The Western North American Naturalist welcomes manuscripts dealing with the biological natural history of western North America. Manuscripts undergo a rigorous peer-review process prior to publication. Based on manuscript reviews, decisions regarding publication are then made by the journal's editor and associate editors.

The journal will consider for publication manuscripts covering research within the various disciplines of the biological sciences. Questions regarding the suitability of a topic should be addressed to the journal's editor.

How to Submit a Manuscript

Authors may submit manuscripts in one of two ways:

1. Submit via the web at https://ojs.lib.byu.edu/ojs/index.php/wnan/index  Click on the "For Authors" link on the right side of the page. Please contact us if you encounter any difficulties or have questions. wnan@byu.edu
2. Send an electronic version of the manuscript by mail or e-mail attachment to the journal's editorial office:

Western North American Naturalist
190 Monte L. Bean Museum
Brigham Young University
Provo, UT 84602
wnan@byu.edu

How to Prepare a Manuscript

Please adhere to the following requirements:

Cover letter. An accompanying cover letter must include contact information for the submitting author and information describing the extent to which data, text, or illustrations have been used in other papers or books that are published, in press, submitted, or soon to be submitted elsewhere.

Type and double space all materials, including literature cited, tables, table headings, and figure legends. Use standard page size (8.5 by 11 inches), leaving 1-inch margins on all sides.

Number pages and assemble in the following order: title page, abstract and key words, text, acknowledgments, literature cited, appendices, tables, figure legends, figures.

Title page includes an informative title no longer than 15 words; names, addresses, and e-mail addresses of all authors; a running head of fewer than 40 letters and spaces; and notes to indicate any changes of address and the author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Abstract states the purpose, methods, results, and conclusions of the research. It is followed by 6-12 key words, listed in order of decreasing importance, to be used for indexing.

Text has centered main headings printed in all capital letters; second-level headings are centered in upper- and lowercase letters; third-level headings begin paragraphs.

References in the text are cited by author and date: e.g., Martin (1998) or (Martin 1998). Multiple citations should be separated by commas and listed in chronological order. Use "et al." after name of first author for citations having more than two authors.

Acknowledgments, under a centered main heading, include special publication numbers when appropriate.

Literature Cited, also under a centered main heading, lists references alphabetically in the following formats:

Brady, N.C. 1990. The nature and properties of soils. 10th edition. MacMillan, New York.

Kondole, G.M. 1997. Hungry water: effects of dams and gravel mining on river channels. Environmental Management 21:533–551.

Saab, V.A., and T.D. Rich. 1997. Large-scale conservation assessment for neotropical migratory landbirds in the Interior Columbia River Basin. General Technical Report PNW-GTR-399. USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, Portland, OR.

Tokeshi, M. 1995. Life cycles and population dynamics. Pages 225–268 in P. Armitage, P.S. Cranston, and L.C.V. Pinder, editors, The Chironomidae: biology and ecology of non-biting midges. Chapman and Hall, London.

Tables are double spaced on separate sheets and designed to fit the width of either a single column (2.6 inches) or a page (5 inches). Use lowercase letters to indicate footnotes whenever possible.

Figures. Electronic figures should have a resolution of 300 dpi or better, and all lettering should be large enough to withstand reduction of the figure to the width of one-column (2.6 inches) or a page (5 inches). Carefully choose wording for axis labels to match the caption, and generally include units in parentheses. 

Important additional instructions for figures: Although figures embedded in word processing documents are convenient for reviewers, they are often unsuitable for final print publication. Keep in mind that figures will eventually need to be submitted as separate "supplementary files" in one of the following formats: EPS (line art, graphs), TIF (line art, graphs), JPG (photographs), or PDF. If necessary, we can scan black-and-white figures from hard copy with very nice results, but be advised that gray scale tones do not scan well from hard copy.

Notes. If the manuscript would be more appropriate as a short communication or note, follow the above instructions, but do not include section headings. Please include an abstract.

Voucher specimens and IACUC. Authors are encouraged to designate, properly prepare, label, and deposit high-quality voucher specimens and cultures documenting their research in an established permanent collection, and to cite the repository in publication. Also, acknowledgment of approved protocols and permits is encouraged.

A charge of $55 per page is made for articles published; the rate for individual subscribers will be $40 per page. However, manuscripts with complex tables and/or numerous photographs may be assessed an additional charge. Upon publication an electronic reprint (PDF) will be sent to the corresponding author.

Additional help with style and format. In general, Western North American Naturalist follows recommendations in Scientific Style and Format: The CSE Manual for Authors, Editors, and Publishers, 7th edition (www.councilscienceeditors.org). However, we do differ in our treatment of entries in Literature Cited. Authors may find it easiest to use a recent issue of the Western North American Naturalist as a model. Although outdated in some aspects of electronic manuscript preparation, Guidelines for Authors (January 2000) provides detailed information on WNAN style and format. HTML | PDF