Research Notes vs. Research Articles

Authors

Christopher N. Jacques, Western Illinois UniversityFollow

Date of this Version

6-2013

Document Type

Article

Citation

The Prairie Naturalist 45:2-3; 2013

Comments

Published by the Great Plains Natural Science Society. Used by permission.

Abstract

Greetings GPNSS members! I hope this email finds you well, winding down another academic year, and looking forward to the summer field season. Warm temperatures, peak foliage, and heightened anticipation of the start of another field season are upon us following a long winter season and unusually wet spring for many of us across the Great Plains. Here in westcentral Illinois, wild turkeys are gobbling, neotropical migrants are singing and establishing breeding territories, and white-tailed deer are within days of giving birth to the next generation of fawns. Granted, there are many outdoor activities to participate in, though oppressive heat and humidity that will soon grip the Great Plains have those of us who enjoy cooler fall temperatures and a blanket of fresh snow on the landscape already counting down the days until the first day of fall. Just 3–4 more months.....

Following peer-review, a common recommendation I frequently receive from Associate Editors is “major revision and reducing manuscripts to Research Notes.” I want to provide more clarity in regards to Research Notes (hereafter “Notes) versus feature-length Articles (hereafter “Articles”), because of apparent confusion by potential authors to differentiate between Notes and Articles when preparing manuscripts for publication. Likewise and somewhat surprisingly, I have encountered reluctance and resistance from authors when I (or Associate Editors) request that Articles be reformatted as Notes (Chamberlain 2009). Thus, I am hopeful that this editorial will provide clarity regarding my vision for Notes and helpful suggestions for appropriately preparing Notes.