About the Journal

FAQs about JNRLSE - PDF

Audience

The journal covers all disciplines in the life sciences, natural resources, and agriculture. Educators in extension, universities, industry, administration, and grades K-16, share teaching techniques, concepts, and ideas. Written by and for educators, articles published include research, notes, case studies, software, letters, editorials, newfeatures, profiles, and media reviews. A special section of the journal emphasizes K-16 education.

Subscription Rates, 2008

The journal is published once a year in printed format, and continuously throughout the year in electronic format. Subscribers have online access and can choose year-end print or CD (or both for an additional $10).
- $35 for Members within the United States
- $50 for Members outside the United States
View Prices (PDF)

Prices for Non-Members and Institutions (Libraries):
- $105 within the United States
- $120 outside the United States

[Printable Order Form] - PDF
For information on Non-Member/Institution subscriptions, please send ane-mail to: journals at agronomy.org. For more information on Member subscriptions, contact the Membership Department: membership at agronomy.org (608-273-8080). Click here for more information on purchasing a single volume or back issues.

Subscribe online as a nonmember or institution.



Subscription Service

All communication related to handling of subscriptions, including changing of address should be sent to the American Society of Agronomy, 677 S. Segoe Rd., Madison, WI 53711. Change of address request must include both old and new addresses (include the mailing label from a previous issue).

Contributions

The peer-reviewed Journal of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Education was established by the American Society of Agronomy. The journal accepts reports of original studies pertaining to concepts of K-16, resident, graduate, extension, and industrial education. Analysis and synthesis of existing knowledge or research, instructional techniques and methodology, surveys of instruction, and other studies that contribute to the development or better understanding of educational efforts are encouraged. Reviews or digests of a comprehensive and well-defined scope are acceptable. The journal also prints computer software articles, case studies, profiles, notes, newsfeatures, media reviews, and letters to the editor. Articles may confirm and strengthen the findings of others, revise established ideas or practices, or challenge accepted theory, providing the evidence presented is significant and convincing. Manuscripts based mainly on personal philosophy or opinion are acceptable if they conform to the above criteria. See " Instructions to Authors - PDF" for details. The full Publications Handbook and Style Manual is available online at https://www.agronomy.org/publications/style/. Submit manuscripts electronically via Manuscript Tracker at www.manuscripttracker.com/jnrlse/

Publication Charges

There is a $350 flat publishing fee per manuscript; $150 per web lesson. The cost is $10 per table, and the cost for non-color figures is $10 per figure. Color figures will cost $500 per journal page, but there is no extra charge for color figures on the website. Author alterations are $5 per line. Authors may purchase reprints of their articles.

Open Acess Optional Fee

An author has the option of paying an additional $800 fee, above the usual publication fee, to make the article open access (freely available without subscription) at the time of publication on the website.

Advertising

The journal accepts advertising. For information, contact Alexander Barton at abartonat2bartons.com or 847-698-5069.

Copyright/Disclaimer

Copyright © 2008 by the American Society of Agronomy, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this periodical may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Opinions and conclusions expressed by authors are their own and are not considered as those of the American Society of Agronomy, its staff, its members, or its advertisers. Advertisements in this publication do not consititute an endorsement of the product. Trade names are sometimes mentioned in papers published in this journal. No endorsement of those products by the publisher is intended, nor is any criticism implied of similar products not mentioned.

PRINT ISSN SERIAL NUMBER: 1059-9053
ELECTRONIC ISSN SERIAL NUMBER: 1539-1582

The American Society of Agronomy considers the printed version of Journal of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Education as the official version of record.

Editorial Board

Editor: Robert Rhykerd (rrhyker at ilstu.edu)
College of Applied Science and Technology
Illinois State University
Campus Box 5020
Normal, IL 61790

Editor-in-Chief, ASA Publications:
Kenneth A. Barbarick (ken.barbarick@colostate.edu)
Dep. of Soil and Crop Sciences
200 West Lake Street
Colorado State University
Ft. Collins, CO 80523

Associate Editors
Crops, Soils
INDI S. BRADEN
Southeast Missouri State University

Media Reviews
LEE BURRAS
Iowa State University

Web Lessons, Turfgrass Science
RICHARD J. COOPER
North Carolina State University

Crops
EDWARD DECKARD
North Dakota State University

Turfgrass Management, Soils
MICHAEL FIDANZA
Pennsylvania State University

Soils, K-16 Science
WENDY GREENBURG
Bemidji State University, Minnesota

Web Lessons
DONALD J. LEE
University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Soils
ERIKA MICHELI
Szent Istvan University, Hungary

