and their concise format and prominent position in the journal are intended to promote a wide readership. We encourage authors to make every effort to trim submitted manuscripts to a length suitable for this section (20 typescript pages, maximum). (Manuscripts of similar length but on more specialized topics are published as Notes.) Authors can often achieve more concise manuscripts by shortening and focusing the Introduction and Discussion, and by reducing the numbers of figures, tables, and citations. We especially encourage the judicious use of Ecological Archives for publication of digital appendices and supplements (e.g., for methodological detail, full tables of statistical results, etc.). Excessive length may cause delays at every stage of the review and publication process. Longer manuscripts demand more time for evaluation by editors and reviewers and very often must go through extra rounds of time-consuming revision. On the other hand, we strive to expedite the processing of papers that are submitted as Reports. First, reviewers and editors are encouraged to complete their evaluations more quickly. Once accepted for publication, Reports are moved ahead in the copy-editing queue. Finally, Reports are often pushed ahead to the next available issue upon receipt of corrected proofs. We are also striving for a new level of concision in regular articles and in Concepts and Synthesis papers. Submissions longer than 30 typescript pages must now be accompanied by a cover letter that explains and justifies the length. The new policies are intended to raise the interest of readers, increase the number and disciplinary breadth of papers we can publish, and speed the rate of publication.