Geology Today

Published on behalf of The Geologists Association and The Geological Society of London

Edited by:
Peter Doyle

Print ISSN: 0266-6979
Online ISSN: 1365-2451
Frequency: Bi-monthly
Current Volume: 26 / 2010

TopAuthor Guidelines

Geology Today provides an entertaining and instructive read for all people interested in the Earth sciences. It provides a balance of news and review articles of topics of current interest in the Earth sciences, written in an accessible way by leading experts in the field.

Geology Today can provide rapid publication for topical articles: at the Editor's discretion, articles can be published within two months of submission. Contributions are welcomed in the following forms: Feature Articles (generally up to 3000 words), News items (up to 900 words maximum) or general correspondence. Other contributions include Rocks Explained, Minerals Explained, Building Stones Explained and Fossils Explained series. Each contribution will be accepted on its own merit, and selection for publication will be at the discretion of the Editor. As such, it may be valuable to discuss the content of any potential articles or news items with the Editor before submission.

Contact details
Peter Doyle
Geology Today, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1V 9AG, UK.
Tel: +44 (0)207 434 9298
Email: geologytoday@btinternet.com

Submissions
Each contribution is to be submitted to the Editor at the above address as two hard copies of typescript, together with the manuscript on disc or CD. Large computer files containing illustrations should always be submitted by CD, rather than e-mail. Microsoft Word is the preferred word processor package.

Illustrations
Illustrations, both images and diagrams, are welcome; and should be of a high quality. Colour illustrations are preferred. The Editor has discretion over which to accept: the main criteria are content and quality, a small number of high quality images are preferred. Illustrations should be sent in hard copy with the initial submission and digitally, ideally in a vector file format, preferably TIF. Please do not embed files in the text but send them separately. Good quality prints or transparencies are also suitable. It is the authors' responsibility to obtain and pay for permission to publish any copyright material.

For a guide to digital illustrations see: http://authorservices.wiley.com/bauthor/illustration.asp.

Format
Contributions should follow the format used in the most recent issues of Geology Today.
The layout of a Feature article is typically:

Title (which should be short and 'punchy')
Author(s) name, address and e-mail
Summary (short, to the point)
Main text (using suitable subheads)
Suggestions for further reading (Geology Today does not normally use in text references, this should be used to direct readers)

For further guidance, a free sample issue of Geology Today may be viewed at: Wiley Interscience

References
Geology Today does not normally use in-text referencing on its Feature articles. Suggestions for further reading are, however, normally included, and the following examples show the format that should be used:

Kiersch, G.A. & Underwood, J.R., Jr. 1998. Geology and military operations, 1800-1960: An overview. In: Underwood, J.R., Jr. & Guth, P.L. (eds) Military Geology in War and Peace. Reviews in Engineering Geology v.13, pp.5-27. Geological Society of America, Boulder, Colorado.
Moore, R.C., Elias, M.K. & Newell, N.D. 1936. A 'Permian' flora from the Pennsylvanian rocks of Kansas. Journal of Geology, v.44, pp.1-31.

Exclusive Licence Form
Authors will be required to sign an Exclusive Licence Form (ELF) for all papers accepted for publication. Signature of the ELF is a condition of publication and papers will not be passed to the publisher for production unless a signed form has been received. Please note that signature of the Exclusive Licence Form does not affect ownership of copyright in the material. (Government employees need to complete the Author Warranty sections, although copyright in such cases does not need to be assigned). After submission authors will retain the right to publish their paper in various medium/circumstances (please see the form for further details). To assist authors an appropriate form will be supplied by the editorial office. Alternatively, authors may like to download a copy of the form here.

Book reviews
Book reviews are an important part of the magazine, and are welcome. Books for review should be sent to:
James Tattle
Science Journals Editorial
Wiley-Blackwell
9600 Garsington Rd
Oxford OX4 2DQ, UK