Rapid Communications
The Auk dedicated to publishing top research in all areas of ornithology. Publication categories include Research Articles, Letters, Commentaries, and Perspectives (or Special Reviews) in Ornithology. Rapid Communications is our newest means of disseminating research results, serving as an outlet for advancing our knowledge of birds through research that has broad significance to the ornithological community. Our goal is to speed such articles to press in the shortest possible time. To do so, they must be submitted directly to the Editor-in-Chief so that they can be approved for fast tracking through the review process. They should contain (1) an abstract that transitions smoothly into (2) a short introduction, followed by (3) presentation and discussion of results, and (4) brief acknowledgments (not to exceed 50 words). The methods (5) will be included at the end of the manuscript for the review process but will be available only as online supporting materials if the manuscript is accepted. Rapid Communications should not exceed 2,500 words (including articles and prepositions) and a combined maximum of 5 tables and/or figures. References to literature, not to exceed 30, should be cited by number within the text rather than by author-date citations. The references, which will appear immediately after the acknowledgments, should follow the Auk article format for Literature Cited but be preceded by the appropriate numbers from the text (and be listed in numerical rather than alphabetical order). Authors should submit their manuscript as both a Word document and PDF to the Editor-in-Chief (Michael T. Murphy at murphym@pdx.edu).
Multimedia to accompany publications
Beginning in 2011 with volume 128, authors can submit multimedia files with their manuscripts that will be available to online readers via embedded hyperlinks in the published article. (This material will not be available to readers who have elected to receive only the print journal.) The enriched materials are intended to supplement information presented in the text, but articles must be able to stand alone and be fully comprehensible without access to the hyperlinked materials. Appropriate multimedia include song recordings or short film sequences that, for instance, highlight behaviors or possibly methods that are unique, or other materials such as Google mapping, zoomable images, and interactive Flash content that are otherwise impossible to present textually but that substantially enhance the manuscript. The materials will be archived indefinitely by University of California Press and are therefore intended to be permanently available to future readers. There are no additional charges associated with this publishing option. Technical specifications for authors are available by contacting Mark Penrose, Managing Editor (managingeditor@aou.org).