Crops, Soils
PAUL M. PORTER
University of Minnesota

Crops, Soils
CLAY ROBINSON
West Texas A&M University
Canyon

Plants/Turf
LEO C. SCHLEICHER, JR.
South Dakota State University

Case Studies, Memoirs
STEVE SIMMONS
University of Minnesota

Crops, Soils
KEN SMICIKLAS
Illinois State University

Soils
BENJAMIN WILSON
Charles Sturt University, Australia

Soils
HOWARD WOODARD
South Dakota State University

Associate Editors, Cooperating Societies

American Association for Agricultural Education
KIRK SWORTZEL
Mississippi State University

American Society for Horticultural Science
MICHAEL N. DANA
Purdue University

American Society of Plant Biologists
CHAD V. JORDAN
Sewanee: The University of the South, Sewanee, TN

Ecological Society of America
NICHOLAS R. JORDAN
University of Minnesota

Entomological Society of America
JEFFREY D. HOLLAND
Purdue University

Managing Editor: SUSAN ERNST

Publications Director: FRANCES KATZ

Chief Executive Officer: ELLEN G.M. BERGFELD

View the JNRLSE Board list with contact information.

Publication Policies - Case Studies and Software

Case Study Publication Policy Contemporary interest in providing problem-solving and decision-making experiences in education has prompted the adaptation of decision cases to agricultural, natural resource, and life science situations. At the 1990 annual meeting of the American Society of Agronomy, the Journal of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Education Editorial Board approved the publication of decision cases suitable for use in classroom or extension education situations. The following guidelines describe the format for publication of decision cases. Prospective authors will find it helpful to consult these guidelines in manuscript preparation to ensure minimal editorial delay.

Decision Case Guidelines in JNRLSE
  1. Criteria for Evaluation
    Primary consideration is given to original cases that describe actual situations (not simulations) requiring a decision. Decision cases should foster integration of concepts, use of problem-solving skills, application of technical information, and/or consideration of human, societal, and ethical factors. Appropriate decision-maker roles for published cases include producers, scientists or other professionals, educators, and policymakers. Criteria for acceptance of decision cases are:
    • Cases must describe an actual (not simulated) situation that advances understanding or teaching of decision making.
    • Cases must be thorough and well-documented (e.g., adequate exhibit support).
    • Cases must address topics and issues of interest to a broad educational audience.
    • Cases must be clearly and concisely written.


  2. Format Specifications
    Abstract. A clearly worded abstract of the case situation including description of the decision maker, decision focus, key issues, and case objectives/use. The abstract should contain a maximum of 250 words.

    The Case. The case text should be interesting and easy to read. An introductory paragraph preceding the case should set forth the context of the case, including citation of other published cases of relevance to the case being presented. The case description should permit the reader to fully understand the background and specific considerations of the case. The text should allow the reader to readily identify with the decision maker(s) and the decision. The objectives of the decision maker should be evident in the case, either by explicit mention or by inference from other case information. The alternatives or options of the decision maker in dealing with the issues should also be clear to the reader. The concluding paragraph of the case should refocus on the major issue(s). It is convention to write cases in past tense.

    Exhibits. Effective cases are usually supported by relevant exhibits. Examples of exhibits include data bearing on the decision, illustrations, background documents, correspondence, etc. Exhibits should be drawn from actual, unaltered sources (exceptions may be made when confidentiality must be protected) and should be referenced in the appropriate places within the case text. Case exhibits should be well-organized and concise and should not contain information that is irrelevant to the case. Exhibit information taken directly from published works should be referenced. Exhibits should be numbered in the same order as they are referenced in the case.

    Teaching Note. The teaching note describes the objectives of the case and the principle issues considered. This section of the manuscript should provide the reader a concise interpretation of the significance and educational value of the case. The section should also describe how the case has or might be used in a classroom or extension education context. If the case has been used, the teaching note may provide a summary of student evaluations of the case. The teaching note may also include the author’s analysis of the case, although the detail provided in this analysis may be limited to protect the potential use of the case by readers. Educators interested in teaching the case can usually obtain a full copy of the author’s analysis by corresponding directly with the author. The teaching note is particularly important for assisting readers in deciding whether or how to use the case.

    References. Citable references in the case text, teaching note, or exhibits should be listed. Use the author/year system for citing references.

