Policies

Focus and Scope

Avian Conservation and Ecology is an open-access, fully electronic scientific journal, sponsored by the Society of Canadian Ornithologists and Birds Canada. We publish papers that are scientifically rigorous and relevant to the bird conservation community in a cost-effective electronic approach that makes them freely available to scientists and the public. ACE is a fully indexed ISSN journal that welcomes contributions from scientists all over the world.

While the name of the journal implies a publication niche of conservation AND ecology, we think the theme of conservation THROUGH ecology provides a better sense of our purpose. As such, we are particularly interested in contributions that use a scientifically sound and rigorous approach to the achievement of avian conservation as revealed through insights into ecological principles and processes. Papers are expected to fall along a continuum of pure conservation and management at one end to more pure ecology at the other but our emphasis will be on those contributions with direct relevance to conservation objectives.

Additional information on types of papers considered:

We encourage papers on birds at any ecological level (individuals to ecosystems) that have a strong hypothesis-driven approach to conservation problems. Papers in ACE will ideally have clearly articulated hypotheses and predictions laid out in the Introduction. However, we also recognize the value of descriptive studies that clearly define the value of the findings to real-world conservation objectives. In such cases, the onus will be on the authors to demonstrate that their descriptive study can provide significant value within the scope of current knowledge and future research directions. Papers on the natural history of species will typically not be considered. However, behavioral studies are welcomed if they have a bearing on conservation issues (e.g., whether and how extinction risk covaries with mating systems and human activities, and why it might be expected to; or whether and how dispersal is affected by habitat alteration, and why it might be expected to). Impact studies are welcomed if the consequences of documented effects are examined in a mechanistic ecological context (e.g., whether and how landscape-level habitat alteration by industrial forestry alters processes affecting population growth or community dynamics, and why it might be expected to). Studies conducted in areas essentially free of human influence are relevant if they represent controls against which impacted areas are compared. They may also represent model systems of ecological phenomena with consequences for conservation, provided that the connection to conservation is explicitly stated in the rationale for the research.

We recognize the increasing scope of statistical treatments of data that range among frequentist, information theoretic, and Bayesian approaches. However, we caution authors against the approach of rejecting trivial null hypotheses as these usually provide little insight into the support for the alternate hypothesis unless conducted in a strict experimental framework.

Écologie et conservation des oiseaux (ÉCO) est une revue scientifique sous format électronique en libre accès, parrainée par la Société des ornithologistes du Canada et Oiseaux Canada. Nous publions des articles scientifiques rigoureux qui sont d’intérêt pour les spécialistes en conservation d’oiseaux. Nous avons opté pour le format électronique car il est économique et permet l’accessibilité des articles en temps réel pour les scientifiques et le public en général. La revue ÉCO est indexée dans la base ISSN et accepte les articles provenant de chercheurs du monde entier.

Bien que le nom de la revue réfère à un champ disciplinaire touchant la conservation ET l’écologie, nous pensons que la conservation par l’écologie est davantage appropriée pour refléter notre objectif. Ainsi, nous sommes tout particulièrement intéressés par les articles qui présentent une approche scientifique rigoureuse menant à la conservation aviaire, au moyen d’avancées au plan des principes et des processus écologiques. Nous voulons que les articles se situent le long d’un gradient – allant de la conservation et de la gestion pures à une extrémité à l’écologie pure de l’autre –, mais privilégierons les articles qui auront des objectifs clairs de conservation.

