Editorial Policies

Focus and Scope

Freshwater Reviews is a peer reviewed international journal dedicated to enhancing the understanding of inland waters. The content of review papers is primarily biological but papers covering limnology, policy and socio-economic aspects of fresh waters are acceptable if they are relevant to our understanding or management of fresh water biology. Freshwater is interpreted widely, embracing all inland waters including lakes, ponds and reservoirs, rivers and streams, as well as saline and caustic lakes, brackish waters, interstitial and groundwater environments.

The journal aims:

  • To provide an up-to-date synopsis for research workers, including the identification of remaining problems to be tackled;
  • To provide concise summaries of the latest research conclusions for regulators and managers of inland waters;
  • To furnish the non-specialist biologist with an awareness and understanding of the field.

Freshwater Reviews publishes individual review articles, along with groups of papers reviewing a particular theme, water body or geographical area. The reviews can cover basic, applied and/or strategic research. In addition to review articles, Freshwater Reviews includes book reviews and correspondence arising from published reviews. The journal caters for all with an interest in inland water biology and related sciences that affect the biology including those from universities, research institutes, water industries, regulatory bodies, local, regional and government institutions and international organisations. Freshwater Reviews is published consecutively (as accepted for publication) on-line and in paper format twice a year.

 

Peer Review Process

Each manuscript must be uploaded using the FBA's Journal System. The Editor will consider the manuscript and send it to 2 or more nominated peer reviewers (unless the manuscript is deemed inappropriate for Freshwater Reviews, in which case it will be returned to the submitting author with the Editor's comments). Once the peer reviewers have considered the manuscript, they send their comments to the Editor, who is responsible for making the decision to:

  1. Accept the manuscript without amendment;
  2. Accept the the manuscript subject to ammendments being made;
  3. Reject the manuscript but suggest changes which should be made before re-submitting the manuscript for consideration again.

Revised manuscript submission
When the author has been notified with the Editors decision a revision of the manuscript may be requested. Authors should make the suggested changes and return the revised version of their manuscript as soon as possible. Prompt action will ensure fast publication if the manuscript is finally accepted for publication in Freshwater Reviews. Authors should return their revised manuscript within 45 days.

Final proofreading
Authors will receive a PDF file with the edited version of their manuscript for final proofreading. This is the last opportunity to view an article before its publication on the journal's web site. No changes or modifications can be introduced once it is published. Thus authors are requested to check their proof pages carefully against their manuscript within 3 working days and prepare a separate document containing a list of any changes that should be made. Authors are sometimes asked to provide additional comments and explanations in response to remarks and queries from the language and technical editors. In case the authors do not deliver the list of corrections to proofs in the requested time the manuscript will be published as it is.  

Reprints
After publication, the corresponding author is notified by email and receives a PDF file with the published version of the manuscript.

Erratum
If any errors are detected in the published material they should be reported to the Editor. The corresponding authors should send appropriate corrected material to the Editor via email. This material will be considered for publication in the form of erratum in the earliest available hard copy issue of Freshwater Reviews.

 

Publication Frequency

Manuscripts accepted for publication are published online in a so called Online First service as soon as they are ready for publication (that is when final proofreading is performed and all concerns are resolved). Final manuscripts may appear on the web 2-4 months prior to regular print issue publication. Once a manuscript appears on the website it is considered as published. Hard copy issues are published twice per year.

 

Author Self-Archiving

The author retains the right to: display their own version of the article as originally submitted on their personal/academic website(s) with a link to the final version on Freshwater Reviews; Use (and permit others to use) the article within their own organisation for non-commercial uses e.g. for teaching purposes, on the condition that the Freshwater Biological Association is cited correctly as the publisher.

 

Delayed Open Access

The contents of this journal will be available in an open access format 36 month(s) after an issue is published.

Articles published as part of Freshwater Reviews will become freely available to all registered readers 36 months after publication.

 

Online subscriptions: restrictions on use

Users with a valid subscription are permitted to save and print copies, provided they are for personal/research use and NOT distribution.  It is not permitted to reproduce articles, or extracts, unless for academic or personal use by a licence holder, or by arrangement with the FBA.  Any use of material should be cited correctly and link to the Freshwater Reviews website. 

Authorised users within institutions include employees and students of the institution, as well as visitors to the institution, but exclude employees/students/visitors of other institutions occupying the same site.