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Journal of Environmental Quality Author Instructions

Scope

Contributions to the Journal of Environmental Quality (JEQ) that report original research or reviews and analyses, as well as datasets, dealing with various aspects of anthropogenic impacts on the environment in natural and agricultural ecosystems will be considered from all disciplines. To be acceptable, a manuscript must make a significant contribution to the advancement of knowledge or toward a better understanding of existing concepts. The study should define principles of broad applicability, be related to problems over a sizable geographic area, or be of potential interest to a representative number of scientists.

Manuscript Types

The journal publishes contributions under the headings of Technical Report, Review & Analysis, Technical Note, Dataset Article, Perspective, Letter to the Editor, and Book Review.

Technical Report. Original research contributions on hypothesis-driven studies that focus on anthropogenic impacts on the environment. These are grouped by subject matter, which are periodically reviewed by the JEQ editorial board and subject to change. The current subject matters are atmospheric pollutants and trace gases, bioremediation and biodegradation, ecological risk assessment, ecosystem restoration, emerging contaminants, environmental microbiology, environmental models, modules, and datasets, groundwater quality, landscape and watershed processes, organic compounds in the environment, plant and environment interaction, resource recovery and reuse, surface water quality, trace elements in the environment, urban pollutants, vadose zone processes and chemical transport, wetlands and aquatic processes.
Review & Analysis. A scholarly review of the literature on an environmental process. A Review & Analysis paper will focus on an important environmental subject that needs a scholarly review; not be an exhaustive review but instead include enough literature review to provide a basis for understanding and interpretation of the topic; cover the entire spectrum of the subject, not just the segment about which the authors have published articles; present a balanced coverage that is fair to all the work it reviews; and most important, provide a synthesis of existing knowledge and give new insights or concepts not previously presented in the literature, which contributes significantly to our understanding.
Technical Note. Papers that present and describe analytical techniques, laboratory and field equipment design, computer software, studies of limited scope or preliminary data with compelling results, and unique observations.
Dataset Article. Papers that present and describe large or expansive datasets that are accessible to other researchers for developing new studies. A Dataset Article comprises two parts: a dataset or group of datasets and the metadata (manuscript), which describes the content, quality, structure, and potential uses of the dataset(s). Limited statistical analysis of the data may be included in the metadata, but more detailed analysis of datasets could form the core of a regular research paper to be published in JEQ or elsewhere. Dataset papers are subject to full peer review; the review process evaluates the scientific significance and overall quality of the dataset(s) first and further examines the manuscript to ensure a high standard of usability with regard to the dataset(s) that it documents.
Perspective. Discussion of contemporary environmental issues from a combination of scientific, political, legislative, and/or regulatory perspectives. These articles tend to have more of a philosophical bent to them but must still be based on a foundation of good science. Perspective manuscripts are subject to the criterion of novelty with respect to their contribution to the base of knowledge and must be of international interest.
Invited Review. By invitation only, a scholarly review of the literature on an environmental process.
Letter to the Editor. Papers that provide a forum to discuss specific topics. Normally 300 words or less. Published subject to review and approval by the Editor.
Book Review. By invitation only. Short review of a book related to the field of environmental science. May be invited by the editor.

Refer to JEQ Dataset Paper Instructions for detailed instructions regarding dataset articles.

JEQ also publishes special sections, which are designed to bring to the forefront and promote new areas of research of broad interest to the JEQ readership; highlight and provide a platform for scientific exchange resulting from symposia, collaborative projects, and topical conferences through rigorous and professional peer review process; and provide a periodic overview of the state of the art in various research area by soliciting contributions from active leaders in the field of environmental quality. A typical special section size varies from 6 to 25 manuscripts. A proposal for a special section solicits and calls for papers along a theme (approved by the JEQ Editor) to be submitted, reviewed, and published within the time frame of one year. Submit your proposal using our online form.

Manuscript Submission

Templates

Download the JEQ Manuscript Submission Template and Pre-Submission Manuscript Formatting Checklist.

