Foreword to the Third Edition
One of the enjoyable prerogatives of the Editor-in-Chief (EiC) of Journal of Nematology is exercising the authority to establish editorial policy. In essence, the EiC sets the style for the Journal. In rewriting the style guide, I have endeavored to express my philosophy of allowing authors the maximum flexibility to present and express their ideas within the structured framework of the Journal. Thus, whilst uniformity in citing references is important, restricting authors to particular systems of nomenclature for nematode anatomy, for example, is of dubious value.
The second function of this guide is to assist authors, reviewers and Editors in the preparation and processing of manuscripts, and indeed, the guide began life as the “JON Publication Manual” (see forewords to the first and second editions). By adopting a web-based format in which topics are connected by links, it is hoped that the information will be more accessible. In addition to the numerous examples of formatting style that were a feature of previous editions, narrative descriptions of JON style have been expanded (e.g., see Literature Cited). The intent of the narrative descriptions is not to address every possible style contingency, but rather to clearly describe the style expectations for the most common types of expression desired by the authors. Individual Editors are granted leeway in judging the suitability of particular points of style. Despite the utility of the hierarchical web format, certain style rules don’t fit easily into the narrative, and authors are encouraged to consult the Technical Style Glossary for a catalog of style details.
Authors and readers are encouraged to send their comments about this guide and the style and format of the Journal of Nematology to the EiC or members of the Editorial Board, or through the Feedback link. As noted by the previous EiC, “close attention by authors to the many details in this guide will result in smoother and more timely processing of manuscripts.”
David Bird
Raleigh, NC
February 2006