The conventions and style for Great Basin Birds
are fairly simple. In the following sections, we provide
guidelines for text, figures, and tables, and we encourage
contributors to review these before they start to write.
If you have any questions, please contact one of the
editors at the addresses listed at the end of this page.
Content
Great Basin Birds (GBB) welcomes contributions
on all aspects of the status, distribution, and conservation
of bird populations and communities in the Great Basin
and northern Mojave Desert. Studies conducted in adjacent
areas also will be considered; for these, we recommend
brief consultation with the editors prior to preparing
an article. A review of the Tables of Contents of past
issues illustrates the diversity of the journal (click
here for TOCs). In keeping
with GBBO’s mission to provide impartial data
and interpretations, contributions must be of scientific
quality and interpretations based on sound data to be
considered and accepted for publication in GBB.
Length
Manuscripts submitted to GBB vary in length
from 2-3 to 10-12 printed pages. Our readership has
a wide variety of interests and backgrounds. In order
to foster our readers’ interest in all
topics, the editors emphasize, above all, concise writing
and to-the-point discussions. We recommend including
a clear statement of purpose in the introduction and
focusing all essential background, data, and conclusions
on that topic. We also encourage the use of figures
and tables to eliminate wordy descriptions; lengthy
tables may be published separately on our website rather
than in the journal (see Supplemental Data section below).
Style and Formats
With few exceptions, articles consist primarily of
text. Articles may include figures and (or) tables in
the formats described below. If in doubt, refer to a
recent GBB issue for style and formats, or
contact one of the editors. Currently, we consider photos
for publication only if they provide an integral piece
of information for the article that cannot be provided
in another format (e.g., evidence of correct identification
of an accidental species).
Text:
Text files should be in a recent version of Word, or
in an ASCII text file. Use consistent headings and heading
ranks throughout, and double space the text. Use common
American English spelling and usage. Capitalize the
common names of birds (Common Grackle instead of common
grackle), and italicize the Latin names of fauna and
flora if you use these names.
Special characters, such as mathematical, scientific,
or multinational symbols, are permitted. However, please
prepare a separate note to the editor that identifies
each symbol. Conversions between word-processing programs
and the layout program often mix or eliminate symbols,
leaving reviewers and editors guessing.
Tables:
Tables can be in either portrait or landscape format.
When printed, the width of a table needs to fit on an
8.5”x11” piece of paper. Certain multi-page
tables are permitted, but see the Supplemental Data
section below. Tables should be prepared in Word using
tab-delimited columns because the translation from spreadsheets
to text files can introduce errors. We also recommend
that you double-check the final table prior to submission
because you know best what the table should like.
Number the tables in the order in which they are introduced
in the text. Place the table number, followed by a concise
title, at the top of the table. In the text, refer to
each table as “Table 1”, “Table 2”,
and so on.
Illustrations:
To paraphrase the old adage, a good illustration can
save a lot of words. Conversely, a poor figure is a
waste of space. Before creating an illustration, please
think about what you want it to show and how it supports
the article. Refer to the illustration in the text,
but refrain from repeating all information that can
be gathered from the illustration. A concise, descriptive
caption can help provide the information needed to bridge
the gap between illustration and text.
Most illustrations will be reduced in size when they
are published. Thus, small fonts and thin lines may
become illegible when the figure is reduced. Also, a
figure crammed with information likely will look like
a splotch when reduced. To determine the clarity of
your figures, we recommend printing out the figure,
taping it to the wall, and evaluating it from a distance,
or reducing it to a 2-inch-wide format and printing
it.
We expect figures and tables to be in their final format,
or very close to it, for initial submission of an article.
Computer-generated figures are not required: some excellent
pen-and-ink drawings in past issues reproduced beautifully.
The editors or the printing company will scan non-computer
figures prior to layout and printing.
Photographs can be used when the photo is needed to
substantiate evidence presented in the article. Please
consult with the editors prior to using a photo to ensure
that it can be scanned into a suitable digital format
and will be suitable for publication.
