Guidelines for Contributors

Editorial Policy

Fire Management Today (FMT) is an international quarterly magazine for the wildland fire community. FMT welcomes unsolicited manuscripts from readers on any subject related to fire management. Because space is a consideration, long manuscripts might be abridged by the editor, subject to approval by the author; FMT does print short pieces of interest to readers.

Submitting Articles: Send electronic files by e-mail or traditional or FEDx mail to:

USDA Forest Service

Attn: Karen Mora, Managing Editor

2150 Centre Avenue

Building A, Suite 300

Fort Collins, CO 80526

Tel. 970-295-5715

Fax 970-295-5885

E-mail: kmora@fs.fed.us

If you have any questions about your submission, please contact me at the number or e-mail address above.

E-mailed Files. Send all files to kmora@fs.fed.us. Manuscripts must be in Word, Word Perfect, or Rich Text format. Digital photos may be submitted, but must be at least 300 dpi, with a minimum output of 5x7 (see photo section below). Digital photos must be submitted separately, please, do not embed illustrations (such as photos, maps, charts, and graphs) into the electronic file for the manuscript. Instead, submit each illustration as a separate file using a standard interchange format such as JPEG, TIFF, or EPS. For charts and graphs, include the data needed to reconstruct them, any special instructions for layout, along with a description of each illustration at the end of the manuscript.

Mailed Electronic Files. See mailing instructions above. Please label all CDs and disks carefully with name(s) of file(s) and system(s) used. Along with a paper copy, please electronic files in Word, Word Perfect, or Rich Text format. Digital photos may be submitted but must be at least 300 dpi, with a minimum output of 5x7 inches, and accompanied by a high-resolution (preferably laser) printout for editorial review and quality control during the printing process (see photo section below). Do not embed illustrations (such as photos, maps, charts, and graphs) in the electronic file for the manuscript. Instead, submit each illustration as a separate file using a standard interchange format such as EPS, TIFF, or JPEG, accompanied by a high-resolution (preferably laser) printout. For charts and graphs, include the data needed to reconstruct them.

Paper Copy. See mailing instructions above. Type or word-process the manuscript on white paper (double-spaced) on one side. Include the complete name(s), title(s), affiliation(s), and address (es) of the author(s), as well as telephone and fax numbers and e-mail information. If the same or a similar manuscript is being submitted elsewhere, include that information also. Authors who are affiliated should submit a camera-ready logo for their agency, institution, or organization.

Style. Authors are responsible for using wildland fire terminology that conforms to the latest standards set by the National Wildfire Coordinating Group under the National Interagency Incident Management System. FMT uses the spelling, capitalization, hyphenation, and other styles recommended in the United States Government Printing Office Style Manual, as required by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Authors should use the U.S. system of weight and measure, with equivalent values in the metric system. Try to keep titles concise and descriptive; subheadings and bulleted material are useful and help readability. As a general rule of clear writing, use the active voice (e.g., write, “Fire managers know…” and not, “It is known…”). Provide spellouts for all abbreviations. Consult recent issues (on the World Wide Web at <http://www.fs.fed.us/fire/planning/firenote.htm>) for placement of the author’s name, title, agency affiliation, and location, as well as for style of paragraph headings and references.

Tables. Tables should be logical and understandable without reading the text. Include tables at the end of the manuscript.

Photos and Illustrations. Figures, illustrations, overhead transparencies (originals are preferable), and clear photographs (color slides or glossy color prints are preferable) are often essential to the understanding of articles. Clearly label all photos and illustrations (figure 1, 2, 3, etc.; photograph A, B, C, etc.). At the end of the manuscript, include clear, thorough figure and photo captions labeled in the same way as the corresponding material (figure 1, 2, 3; photograph A, B, C; etc.). Captions should make photos and illustrations understandable without reading the text. For photos, indicate the name and affiliation of the photographer and the year the photo was taken.

Release Authorization. Non-Federal Government authors must sign a release to allow their work to be in the public domain and on the World Wide Web. In addition, all photos and illustrations require a written release by the photographer or illustrator. The author, photo, and illustration release forms are available from General Manager Melissa Frey (mfrey@fs.fed.us) or Managing Editor Karen Mora (kmora@fs.fed.us).