Submission

Submit manuscripts at the JEQ Manuscript Submission Site. Submissions to JEQ may not be previously published in their entirety or simultaneously submitted to any other scientific or technical journal. American Society of Agronomy (ASA), Crop Science Society of America (CSSA), and Soil Science Society of America (SSSA) journals follow the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA style) for references. Consult our Publications Handbook and Style Manual for specific questions about style. See below for information on word limits.

Creating the Manuscript File

Microsoft Word or LaTeX files may be submitted for review. For your convenience, we encourage you to use our Word template. The manuscript should be double-spaced, using page and continuous line numbers. See our LaTex File Submission Guidelines for instructions on submitting LaTeX files.

Word Limits

Technical reports and notes should be 7000 words or fewer, including abstract, headings, tables, and figures, where each table or figure (including table titles and figure captions) is equivalent to 200 words. References are excluded.

Include the cumulative word count at the top of the submitted manuscript, counting each table and figure as 200 words. For example, the total word count for a manuscript with 5900 words (excluding references), one table, and two figures is 6500.

The suggested word limit for Reviews and Analyses and Perspective papers is 12,000 words, excluding tables, figures, and references. The suggested word limit for Technical Notes is 4000 to 5000 words, including tables and figures (each of which count for 200 words) and excluding references. Word limits do not apply to introductory papers to special sections.

Peer Review and Revision

All manuscripts submitted to JEQ undergo single blind peer review. Papers are assigned to a technical editor, who will assign an associate editor to solicit at least two reviews. After evaluating the completed reviews, the associate editor will recommend a decision to the technical editor. Authors will be prompted to provide a list of potential reviewers. These reviewers must not have a conflict of interest involving the authors or paper, and the editorial board has the right to not use any reviewers suggested by authors. See the ASA, CSSA, SSSA Editorial Policies information page for additional information on review policy, including the policy for appeal of manuscript review. All revisions to the manuscript during the review process will be made by the author only, and revisions will be given the same manuscript number, with an R number on the end (e.g., JEQ-2008-02-0024-RL.R1). Each revision has the opportunity for another round of review—the manuscript status “awaiting reviewer selection” is automatic and does not indicate a resubmission. Authors have 30 days to review and return their manuscript following reviewer and associate editor comments. Manuscripts may be released if revisions are not received, and the paper will have to be submitted as a new manuscript. Soon after submission, the editorial board will decide whether to send the paper through review. For papers that are reviewed, the average time from submission to final decision is about 60 days. It is common for accepted papers go through at least one revision.

ORCID iD

Corresponding authors are required to use an ORCID iD when submitting a manuscript. More information on ORCID can be found on their website. We encourage all authors to list their ORCID iD in the manuscript.

Plagiarism Screening

Papers submitted to ASA, CSSA, SSSA journals are screened for plagiarism before being sent for review. If there appears to be major repetition from other sources, the editor will evaluate the duplication and take appropriate action as warranted.

Article Requirements

Accepted manuscripts are prepared for typesetting using Microsoft Word. Therefore, authors are strongly encouraged to use this software during manuscript composition. Rich-format text and TeX files are not acceptable. The file must be double-spaced and line-numbered. The file should contain the following elements:

Title page (including author byline and affiliations)
Core ideas
Abstract
Plain language summary (optional)
Abbreviations
Text
Data availability statement (optional)
Conflict of Interest statement
Author contributions
Acknowledgments
Supplemental material paragraph (if applicable)
References list
Figure captions
Tables*
Figures* (figures may also be submitted separately as high-resolution image files in the following acceptable formats: EPS, TIF, PDF, or JPEG)

*Tables and figures (review quality) with captions should be placed into the text document at first mention. Figures of accepted papers must be submitted separately for production as high-resolution image files in the following acceptable formats: EPS, TIF, PDF, or JPEG.

Paper Structure

Title Page. The title page should include the title (preferably 12 words or fewer, not including articles, conjunctions, or prepositions), author list, and author affiliations, including city, state, and country. Also include in this section the corresponding author’s email address. Use an asterisk to identify the corresponding author.

