The SWS Research Brief
A Non-Technical Publication of the Society of Wetland Scientists
Aim and Scope
The SWS Research Brief addresses the role of the Society of Wetland Scientists in transmitting scientific information about wetlands to managers, students, media, policy-makers, and the general public in a format that is understandable, accessible, and identifiable as a SWS publication. The SWS Research Brief embraces the concept that scientists can make their research findings more understandable and accessible to the non-scientific public and can play a direct role in the process of translating wetland science. The general format for the SWS Research Brief is a 1 to 4 page non-technical summary of a paper published in Wetlands plus group briefs focused on special topics.
Authors of the technical paper or experts in a particular topic will develop a draft brief, using an electronic template. A SWS Research Brief may be developed in three ways:
- An individual brief based on a research paper published in Wetlands.
- A group research brief developed from a group of papers published in Wetlands on a specific topic. Authors could represent different viewpoints or different aspects of the topic.
- A special brief focused on an important topic that summarizes information from a variety of technical sources. Recognized experts will be invited to prepare these.
The SWS Research Brief is a stand-alone document containing text, photographs, diagrams, and other information that would explain the significance of the work and relevance for non-scientific readers. The document will be complementary to the published, technical paper and offered as a free, downloadable pdf on the SWS Website. The brief will be reviewed by two qualified peers and the Research Brief Coordinator prior to acceptance and publication.
SWS Research Brief Coordinator
Karen L. McKee
National Wetlands Research Center
U. S. Geological Survey
700 Cajundome Blvd.
Lafayette, LA 70506
Phone: 337/266-8662
Email:
Instructions for Authors
Preparation of the SWS Research Brief will require Microsoft Publisher 2003 or higher (included in Microsoft Office Professional). Authors must be able to use Microsoft Publisher and follow the guidelines for preparation of the brief. A template prepared in Publisher will be provided to the author and used to create the brief. Briefs must be prepared in English and should be written for a general audience. The information provided in the brief should accurately reflect the findings of the technical paper. Detailed instructions for preparation will be provided along with the electronic template.
Submission requirements
- Authors should send an email to the SWS Research Brief Coordinator requesting detailed information on preparation of the submission and a copy of the electronic template. The subject line of the email should read "SWS Research Brief". A brief statement (2-3 sentences) describing the main idea of the brief should be given in the body of the email. The email also should provide the citation of the technical paper published in Wetlands that the brief will summarize. If a group brief based on several papers is planned, then provide citations of all papers.
- A copy of the SWS Research Brief template and instructions will be sent to the author. The author will use the template and detailed guidelines to prepare a draft brief.
- The draft brief should be submitted as a Publisher file to the Coordinator in an attachment to an email with "SWS Research Brief" as the subject line. A pdf of the technical paper(s) should be attached as well. Alternatively, the files may be burned to a CD and mailed to the Coordinator.
