Objectives

The AP-JER is dedicated to promoting environmental research and science education that utilizes GLOBE Protocols or GLOBE data. It offers GLOBE students and teachers from the Asia-Pacific region an opportunity to have their original research papers, case studies, and articles in the relevant field of environmental science published in a peer-reviewed scholarly journal.

The AP-JER also serves as a conduit for increasing the GLOBE Community’s participation in its annual International Virtual Science Symposium (IVSS).

All papers submitted for publication undergo a double-blind review process to ensure quality and compliance with set standards and good practices in research.

The Editor reserves the right to reject papers that, in the view of the editorial board, are insufficient in quality or not relevant to the subject area.

Vision of AP-JER

The vision of the AP-JER is to advance the understanding and preservation of the environment by promoting rigorous, peer-reviewed research and fostering international collaboration. By providing a platform for GLOBE students and teachers from the Asia-Pacific region to publish their findings, the journal aims to empower the next generation of environmental scientists and educators. Through its commitment to high-quality research and global participation, the AP-JER seeks to drive sustainable practices and solutions that will benefit our planet for generations to come.

Editorial Board Structure

AP JER Organizational Structure

Advisory Board

Consists of representatives from: GLOBE Program Implementation Office (GIO), NASA Education Group/ K-12 Group, and Chairs of GLOBE Program Working Group. Gives policy direction and advisory to improve the process of peer review, manuscript submission, and publication system.

Supervising Editor-in-Chief

Represented by the Head of the GLOBE Program Asia-Pacific Coordination Office. Supervises and coordinates the entire review and publication processes, and serves as link between the “Editorial Team” and the International GLOBE Community

Editor-in-Chief

Shall be appointed by the Head of the GLOBE AP Regional Office on a rotational basis among GLOBE Asia-Pacific Country Coordinators. He/ She shall have a term of one-year and shall be in charge of the journal’s publication for the year that he/ she is appointed. The Editor-in-Chief shall be the primary decision-maker for all manuscripts submitted for publication.

The Editor-in-Chief shall have the following functions:

Oversees the overall review, evaluation and publication processes;
Approve/ Reject/ Revise submissions by Associate Editors, or return the same for further revision;
Create, appoint and designate the following functions to assist him/ her in the final stages of the publication and printing:
1. Deputy Editor-in-Chief;
2. Editors, Section Editors, and 2nd Level Reviewers;
3. Technical Review and Publication Board

The Editor-in-Chief shall have a free hand in organizing and structuring his/ her publication team.

Deputy Editor-in-Chief

The Deputy Editor-in-Chief shall be appointedby the Editor-in-Chief. He/ She shall performtasks assigned to him/ her by the Editor-in-Chief.

Associate Editors

Consists of GLOBE-AP Country Coordinators. Their primary task is to oversee the review and evaluation of manuscripts from their respective jurisdictions, and submit a “shortlist” of manuscripts to the Editor-in-Chief for consideration of publication

Editors / Section Editors

They are responsible for evaluating and reviewing all manuscripts assigned to them by the Editor-in-Chief, and giving feedbacks on them. The Editor-in-Chief may assign or divide editors into groups according to discipline, GLOBE protocols, Topics and similar others .

Technical Review and Publication Board

Provides technical support to the Editor-in-Chief particularly during the final stages of the review and publication. The board may consist of the following functions: Research Methodology Editors, Statistical Reviewers, Language Editors, Social Media Team, IT Team, Network and Website Editor, Copy Editor, and others.

Reviewers

Responsible for evaluating and appraising manuscripts submitted for review.

Basic Guidelines

01

Original Manuscripts

Manuscripts submitted for evaluation must be free from copy right restrictions. The owner(s)of the manuscript shall attest to the originality of the material(s) being submitted for evaluation as well as its copyright free status;

02

Copyright Waiver

If a manuscript has been selected for publication, the author(s) shall sign a copyright waiver form assigning all copyrights and interest thereto, subject to limitations of prevailing intellectual property rights, in favor of the publisher. Under this waiver, the author retains copyright in the work but grants AP-JER the sole and exclusive right and license to publish for the full legal term of copyright. Exceptions may exist where an assignment of copyright is required or preferred by a proprietor other than AP-JER.

03

Review and Revision

If upon review, the submitted material is found to be lacking in requirements or is deficient in terms of the standards or quality set by the reviewers and editors, the manuscript shall be returned to the owner for proper action or remedial. Failure by the Author/ Owner to complete or revise the materials in accordance with the instruction of the reviewer(s) within the specified time, shall cause the rejection of the materials for publication.

04

Quota Allocation

Due to logistical and resource constraints, each country in the GLOBE AP cluster are given two (2) slots per publication, which may be assigned by the “owner country” to another GLOBE AP country if such slots are not (or will not be) utilized. Quotas may be removed or expanded by the Editor-in-Chief depending on his/ her capacity to handle the volume of work.

05

IVSS Paper Submission

IVSS finalists and winners shall automatically be considered for publication.

06

Provisional Acceptance

Submitted manuscripts may be provisionally accepted pending minor revisions. The author(s) is/ are required to resubmit a revised copy, incorporating the recommendations of the review body, within months for final approval and acceptance by the Editorial Review Board

07

Responsibility of Author(s)

Author(s) shall strictly observe Good Practice in Academic Research, and shall be wholly responsible and accountable for the integrity and quality of the materials being submitted for review and evaluation. As such, they are expected to adhere to the highest levels of research/ academic ethics and abides by the requirements of professional and regulatory bodies

08

Intellectual Property

Intellectual propertylaws of the country where the Journalwill be published shall prevail. Pertinent applicable regulations on intellectual property shall be an integral part of the copyright waiver form that will be signed by author(s)prior to publication

09

Research Supervisor(s) as Co-Authors

Unless covered by a separate agreement, research supervisor(s) who guided the student’s research paper shall be acknowledged and cited as co-author(s) of the paper

Submission Format Copyright Release Form

Review and Publication Process

The review and evaluation process has two (2) stages:

Preliminary Review

This involves a cursory assessment of the Materials being submitted for evaluation in terms of its compliance with minimum standards and requirements set by the GLOBE Asia-Pacific Cluster. This is conducted by the Country Coordinator with the following end in mind :

To determine the Material’s relevance and suitability for inclusion in the collection of teaching and learning resources of the GLOBE Program;
To determine the appropriate classification of the Material(s) in terms of grade levels;
To identify any copyright, or plagiarism issues; and
To assess its conformance to submission guidelines e.g. format, font type, grammar, readability, and others.

Editorial Review

This involves a comprehensive review and assessment of the manuscript’s overall quality and merits by the Editorial Review Board. The Board may modify, amend, revise or even reverse the decision or recommendation in the Preliminary Review.