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Editorial policy and instructions to authors

All manuscripts must be in acceptable format and ready for peer review. The editorial board strongly recommends that student manuscripts be reviewed by a faculty member and/or advisor, and those editorial comments be implemented prior to submission. The Geographical Bulletin publishes two types of articles: original research articles (double blind peer-reviewed) under the "Research" heading, and shorter-interest pieces (reviewed by the Editor only) under the "Geographical Essays and Reviews" heading.

While The Geographical Bulletin does not impose word limits, most research articles fall between 4,000-10,000 words (including references & captions). These Research Articles are rigorously peer-reviewed (double-blind).

Book reviews and shorter essays on relevant topics are also solicited, usually with a word count of ~1000-2000, and are reviewed by the Editor only. These Geographical Essay and Reviews might include content such as fieldwork reports, reviews of emerging trends in the discipline, and retrospective/reminiscences (e.g., "looking back" on old geographers, revisiting old theories/paradigms). They could also comprise "Pocket Projects" (those shorter-but-just-as-important research ideas that have yet to be formalized), chapter histories, famous geographer profiles/honorifics (living or deceased), and career-related topics such as advice to early career professionals/academics.

Regardless of submission type, all contributions to The Geographical Bulletin of Gamma Theta Upsilon must follow these general specifications:

  1. All manuscripts should be double-spaced on 8 ½" x 11" page size with one-inch margins on each side. Use 10 or 12 point fonts only. Use the same font style and font size throughout the paper. Italicize book and periodical titles in the body.
     
  2. A full submission includes: 1) a digital copy of the manuscript in Microsoft Word format, 2) all figure/table files as separate items – do NOT embed images in the manuscript, and 3) a separate Word file with all figure/table captions. Name the tables and figures consistently, with the (lead) author's last name in each (e.g., SmithFig1.jpg; SmithTable2.xlsx; SmithCaptions.docx). If the files are too large to submit as a single e-mail attachment, authors may submit several emails (with attachments) to the Editor, or use an online file-sharing service such as One Drive or Google Drive, and make all related files available to the Editor.
     
  3. The submitted copy of the potential article should be blind. That is, it should contain no information that would identify the author to a potential reviewer. Instead, list full contact information in your submission e-mail, including: Name(s) of author(s), author order, affiliation(s), address(es), and email address(es). If applicable, please include which authors are students, as well as their status and level (e.g., enrolled, undergraduate). Upon acceptance, the lead author will be requested to furnish short bios (<50 words) for each author, to appear at the end of their article.
     
  4. As an open access online-only journal, The Geographical Bulletin publishes all figures in color. All graphics must be suitable for high quality, online imagery. Maps must have a scale bar, a fine neat line serving as a boundary, patterns that will tolerate reduction and enlargement (think vector, not raster), and appropriate color schemes. Color graphics and photographs should be of professional quality (preferably vector, not raster). Digital copies of all figures, drawings, photos, and other graphics are required to be in JPG, TIFF, or PNG format, at least 300 dpi, and at least 5" x 7". Again, do NOT embed figures or tables in the manuscript file.
     
  5. Arrange headings and subheadings logically, with a double-space between the end of a paragraph and subsequent heading. Make headings as concise as possible and utilize no more than four levels. First- and second-level headings should be centered and bolded, while third- and fourth-level headings should be italicized, left-aligned, and NOT bolded, like so:

FIRST LEVEL HEADING: CENTERED ALL CAPS

Second Level Heading, Centered, Italicized, and Main Words Capitalized

Third Level Heading: Left-aligned, Italicized, and Main Words Capitalized

Fourth level heading. Indented like normal paragraph, italicized, only first word capitalized, end with period, and then begin the paragraph...

  1. Please follow the reference style noted below for all submissions. The Geographical Bulletin follows a modified Chicago Style, author-date format for references. Endnotes and footnotes should be used very sparingly.

    Cite in-text references, tables, charts, and other graphics such as maps and photographs parenthetically as follows: (Wilhelm 2015), (Table 3), (Fig. 2). If a published statement is quoted, use page numbers e.g., (Wilhelm 2015, 3-4). In text, more than three authors should be listed parenthetically, like so: (Zelinsky, et al. 2018).

    Double space your reference list (NOT bibliography) on a separate page immediately following the manuscript's last line of text. All references cited in the text should be listed alphabetically by (first) author and double-spaced between entries following a modified Chicago Style, as noted here, with citations from online sources (i.e., websites and webpages) listing the date the URL was last accessed.

    First author is always lastname, firstinitial (i.e., "Smith, A."). Second and subsequent authors are firstinitial-period-lastname (i.e., "Smith, A. and B. Jones"). For author lists of three or more, please use the Oxford comma (i.e., "Smith, A., B. Jones, and C. Abbott"). If your reference type is not listed here, please use the next-closest reference type.

    Single-authored journal article:

    Groom, K.M.2016.The Applicability of Repeat Photography in Rock Art Conservation: A Case Study of Mixed Methods in the Arkansan Ozarks. Zeitschrift für Geomorphologie 60(3): 11-28.

    Single authored book:

    Dorn, R.I. 1998. Rock Coatings. Elsevier. 429 pages.

    Single-authored edited volume/book:

    Allen, C.D. (ed.) 2015. Landscapes and Landforms of the Lesser Antilles. Springer. 321 pages.

    Multiple-authored journal article:

    Finn, J., A. Fernandez, D.D. Arreola, L.M. Sutton, C.D. Allen, and C. Smith. 2009. Puerto Peñasco: From Fishing Village to Tourist Mecca. Geographical Review 99(4): 575-597.

    Multiple-authored edited volume/book:

    Thornbush, M.J. and C.D. Allen, (eds.) 2018. Urban Geomorphology: Landforms and Processes in Cities. Elsevier. 362 pages.

    Multiple-authored book chapter:

    Fort, M., B.R. Adhikari, and B. Rimal. 2018. Pokhara (Central Nepal): A Dramatic Yet Geomorphologically Active Environment Versus a Dynamic, Rapidly Developing City. In Urban Geomorphology, M.J. Thornbush and C.D. Allen (eds.), pp. 231-258. Elsevier.

    Government publication:

    Knapp, B.D. 1993. Soil Survey of Presque Isle County, Michigan. United States Department of Agriculture. Soil Conservation Service. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.

    Delhi Development Agency. 2007. Master Plan for Delhi, 2021. https://dda.org.in/ddaweb/pdf/Planning/reprint%20mpd2021.pdf. Last accessed 14 April 2018.

    Website:

    U.S. Census Bureau. 2017. Subcounty Population Estimates. [http://www.census.gov/popest/cities/SUB-EST2006.states.html]. Last accessed 02 July 2017.

  1. Include an abstract of up to 150 words, double-spaced and followed by up to five key words. The abstract should state the objective, methods, and conclusions of the paper, and should appear before the Introduction/beginning of the manuscript's body.
     
  2. Potential articles should be written in active voice, be free of spelling and grammatical errors, and use the Oxford Comma. The author retains sole responsibility to obtain copyright release in writing to use any copyrighted material.

Send electronic copies of all manuscripts to:
Nancy Hoalst-Pullen and Mark Patterson
Co-Editors, The Geographical Bulletin
Email: npullen@kennesaw.edu mpatters@kennesaw.edu