Suggestions to authors                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

In the introduction, present the question to be answered, state the purpose of the paper, and point out what is new about the paper. Do not assume that readers will be interested. Place the question and results in as general a context as possible, but do not promise more than you deliver.

Briefly introduce the taxon or the system presented in the paper so that novices gain an appreciation for them. For taxa unfamiliar to most readers, give a brief account of their natural history or other pertinent information. Indicate how the paper adds to or changes previous work in the field.

Keep jargon to a minimum, especially in the abstract and the title. Define jargon whenever possible to aid readers who are unfamiliar with the specifics. Avoid abbreviations whenever possible as they hinder reading and deter comprehension.

Use prepositional phrases to minimize long strings of nouns; even if sentences become somewhat lengthy, the flow of the paper is greatly improved.

Read the paper aloud to yourself to check its continuity. You may choose to have others, particularly those in your field, read the paper and give you feedback before it is submitted to the journal.

Always distinguish clearly between fact and opinion, observation and speculation, and your work with that of others.

Figures are meant to convey ideas, whereas tables convey data. Therefore, keep figures simple and do not substitute figures for tables where the latter would be more appropriate as sources of data. Figures can be printed in black and white or color.

Adhere to journal style. Make certain that all references cited in the figures, tables, and appendices are included in the Literature Cited and that all references listed in the Literature Cited have been cited in the manuscript.

For resubmissions, respond constructively to feedback/criticism of the paper and address all points raised by the reviewers. If a reviewer has misunderstood something in the paper, it is most likely because the author did not express the idea or the data clearly. Most questions or objections raised by reviewers should be dealt with in the revised manuscript, even if they cannot be definitively answered; an acknowledgment which points out that problems and shortcomings exist may suffice. Often readers of the published manuscript will have reactions similar to those of the reviewers.

Make certain that the paper can be read and evaluated on its own. It must contain enough information for the reader to make an independent judgment, and it should not have to be read in conjunction with other papers in order to be fully understood.

The principal reasons for rejecting manuscripts are the following:

(1) Flawed science.

(2) Poor writing and organization.

(3) Narrow focus to particular taxonomic groups or systems and insufficient general context.

(4) Insufficient evolutionary orientation; paper deals mainly with genetics, ecology, molecular biology, morphology, or behavior rather than evolution.

Accordingly, well-written papers that represent significant new findings, are of general interest, and are placed in a general context are most likely to be published in Evolution. Papers with a narrower taxonomic focus or those providing only incidental insights into evolution are extremely valuable and important, but they should be submitted to other journals.

All authors of a paper are responsible for the contents of their paper. An author is one who has made a substantial contribution to the paper. This includes writing the text, designing and carrying out experiments, making observations, analyzing the results, and suggesting the problem. Those who assist in the work, supply strains or reagents, fund the work, and provide general but not specific direction to the work, must be acknowledged but are normally not eligible for authorship. Names of all coauthors should be clearly stated on the title page.

Clearly state the author to whom all correspondence should be addressed. The Editor encourages authors to spell out the authors' roles in the letter accompanying the manuscript when it is submitted for publication.

Publication is an essential and integral part of conducting science. Authors, reviewers, and editors play a crucial role in dispensing science literature in an interesting, informative, and accessible forum.