Geology

Authors

Geology Impact Factor
2022: 5.8
5-year: 5.9
Cited half-life: >10 years
#1 in "geology" category for 16 years in a row

Author Guidelines

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

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GEOLOGY

Overview

Published since 1973, Geology features rapid publication of about 23 refereed short (four-page) papers each month. Articles cover all earth-science disciplines and include new investigations and provocative topics. Professional geologists and university-level students in the earth sciences use this widely read journal to keep up with scientific research trends. The online forum section facilitates author-reader dialog. Includes color and occasional large-format illustrations on oversized loose inserts.

Type of Articles

  • Geology articles are timely, innovative, and provocative, relevant to the journal's international audience, and representative of research from all fields of the geosciences.
  • Geology manuscripts must fit the following size constraints:
    (1) A character count with spaces (in Microsoft Word) of no more than 18,500 characters for the title, author names, affiliations, abstract, main text, Acknowledgments, and figure captions (the References Cited list does not need to be counted).
    (2) Up to 35 references in the References Cited list.
    (3) No more than 4 figures and tables. You may have any combination of figures and tables, as long as you keep to a total of 4 items or fewer.
  • Research Focus Articles provide an (invited) opportunity for authors familiar with specific issues and disciplines to draw new insights from a published article, as well as to provide additional background and depth for readers unfamiliar with the most recent techniques and/or results in this field.
  • Comments and Replies provide a forum in which published papers can be discussed. These are each limited to one PDF page, including references, figures, and tables (about 7,500 characters of text = one printed page). Comments focus on the broad assertions or implications in the original article; they are not overly specific or personal. A comment must be submitted within six months of publication of the original article. Replies are written by the original author(s) after receiving a copy of the relevant comment. Replies must be submitted to GSA within one month.

All Geology papers are subject to GSA's Ethical Guidelines for Publications.

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
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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.)

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Contact Information

Geology Questions:
geology@geosociety.org

Kea Giles, Managing Editor
tel: +1-303-357-1057

Jennifer Olivarez, Editorial Assistant
tel: +1-303-357-1010

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