Core Ideas. Include 3 to 5 summary statements that convey the core findings of the article. These statements should identify the most relevant outcomes of the paper and encapsulate the significance of the research. Each statement must be a complete sentence 115 characters or less (spaces included). Core ideas are published with the paper.

Abstract. Include an informative, self-explanatory abstract. The abstract should be a single paragraph of 250 words or less. It should be specific, telling why and how the study was made, what the results were, and why they were important. The abstract should read like a “mini-manuscript” with 1 to 2 sentences each for a justification/rationale, objective(s), methods, results, and conclusion. Present the most significant results and use quantitative terms where possible. For specific details on how to develop your abstract, refer to chapter 1 of the Publications Handbook and Style Manual.

Plain Language Summary. You may include a plain language summary (limit 1000 characters). The summary should be clear, concise, and free from jargon. See guidelines for writing plain language summaries here.

Abbreviations. Prepare a list in alphabetical order of abbreviations used in your article. Do not include SI units, chemical abbreviations, or abbreviations listed in the style manual as not needing definition.

Text. The main text of the manuscript typically includes an Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results, Discussion, and a conclusion. The Results and Discussion sections may be combined into one section. The conclusion may appear at the end of the Discussion section or as a separate heading. In either case, the conclusions should be no longer than 200 words. Within the 200 words, the conclusions and implications of the work should be provided. In some instances, no conclusions may have been drawn from the study. In this case, the implications of the study should be provided. In other words, if the author(s) decides to forego the inclusion of a Conclusion subheading within the Discussion section, then the final paragraph of the Discussion section should provide the conclusions (if any) and the implications of the study. Reviews and Analyses and Perspective papers do not need to follow this structure.

Data Availability Statement. Authors are encouraged to include a data availability statement. A data availability statement is required for dataset papers.

Conflict of Interest Statement. Authors should include a statement just before the references (or acknowledgments) section that explains any conflicts of interest. If there are none, authors should explicitly state that there are no conflicts of interest. Conflicts of interest are anything that would interfere with, or a reasonable person could perceive to interfere with, the fully transparent and objective presentation of the paper. Potential conflicts could concern intellectual property, relationships with other entities, or financial gain but are not limited to these issues. See ASA, CSSA, SSSA Editorial Policies for more information.

Author Contributions. The contributions of each author must now be indicated at submission. The submitting author is required to assign specific author contribution roles for each coauthor, using the CRediT taxonomy to indicate their respective roles. The 14 roles are Conceptualization, Data curation, Formal analysis, Funding acquisition, Investigation, Methodology, Project administration, Resources, Software, Supervision, Validation, Visualization, Writing – original draft, and Writing – review & editing. Author Contributions will be published with the accepted article and cannot be edited after article acceptance. Therefore, you must ensure the Author Contribution information you provide is accurate prior to final acceptance.

A final acknowledgments paragraph may be included.

Supplemental Material. Supplemental material may be included in the online version of articles at the discretion of the editors. The material must be submitted along with the original manuscript and will undergo peer review. Authors are encouraged to submit materials that contribute to the content and quality of the article or to use supplemental material as a means to shorten the text of manuscripts. Ancillary information such as some experimental data, including schematics of apparatus and maps of study sites, or material of interest mainly to specialists, are examples of potential supplemental material. When using supplemental material to shorten the text of a manuscript, keep in mind that the Materials and Methods section should provide enough detail to allow the reader to determine whether the interpretations are supported by the data. Include a short (one- or two-sentence) paragraph, titled “Supplemental Material,” describing the supplemental material in the main manuscript directly after the main text.

Supplemental tables and figures should be cited in order in the main manuscript, as Supplemental Table S1, etc. Supplemental material should be formatted with a cover sheet listing authors and manuscript title, and the number of pages, figures, and tables. Pages must be numbered consecutively, starting with S1. Tables and figures should be numbered Supplemental Table or Supplemental Figure S1, S2, etc. The journal program manager may limit the quantity of supplemental material posted. Ideally, the supplement will consist of a single PDF or MS Word file rather than a series of files with individual images or structures. Other file types, such as Quick Time or Excel, may be allowed. Contact the program manager with questions about file types. If submitting videos please use the format .FLV (Flash Video) with 640 x 480 or 720 x 480 (widescreen) as the resolution. If you do not have this format available to you please contact the program manager. The following are not allowed: executables (.exe) of any kind, java script, TeX, or PowerPoint.

