Focus and Scope

The Proceedings of the Oklahoma Academy of Science contains reports that describe the results of original scientific investigation (including social science). Papers are received with the understanding that they have not been published previously or submitted for publication elsewhere. The papers should be of significant scientific quality, intelligible to a broad scientific audience, and should represent research conducted in accordance with accepted procedures and scientific ethics (proper subject treatment and honesty).

The Editor of the Proceedings expects that the author(s) will honor the following principles of the scientific community, which are also policies of the Proceedings.

1.  Each author shall have contributed substantially to major aspects of the planning, execution, and /or interpretation of the study and to the preparation of the manuscript. It is assumed that all listed authors concur in the submission, that final copy of the manuscript has been seen and approved by all authors, and that all authors share responsibility for the paper.

2.  Submission of manuscripts based on unique material (e.g. cloned DNAs; antibodies; bacterial, animal, or plant cells; hybridomas; viruses; and computer programs) implies that these materials will be available for noncommercial purposes to all qualified investigators.

3. Authors of manuscripts reporting nucleic acid sequence(s) must be prepared to submit relevant data to GenBank. Authors of manuscripts reporting crystallographic studies must be prepared to submit the relevant structural data to the Protein Data Base and/or other appropriate repository. Information necessary for retrieval of the data from the repository will be specified in a reference in the paper.

4. Manuscripts that report research involving human subjects or the use of materials from human organs must be supported by a copy of the document authorizing the research and signed by the appropriate official(s) of the institution where the work was con- ducted. Research involving humans and animals must have been performed in accordance with the recommendations from the Declaration of Helsinki and the appropriate guidelines of the National Institutes of Health.

5. Submission of manuscripts that report research on/with recombinant DNA implies that the relevant physical and bio- logical containment levels conformed to the guidelines of the National Institutes of Health; the Editor may request proof to substantiate this implication.

6. The Proceedings does not publish statements of priority or novelty, or mere descriptions of work in progress or planned. The dates of manuscript receipt, revision, and acceptance will be published.

7. A primary research report must contain sufficient details and reference to public sources of information to permit other scientists to repeat the work.

8. Any unusual hazard encountered or anticipated in using chemicals, equipment, or procedures in the investigation should be clearly identified in the manuscript.

Peer Review Process

The Proceedings of the Oklahoma Academy of Science is published by the Oklahoma Academy of Science. Its editorial policies are established by the Editor and Associate Editors, under the general authority of the Publications Committee. The Editor is appointed by the Executive Committee of the Academy; Associate Editors are appointed by the Publications Committee in consultation with the Editor. The suitability for publication in the Proceedings of submitted manuscripts is judged by the Editor and the Associate Editors.

All manuscripts must be refereed critically. The POAS Editors have an obligation to the membership of the Academy and to the scientific community to insure, as far as possible, that the Proceedings is scientifically accurate. Expert refereeing is a tested, effective method by which the scientific community maintains a standard of excellence. In addition, expert refereeing frequently helps the author(s) to present the results in a clear, concise form that exceeds minimal standards.

The corresponding author is notified of the receipt of a manuscript, and the Editor sends the manuscript to at least two reviewers, anonymous to the author(s). After the initial review, the Editor either accepts the manuscript for publication, returns it to the author for clarification or revision, sends it to another referee for further review, or declines the manuscript.

A declined manuscript will have had at least two reviews, usually more. The Editors examine such manuscripts very carefully and take full responsibility. There are several grounds for declining a manuscript: the sub- stance of the paper may not fall within the scope of the Proceedings; the work may not meet the standards that the Proceedings strives to maintain; the work may not be complete; the experimental evidence may not support the conclusion(s) that the author(s) would like to draw; the experimental approach may be equivocal; faulty design or technique may vitiate the results; or the manuscript may not make a sufficient contribution to the overall understanding of the system being studied, even though the quality of the experimental work is not in question.
A combination of these reasons is also possible grounds for declining to publish the MS. In most cases, the Editors rely on the judgment of the reviewers.

Open Access Policy

This journal provides immediate open access to its content online.