Types of Articles Published in Groundwater

The following types of papers must have an abstract (maximum 250 words) and will receive both editorial and technical peer review by two to four reviewers, including an associate editor. There is no charge for the first six published pages of these papers. Each additional page exceeding the stated limit will be billed to the author at a rate of US $250 per page. Lead or corresponding authors who are members of the National Ground Water Association get one additional free page and will not be charged for the first seven pages of a paper.

* The use of subheadings, equations, figures/captions, and tables will reduce this word count proportionately.

A Research Paper presents new methods or ideas relevant to any aspect of groundwater science or engineering. Reviewers are asked to address the following questions:

1. What is or are the contributions of this work, if any?
2. Is the work new or has it been published elsewhere?
3. Are the major contributions clearly highlighted in the paper?
4. Is the paper well organized with the ideas, methods, and results clearly explained?
5. Is the paper written in understandable English?
6. Do you recommend publication in Groundwater®, possibly after revisions?

There is no charge for the first six published pages. Each additional page exceeding the stated limit will be billed to the author at a rate of US $250 per page. Lead or corresponding authors who are members of the National Ground Water Association get one additional free page and will not be charged for the first seven pages of a paper. A page charge of $250 per page for pages after six (6) pages is in effect.

Authors are encouraged to be concise when constructing their papers, avoiding page-size figures and tables. Submit your manuscript via our online system at https://wiley.atyponrex.com/journal/GWAT unless indicated otherwise.

A Methods Brief is a short technical description of new advances in field, laboratory, or computational (both analytical and numerical) methods. It usually occupies no more than six (6) published pages (approximately 850 words per page*), but longer papers will be considered. Methods briefs receive the same level of technical peer review as research papers. There is no charge for the first six published pages. Each additional page exceeding the stated limit will be billed to the author at a rate of US $250 per page. Lead or corresponding authors who are members of the National Ground Water Association get one additional free page and will not be charged for the first seven pages of a paper. A page charge of $250 per page for pages after six (6) pages is in effect.

* The use of subheadings, equations, figures/captions, and tables will reduce this word count proportionately.

An Issue Paper examines a topic of interest to the general readership. Unlike a research paper, however, an issue paper may be more opinion based or focus more on policy issues. If appropriate, authors may recommend ideas or courses of action for the future. Issue papers are subject to editorial and technical peer review. There is no charge for the first six published pages. Each additional page exceeding the stated limit will be billed to the author at a rate of US $250 per page. Lead or corresponding authors who are members of the National Ground Water Association get one additional free page and will not be charged for the first seven pages of a paper. A page charge of $250 per page for pages after six (6) pages is in effect. Authors should contact the editor-in-chief (Ken.Bradbury@wisc.edu​) prior to submission.

A Review Paper consists of a literature review of any topic in groundwater science or engineering together with an objective synthesis that brings out previously unknown or unrecognized concepts and principles. Review papers follow the same format as research papers and are subject to both editorial and technical peer review. There is no charge for the first six published pages. Each additional page exceeding the stated limit will be billed to the author at a rate of US $250 per page. Lead or corresponding authors who are members of the National Ground Water Association get one additional free page and will not be charged for the first seven pages of a paper. A page charge of $250 per page for pages after six (6) pages is in effect. Authors should contact the editor-in-chief (Ken.Bradbury@wisc.edu) prior to submission.

* The use of subheadings, equations, figures/captions, and tables will reduce this word count proportionately.

A Case Study paper documents the application of state-of-the-art methods and provides new insights into the hydrogeology of a region of international significance or interest. Examples of important hydrogeological regions include, but are not limited to, the North China Plain in China, the Paris Basin in France, the Great Artesian Basin of Australia, and the Florida Everglades in the United States. Papers submitted as case studies should emphasize aspects that make the paper of interest to a broad audience. To be suitable for publication, case studies must, of course, be technically sound. There is no charge for the first six published pages. Each additional page exceeding the stated limit will be billed to the author at a rate of US $250 per page. Lead or corresponding authors who are members of the National Ground Water Association get one additional free page and will not be charged for the first seven pages of a paper. A page charge of $250 per page for pages after six (6) pages is in effect. However, prospective authors should note that acceptance also depends on subjective evaluation of the breadth of interest in, and significance of, the material presented. 

The following types of articles do not use an abstract and will only receive editorial review (except for a Technical Commentary). It is therefore strongly advised that authors seek reviews from colleagues and carefully check manuscripts for technical integrity before submission. They are to be submitted to our online system at https://wiley.atyponrex.com/journal/GWAT, but only after review and approval of the relevant editor as indicated below.

A Guest Editorial expresses an opinion about a topic of interest to the readership at large; it should be thought-provoking and informative. Although based on opinion, the editorial should not be used to advocate one’s own research ideas or products. Editorials are limited to one (1) published page (approximately 675 words, including headers and footnotes). A guest editorial should first be submitted to the editor-in-chief (Ken.Bradbury@wisc.edu) for review and approval.

A Technical Commentary clarifies common misconceptions and/or addresses confusion over, or a misuse of, techniques, equipment, methods, and models. Submissions are typically limited to 1700 words*, but longer contributions will be considered. It is published at the front of the journal near the editorial page. Technical commentaries are subject to technical review, but will be handled rapidly with a goal of publication in the next issue. Authors should contact the editor-in-chief (Ken.Bradbury@wisc.edu) prior to submission.

* The use of subheadings, equations, figures/captions, and tables will contribute to this word count.

Historical Perspectives can address any topic that relates hydrogeology to the human experience. For example, historical perspectives may cover the history of techniques/technologies, the evolution of ideas and theories, and the history of folklore, as well as biographies and the history of institutions. A historical perspective article should first be submitted to the history editor (cneville@sspa.com​) for review and approval.

A Letter to the Editor consists of a comment on a paper published in Groundwater within the previous three years. If published it will be accompanied by a reply by the authors. The reply should respond to the comment point-by-point. Only one round of comment and reply is permitted. Brevity is imperative and, except in special circumstances, a length limit of about 1700 words including headers and footnotes with one figure or table is imposed. A comment receives editorial review and the author(s) may be required to make revisions. If accepted, it is then forwarded to the author(s) of the original work for their reply, which is also subject to editorial review and, if necessary, revision before publication. Comments and replies generally do not receive technical review and it is therefore strongly advised that authors seek reviews from colleagues and carefully check manuscripts for technical integrity before submission. Antagonistic or derogatory remarks must always be avoided. A letter to the editor (comment) should first be submitted to the discussion editor (kraemer.stephen@epa.gov) for review and approval.

A Book Review must concern a new book (i.e., one published within the previous two years) or a significant revision of an important widely read book of interest to the groundwater community. A book review is typically no longer than one (1) published page (approximately 675 words, including headers and footnotes). A book review should first be submitted to the book editor (alan.fryar@uky.edu) for review and approval.

The review of new software and hardware technologies of interest to the groundwater community may be submitted for publication in the Technology Spotlight column. An executive summary of a nonproprietary technical report may also be submitted for the column, provided that the scientific or engineering report can be provided as online supplemental information. A technology spotlight article will receive editorial review, but no technical peer review. Articles should be no longer than three published pages (~2300 words), should not contain an abstract, and may include one or two figures and no more than five literature citations. A technology spotlight article should first be submitted to the technology editor (cslowry@buffalo.edu​) for review and approval.