Renseignements additionnels sur le type d’articles souhaités

Nous souhaitons recevoir des articles sur les oiseaux à tous les niveaux écologiques (des individus aux écosystèmes), qui présentent une approche élaborée des problèmes de conservation fondée sur des hypothèses. Idéalement, les hypothèses et les prévisions devraient être énoncées clairement dans l’introduction. Toutefois, nous reconnaissons également l’intérêt des travaux descriptifs qui démontrent explicitement la valeur de leurs résultats par rapport à des objectifs de conservation de la réalité courante. Dans ces cas, les auteurs seront responsables de démontrer que leur étude descriptive comporte une avancée comparativement aux connaissances actuelles et qu’elle pourra servir à orienter les recherches futures. Les articles sur l’histoire naturelle d’espèces ne seront généralement pas pris en considération. Par ailleurs, les études comportementales seront considérées si elles ont un lien avec des enjeux de conservation (p. ex. si et de quelle façon le risque de disparition covarie avec le type d’accouplement et les activités humaines, et pourquoi il pourrait covarier; ou encore, si et de quelle façon la dispersion est affectée par les modifications d’habitat, et pourquoi elle pourrait l’être). Les études d’impact seront considérées si les conséquences des effets constatés sont examinées dans un contexte écologique mécaniste (p. ex. si et de quelle façon les modifications d’habitat à l’échelle du paysage par la foresterie commerciale altèrent les processus qui affectent la croissance de la population ou la dynamique de la communauté, et pourquoi elles pourraient en être responsables). Les travaux menés dans des endroits pratiquement non modifiés par les humains sont pertinents s’ils représentent des contrôles à comparer avec des endroits modifiés par les humains. Ces travaux peuvent aussi représenter un système-modèle d’un phénomène écologique ayant des conséquences pour la conservation, à condition que le lien avec celle-ci soit clairement stipulé dans l’objectif de la recherche.

Nous reconnaissons l’importance grandissante du traitement statistique des données, que l’approche soit fréquentiste, bayésienne ou de la théorie de l’information. Cependant, nous désirons mettre en garde les auteurs contre le rejet d’une hypothèse nulle qui serait futile, puisque cette façon de faire donne généralement moins de crédibilité à l’acceptation de l’hypothèse alternative, à moins que ce rejet soit mené dans un cadre expérimental strict.

Manuscript Types

Invited Essay or Review

Submissions to this category must be invited by the Editors-in-Chief. Essays are in-depth reflections on an issue with major implications for avian conservation. Reviews are comprehensive syntheses of current research on a particular topic relevant to avian conservation. Max. length for invited essays: 3000 words; max length for invited reviews: 7500 words. Publication fee: none.

Research Paper

Standard papers reporting research results using the classical format (Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion, Literature Cited). Length restricted to 7000 words exclusive of tables, figures and literature cited. Publication fees are $1100 USD for research papers.* Papers longer than 7000 words will be charged an Extra Word Fee ($100 if over 7000 words, $200 if over 8000 words, etc.). Starting October 2022 Invoices sent to Canada will be charged GST/HST.

Letter

Relatively short papers designed to attract attention to innovative concepts or techniques which have the potential to strongly influence the research area. Letters will be of interest to a broader audience than topics addressed in standard research papers. For example, a letter describing a major advance in the estimation of juvenile survival by an innovative method to track bird movements over long time intervals and/or distances is likely to be of interest to avian ecologists generally. Statistical analyses supporting the concept or technique may be preliminary, but nevertheless robust with respect to the inferences drawn. Letters describing innovative concepts or techniques accompanied by too little data, or inappropriately analyzed, will not be accepted. Length is restricted to 3000 words, exclusive of tables, figures, and literature cited. Publication fees are $1100 + extra word fees.*

Essay

An in-depth reflection on an issue with major implications for avian conservation. Even though no original data are required for this manuscript type, the article must present an original, insightful perspective. Max. length: 3000 words. Publication fee: $1100 USD.*

Short Communication

ACE encourages the submission of short communications (<4000 words) as appropriate. At the discretion of the editors, these will report significant findings that may be preliminary but of considerable relevance to the field or with a high probability of encouraging new lines of investigation. The formatting will be the same as for regular papers, will undergo full peer review, and will be placed at the end of the issue and identified as short communications. Publication fee: $1100 USD + extra word fees.*

Methodology

Consistent with our goals to contribute to avian conservation using scientifically sound and rigorous approaches, ACE welcomes methodological papers that will be highlighted in our Methodology section. Studies in this section deal with the scientific assessment of field, laboratory, technical, modeling, analytical, or statistical techniques relevant to the study of avian conservation and ecology. Maximum length is 7000 words. $1100 USD plus extra word fee (over 7000 words $100, over 8000 words $200, etc.).*

Forum (Response)

Short papers (1000 word limit) designed to respond/follow up on papers published in recent issues, or to respond to issues raised in other forum articles. Forum papers may also raise attention to issues that were not specifically addressed in the paper. The Editors-in-Chief reserve the right to limit ongoing debates on the same topic to one response and one counter-response. To submit a response go to the original article and select the appropriate link on the right-hand side panel.

