Instructions for Authors
When submitting an article for the Watershed Science Bulletin, please follow the submission guidelines provided below. Also note that acceptance for review does not guarantee that the article will be published. Submitted articles are selected for publishing based on their quality, presentation of original or novel information, ability to further the mission of the journal, and relation to the central theme of the journal issue.
If the article is accepted for publication, all authors will be required to sign an Author Agreement. This will transfer all copyrights in and to the manuscript to the Watershed Science Bulletin. By signing this agreement, the authors certify that the manuscript is an original work that has not been previously published or submitted for publication elsewhere. In exchange, the Watershed Science Bulletin will publish, market, and distribute the article.
Article Submission
Submit articles of 5,000 words or less and vignettes of 1,000 words or less according to the following guidance. The preferred method of article submission for file sizes less than 5 MB is via e-mail and attached as a Microsoft Word document to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Along with the article, please complete and submit an article submission form provided below. Graphics may have to be sent in separate emails so that they do not surpass the 5 MB file size limitation. An alternative is to mail a copy of the article as a Microsoft Word document on CD to the following address:
Watershed Science Bulletin
Associate Editor
c/o Center for Watershed Protection
8390 Main St. 2nd floor
Ellicott City, MD 21043
Fall 2012: Watershed Planning Submission Form
Spring 2013: Green Infrastructure Submission Form
Bulletin Style
Basic style rules specific to the Watershed Science Bulletin are provided below. Preference will be given to articles that follow these basic guidelines. More detailed guidance can be found in the Watershed Science Bulletin's Style Guide.
1.0 General Formatting
Please adhere to the following general formatting rules:
• Maintain a consistent 12-point Times New Roman font.
• Use bold or italics to distinguish section headings; do not number section headings.
• Leave a blank line between paragraphs; do not indent paragraphs.
• Use only one space after periods and colons.
• Avoid use of headers and footers.
• Include line numbers on submitted manuscripts.
Format the first page of articles like this:
Title in Headline Capitalization
Authora* and Authorb
a Title and affiliation including city, state (2-letter abbreviation), and email address for corresponding author
b Title and affiliation including city, state (2-letter abbreviation)
* Corresponding author.
Format vignettes like this:
Vignettes include only the title on the first page (formatted as for articles). At the end of the vignette include:
List of Sources (optional)
Please see Section 1.3 below.
For More Information (optional)
For more information, contact Name, Affiliation (phone or email address) or visit website URL.
Contributors
Contributors to this vignette include Name, Affiliation; Name, Affiliation; ... and Name, Affiliation.
1.1 Tables and Figures
All tables should be provided in Microsoft Word format in the desired locations within the text of the manuscript. Ensure that tables can be edited in Microsoft Word (i.e., do not insert tables as pictures or objects). Table notes, if used, should appear under the table, not within the table. All figures, including graphs, charts, photos and illustrations, should be provided as separate files that meet the following criteria:
• All graphics should be provided as .tif, .jpeg, .psd, or .eps files meeting the resolution criteria below.
• Photos should be provided at 300-dpi or higher resolution.
• Illustrations should be provided at 1,200-dpi or higher resolution.
• All graphs, charts and other figures created with Microsoft Excel can be submitted as .xls or .xlsx files.
Mention each table and figure by number at the appropriate point in the manuscript text; number figures and tables in the order in which they are first mentioned in the text.
1.2 Captions
All tables and figures should include a short caption, as well as a credit, if applicable. Captions should be placed below figures and above tables using sentence style capitalization (i.e., capitalize only the first letter of the first word and include a period at the end). Captions for tables and figures should be limited to no more than three concise sentences. Use a period after the figure or table number.
1.3 References Cited and List of Sources
Please refer to the Watershed Science Bulletin's References and Citations Style Guide for citation and reference instructions. A few examples of full citations formatted for the References Cited (in articles) and Lists of Sources (in vignettes) follow:
Books and Reports
US Council on Environmental Quality. 2010. Progress report of the Interagency Climate Change Adaptation Task Force: Recommended action in support of a national climate change adaptation strategy. Washington, DC: Council on Environmental Quality.
Chapters in Edited Books
Leach, W. D., and P. A. Sabatier. 2005. Are trust and social capital the keys to success? Watershed partnerships in California and Washington. In: Swimming upstream: Collaborative approaches to watershed management, ed. P. A. Sabatier, W. Focht, M. Lubell, Z. Trachtenberg, A. Vedlitz, and M. Matlock, 233–257. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press.
Journal Articles
Brown, T. 2010. Can volume-based stormwater criteria make a difference to receiving stream health? Water Resources Impact 12(2): 5–8.
1.4 Other Guidance
• Use active voice whenever possible. First person (I, we, my, our) is allowable, but avoid excessive use of first person (without resorting to passive voice). For example, use "this paper" or "this study" to replace of "I" or "we" in some instances.
• In general, express units of measure using the metric system. Where this approach is not practical, insert a footnote at the first use of English units in the main text providing a brief (one- or two-sentence) rationale for your use of English units. Regardless of which system of measure is used, the manuscript must be internally consistent (i.e., do not use a mixture of metric and English units). Always spell out English units (square feet, pounds) at their first use and abbreviate afterwards. Standard metric units (kg, ha) should be abbreviated throughout the manuscript.
• Mathematical expressions.
o Minus or negative sign: Use a minus sign from the symbol palette, rather than a hyphen or en dash
o Multiplication sign: Use an '×,' the multiplication sign found in Word's symbol palette
o Use %, not percent, and a numeral (15%)
o Italicize all variables (e.g., N = 10) in the main text and equations
A Word about Audience, Content and Style
Articles in the Watershed Science Bulletin are written for watershed and stormwater practitioners, including; municipal government staff from planning, engineering, public works, parks, utilities and other departments; private consultants in engineering, landscape architecture, forestry, and environmental science; community organizations working to implement on-the-ground restoration projects; state and federal government regulators and scientists; and University professors educating others about water issues.
Due to the length of the articles (5 published pages or less), it is important to write clearly and concisely in order to convey useful information to the Watershed Science Bulletin readers. Articles should be written in a conversational style without jargon so that they can be easily read and understood by a diverse audience. Keep in mind that readers will be learning from the information presented in each article and applying it in their profession. Therefore, preference is given to articles that make it clear how the author's research findings can be applied and utilized, as opposed to presentation of purely research-based content.
