Instructions to Authors » Letters - Write Back
A lively correspondence section is an important part of any journal, and Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment very much welcomes contributions from its readers. Letters may belong to one of two categories:
- Peer-reviewed letters
- Regular letters
Both categories of letters appear in the Write Back section of Frontiers and both have specific requirements regarding content, style/formatting, and submission. However, as with other sections of the journal, it is crucial that the language contained within letters be as clear and accessible as possible, even to those reading outside their immediate field of expertise. To that end, authors must avoid (or briefly explain) specialized terminology for the benefit of the non-specialist reader.
Please carefully read through the instructions below to determine which category best suits your letter.
- Peer-reviewed letters
Following peer review, Frontiers will publish short letters, either as original communications or as responses to papers that have previously appeared in the journal. Such letters should contain primary research and/or statistical analyses or (if a response) alternative interpretations of the information provided in the original paper, and should include a brief discussion of relevant policy or resource management implications.
Important note: if your letter contains new data or analyses, then it must be submitted as a peer-reviewed letter.
Format: The maximum length for peer-reviewed letters is 800 words, with no more than 15 references; a total of three small figures and/or tables may be included (eg one table and two figures, two tables and one figure). However, the Editor reserves the right to convert figures or tables to web-only materials to help the letter to fit into the available space. The maximum number of authors is 10. These are mandatory requirements, and exceptions will only be made under very special circumstances.
Submission: Please submit these letters under the “Letters – Write Back” category within EcoTrack (http://frontiers.esapubs.org/) – Frontiers’ online manuscript submissions system, which is also accessible from the main page of this site (click the “Manuscript Submission” link at www.frontiersinecology.org). Please read the instructions on the submission site for file format guidelines and figure specifications.
- Regular letters
These letters may comment either on the content of earlier issues of Frontiers, or on any topic of interest or concern in ecology or environmental science, but may not include primary research and/or statistical analyses. Regular letters are not peer reviewed; however, the Editor reserves the right to reject letters that are unsuitable for publication, or to edit the text to conform to style and the available space.
Format: The maximum length for regular letters is 600 words, with no more than five references; one table or one figure may also be included. The maximum number of authors is 5. These are mandatory requirements, and exceptions will only be made under very special circumstances.
Submission: Please e-mail these letters (as an MS Word document) to WriteBack@esa.org. Images supplied electronically must be high resolution (at least 300 dpi at a width of 5 inches – file size 1–2 MB).
Regardless of which category is selected, authors of accepted letters will be able to check the final version of their work at proof stage. Also, if applicable, the journal may invite a reply from the original author for potential publication.