* The new publication fee of $1100 USD went into effect on 1 June 2024. Papers submitted before this date retain the older publication fee of $800.

Regular issues are published twice annually, with issues available as “in progress” as soon as articles are published.

Fees

Resilience Alliance is not for profit. Articles published are available free to readers. Therefore, to cover our costs there is a charge for publication.

There is a publication fee of $1100 USD for all accepted papers (Forum articles are $400 USD). Extra word fees apply if papers exceed the recommended length.

Note: Papers submitted before 1 June 2024 will retain the older publication fee of $800.

Beginning October 2022 invoices sent to Canada will include GST/HST. Authors are invoiced shortly after their article is accepted. There is no charge to submit an article nor is there a processing fee. A limited number of full or partial waivers may be granted for publication of accepted papers if all authors live and work in countries with developing economies. Waivers must be arranged before submission.

Payment must be received before an article will be published. Many universities have grant programs to cover all or part of the cost of publishing in open-access journals. To find out if yours does, contact your library or copyright office.

Word counts are based on the number of words in the abstract and main text only (not including the Literature Cited, tables, figures, or appendices).

Payment must be received before an article can be published. Please address questions regarding the fee policy to: managing_editor@ace-eco.org.

The minimum cost for creating an erratum is $50 US. Please look over the proofs carefully, especially the tables and figures.

Refunds

Authors may withdraw their article at anytime prior to copy editing for a partial refund. Once the copy editing process has been initiated, no refund will be issued.

Please address any general questions regarding the fee policy or refunds to: managing_editor@ace-eco.org.

Access

This journal provides open access to all of its content. Anyone may read our content for free.

Licensing

This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. You may share and adapt the work provided the original author and source are credited, you indicate whether any changes were made, and you include a link to the license.

Copyright

Copyright for all articles is retained by the authors.

Archiving

This journal is archived with ClockSS for long-term preservation.

Editorial and publishing policies are overseen by a joint management committee with representatives from both Society of Canadian Ornithologists and Birds Canada. The management committee members are as follows:

Doug Tozer, Chair

Kara Lefevre

Silke Nebel

David Bradley

Lionel Leston

Junior Tremblay

Peer Review

The Editor-in-Chief makes an initial appraisal of each manuscript. If the topic and treatment seem potentially appropriate for the journal, the manuscript is assigned to a subject editor who oversees the review process. Once the review process has been completed, the subject editor recommends acceptance, revision, or rejection of your manuscript. The final decision is made by the Editor-in-Chief.

Avian Conservation and Ecology has a double-anonymized review process: authors are not told who is reviewing their manuscript and reviewers do not know whose manuscript they are reviewing. Author identity is revealed only to Subject Editors, Guest Editors, and EICs. Reviewers are informed of the author’s identity upon acceptance or rejection of a manuscript. After a decision is reached, a reviewer is free to contact the authors privately about the manuscript.

A decision on the manuscript generally may be expected within 1.5 months of submission; delays in obtaining reviews may prolong this process. Manuscripts are sent out for review electronically, and all correspondence takes place via e-mail. Although the peer review process is accelerated by the use of electronic communication, traditional high-quality, peer-review standards are applied to all manuscripts submitted.

Publication Decisions

The journal has a double-anonymized review process that is overseen by a Subject Editor who makes a recommendation on the manuscript to the Editor-in-Chief. That recommendation can include rejection from the desk of the Subject Editor without further review. The Editor-in-Chief has the authority and responsibility to accept, reject, or request revisions to the manuscript. Core criteria concern scope – the extent to which the manuscript fits with the aims and scope of the journal in terms of topic and approach and adheres to the format of the manuscript type; and quality – that it demonstrates coherence, rigor, and originality, and that it is accessible to a broad readership and conforms to highest standards of ethics and respectful research.