    Abridged Case Format. Some cases cannot be published as complete cases due to their length or complexity. Such cases may be published in an abridged case format. All abridged cases submitted for publication, regardless of length or complexity, must be reviewed in their entirety prior to acceptance. No case will be accepted unless both the complete case and abridged version has been favorably reviewed by the reviewers and editors. Text of abridged cases should be identified as “Case (Abridged).” The text of an abridged case, as well as the teaching note, should be of sufficient length and detail to permit readers to understand the nature of the decision, the identity of the decision maker(s), the principal issues of the case, and the educational value of the case. The abridged text and teaching note should contain sufficient information to allow readers to assess the potential for use of the case. Important exhibits should also be presented whenever possible. As a minimum, abridged cases should contain a complete list and brief description of all exhibits referenced in the complete case. If readers are interested in teaching a case published in abridged format, they should request a copy of the complete case directly from the corresponding author.

    Examples of complete and abridged cases are published in the Journal of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Education (Click here to view a list of published case studies). Prospective authors may reference these for guidance on format and style.

Computer Software Publication Policy
As a natural consequence of increased classroom computerization, JNRLSE authors are submitting greater numbers of articles describing computer software. Previously applicable formats do not have provisions for ensuring that journal readers always receive sufficient information about software to evaluate its utility. At the 1983 ASA annual meetings, the Editorial Board approved the following guidelines concerning publication of computer software articles. Prospective authors will find it helpful to consult this checklist early in their manuscript preparation to ensure compliance and minimize editorial delays. In most cases it would be useful to provide copies of the software along with the manuscript for the review process.

Guidelines for Publishing Computer Software in JNRLSE
  1. Pedagogy The primary thrust of computer software manuscripts must be on pedagogical applications. For papers stressing developmental and/or modeling theory of the software itself, authors will be asked to adapt the paper to a pedagogical theme or to publish in a more appropriate journal.

  2. Specifications Reviewers should check manuscripts for inclusion of the following software specifications:
    - Operating System Requirement. Microsoft Windows 98; Macintosh OS 9.1, OS X; Linux Redhat 7.0; etc.
    - Minimum Memory Requirements. For example, 128 K.
    - Minimum Free Hard Drive Space. For example, 1 GB.
    - Encoding Language. C++, Java, VB, etc.
    - Additional Software Programs Required for Use. Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint, etc.
    - Hardware Requirements. PC, Macintosh, color monitor, speakers, graphics card, color printer, etc.

  3. Documentation Manuscripts should indicate the availability of documentation about the software. Such user aides are frequently printed manuals or instructional files located on the program diskette(s). By convention, documentation files are identified by either DOC or TXT filename extensions (e.g., SOILPROB.DOC or CROPMGT.TXT). Reference to start-up and ending procedures should also be included in this documentation. In addition, the author is expected to adequately describe input requirements as well as output information and format somewhere in the manuscript.

  4. Availability In all cases, authors should make some statement about the availability of the software to readers. Options on availability are many, but should be clearly stated. For example, if the software is declared to be public domain material, it may be supplied free upon request, or upon receipt of a blank CD and mailer, or provided for a specified copying fee. In the case of software offered for sale, the source, proposed fee, and major user-agreement specifications should be included. Also, educators will be interested in whether multiple copies for classroom use are allowed.

  5. Example Conforming to these criteria will enable readers to more informatively evaluate the utility of software for their own systems. Item I should represent the major message of the author. Items II, III, and IV should be packaged into a minor, unobtrusive section of the manuscript entitled Software Specifications. Following are two samples of the suggested format:
    Software Specifications The final version of the 2000 Arkansas Envirothon educational resource material CD-ROM contains directions and files totaling approximately 540 Mb. Directions for accessing the CD-ROM are stored in both in a MS-DOS text file (README.TXT) and in rich text format (README.RTF). The files may be accessed by any web browser capable of reading HTML version 3.0 and above and Adobe Acrobat Reader version 3.0 and above compatible with your operating system. Netscape Communicator version 4.07 and Adobe Acrobat Reader version 4.0 for Windows 95 or 98 operating system are included on the CD-ROM with instructions for installing the software. Those wishing to obtain a copy of the CD may contact the current president of the Arkansas Envirothon Steering Committee. Current email addresses are provided on the Arkansas Envirothon website (http://www.uaex.edu/envirothon/).

    Software Specifications The Darcy applets were written in Java 2.0. They can be run from web browsers supporting Java applets. Best results are obtained when used with a free plug-in for the browser. The plug-in for various operating systems can be downloaded automatically from Sun Microsystems the first time it is needed. We have tested the applets with Netscape 4.0 or higher and MS Explorer 4.0 or higher. The computer must have at least 32 MB of random access memory (64 MB recommended), and 15 MB of free fixed disk space. The software can be accessed at http://soilphysics.okstate.edu/toolkit/. The compiled software can be downloaded and stored on a local machine so it can be used without network access. The software can also be loaded on a local web server and incorporated into other web pages. Contact the senior author for details.