In place of supplemental material, our journals encourage the use of data repositories that assign DOIs or other persistent unique identifier (PID) to the data.

References. ASA, CSSA, SSSA journals follow the APA style for citations and references. The author-year system for citations is required; do not use numbered references. Refer to chapter 1 of the Publications Handbook and Style Manual for examples of our reference and citation style, in addition to following these guidelines:

Arrange the list alphabetically by the surnames of the first authors and then by the second and third authors.
Single-authored articles should precede multiple-authored articles for which the individual is first author.
Two or more articles by the same author are listed chronologically; two or more in the same year are indicated by a, b, c, etc.
Only literature that is available through libraries or other readily accessible public media can be cited. Material that does not meet this standard should be cited as personal communication or unpublished data.

Tables. Each entry should appear in a new table cell. Do not use tabs, spaces, or graphics. Cite each table in the text in numerical order; do not use table parts (1a, 1b). Each table must be cited in the text. Table heads should be brief but complete and self-contained. Define all variables and spell out all abbreviations. Table notes can include “Notes” for general notes that apply to the entire table, superscript lowercase letters for specific notes, and asterisks and other symbols as needed for significance notes.

Figures. At submission, review-quality figures with captions should be placed into the main text document at first mention. Authors may also submit figures as separate files. If the manuscript is accepted for publication, color figures must adhere to our color-figure policy. Figures must also be submitted separately as high-resolution image files (300 dpi preferred) in the following acceptable formats: PDF, EPS, TIFF, or JPEG. PPT files are acceptable if the figure was created in PowerPoint. Width of figures should approximate desired print size, i.e., 80 mm for a one-column figure, 180 mm for a two-column figure. All figure parts should be labeled. Multi-panel figures should be submitted as one image. Biplots should have equally scaled axes with tick marks.

Spell out abbreviations on first mention in figure captions, even if they have already been defined in the main text. Define symbols used either in the caption or in a legend within the figure. For more information on figures, see Chapter 5 of the style manual.

Math. Use keyboard formatting where possible (i.e., bold, super-/subscripts, simple variables, Greek font, etc.); if needed, use MathType (preferred) or Word Equation Editor (only if MathType is not available) .

Units of measure. The International System of Units (SI) must be used. Other units may be indicated in parentheses after the SI unit if this helps understanding or is needed for replication of the work.

Nomenclature

Both the accepted common name and the chemical name of pesticides must be given upon first mention in the manuscript. Use chemical symbols for elements, ions, and simple compounds except at the beginning of a sentence or in a title or heading. The Latin binomial or trinomial (and authority for plants) must be included with the common name for all plants, insects, pathogens, and animals at first mention. When referring to soils, give at least the subgroup in accord with the US system of soil taxonomy. Ideally, both the series and complete family name should be given.

Changes to Author Byline

From time to time, authors' names are either added or removed from a given manuscript between the time of submission and publication. In situations such as this, the ethical and responsible manner of handling this type of change is for the lead author to advise the author being added or removed of the change and to notify, in writing, the journal editor and program manager for approval. In addition, all coauthors should notify the program manager that they are aware of and approve of the change.

Consent and Permissions

Before submitting the paper, the corresponding author should send each living coauthor a draft copy of the manuscript and obtain the coauthors’ assent to coauthorship. Authors are responsible for obtaining all permissions for use of figures or other material from other publishers and should supply these permissions when the manuscript is accepted. Authors are also responsible for obtaining permission from individuals whose images are included in photographs. Note that ASA, CSSA, and SSSA reserve the right to publish and republish any images you submit with a manuscript.