Confidentiality

The editor and any editorial staff will ensure that information regarding submitted manuscripts is kept confidential.

Fair Review

Editors will evaluate manuscripts for their intellectual content without regard to race, gender, sexual orientation, religious belief, ethnic origin, citizenship, age, or political philosophy of the authors.

Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest

Unpublished materials in submitted manuscripts must not be used by the editor in their own research without the written consent of the author.

Inclusiveness

We may invest extra time and resources to support authors from outside conventional centers of academy and research, including those for whom English is not their first language or researchers who do not have access to the training needed to produce high-quality academic publications. On occasion when we judge that the submissions show great promise (in terms of novelty, quality of supporting data, etc.), we might work extensively with authors over several submissions and this may take considerable time to produce a publishable manuscript.

Guidelines for Subject Editors

Subject Editors are very important actors in making a successful and exciting journal. You do critical work and are valuable members of the team, bringing diverse knowledge and expertise to support the aims of the journal.

Your task is to:

1. Assess whether you have the expertise to handle the manuscript. Please make a decision on whether you will act as Subject Editor for a manuscript as soon as possible so that if we need to find another SE we can do so quickly.
2. Make an initial assessment of whether a manuscript is within the scope and likely to be of interest and publishable in the journal. In other words, is it of a sufficient standard to be sent for review? If you do not judge it to be in scope, or that it is not of sufficient quality, then you can reject it before sending it for review.
3. Allocate reviewers using the online system. You may add new reviewers if you can’t find specific expertise or if you know individuals who are not already in our database. The system automatically generates and sends invitations to reviewers. Please avoid obvious conflicts – for example, a reviewer at the same institution as the authors. We encourage a diversity of reviewers from different parts of the world, different backgrounds, and different career stages. Please note that obtaining at least two different reviews may entail inviting as many as 10 reviewers; you may change the number of required reviewers so that you can simultaneously send out 4 or more invitations to speed up the process.
4. Assess the review comments and make a recommendation to the Editor-in-Chief. To do so, do make sure you have read the article and have a personal opinion on it and on the comments from reviewers. Please add your detailed and constructive comments and provide clear instructions on how a manuscript can be improved and what changes are necessary, emphasizing which comments are particularly important.
5. If manuscripts are revised and re-submitted, again assess whether they need further external review. If necessary, invite further reviewers or send to original reviewers, or make a recommendation to the EIC. Repeat this process until a final recommendation can be made.
6. Please contact the managing editor or EIC if you have any queries or are unsure about your options or a decision.
7. There are options within the online system for you to directly contact the authors and reviewers. You will not be anonymous.
8. Please treat manuscripts with absolute confidentiality, and please aim at all times for respectful and helpful comments.

Contribution to Editorial Decisions

Peer reviews should assist the editor in making editorial decisions and may also assist the author in improving the paper. We appreciate the time and effort that careful reviewing demands and are grateful for reviewers to provide in-depth comments as well as constructive and respectful suggestions to help authors and editors alike.

Manuscript number

Please make note of this number and use it when corresponding with the Managing Editor or Subject Editor about the manuscript.

Manuscript type and length

Different manuscript types have different styles and length requirements. If a manuscript exceeds the posted word length limit, please bring it to the Subject Editor’s attention.

Confidentiality

This manuscript is a privileged communication. Please do not show it to anyone or discuss it, except to solicit assistance with a technical point. If you feel a colleague is more qualified than you to review the paper, do not pass the manuscript on to that person without first requesting permission to do so. Your review and your recommendation should also be considered confidential.

Time

In fairness to the author(s), you should return your review within 3 weeks. If it seems likely that you will be unable to meet this deadline, please request an extension or notify the journal of your inability to complete the review in the specified time using the “Request Extension” button.

Conflicts of interest

If you feel you might have any difficulty writing an objective review, please use the decline to review by selecting the “Unable to do the review” button on this page. If your previous or present connection with the author(s) or an author’s institution might be construed as creating a conflict of interest, but no actual conflict exists, please mention this issue in the “Comments to the editor” section at the beginning of your review.

