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About The Ohio Cardinal
The Ohio Cardinal is the journal of record for observers of Ohio's bird life. For over twenty-five years this quarterly has presented extensive organized reports of bird observations season by season. These records now number over fifty thousand and form a substantial source of data for the study of the abundance and distribution of our avifauna.
Contributors are the life-blood of the Cardinal, and we eagerly solicit their bird sightings and related records, photographs, artwork, notes, and articles for possible inclusion in the journal. Queries are always welcomed by the editor.
Subscribing
A subscription to the Cardinal is included among the benefits of membership in the Ohio Ornithological Society.
Indexes to The Ohio Cardinal
An index of articles that have appeared in the Cardinal may be viewed here.
Contributing to the Cardinal
The Ohio Cardinal would not exist without contributions from readers. In each issue appear compilations based on bird reports of the season from over two hundred Ohio observers. Every photograph and every drawing has been shared by a reader. Readers write the articles and the short notes, and send in corrections and comments. Every issue is in many ways a cooperative enterprise. Here are hints about how best to send contributions.
Guidelines for bird reports
Every such report has five basic elements: name(s) of observer(s), date of observation, location, species observed, and number of individuals involved. In addition, it may be helpful to send relevant details: plumages, age/sex of birds, unusual behaviors or conditions or habitats, etc. The Cardinal will very seldom publish reports of Review Species (Ohio rarities) without supporting documentation, preferably sent to the Ohio Bird Records Committee, and the names of reporters of rarities will appear only after the relevant documentation is accepted in a peer-review process. This is to help ensure that the published record avoids important errors, and to avoid ever embarrassing contributors. For more information on the Records Committee and the review process, follow the links on the left side of the screen.
The Seasonal Editors regularly review various internet message boards as well as other publications for sightings reports, and in some cases may get in touch with the reporter for details or clarification. Many reporters prefer to submit comprehensive seasonal reports on a quarterly basis directly to the Editor (who will forward them to the relevant Seasonal Editor); in this case we especially welcome reports composed in standard taxonomic order. An electronic version of a form, in Microsoft Excel format, generously contributed by Dwight Chasar, for those who prefer to use one can be downloaded here. If you have trouble with this link, try right-clicking on it, and then selecting 'Save Target As'. You may print this off, fill it out, and mail it, or fill it out electronically and e-mail it to the Editor. As always, every record accepted will be attributed in print to the reporter.
Deadlines for seasonal reports each year are as follows:
- Winter (Dec, Jan, Feb) - 25 March
- Spring (Mar, Apr, May) - 25 June
- Summer (Jun, Jul) - 25 August
- Fall (Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov) - 25 December
Guidelines for photos and artwork
All images are reproduced in black and white in the Cardinal. Photographs, prints, slides, or electronic files are acceptable. Inform the Editor of any electronic manipulation that has affected the appearance of the image. Pencil or pen and ink drawings are quite appropriate; for these, originals or high-resolution scans are equally welcome. Ask the Editor first about non-standard submissions. All original materials will be returned if requested; please remember to send your postal mailing address.
Guidelines for authors
Authors of short notes-relatively brief accounts of an interesting observation or series of observations, a new local record, etc.-should send them directly to the Editor.
Longer manuscripts, generally 2,000 to 4,000 words, are encouraged. These manuscripts may be sent out for peer-review in order to assess the content. Much longer articles (up to 10,000) words may also be considered; authors should query the Editor ahead of time to ensure that the topic is a needed one and to learn about options, requirements, etc. specific to their work. We prefer submissions as Microsoft Word attachments, but also gladly accept manuscripts, typed or hand-written, from those without such capabilities.
We are always interested in queries for articles involving the following sorts of topics: book and media reviews, field identification, bird-finding, changes in status of certain species, historical research, bird surveys, conservation issues, and unusual phenomena affecting birds. An Ohio focus or angle is recommended but not always required. The Editor will gladly entertain queries about unusual topics or novel approaches to the subject of the wild birds of Ohio.
Please send all inquiries, contributions, etc., to the Editor:
Jill M. Russell, Ph. D.
Assistant Professor of Biology
College of Mt. St. Joseph
5701 Delhi Road
Cincinnati, OH 45233
e-mail: jill_russell@mail.msj.edu
phone: 513-244-4783
Style and Conventions
Please refer to the sample issue above for examples of style used in The Ohio Cardinal. One deviation from this format is that we now capitalize all common bird names, following the guidelines of the American Ornithologists' Union Checklist Committee. Four-letter banding codes and other abbreviations should not be used. In order to conserve space in repetitive material, the Reports use many abbreviations not resorted to elsewhere: the less intuitive of these are explained in each issue at the foot of the Overview section.
