Agricultural & Environmental Letters (AEL), a new digital journal, will officially launch on Sept. 1, 2015, with the website and editorial board ready to receive manuscripts prior to that date.

The new journal adds to a portfolio of highly successful journals published by the American Society of Agronomy (ASA), Crop Science Society of America (CSSA), and Soil Science Society of America (SSSA).

Agricultural & Environmental Letters is an open access journal that will publish broad-reaching, exceptionally interesting, transformative, and timely research on major scientific, policy, and economic issues that span the entire range of the agricultural and environmental sciences. Rapid global communication is becoming more important, and AEL has been created to facilitate this communication.

AEL will also bring together both researchers and policymakers to report the most accomplished and notable advances in the field. The types of manuscripts to be considered for publication include:

Innovative results and observations with broad implications, and at the forefront of one or several agricultural and environmental disciplines.

Results with immediate impact on the research of others and requiring rapid publication, especially if presented as part of ASA, CSSA, and SSSA conferences and symposia.

Methods manuscripts introducing innovative techniques, with immediate applications to agricultural disciplines.

Promoting dialogue

To stimulate conversation and attract a wide readership, the journal will make liberal use of guest editorials, and will include a commentary section. Letters to the editor will also be greatly encouraged. The journal is expected to be attractive not only to scientists but also to Certified Crop Advisers (CCAs), Certified Professional Soil Scientists (CPSSs), and other professionals.

By limiting manuscript size to approximately 2,500 words or less (including tables and figures), the new journal will offer an expedited review and publication process. It's expected that the total time between author submission and first posting online will be a little as 40 days, allowing authors to rapidly acquire citable publications.

Agricultural & Environmental Letters will also be continuously published online: When each new article is ready, it will be posted to the journal’s website and an email will be sent to readers who have registered for e-alerts.

"Agricultural & Environmental Letters is to be a place where conversations can develop among agricultural and environmental scientists concerning relevant issues related to science, policy, research trends, business trends, exciting new discoveries, food security, etc.,” says the journal’s editor, Warren Dick of Ohio State University. "Science and technology are more integrated and interdisciplinary than ever before. This new journal will publish the broadest possible array of outstanding content in disciplines that touch on the agricultural and environmental sciences.”

To learn more about AEL, including its submission requirements and editorial board, visit: https://dl.sciencesocieties.org/publications/ael.

You can also read more about the new journal in the Aug. 2015 issue of CSA News magazine.