Guidelines for Reviewers

The peer-review process is critical to identifying the quality of the papers and the potential for improvement of the submitted version.

Your task is the following:

1. Assess the quality, relevance, and novelty of the manuscript based on its careful and thorough analysis of the manuscript (see details below under comments to the author[s]),
2. Submit a brief, candid summary of your opinion of the paper to the editor (in the appropriate section)
3. Submit your assessment into the rating sheet, and your recommendation on whether to accept, reject, or request revision, and
4. Submit your comments for the author (please do not include your recommendation to accept or reject the paper in this section).

Please make sure that you have read the explanation of Focus and Scope and Manuscript Types, have read a few of our papers, and are familiar with the aims of the journal and formats we publish.

Comments for the author(s)

The aim of this process is to ensure that only papers of the highest quality, relevance, and novelty are published in the journal, and to identify concrete ways in which those papers with the greatest potential can be significantly strengthened.

Reviewers should be aware of their linguistic biases and should not comment on the grammatic correctness of the manuscript directly to the authors, but advise the handling editor in the “comments to the editor” section.

Please include both general and specific comments bearing on the following questions:

1. Is the paper a relevant contribution to the focus and scope of the journal?
2. Is the paper based on a sound analysis of the literature (e.g., critical overview, conceptual/analytical framework), on a robust analytical approach (e.g., reliable and consistent methodologies to gather and/or analyze data), and is the main message and the conclusions well supported?
3. Is the paper innovative, in terms of the topic addressed and/or the arguments that support it and/or in the way the paper was developed (e.g., does the paper report on data or ideas that have been widely explored)?
4. Does the paper tell a cohesive story, with a clear message that is tightly reasoned throughout the different sections?
5. Is the paper accessible to a wide audience that includes scientists and practitioners and written in a way that is easy to follow and interesting?
6. Is the current length of the manuscript appropriate (e.g., does the manuscript greatly exceed the posted word limits; what portions of the paper should be expanded, condensed, combined, or deleted; is the division between the main article and the appendices appropriate)?
7. Does the introduction adequately frame the objectives of the manuscript with the current state of the knowledge and in ways that are potentially of interest to the readership of the journal?
8. Are the objectives adequate (e.g., clearly stated; feasible; coherent with the introduction, the methods used, consistent with the results obtained; concordant with the conclusions)?
9. Are the methods (for gathering and analyzing data and/or for undertaking syntheses) robust and adequate (e.g., reliable; consistent with the objectives and the conceptual/analytical framework; adequate sample, data analyses; adequately applied)?
10. Is the data clearly presented (e.g., are all the figures, tables, and appendices necessary; can you verify easily the results stated in the text; can they be read easily, legible, and clearly labeled; can they be simplified; are there any contradictions)?
11. Is the discussion well-grounded in the results and of interest to a wide readership (e.g., does it invite/explore new ideas and implications)?
12. What are the major strengths and weaknesses (please be as specific as possible of the manuscript in its current version, including the title, abstract, keywords, methods, results, discussion, and conclusion) and what is the potential for the paper to significantly improve?

Using the online review system

Reviewers must use the website to agree to review, request a time extension, read the assigned manuscript and submit their review.

If you have forgotten your password, please use the password reset link below the login prompt and follow the steps to have your password emailed to you.

To access the manuscript assigned to you, log into your user interface, click on the “Reviewer” profile, and then on the manuscript title.

We recommend that you type your review out and save it in your word processing program and then paste it into our review form to prevent loss of information in the possible event of a connection time-out.

At any time reviewers may contact the journal office for more information on how to use the website, or for help obtaining a new password.

Originality and Plagiarism

The authors must ensure they submit entirely original works. If the authors use the work or words of others in their manuscript, they must ensure that this has been appropriately cited, quoted, or where necessary, appropriate permissions have been obtained from copyright holders.

Multiple, Redundant, or Concurrent Publication

It is the author’s responsibility to ensure their submission has not been published elsewhere, nor is it presently under consideration by another journal.

