For authors
Instructions for Authors
What to check before submitting, what a manuscript must carry with it, and what happens after it arrives.
This page is the practical companion to Aims and Scope and Editorial Policies. It consolidates what an author has to do rather than restating the policies in full.
Manuscript preparation requirements that depend on the form of the article — length, abstract structure, figure and reference limits — are confirmed by the editorial office for the article you intend to submit. Write before you prepare the final version and they will be sent.
The journal
- Published by
- Open Access Pub
- ISSN
- 3070-3379
- Short code
- JWC
- Access
- Open access, CC BY 4.0
Before you write
Checking fit
A manuscript that answers one of the journal’s four questions with proportionate evidence is in scope.
The four questions are set out on Aims and Scope: how the atmosphere behaves, how that behavior is established, how well it can be predicted, and what follows from it. Work that joins two of them is read with particular interest.
If you are unsure whether a manuscript fits, send the title and abstract to the editorial office before preparing a full submission.
Article types
Accepted article types
The journal considers seven article types for submission.
Research Article
Original observational, experimental, modeling or impact research.
Review Article
Authoritative synthesis of an established weather or atmospheric-science topic.
Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Reproducible evidence synthesis using a documented search and analysis method.
Methods Article
Validated instruments, forecasting methods, models, algorithms or analytical workflows.
Data/Resource Article
Well-documented datasets, observing networks, reanalyses, software or community resources.
Short Communication
Concise, complete findings of immediate scientific relevance.
Case Study
Rigorous analysis of a specific weather event, forecasting episode or location, with conclusions limited to the supporting evidence.
Editorials, Perspectives and Commentaries are invitation-only.
The manuscript
What every submission carries
These apply to all submissions, whatever form the article takes.
Title, abstract and keywords
A title that states the subject and the scale of the work; an abstract that reports what was done and what was found; keywords that place the article in the literature.
Methods in reproducible detail
Instruments, datasets and model configurations are identified by name, version, resolution and period, with enough detail for another group to repeat the analysis.
Uncertainty
Quantitative results are reported with their uncertainty, and the period or sample a statistic is computed over is stated.
Data availability
Every empirical research manuscript must include a data-availability statement. Where data, model output or analysis code are deposited, give the repository and the identifier; where access is restricted, describe the route by which it can be obtained.
Competing interests and funding
Declare financial and non-financial competing interests and every source of funding. Both are published with the article.
Authorship
Every listed author must have contributed to the work and approved the submitted version. Identify the corresponding author and supply an ORCID iD for each author where available.
Permissions
Figures, tables, imagery or data reproduced from another source require written permission and a full citation in the caption.
If you request double-blind review
For double-blind review, remove author names, affiliations, acknowledgments, funding details, institution names, and other identifying information from the reviewer manuscript. Provide identifying information separately in the title-page file or submission form.
After submission
What happens next
Four stages, each with a different question in front of it.
01
Screening
All submissions undergo initial editorial screening. Manuscripts that meet the journal's scope and minimum requirements proceed to independent peer review.
02
Peer review
Single-blind by default; double-blind review is available on request. Manuscripts that proceed to external peer review are normally evaluated by at least two independent subject-matter experts.
03
Decision
Editorial decisions are based on scope, scientific quality, methodological rigor, ethical compliance, reporting quality, and relevance to the journal.
04
Acceptance and publication
On acceptance the article processing charge of USD 1,800 becomes payable; there is no submission fee. The article is then copyedited, typeset, assigned a DOI and published open access under CC BY 4.0, with copyright retained by the authors.
Submitting
Where to send the manuscript
Use one of the routes listed here. Charges and withdrawal terms are on the Article Processing Charges page, and the full framework on Editorial Policies.
The editorial office answers questions about preparation, fit and documentation at [email protected].
Submission routes
Primary route
Alternative route
Assisted route
Authors must use only one submission route for the same manuscript.