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INSTRUCTIONS TO AUTHORS

Thank you for your interest in submitting a manuscript to The Compass: Earth Science Journal of Sigma Gamma Epsilon. These instructions provide guidance for preparing and submitting your manuscript. Authors should use the current manuscript template and submit all materials through the SGE Publications Manager.

Questions about manuscript preparation, the submission process, or the status of a submission may be directed to the National Editor at [email protected].

AUTHOR RESOURCES

The following resources are available to assist authors in preparing manuscripts for The Compass:

These resources are also available from the Resources section of the SGE Publications Manager.

MANUSCRIPT PREPARATION

Authors should prepare their manuscript using the current The Compass manuscript template. The template contains the formatting and styles used by the journal and provides guidance for the required components of a manuscript.

Download the Manuscript Template

When preparing your manuscript:

  • Please use the predefined Microsoft Word styles included in the template. Styles specific to The Compass begin with “SGE”.
  • Italicized red text within the template provides instructions and identifies information that should be supplied by the authors.
  • Please remove all red instructional text before submitting the completed manuscript.
  • Figures, tables, and captions may be included in the manuscript and may also be uploaded as separate files when appropriate.
  • Every figure and table should be cited in the manuscript and numbered in the order in which it is first discussed.
  • References should follow the GSA reference style used by The Compass.

Authors are encouraged to review the Author Submission Checklist before submitting their manuscript.

FIGURES AND TABLES

Figures and tables should communicate information clearly and complement, rather than unnecessarily duplicate, the manuscript text. Authors should prepare figures with the final published page in mind and ensure that text, symbols, lines, and other details remain legible when reproduced at publication size.

Maps should provide sufficient geographic context for the reader and include appropriate cartographic information and source attribution. Tables should be submitted as editable content whenever possible rather than as images.

Detailed recommendations concerning figure dimensions, image quality, maps, photographs, captions, tables, accessibility, and third-party material are provided in:

Preparing Figures and Tables for The Compass

REFERENCES CITED

References should follow the GSA reference style used by The Compass. Authors should ensure that works cited in the manuscript, figures, tables, captions, and appendices are included in the References Cited section and that entries in the References Cited section are cited in the manuscript.

Authors should include DOI numbers when available and should carefully verify reference information before submission.

Examples for journal articles, books, book chapters, guidebooks, maps, theses, reports, websites, and other reference types are available in:

GSA Reference Guidelines and Examples

DIGITAL REPOSITORY PERMISSION FORM

A completed Digital Repository Permission Form is required for publication in The Compass. The form grants permission for the completed work to be published and maintained in the journal's digital repository.

Download the Digital Repository Permission Form

Please ensure that the manuscript title and all authors are identified on the form. The form may be digitally signed or printed, signed, and scanned. The completed form should be uploaded with your manuscript through the SGE Publications Manager.

SUBMITTING A MANUSCRIPT

Manuscripts are submitted electronically through the SGE Publications Manager:

Submit a Manuscript to The Compass

If this is your first submission through the Publications Manager, create an account using the registration option on the login page. Once logged in, select New Submission and follow the step-by-step submission process.

During the submission process, you will be asked to:

  1. Enter manuscript information, including the manuscript title and article type.
  2. Add all authors in the order they should appear in the published article. Please identify the Corresponding Author, who will serve as the primary contact during the review and publication process.
  3. Upload your files. This should include the completed manuscript and Digital Repository Permission Form. Separate figures, tables, captions, supplemental materials, and other supporting files may also be uploaded as appropriate.
  4. Review the submission to make sure the manuscript information, authors, and uploaded files are complete and correct.
  5. Submit the manuscript to the Editorial Office.

Before submitting, authors are encouraged to complete the Author Submission Checklist as a final review of their submission materials. The checklist is provided as a preparation aid and does not need to be uploaded with the manuscript.

AFTER SUBMISSION AND PEER REVIEW

After a manuscript is submitted, the National Editor will review the submission materials and coordinate the editorial and peer-review process. Authors can log in to the SGE Publications Manager to view their submissions.

Manuscripts selected for peer review will be provided to reviewers for evaluation. When reviews are complete, comments and an editorial decision will be communicated to the corresponding author. If revisions are requested, the corresponding author is responsible for coordinating revisions with the other authors and returning a revised manuscript that addresses the editorial and peer-review comments.

Authors may be asked to provide a response describing how individual editor and reviewer comments were addressed. Additional review or revisions may be requested when necessary.

Once a manuscript is accepted, it will proceed through copy editing and publication formatting. Authors will receive a proof for final review before publication. Following any final corrections, the article will receive its DOI and be published in The Compass.

QUESTIONS OR ASSISTANCE

If you have questions about manuscript preparation, figures and tables, reference formatting, the submission system, or another issue not addressed in these instructions, please contact the National Editor at [email protected].