Electronic Journals of Meteorology
Publishing Research Online
http://www.EJSSM.org
• EJSSM - To improve understanding, prediction,
preparedness and mitigation of severe storm
hazards, through:
 􀂃 Theoretical development of conceptual and predictive models
 􀂃 Observational and diagnostic studies
 􀂃 Operational forecasting techniques and methods
 􀂃 Historical and biographical studies
 􀂃 Review articles
 􀂃 Interdisciplinary studies of risks and impacts, including storm
damage analyses, social implications and economic effects.
• EJSSM will publish research articles, research and technical notes,
book reviews, letters and comments on prior papers. Papers on theory,
prediction methods and techniques, causes, impacts, and measuring
and monitoring in the following areas are welcome:
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􀂃 Severe convective weather
􀂃 Lightning and related storm electrification
􀂃 Severe tropical weather systems
􀂃 Damage analysis and mitigation
􀂃 Scientific documentation and analysis of extreme and/or rare events
􀂃 Forecast development and verification concepts
􀂃 Climatology of and/or influencing severe storm events
􀂃 Severe winter storms
􀂃 Heavy rainfall events
􀂃 Pyroconvective storms and fire storms
• EJSSM Core Principles:
 Open access.
 Uphold high standards.
 Encourage participation.
 Rapid dissemination and immediate feedback.
• Founders include:
 Dr. Robert Maddox, Dr. C.A. Doswell III, Dr. John
Monteverdi, Dr. Erik Rasmussen, Dr. David Schultz,
Brian Curran, Albert Pietrycha, Al Moller, Jim
Johnson, Roger Edwards, Elke Edwards
• Current Editors:
 Roger Edwards – Editor in Chief
 Dr. David Schultz – Assistant Editor in Chief
 Albert Pietrycha – Section Editor
• Why an operational forecaster should
publish…
 More familiar with forecasting difficulties
 Witness more of the quirks of the “real”
atmosphere
 Can identify research problems for pure
researchers
 Career advancement
Why Publish Online?
 Cost…
 Format…
 Availability…
 Immutability…
 Quality…
 Acceptance…
• Cost…
 AMS = $ 135 per paper page (B&W)
$ 490/$390/$190 first, second and
third color piece
 NWA = Apparently free to NWA members?
 EJSSM = $50 per entire article (50mb) – Color Free
• Format…
 Standard Formats =
• Abstract only, HTML & PDF.
++ PLUS ++
• Encourages color, multimedia, animations, and new
graphic techniques.
• Availability…
 AMS = Full E-Journals Access to fees paid members
only.
 NWA = Full E-Journal Access FREE.
 EJSSM = Full Journals Access FREE.
• Immutability…
 “LOCKSS” – lockss.org – Stanford University.
• Replication & Format Migration –
 LOCKSS used by:
• AMS, Oxford University Press, British Medical
Journal, Brookings Institute, Library of Congress
• US Universities – Hawaii, Duke, Nebraska, Rice,
Michigan State, Penn State, Penn, Illinois C-U, Yale,
Emory, NC State, Kentucky, many more….
• Quality…
 AMS - Double blind peer review – closed review
process – 3 reviewers - 18 mos. – 2 yrs. turn around
 NWA - Double blind peer review – closed review
process – 1 to 2 reviewers
 EJSSM - Open peer review – open review process
(reviews and replies published too!) –
3 reviewers – several mos. turn around!
REVIEWER COMMENTS
[Authors’ responses in orange serif .]
REVIEWER A (Richard L. Thompson):
Initial Review
Recommendation: Accept with major revision
The paper provides an overview of several common parameters/indices used in severe storm forecasting,
and outlines a process for developing proper forecast parameters. On the surface, this topic appears worthy
of consideration, but I have several concerns regarding the tone of the paper and the apparent motivation of
the authors. Without providing supporting evidence, the authors infer that a substantial number of forecasters
have no clue how to interpret the convective parameters/indices they discuss. Can the authors site anything
more specific than a few vague references? It is important to establish reasonable motivation for this work
because that motivation identifies the target audience. At this point, it could be anyone in severe storm
meteorology, but this work seems most appropriate for undergraduate meteorology students. I can only
speak for myself, but I found this paper to be mildly degrading to professional forecasters.
We regret that you had this reaction to the manuscript, as that surely was not our intention. Our intention was
to educate forecasters, not degrade them. Our intended audience was anyone in severe storms meteorology,
as we believe that even experts would benefit from revisiting the ideas in this manuscript. In the revised
manuscript, we have softened the tone and rewritten the introduction so that our intentions and intended
audience are more clear.
Given the structure of the existing manuscript, I find it somewhat difficult to insert this in some
appropriate place. Although I obviously believe in the importance of this, I’m not sure it
represents a major milestone in the research process. Hence, I’ve not followed the suggestion,
with some lingering misgivings about not doing so.
3) Section 6c. You mention that scientific storm chasing began with the Tornado Intercept
Project that had the goal of filming tornado debris clouds. You then mention the use of mobile
field observations to provide quantitative data in the last paragraph. When did scientists start
bringing data collection platforms beyond cameras into the field?
An interesting point. This is sort of hard to know … just what sort of system constitutes
quantitative sampling during storm chases? I have discovered that the Knights began collecting
hailstones as they were falling, for the purpose of studying them later in their lab, during
1966. There might be others, but I might not know of them.
[Minor comments omitted]
Comments on this article
• Comments Open
Elke Edwards (2007-01-04)
View all comments | Add comment
• Acceptance…
 EJSSM International Standard Serial Number
(ISSN – 1559-5404)
 Listed as scientific resource with: Meteorological and
Geophysical Abstracts (MGA), Scientific Commons,
Notes In The Margin, Univ. of Melbourne (AU), Board
of Greek Librarians (GR), Biblioplanets (FR), Tutor
Gig Encyclopedia, Universitäts du Frankfurt &
Darmstadt (DE), Deutsche Nationalbibliotek (DE),
Institut de L’information Scientifique et Technique
(FR), Instituto Brasileiro de Informação (PO), Internet
Public Library (IPL #11999341…
• How to publish in EJSSM…
 Download author’s template
 Cut, paste, and edit your manuscript into
template including colour figures,
animations…etc…
 Upload completed submission
 Editors will contact you and assign reviewers
 On completion of open review process and
acceptance of manuscript work is published
immediately
• EJSSM – Current Challenges…
 Need to publish 5 articles per quarter to achieve
recognition from Thomson Citation Index…
 Need additional copy editor volunteers…
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