Editorial

Abstract

We are in the midst of some exciting changes at Ecological Applications. While our journal has long enjoyed its reputation as the premier venue for new findings in applied ecology, no scientific publication can rest on its laurels in the Internet Age. We are extremely proud of our recent accomplishments. Most important to our readers and prospective authors, we are publishing papers faster than ever. Ten of the 21 papers in this issue were submitted in 2007 (i.e., they are being published within a year of submission). We intend to continue our efforts to shorten time to publication in the coming year. We are also exploring options for making “preprints” of individual papers available prior to publication of journal issues. We wish to promote the Communications format to prospective authors as means to faster publication. Shorter papers can be reviewed, revised, and copy-edited more quickly than the standard articles of the past. In addition, we can publish more of them in a given issue while still keeping within the page budget set by ESA's Governing Board. Whenever possible, authors should cast their submitted manuscripts as Communications. This can often be accomplished via a combination of concise writing and judicious use of Ecological Archives for material not integral to the main message of the paper. All Communications will be Open Access (i.e., one need not be a subscriber or have institutional access in order to view full text online). There will be no charge for color figures to authors of Communications. By making the Communications more accessible and visually appealing, we hope to increase our readership and cement the reputation of Ecological Applications as the place where authors publish the most important and exciting research findings in applied ecological science. a vastly improved layout, both in terms of aesthetics and functionality; links from the references to many of the articles cited; pay-per-view and “mini-subscription” options for access by non-subscribers; options to download reference information into EndNote, Procite, etc.; information on most-viewed articles during the preceding month; and improved issue alerts. Later this year, ESA Online Journals will move to a new platform hosted by Atypon, which will allow us to add even more cutting-edge features. We increased the number of issues published each year (from six to eight) in 2007. This has contributed to the above-noted decrease in the time to publication, We also published a Special Issue on “Eutrophication of Estuarine and Shallow Coastal Marine Systems” as a Supplement during 2007, and we will publish at least one Special Issue during 2008. These issues come as “bonuses” to our subscribers, and the online versions are entirely open access. Effective in 2008, we have changed the “moving wall” for articles in ESA's journals to appear in JSTOR, from four to two years. Again, we hope that by making the back issues of the Ecological Applications more accessible, especially to scientists in fields peripheral to ecology, we will increase the readership and influence of papers published in the journal. The preliminary numbers indicate that 2007 was another bumper year for submissions to Ecological Applications. We received 658 submissions via EcoTrack. For final decisions made in 2007 the acceptance rate was about 28%. The volume of submissions reflects the reputation of Ecological Applications as the journal of choice for papers by scientists and practitioners reporting on advances in applied ecology. The journal's esteem is also reflected by its high impact factor (3.804 according to the most recent Journal Citations Report). Ecological Applications has ranked among the top 15 journals in ecological science for many years. Furthermore, we are pleased to announce that effective with the next installment of the Journal Citations Report, Ecological Applications will also be listed in the “Environmental Sciences” category, where it should prove to be ranked among the very top journals. Finally, we are pleased to announce that ESA journals will soon be certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) as meeting their rigorous standards for using paper stocks that foster sustainable use of forest resources. The intent of the FSC system is to certify that recipients are “doing the right thing [to] eliminate habitat destruction, water pollution, displacement of indigenous peoples and violence against people and wildlife that often accompanies logging.” Look for the FSC certification logo later this year in our print journal.