About the Journal

Focus and Scope
Authorship Criteria
Peer Review Process
Publication Frequency
Open Access Policy
Copyright to Your Publication
Self-Archiving Policy
Preservation Policy
Name Changes
Sponsors

Focus and Scope

EDIS publishes articles developed in support of the Extension mission of the University of Florida, “… dedicated to developing knowledge in agriculture, human and natural resources, and the life sciences and to making that knowledge accessible to sustain and enhance the quality of human life.”

EDIS disseminates articles that have been developed by University of Florida scholars to meet the needs of Florida audiences as identified through our Extension programs. They have undergone peer review and administrative approval as described below to ensure that information is not just correct but authoritative and relevant to current needs.

The primary audiences of EDIS include Extension practitioners; commercial producers; policy makers; and academics.

Many EDIS articles are suitable for general public audiences, but Extension audiences seeking advice or solutions should visit the AskIFAS website (https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu) which will offer only the currently supported EDIS articles presented in context with other valuable UF/IFAS resources.

Authorship criteria

EDIS articles must have at least one contributor who is affiliated with a UF/IFAS academic unit. This should be a specialist (department faculty), or a regional or state specialized agent (RSA or SSA).

Authors should refer to Developing Extension Publications for EDIS for an explanation of what constitutes an appropriate EDIS submission.

Peer Review Process

On average the time from submission to publication is around three to five months.

When EDIS receives a submission, it is directed to an editor for the publishing unit, who conducts desk review of the submission before sending it out for IFAS peer review.

If the editor also happens to be an author on the submission, their editor role is removed and the submission is assigned to an alternate editor.

Type of peer review:

Identity transparency: Single anonymized
Reviewer interacts with: Editor
Review information is published: None

Peer Review Steps

At least two qualified reviewers as assigned, one may be internal to the publishing unit of the contact author and one must be external. An author may recommend reviewers.
People who are contacted have 1 week to accept the request for review. If after 1 week we haven’t heard from them, we send a reminder. The time that reviewers take to react to requests can substantially increase the duration of the reviewing process.
Upon accepting the request, reviewers access the manuscript including the authors names. Reviewers are requested to review EDIS articles in 2 weeks. They are gently reminded of their due dates for reviews. A submission can take several weeks to get reviewed.
Reviewers’ names are not disclosed to the authors. Once all reviews have been received editors usually take less than 2 weeks to go through the reviews and make a decision to request revisions, send for administrative approval, or decline the submission.
When reviews do not agree or if an author sufficiently defends their manuscript from changes requested by reviews, the editors may either invite a third reviewer or make an editorial decision on their own.

Administrative Approval

Following peer review and revision, as needed, the submission must be administratively approved by UF/IFAS unit heads or their representatives: center director (if applicable), department chair, and Extension program leader(s). Administrative approval is often completed within 2 weeks unless revisions or additional peer review are required. A current list of editors and administrative approvers can be found listed in the EDIS journal masthead at https://journals.flvc.org/edis/about/editorialTeam.

After administrative approval the editor returns a decision. Accepted submissions go to an IFAS Communications editor to manage copyediting and production. The time it takes to publish an article after it is accepted depends on the complexity of the document, the responsiveness of the contact author, and the number of submissions in the queue.

Exceptions

EDIS articles that have been through blind peer review (starting gradually by department from 2016) will have the "IFAS Peer Review" endorsement on the PDF. In addition to documents brought in directly to the journal archives to the Historical section, this includes:

Derivative Works

Source article must be a current peer-reviewed EDIS publication.

Translations: language review by at least one native speaker with subject expertise and administrative approval.
Program Materials: Undergo administrative approval

Alternate Review/Approval

Nutrient Management Recommendations: Approved by the UF/IFAS Plant Nutrient Oversight Committee (PNOC)
Management Guides Chapters

Significant Minor Updates

A new version of an EDIS article is created when it is necessary to make changes to keep the article current which are significant enough to be considered an update but not significant enough to require peer review. Versions all share the same record ID and digital object identifier (DOI), but have different issues and release dates.

If the extent of the update requires peer review (i.e., it’s a major revision), a new submission must be made.

Publication Frequency

EDIS publishes articles on a rolling basis into six bi-monthly issues. In addition, special issues of the Florida Citrus Production Guide and the Vegetable Production Handbook are published annually.

Open Access Policy

EDIS provides immediate open access to our content.

The articles are freely and openly available in EDIS on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge.

There are no publication charges, and all content is freely available without charge to the user or their institution.

Users are allowed to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of the articles in this journal without asking prior permission from the publisher for non-commercial purposes.

Nonetheless, reproduction, posting, transmission or other distribution or use of the article or any material therein requires credit to the original publication source with a link to both the article and the license.

