U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Publication System*

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) is launching a new online system for publication of Service science during the summer of 2008 (Figure 1). The system will include revival of the distinguished North American Fauna series for publication of fish, wildlife, and ecological monographs (last issue published in 1991). It will also include a new journal, the Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management, which will provide a system for rigorous peer review and dissemination for a wide range of Service science products, some of which are not well suited to the traditional scientific literature, often due to their format or a lack of novelty and impact. A third component of the system, the Manuscript Administrative Record System (MARS), will be for internal Service use only and will not result in published manuscripts. The main purpose of MARS will be to facilitate peer review of Service management and decision-making documents. Finally, the Service will continue to encourage its scientists to use existing scientific journals as an essential tool for advancing conservation science.

The Service’s publication system will be completely electronic - from submission, through review, and finally to publication. The system is based on products and services provided by AllenTrack and Allen Press, as are the journals of AFS and the Wildlife Society (TWS). Service scientists who have published or reviewed articles in these journals will find the environment of the new Service publication system familiar.** The Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management and North American Fauna will be distributed on the web in electronic format, in a manner very similar to AFS and TWS journals. Anyone with access to the internet will be able to print and distribute hard copies of any article in PDF format, as desired. There are no charges associated with access, use or publication in any of the Service outlets. Once the first issues are available, an all employee message will be sent to Service personnel. Future issues will be advertised through periodic Table of Content alerts via email.

There will be many benefits from the use of this system for the Service, including: removing the guesswork from the publication process for Service scientists, providing standards and additional outlets for Service science, increasing accountability, efficiency, and responsible use of Service funds, making it easier to comply with the Information Quality Act, and conveniently putting Service science in the hands of the end users.

*A significant portion of the text on this website is taken from the American Fisheries Society (AFS; www.fisheries.org). It has been modified and used here with permission.

**While many journals use the AllenTrack and Allen Press systems, AFS and TWS journals are specifically mentioned here as they are among the most widely used by Service scientists and not as an endorsement of or by any specific journals or products.

Figure 1. Service publication system (green end nodes), including the reliance on external publication outlets for a complete suite of scientific information sources.

Last updated: October 16, 2008