Authorship of Paper

Authors include all those who have made significant contributions to the manuscript. The types of contributions can be very diverse and include: conceiving and undertaking research, contributing embodied knowledge, operationalizing actions toward more sustainable pathways, co-producing knowledge and solutions, analyzing data, writing, or revising the manuscript. The corresponding author will verify with co-authors their full names and affiliations and ensure that all co-authors have approved the final version of the paper for publication.

Acknowledgment of Sources and Support

Authors should acknowledge the work of others that has been influential to their manuscript and properly cite the work. Each citation in the text must be included in the Literature Cited section and every reference in the Literature Cited must be referred to in the text. We also encourage authors to acknowledge the support received by diverse stakeholders, including informants and respondents, translators, and interpreters, involved in different stages of research.

Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest

All sources of financial support should be disclosed and any substantive conflicts of interest should be included in a statement.

Fundamental Errors in Published Works

It is the author’s obligation to notify the journal editor of any significant error or inaccuracy in their published work and to cooperate with the editor to deal with the issue either by retracting the paper or adding an erratum.

Submission Check List

It is the author’s responsibility to read and follow all items on the journal’s Submission Preparation Checklist prior to submitting their manuscript.

Undertaking Respectful Research

We require that research must have been approved by appropriate institutions and according to accepted procedures. This includes, for example, the Institutional Review Board, ethics committee, Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), local authorities, government research bureau, or others. We expect authors to have gone beyond established permissions or clearances, and to have undertaken research in ways that are fully respectful of all the people involved and potentially affected by it. This needs to be clearly described and evidenced in the article. Free Prior and Informed Consent of participants should be sought in culturally appropriate ways. Reciprocity and care should be promoted at all stages of research, including sharing resources, undertaking inclusive and meaningful consultations, honoring embodied local knowledge, ensuring the protection of confidential and/or sensitive information, and accepting and appreciating differences.

Research Involving Animal Subjects

Any article describing research involving animal subjects is required to be approved by their institution’s animal use and care committee and to have the IACUC’s institution name and protocol number provided.

There are a variety of reasons why authors may wish to change their names – gender transition, marriage, divorce, legal name change, or professional name change, among others. These former names can often carry a stigma or unpleasantness and can lead to potential confusion. This policy ensures a sensitive and fair process for authors and avoids confusion when former names are compiled together with current names on a CV or webpage, or when citations are taken from indexing services automatically.

Authors wishing to change their name on a published article, for any reason, should contact the journal, giving the article details, the name they wish to change, and the name they wish it changed to. We will then republish the article (in the same issue and volume, same DOI, without an erratum, and without altering previous citations or citation counts), and request the article be reindexed by Clarivate’s Web of Knowledge. Other indexing services, including Google Scholar, will reindex the article automatically. To maintain authors’ privacy, there will be no notice or indication of the name change. To do this, we ask that authors provide us with one or more of the following:

• evidence of using the name in a professional context, such as other journal publications linked with the same ORCID, thesis, or book chapter
• legal document showing name change (e.g. deed-poll name change certificate or other government-issued identification)
• letter from supervisor or manager (on letterhead) of the research institution linked to the article (if the institution is different, evidencing either legal or common-use name change)
• letter from any co-author of the article (on letterhead)
• letter from a GP, accredited gender identity specialist, or national gender identity clinic, addressed to the journal

While we cannot (yet!) alter existing citations, we can allow authors to have their body of published work reflect their identities, including references and citations into the future.

As this is a new initiative, we appreciate authors’ patience as we work to achieve a more inclusive professional environment.

• Focus on avian conservation
• Open access
  • Ensure your research is available to managers, non-governmental organizations, and developing countries.
• Immediate online availability
• Fast turn-around time – average 28 days to decision in 2015
• Indexed by Thomson Reuters Web of Science, Scopus
• Inexpensive author fees
  • Many universities have grants to cover costs of publishing in open-access journals. To find out if yours does, contact your library or copyright office
• No requirement to publicly archive data
  • ACE recognizes that maintaining data privacy may be necessary for some collaborative projects or large-scale projects within which future studies are planned, thus allowing authors to choose whether to publicly archive data.