The Raven is published twice yearly and contains articles relevant to Virginia
ornithology. In addition to original research papers, it includes articles on
noteworthy VA bird observations, reviews of books about birds and birding,
reports from VA-based bird surveys, and documents the proceedings of the
Virginia Society of Ornithology and its chapters. Please consider The Raven as
a venue for the publication of your studies, reviews, reports, original
observations, or other information relevant to birding and the study of birds
in the State of Virginia, and of reviews of any book that is relevant to birds
and birding anywhere in the world. As editor, I am adamant about ensuring that
The Raven be published in a timely manner. Since my appointment (January,
2010) I have prepared and overseen publication of the 2008 volume (Vol. 79),
and the 2009 volume (Vol. 80) is now at the printer's. I am currently
compiling material for the first of two issues of the 2010 volume (Vol. 81),
which will be at the printer's before the end of 2010.
If you have a manuscript or manuscripts describing studies or other birding
activities, a review of an unpublished or recently published book, it will be
considered for publication in the first issue of Vol. 81 if submitted by
November 15, 2010. All material submitted will be reviewed by me and by two
external reviewers.
Although Vol. 79 appeared in the same, half-page format as previous volumes of
The Raven, Vol. 80 and subsequent volumes will appear in full-page format, with
either two or three columns per page, in order to allow greater flexibility for
presenting graphic material. For your information, here is the text of the
"information for contributors" section that will appear in Vol. 80:
The Raven, the official journal of the Virginia Society of Ornithology (VSO),
functions to publish original contributions and original review articles in
ornithology relating to Virginia Birdlife. Electronic files are the required
form for manuscript submission. Text files, prepared using a Mac OS-compatible
word processing program or Microsoft® Word, should contain minimal formatting.
Graphics (photos, maps, graphs, charts) should be sent as high quality EPS or
JPEG files. An accompanying "cover" file should be emailed to the editor
stating (1) article title, (2) author(s) full name(s) and email and home or
institutional address(es) and, for multi-authored manuscripts, (3) the name of
one author designated to carry out correspondence with the editor. If the
manuscript or report is technical, a list of persons who would be appropriate
reviewers should also be included in the "cover file." Authors are encouraged
to consult with the editor on additional matters of content, format, or style.
NOTE: Editorship of The Raven will change on January 1, 2010. After that date,
all cover and manuscript files and any other Raven-related correspondence
should be sent to: Wesley M. Brown <wbrown@xxxxxxxxx>.
Most Manuscripts published in The Raven concern the distribution, abundance and
migration of birds in Virginia. Manuscripts on other ornithological topics,
including Virginia-based historical reviews, bibliographical reviews, life
histories, and behavioral observations, are also welcomed. In addition, the
journal serves to publish the official proceedings of the VSO and other formal
items pertaining to all aspects of the Society's activities. The Raven may also
publish articles pertaining to the activities of various public and private
organizations engaged in biological and conservation work in Virginia. The
Raven is a peer-reviewed journal; all feature articles and short communications
are reviewed before a decision about acceptance for publication is made.
Format of The Raven generally follows guidelines set by the Council for Biology
editors as outlined in the CBE style manual, 6th edition, 1994 (Council of
Biology Editors, Inc., 11250 Roger Bacon Dr., Reston, VA 20190). Recent volumes
of The Raven should be inspected for style. Vernacular and scientific names of
birds should be those in the most recent edition (and supplement) of the
A.O.U.'s Check-list of North American Birds (www.aou.org/checklist/north).
Vernacular names should be capitalized; scientific names should be italicized.
All size, temperature and other measurements should be in metric units.
Wesley M. Brown
Editor, The Raven
21277 Metompkin View Lane
Parksley VA 23421 USA
757-665-4364
