American Zoologist
From the Editor's Desk
Jim Hanken, American Zoologist Editor
My first year as editor of American Zoologist (1996) was nothing if not
exciting. A series of changes in journal policies and procedures announced in my column
last fall have already begun to bear fruit. Here I provide news of recent events and
additional opportunities involving the journal, as well as discuss other aspects of
journal operations of which all Society members should be aware.
Editorial Personnel: New appointments to the journal's editorial staff were
announced in my last column. Several additional appointments made since then bring both
the roster of Associate Editors and the Editorial Board to full strength. Indeed, the
journal now has a lean, mean editorial machine. New appointments are as follows: Associate
Editors - Greg Wray, State University of New York at Stony Brook; Paul Verrell, Washington
State University at Pullman; and Kirk Miller, Franklin & Marshall College; and DCPB
Representative to the Editorial Board - John Phillips, University of British Columbia. The
entire complement of editorial personnel is listed in the American Zoologist
masthead 1997, issue no. 1. In making appointments, I rely heavily upon advice and
recommendations provided by the Society's divisional officers. Anyone wishing to offer
suggestions for future appointments is encouraged to contact me, either directly or via
one of these officers.
Time to Publication: Due to the diligent efforts of all involved (especially
Associate Editor Todd Gleeson), the proceedings from the symposium on aquatic locomotion
that convened at the SICB 1995 Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C., were published in 1996,
issue no. 6. This represents an interval of only 12-13 months following the oral
presentations. While the journal's publication schedule will not permit all symposia to be
published as rapidly as this one, this feat does demonstrate the journal's ability and
intention to respond quickly and efficiently once all manuscripts are in hand. We already
are on schedule for a repeat performance in 1997 involving one, and possibly two, symposia
from this past winter's meeting in Albuquerque. Congratulations to symposium organizers
George Lauder and John Long, and to all the invited contributors, for producing such
excellent proceedings.
Article Length: Effective with all symposia from the Albuquerque meeting, the
standard length of journal articles has been raised from 10 to 12 printed pages. This
change will provide authors with the opportunity to develop their ideas more fully (and
presumably produce a more valuable paper) without incurring a financial penalty. As
before, authors will be expected to bear the cost of additional printed pages at the
prevailing rate (currently $135 per page).
Cover Image and Page Format: This year we will explore the possibility of
adopting a new journal cover image and page format. No substantive changes will be made,
however, without first providing all Society members with abundant opportunity to both
review and express a preference for our various options. These efforts also will be
coordinated with the newly appointed subcommittee that is charged with considering the
possibility (and wisdom) of changing the journal's name, in light of the recent change in
the Society's name. Comments regarding the journal name should be directed to Howie
Lasker.
As stated in my previous column, we would very much like to hear from members of the
Society and learn their reactions to these and other developments. We also would
appreciate receiving suggestions of additional ways in which the journal can better serve
the needs and interests of the science of zoology and its practitioners. In any event, I
wish everyone a rewarding and productive year.