Errata

Errata may be used by the authors of a paper to correct errors and omissions that affect the integrity of the version of record that are identified after publication. All additions and corrections are subject to editorial approval and must be approved by all coauthors before submission; corrections of minor errors or omissions will not be published. Send all errata requests to the journal’s program manager.

Policy for Environmental Modeling Papers

The editorial policy for the consideration of environmental modeling papers is very explicit. Modeling papers are only considered if they provide measured data for validation and/or uncertainty analysis of the model.

Policy for Monitoring/Observation Papers

Monitoring studies are only considered if they test a hypothesis that will advance our knowledge and understanding of environmental concepts. An environmental monitoring study is only acceptable for consideration if the monitoring procedures/techniques are put into context to allow a better understanding of concepts that provide a significant scientific impact in collecting data for broad application and interest.

Statement on Statistical Testing and the Use of P-values in JEQ manuscripts

Good statistical practice emphasizes principles of good experimental design and procedures, a variety of numerical and graphical summaries of data, interpretation of results in context, complete reporting, and quantitative understanding of what data summaries mean. No single index should substitute for scientific reasoning.

What are p-values and how are they used? (See Wasserstein & Lazar, 2016, The ASA's statement on p-values: Context, process, and purpose, The American Statistician, 70, 129-133, https://doi.org/10.1080/00031305.2016.1154108)

p-values can indicate how incompatible the data are with a specified statistical model.
p-values do not measure the probability that the studied hypothesis is true, or the probability that the data were produced by random chance alone.
Scientific conclusions should not be based only on whether a p-value passes a specific threshold.
Proper inference requires full reporting and transparency.
A p-value, or statistical significance, does not measure the size of an effect or the importance of a result.

A Recommendation for Authors of JEQ manuscripts

There is agreement among many statisticians that it is illogical and inappropriate to dichotomize results solely on the basis of the p-scale. Therefore, authors are discouraged from describing results as “statistically significant” and/or “nonsignificant” solely on the basis of specific p-values. (See Hurlbert, Levine, & Utts, 2019, Coup de grâce for a tough old bull: “Statistically significant” expires, The American Statistician, 73, sup1, 352-357, https://doi.org/10.1080/00031305.2018.1543616.) In lieu of such statements, authors are encouraged to provide p-values and other measures (e.g., standard error) that will aid the reader in evaluating the differences.

Publication Fees

The journal does not charge any submission or page fees.

Optional Open Access Opportunity

After manuscript acceptance, authors have the option of paying an open access licensing fee of $1,700 to apply an open access license at the time of publication to make the article freely available without a subscription.

Journal articles are published open access under the CC BY-NC-ND (attribution, noncommercial, no derivatives) license. Learn more

Authors may request that their article be published under the CC BY (attribution) license. Learn more

Institutional Funding and Transformational Agreements

Your institution or funder may be able to help with open access licensing fees through a transformational agreement. For qualified authors, fees may be covered in full or part when publishing in the journal. Visit the institutional funder payments web page to learn if you qualify and for more information.

Authors Funded by cOAlition S

If you or one of your co-authors received funding from a member of cOAlition S, there may be restrictions on where you can publish. Please check your agreement with your funder for specific details. The information and author compliance tool on this web page can help you make an informed decision about where to publish in alignment with funder and journal requirements.

Green Open Access

Authors with an open access requirement mandated by a funding agency should purchase one of the two gold open access options with funds designated for publication charges by the funding agency. For other repository requirements, authors may post a PDF of the accepted version of a paper to funder and institutional repositories and/or employer’s sites after a 12-month embargo. Authors may post accepted papers to their own personal websites. The doi link must appear on the PDF.

Official Sources

Spelling: Merriam-Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary
Plant scientific names: USDA–ARS GRIN database
Chemical names: PubChem
Soil series descriptions: USDA–NRCS Official Soil Series Descriptions
Fungal nomenclature: Fungi on Plants and Plant Products in the United States (APS Press)
ASA, CSSA, SSSA journal style: Publications Handbook and Style Manual

For questions about the format of submissions, the process of submitting a manuscript, or about the status of manuscripts that have been submitted and assigned a manuscript number, please contact JEQ program manager.

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