The Journal of the American Society of Brewing Chemists considers for publication papers and posters presented at the ASBC Annual Meeting, as well as unsolicited manuscripts from the brewing and malting industry and related laboratories around the world. All submissions for publication must be in English. Author membership in the Society is encouraged but not mandatory.Material may be presented as a formally organized research article, review (usually by an expert), research note, or communication to the editor. A note is a brief report of new knowledge and is limited in scope. A communication to the editor is a brief preliminary report of new, unexpected findings that the author plans to publish later in complete detail; the author assumes full responsibility for content of the communication. Speedy publication is assured; communications to the editor are not subject to peer review but are handled by the Editor-in-Chief. Modification may be requested. Notes and communications to the editor must conform to the criteria described in the “Instructions to Authors.” Neither requires the formal organization of a research article, but a note is a complete disclosure and, thus, must be presented in a form that facilitates abstracting and indexing. Notes are subject to peer review.
Each research manuscript, note, and review article is submitted to two reviewers for assessment. Other authorities are consulted as necessary to confirm the scientific merit of any part or all of the manuscript, with due consideration for prepublication confidentiality. Papers not accepted are released to the author(s).
Subject matter is not a criterion for judging the merit of an article for publication in the Journal of the ASBC, but the author must establish relevancy. The article should present significant new information. The author should display an awareness of and relate findings to previously published information on the same subject.
Each reviewer makes a specific recommendation for the manuscript based on the aspects listed here that apply and following procedures outlined in the guide that is provided to reviewers with the manuscript.
- Importance of the scientific question or subject
- Originality of the work
- Appropriateness of the work
- Adequacy of the experimental techniques
- Soundness of the conclusions and interpretation
- Relevance of the discussion
- Organization of the article (and the abstract)
Each reviewer is asked to examine the manuscript within 3 weeks of receipt and to prepare an unsigned report not identifiable by institution. After review, manuscripts are edited for grammar and format. Changes may be made to achieve uniformity in style, clarity of presentation, and preciseness and conciseness of statements.
Acceptance for publication in the Journal of the ASBC is based on the assumption that the paper has not been and will not be published elsewhere. The author may withdraw the paper before acceptance for publication by applying to the Editor-in-Chief, who also may release the paper for failure to meet Society standards or for publication in a more suitable periodical.
The Society is not in a position to rewrite manuscripts or redraw illustrations, regardless of scientific merit. The reviewers may request that the author make minor revisions; manuscripts requiring extensive revision are usually returned to the author for rewriting, or they are rejected.
In accordance with the provisions of the U.S. copyright law, the Society obtains the copyright from the author before publication. Transfer forms are sent to the author for signature before the manuscript is set.
Complete reference information must be given when previously published material is quoted or reproduced. The author is responsible for obtaining permission to reproduce illustrations; such reproduction is discouraged, however, and should be considered only when original illustrations are not readily available. This will normally be a problem only with review articles.
