History and Role of the Journal Wetlands in Developing the Field of Wetland Science

Abstract

Development of wetland science as a distinct field required consolidation of wetland-related publications in a recognized wetland journal. Growth of the Society of Wetland Scientists was thus tied to developing its own publication outlet. Wetlands debuted as the proceedings of the SWS meeting held in 1981, became a peer-reviewed proceedings in 1982, and was opened to outside submissions in 1983. Major changes in the journal through the years included gaining coverage in important abstracting services, switching to a larger page format, creating keyword and author indices, developing an electronic distribution option, converting to an online submission process, increasing exposure, and growing larger. Manuscript submissions increased, more papers were published, and more pages were produced. The journal moved to two issues in 1988, three issues in 1989, four issues in 1993, and six issues in 2010. Growth of the journal transformed it into the top journal in wetland science, with submissions coming from around the globe. The journal is multi-disciplinary in scope, exposing readers to a variety of ideas, methods, and applications. Consolidating efforts from many fields of expertise with a focus on wetlands helped to develop a broad, ecosystem-based science that is now globally recognized.