Editorial - October 2008 - Volume 108 (6)

Transition to Online Manuscript Submission and Review

Gerald Kulm, Texas A&M University

The online system for submission and review of manuscripts has been approved by the SSMA Board of Directors and will now be the sole procedure for the journal. The online system, which can be accessed through the journal website (http://ssmj.tamu.edu), is working well, thanks to the technical support of Texas A&M staff and our graduate student web master. Authors are able to upload manuscripts easily in Word format. The new system has brought some changes in the way manuscripts are processed, in an effort to enhance communications and reduce turnaround time for decisions on manuscripts. Here is the procedure that is now followed:

• As soon as the manuscript is submitted, the Editor makes a decision and notifies the author if the manuscript is suitable for review. One key requirement is adherence to APA 5th Edition format.
• Reviewers are requested via email to volunteer to review a manuscript.
• The Editor monitors the web site at least once a week to check the status of reviews. When the reviews are complete, the Editor changes the status from “under review” to “reviews complete” and the Associate Editor makes a recommendation.
• A letter (Accept with revisions, Revise and resubmit, or Reject) is emailed to the author, along with the reviews.
• If a manuscript is revised and resubmitted, the Editor reviews it to determine if it requires further outside review, further revision, or can be published.

This new system, combined with the obvious time saving of electronic submission of manuscripts and reviews, will enhance communication with authors. We depend heavily on timely reviews and are always in need of reviewers. The online system makes the manuscripts easily accessible to reviews and lessens the burden of paperwork and mail. Additional capability will be added to the online system to enhance internal review and communication with authors. For example, automatic email reminders to reviewers and access to reviews by authors will be developed.

In the eight issues published in the past year (October 2007 - May 2008), there were 24 articles (4 science, 15 mathematics, 5 integrated or combined), eight Research in Brief articles (1 science, 4 mathematics, 3 integrated), 14 Book Reviews, eight Problem sets, and four Editorials. The table below summarizes the manuscript acceptance rate and status of manuscripts during the period October, 2007 to May, 2008.