This open access policy is in accordance with the Budapest Open Access Initiative's (BOAI) definition of open access.

Copyright to Your Publication

Unless otherwise noted in an author agreement prior to publication, the articles published in this journal are copyrighted by the University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) for the people of the State of Florida. UF/IFAS retains all rights under all conventions, but permits free reproduction by all agents and offices of the Cooperative Extension Service and the people of the State of Florida. Permission is granted to others to use these materials in part or in full for educational purposes, provided that full credit is given to the UF/IFAS, citing the publication, its source, and date of publication.

As an open access journal, EDIS disseminates all content under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) license.

EDIS adopted a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 license beginning with Volume 2024, Issue 1.

EDIS articles are considered University Supported Works under UF Policy 1.018(3). Because the University holds the copyright, the same restrictions apply to authors as to the general public. Authors who need permissions not granted by the copyright terms above or the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 license can contact Diana Hagan dihagan@ufl.edu.

Self-Archiving Policy

Authors are permitted to post manuscripts submitted to EDIS on personal websites or institutional repositories both prior to and after publication, while providing bibliographic details that credit, if applicable, its publication in EDIS.

However, UF/IFAS authors should also be mindful of the guidance outlined in Best Management Practices for EDIS Publications to ensure that resources UF/IFAS recommends are always the most up-to-date and that the most relevant resources can continue to be recommended.

Preservation Policy

Content published in EDIS will be preserved by the George A. Smathers Libraries at the University of Florida. The Libraries are committed to long-term digital preservation of all materials in UF-supported collaborative projects. Redundant digital archives, adherence to proven standards, and rigorous quality control methods protect digital objects. The UF Digital Collections provide a comprehensive approach to digital preservation, including technical supports, reference services for both online and offline archived files, and support services by providing training and consultation for digitization standards for long-term digital preservation.

Content will be preserved indefinitely, unless a specific request for removal of a specific item is directed to the journal managers. If you believe that your copyrighted material has been deposited into this journal without consent, please contact the EDIS editorial team at edislib@ifas.ufl.edu.

Content is also preserved in the PKP Preservation Network (PKP PN) and CLOCKSS.

Correction, Retraction, and Removal of Articles

Note: These practices refer only to the versions of the articles published in the EDIS journal. The versions of the articles disseminated through the AskIFAS website at https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu may be corrected and undergo minor updates such as repairing broken links and contact information. They may also "sunset" if they are not currently supported.

Correction. Despite the best of efforts, errors occur and their timely and effective remedy are considered the mark of responsible authors and editors. EDIS will publish a correction if the scholarly record is seriously affected (e.g., if accuracy/intended meaning, scientific reproducibility, author reputation, or journal reputation is judged to be compromised). Corrections that do not affect the contribution in a material way or significantly alter the reader's understanding of the contribution, such as misspellings or grammatical errors, will not be published. When a correction is published, it will link to and from the work. The correction will be added to the original work so that readers will receive the original work and the correction. All corrections will be as concise as possible.

Retraction. EDIS reserves the right to retract items, with a retraction defined as a public disavowal, not an erasure or removal. Retractions will occur if the editors and editorial board finds that the main conclusion of the work is undermined or if subsequent information about the work comes to light of which the authors or the editors were not aware at the time of publication. Infringements of professional ethical codes such as multiple submissions, inaccurate claims of authorship, plagiarism, and fraudulent use of data will also result in retraction of the work.

Removal. Some circumstances may necessitate removal of a work from EDIS. This will occur when the article is judged by the editors and editorial board to be defamatory, if it infringes on legal rights, or if there is a reasonable expectation that it will be subject to a court order. The bibliographic information about the work will be retained online, but the work will no longer be available through EDIS. A note will be added to indicate that the item was removed for legal reasons.

Name Changes

People have the right to decide what names are public and what names should no longer be associated with EDIS publications. Any person who is named in an EDIS publication may request that their name be changed retroactively everywhere it appears in the EDIS journal and Ask IFAS website.

This policy pertains to authors, co-authors and other persons who are named or credited in EDIS publications. Name changes are available upon request, with no legal documentation required. Upon receiving a name change request, EDIS staff will update all metadata, published content, and associated records under our control to reflect the requested name change. EDIS will not issue a notice of correction for the name change or notify co-authors or editors.

While EDIS staff cannot control the use or appearance of an author’s name for external systems and publications administered by other editorial boards, and changes made to prior publications may not propagate to downstream environments, EDIS staff are committed to collaborating with other groups to support systemic changes to ensure name changes are fully supported.

Anyone who wishes to update or change their name should contact Diana Hagan, EDIS Information Management Specialist, at dihagan@ufl.edu.

This policy is in alignment with the statement of principles outlined by the Committee of Publication Ethics (COPE) and adopted in 2021 by major scientific publishers and societies worldwide.