Writing an Article for the Entomologist's Record and Journal of Variation:

This page contains information on how to send in articles for publication. It briefly describes three categories of contribution and you then select the one you want to go to the next web page. Selection is possible only at the bottom of the page - we want you to read this page first!!!

Make your selection below:

Papers
Notes and observations
Subscriber notices

Our aim is to make submitting an article for publication easy and to encourage more people to do so.

. The content of the journal ranges widely from descriptions of species new to science or taxa new to Britain, through to short notes on interesting observations that ought to be placed on record for others to access or accounts of entomological trips. We aim to balance the "science" with "lay-interest" and hope that as a result the contents are readable but also stand up to scientific scrutiny.

. We welcome contributions concerned with British moths, British butterflies, British beetles, British flies and other groups.

. We also welcome contributions on European insects if these are likely to be of interest to British readers. Subjects might include species likely to colonise Britain (especially where these contributions include identification keys or photographs), or accounts of entomological trips to places that are of possible interest to other readers (e.g, a six-month trip to a remote South Atlantic island is fascinating stuff, but few readers will ever likely do the same: on the other hand, a week of intensive moth-catching in an interesting part of continental Europe is of greater interest as many readers may wish to go there on holiday).

. Why not take a look at last year's Contents to see the range of articles that might interest us

We recognise that many important contributions to entomological knowledge have been made by amateurs.

Anyone can publish in the Entomologist's Record regardless of background, nationality, race or any other factor. Contributions are judged on the merit of their content alone. The name and title of the author are of no relevance. You do not have to be a subscriber to write a contribution. Nor do you have to own a computer (though if you are reading this page you probably do!).

There is a vast number of entomologists all carrying out different kinds of field work. Now and then, each of us discovers something of interest. Remember - if it interests you, it might also interest the rest of us. Write it up as a note - you might be surprised to find that your observation fits with others to form a pattern. Well done! You have just contributed an important piece of knowledge and understanding! And if it was not of interest? Well - I have never received a single note that was not of some interest to other readers, so why should you be any different!

There are three categories of contribution - you need to select one of them. First read the words below to decide which category to select, then make the selection by clicking the appropriate line at the bottom of this page. Drawings and photographs (including colour) are welcomed if these effectively illustrate the written article.

If you are not sure if you are writing a paper or a note, write it as a note. The Editor may convert it into a paper if he feels it appropriate.

Papers:

Papers will usually be at least 1500 words in length (normally more) and will occupy at least two or three pages in the journal. Acceptance is not automatic. They will be reviewed by an appropriate expert (who has the right to remain anonymous) and he or she is very likely to suggest modifications. These will be communicated back to the author who must then either make the modifications or be prepared to justify not doing so.

Papers should cover their subject matter to a far greater depth than Notes and will normally present original material or a broad-based review of existing knowledge. Thus, to give one example, a new vice-county record of a moth will warrant a Note, but a review of the spread of the species in Britain in recent years, incorporating a distribution map, is better presented as a Paper.

Authors of papers are expected to follow the house style and conventions as closely as possible.

The Editor reserves the right to convert papers into Notes and vice versa.

Notes and observations:

These are the meat of the journal! Most contributions will fall into this category. They will normally be less than 1500 words in length (and can be very short indeed as long as the information they impart is interesting).

We welcome Notes. There is no limit to how many you can contribute.

Authors of Notes should try as far as possible to follow the House style and conventions, but the Editor will attend to these if errors are made.

The Editor reserves the right to convert Notes into papers and vice versa.

Subscriber notices:

Subscribers to the journal may advertise entomological events, publications or related matters free of charge, provided that the advert and the item(s) advertised are legal and provided that they are, in the exclusive opinion of the Editor, of interest to a majority of readers.