โ Scribed by Mike Kirkby
No coin nor oath required. For personal study only.
The last year has seen further progress towards on-line provision, with consequent improved access for readers of Earth Surface Processes and Landforms. This is partly reflected by the general shift in the pattern of library journal subscriptions from print to on-line versions, but is also influenced by recent improvements in the Wiley InterScience website. Online access also gives the editors and publishers an opportunity to see which articles and topics are most widely read, and is helping us to revise the aims and scope of the journal for the future. We are currently completing a review of editorial board membership. Since the beginning of 2003, Steve Darby (University of Southampton) has been the new BGRG editor, and further changes to the board will take effect from January 2004.
Over the 11 months to September 2003, 133 papers were received by the editors which included 11 papers for two special issues. This is a similar monthly rate to the last two years, although last year's was slightly higher. Submissions were once again high in the summer, with 30 per cent of the annual total received between May and July. The overall acceptance rate remains at approximately 60 per cent, which is close to our normal level.
The backlog to publication (on paper) is, however, currently increasing slowly. At the start of the report year it was seven months, and it has now risen to eight months, although this is slightly inflated by including a set of manuscripts for one special issue. With a change in typesetter in the middle of the year some delays were also experienced with 'Early View' but things are now running smoothly and the flow of proofs to authors is back to normal, although this has not affected the overall backlog to print. This delay in publication should fall gradually over the next year as the size of the journal is planned to increase for 2004, with an increase in number of pages per issue.
There have been two special issues published in 2003: 'Generation of High Quality Topographic Data for Hydrology and Geomorphology' edited by Stuart Lane from the BGRG/Photogrammetric Society meeting held at Leeds in January 2001; and 'Papers from the 5th ICAR/GCTE-SEN Meeting' edited by Ted Zobeck from the meeting at Lubbock, Texas in July 2002. A number of other special issues are at various stages of planning and production.
It is becoming more difficult for fellow scientists to find the time to review journal articles, as an activity which generates no particular credit in comparison with publishing articles and winning grants. However, each article we write requires at least two, sometimes three referees. This means that with a 40 per cent rejection rate, on average, for one published manuscript three or four referees will have provided reviews. I hope that journals do not ever have to move to a situation where you must demonstrate that you have refereed four articles before submitting one of your own! That, however, is the balance which we should all accept, and further recognize that these tasks can never be evenly distributed. Of course I am aware of the ever-increasing demands on our time, and appreciate the continuing care which many of you give to the review process. I would therefore again like to thank all those listed below who have, through their advice as referees, helped to maintain the standard and effectiveness of the journal. I would also like once more to give my sincere thanks to everybody, in Leeds, Ealing and Chichester, for continuing to make the production and quality of the journal a long-running success.
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Submission of papers to the journal is on the increase again. After a fall last year the number of papers received has risen to 115, none of which were for special issues. Despite this, the wait before publication has fallen significantly during the last year, so that after acceptance manuscripts ar
As promised, the journal is now published simultaneously on the World Wide Web at