All figures and photographs are printed in black and
white. Therefore, authors should avoid illustrations
that depend on color discrimination. For computer- or
hand-drawn figures, judicious use of patterns and different
densities of shading usually works well. In special
cases, and with prior consultation with the editors,
color illustrations can be placed on the Supplemental
Data webpage.
Number the illustrations in the order in which they
are introduced in the text. Include concise figure captions
with all figures and illustrations. In the text, refer
to each illustration as “Figure 1”, “Figure
2”, and so on; when a figure is cited within parentheses,
abbreviate the word Figure (for example, Fig. 1).
References:
References include books, journal articles, chapters
in books, and miscellaneous other sources of information.
The reference is cited in the text and is given in full
in the Literature Cited section. Please make sure that
all cited references are in the references list, and
that all references in the list are cited. In the text,
refer to the source either as Smith (2000) or (Smith
2000), depending on how you cite the source. For dual-authored
sources, use Smith and Jones (2000) or Smith and Jones
(2000); for multi-authored sources, use (Smith et al.
2000). These sources then are listed in the Literature
Cited section at the end of the paper. Format examples
are given below:
Book:
Bent, A.C. 1963. Life Histories of North American
Flycatchers, Larks, Swallows, and their Allies.
Dover Publications Inc. (New York).
[Capitalize the name of the book.]
Journal article:
MacArthur, R.H., and J.W. MacArthur. 1961. On bird
species diversity. Ecology 42:594-598.
[Capitalize the name of the journal.]
Book chapter:
Ridgway, R. 1877. Ornithology. Pp. 303 - 669 in C.
King (ed.), Ornithology and Paleontology.
U.S. Geological Explorations 40th Parallel 4. Washington,
D. C.
[Capitalize the name of the book in which the chapter
appears.]
Website citation:
Use the same format as for a journal article and place
the website URL at the end of the reference.
Unpublished references:
On occasion, reference is given to unpublished written
or oral communications. These are cited in the text
in the following format: (J. Doe, written comm., 2002)
or (J. Doe, pers. comm., 2002). These communications
are not listed in the Literature Cited section. References
to unpublished manuscripts should be treated the same
as written communications.
Supplemental Data
In some cases, we need to limit the number and length
of tables that can be printed in Great Basin Birds.
The data presented in a published paper generally should
be concise, but complete enough to support the conclusions.
In cases where lengthy tables are presented, the editors
may ask authors to prepare a summary table for the journal,
while the unabridged version is posted on GBBO’s
Great Basin Birds webpage (http://www.gbbo.org/gbb.htm).
In these cases, the printed article must be able to
stand alone with the abridged table, and sufficient
data must be presented in the article to support its
conclusions.
Color photographs may also be placed on the Great
Basin Birds webpage to augment a point made in
an article. Again, the article should not depend on
the color photograph or the reader being able to access
the web.
The Process
We recommend that authors have someone else review
their manuscripts prior to submission. A knowledgeable
reviewer is helpful, but even someone who has a good
eye for the written word can find typos, errors in logic
and presentation, and even paragraphs that are out of
place or missing (cutting and pasting doesn’t
guarantee seamless content!). Providing the journal
with a manuscript free of typos and other errors substantially
helps the reviewers and increases the chances of manuscript
acceptance.
Once an article has been submitted, one or more knowledgeable
peers will be asked to review the article, and the review
comments will be returned to the author for revision.
The author then makes the necessary changes to the article
and returns it to the editors for final evaluation and
acceptance. If an article is accepted, the editors may
request minor changes in the text and illustrations.
At this final stage of editing and publishing, we expect
the authors to be available to discuss such changes
and clarify other details, as needed.
Contact Information
All submissions should be sent to the ATTN: Editors;
Great Basin Bird Observatory, 1755 E. Plumb Ln. Ste
256A, Reno, NV 89502. We encourage consultation with
the editors prior to submission to determine suitability
of the article’s contents for GBB, clarification
of the guidelines and review process, and other questions.
The easiest way to reach the editors is via email.
Elisabeth M. Ammon
Great Basin Bird Observatory
1755 E. Plumb Ln. Ste 256A
Reno, Nevada 89502
(775) 323-4226
