GSA Bulletin

Authors

GSA Bulletin Impact Factor
2022: 4.9
5-year: 4.8
Cited half-life: >10 years
#34 in “geosciences multidisciplinary category”

Author Guidelines

Do you have an exciting geological photo? Get it on the cover!

Subscribers

How to Subscribe
Subscription Rates

Free Subscription for Early Career, Teacher, and Student GSA Members!
Join GSA

Overview

The GSA Bulletin is the Society's premier scholarly journal, published continuously since 1890. Its first editor was William John (WJ) McGee, who was responsible for establishing much of its original style and format. Fully refereed, each bimonthly issue is now online-only and includes 50 papers focusing on the most definitive, timely, and classic-style research in all earth-science disciplines. The Bulletin welcomes most contributions that are data-rich, mature studies of broad interest (i.e., of interest to more than one sub-discipline of earth science) and of lasting, archival quality. These include (but are not limited to) studies related to tectonics, structural geology, geochemistry, geophysics, hydrogeology, marine geology, paleoclimatology, planetary geology, quaternary geology/geomorphology, sedimentary geology, stratigraphy, and volcanology. The journal is committed to further developing both the scope of its content and its international profile so that it publishes the most current earth science research that will be of wide interest to geoscientists.

Types of Articles

  • Research Articles are presentations of data sets, experimental results, theoretical analyses, or numerical simulations. These thoroughly documented papers should use the scientific method in reaching conclusions and have immediate, far-reaching implications or advance the understanding of a problem or question related to a sub-discipline of the earth sciences. Although no rigid page limit is in place, authors are expected to provide concise text and illustrations that use page space efficiently.
  • Invited Review Articles, either scholarly or pedagogical, facilitate communication among scientists from a broad range of disciplines through discussion of recent papers of interest or important advances in a particular field or fields.
  • Comments and Replies provide a forum in which published papers can be discussed.

All GSA Bulletin papers are subject to GSA's Ethical Guidelines for Publication.

Author Guidelines

Manuscript Preparation and Submission

All of our publications are peer reviewed, with decisions made by GSA Science Editors.

Please be sure to read GSA's Ethical Guidelines for Publication.

Select the right publication for your work

Geology Journal description Submit
GSA Bulletin Journal description Submit
Geosphere Journal description Submit
GSA Today Journal description Submit
Environmental and Engineering Geology Journal information Submit

Preparing your manuscript

GSA journals encourage submissions that are innovative, provocative (or describe a significant advance in the field), timely, and of interest to a broad audience.
Key items for submission
  1. Cover letter: Must include these items
  2. Manuscript file: line numbered Word document. Manuscript Guidelines Manuscript Template GSA Reference Style
  3. Separate figure files: clearly labeled TIFF, GIF, JPG, PDF (reduced-sized PDFs preferable). Figure Guidelines
  4. Tables: Excel or Word. Table Guidelines
  5. Supplemental materials (optional). Supplemental data requirements
Submitting a new paper Click on “Submit” above for the journal of your choice. First-time users need to register for an account and click "Submit New Manuscript." Follow the steps through approving your merged PDF. Details: Submission, Review, and Decision Process
Submitting a revision Note that it is a revision in both cover letter and in the online “Comments” section (include original manuscript number if able). Use the “Submit” link above and log in using your previous username and password.
What to expect during the review process The manuscript submission and peer review process is handled electronically and all papers move through the following 5 steps:
  • If the manuscript is appropriate for the journal, the author submits a manuscript.
  • The editor assigns reviewers to the manuscript.
  • The reviewers review the manuscript.
  • The editor makes the final decision.
  • The editor contacts the author with the decision.
Log in at any time into a journal’s submission system to check the progress of your paper.
Receiving your decision Acceptance or rejection of a manuscript is based on the appraisal of the paper by two or more reviewers and an editor designated by GSA. (Note: Nearly all manuscripts are returned to the author with suggestions for revision, condensation, or final polish.)

No content found

No content found

No content found

No content found

Contact Information

GSA Bulletin Questions:
gsab@geosociety.org

Kelly Finefrock, Managing Editor
tel: +1-303-357-1022

Mailing Address:
The Geological Society of America
Publications Department
3300 Penrose Place
PO Box 9140
Boulder, CO 80301-9140
tel: +1-303-357-1000
fax: +1-303-357-1070