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About the magazine

Geoscientist is the Fellowship magazine of the Geological Society of London (registered charity no. 210161). It features a vibrant mix of science, opinion, news and more, and serves as a resource to the community, with articles that aim to stimulate thinking within and across fields of expertise.

Mounting pressures on the natural environment mean that geoscience has never been more relevant, diverse or interdisciplinary.  Scientists across the geoscience fields are working together with social scientists, engineers, economists and policy-makers to tackle issues of climate change, escalating demand for natural resources, and the need to sustain an ever-growing population on an increasingly polluted planet.  The fabric of the geoscience community is changing, and Geoscientist aims to reflect and foster that change. The voices in our pages should mirror the diverse nature of the problems we tackle—we encourage readers from all backgrounds to get in touch.

Contact us

Email: geoscientist@geolsoc.org.uk
Twitter:@geoscientistmag
Address: The Geological Society, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1J 0BG

Editorial team

Dr Amy Whitchurch
Executive Editor

Amy joined the Geoscientist team in 2018, after almost a decade working as an editor at Nature Geoscience. She followed a convoluted path through geoscience, initially studying environmental science, and Earth and atmospheric physics, before segueing into geology. A fan of DIY and the great outdoors, Amy is generally either found with paintbrush in hand, or wandering the South Downs with beloved dog, Humphrey, in tow.

Dr Marissa Lo
Assistant Editor

Marissa recently completed her PhD thesis on lunar volcanology at the University of Manchester. Her background is in geology and volcanology, with her research focusing on computer modelling and analogue experiments. Marissa is passionate about science communication and outreach, and likes to relax by reading a good book, baking for friends and family, or getting outside.

Prof. Andy Fleet
Editor-in-Chief

Andy is a former Publications Secretary and Treasurer of the Society. After working for the Open University on its first Oceanography course, he moved to industry as a petroleum geochemist and then worked at the Natural History Museum for most of the time as Keeper of Mineralogy. He has interests in archaeology, wine and cooking, and is currently Chairman of the trustees of the Dorset Museum.

Mr David Shilston
Deputy Editor-in-Chief

David is a past President of the Geological Society. An engineering geologist by training, he is a technical director at Atkins where his particular interests are in the management of geohazards for civil engineering and environmental projects. David’s other interests include history and archaeology, and he is a Trustee of Arundel Museum, West Sussex.

Editorial advisory panel

Mrs Natalyn Ala
Mr Andrew Bloodworth
Mr Steve Branch
Prof Marie Edmonds
Dr Alan Roberts
Dr Colin Summerhayes
Prof Frances Wall
Dr Jan Zalasiewicz
Members of the Editorial Advisory Panel offer their time on a voluntary basis. They are professional geoscientists who are available for consultation regarding the scientific content of feature articles.

Geoscientist Contributors Team

Ms Sade Agard
Dr Philip Ball
Ms Hannah Bird
Ms Lucy Blennerhassett
Prof Gerald (Jerry) Dickens
Mr Stephen McHugh
Ms Amelia Jane Piper
Dr R Arun Prasath
Dr Colin Serridge
Mr Kyle Watts
Members of the Contributors Team offer their time on a voluntary basis. They are professional geoscientists and early career researchers who write for the magazine on a regular basis.

Guide for authors

Content types

News – Updates from the Geological Society and the geoscience community (typically ~150-300 words).
Viewpoint– A discussion forum for the geoscience community, comprised of Columns and Letters. Columns are thought-provoking opinion pieces (~450 words and up to 5 references). Letters are short notes to the editors (~150-300 words).
Features – Illustrated articles that provide in-depth coverage of a topical geoscientific subject (<2,000 words, 4-6 illustrations, <10 references). Scientific features are informally reviewed by the Editorial Advisory Panel (this does not constitute formal peer review).
Unearthed – Articles that provide brief, creative and thought-provoking discussion of a topical geoscience-related issue, including reports on recent meetings or workshops, as well as career or education-related commentary, and interviews (<1,000 words, up to 3 illustrations, <10 references).

In Brief – Recent discoveries highlighted by our Contributors Team.

Books & Arts – Reviews of recent books and cultural events (~400 words).
Obituaries – Tributes to Fellows recently deceased (~500 words).
Five minutes with – Interviews with interesting geoscientists (commissioned by the editors).

Submissions

Geoscientist relies on voluntary contributions from the community.

Geoscientist is a popular science magazine, not a scientific journal, and content should be written in an engaging and accessible way. We encourage submission of striking and simple illustrations. Please use SI units throughout.

With all submissions, please include your name and affiliation, and declare any conflicts of interest. You are welcome to include contact information, such as an email address or Twitter handle.

It is the author’s responsibility to obtain the relevant copyright permissions for any third-party material used in their piece. Please read the section below on copyright, permissions and ethics prior to submission.

Due to limits on space and editorial capacity, we cannot guarantee publication, either in print or online. We recommend pitching your idea to the editors before embarking on writing (please send pitches to geoscientist@geolsoc.org.uk).

All content accepted for publication will be edited prior to publication.

 

Viewpoint: Additional information

Please note:
•    Geoscientist magazine is editorially independent of the Geological Society of London.
•    Publication of a Viewpoint does not imply endorsement from either Geoscientist magazine or the Geological Society of London.
•    Space is limited, Viewpoints will be edited for publication online and in print.
•    All views expressed are the responsibility of their authors alone.
•    We ask that when engaging in debate, all Fellows abide by the Geological Society’s code-of-conduct (https://www.geolsoc.org.uk/codeofconduct).
•    We receive a large volume of opinion pieces and do not have the capacity to publish multiple opinion pieces repeating the same argument. We will therefore only publish Viewpoints that provide novel, timely and interesting contributions to a debate.
•    The Editors reserve the right not to publish Viewpoints, at their discretion.

Please also note that in December 2020, the Geological Society of London published a revised version of its statement on the geological record of climate change. Based on a review undertaken in partnership with the Paleoclimate Society and convened by a panel of experts, the resulting research paper is published in the Journal of the Geological Society.

Lear et al. (2020) Geological Society of London Scientific Statement: what the geological record tells us about our present and future climate. Journal of the Geological Society 178(1): jgs2020-239; https://doi.org/10.1144/jgs2020-239.

For those wishing to submit a letter on this topic, please first refer to this publication and note the guidance outlined above.

Copy deadlines

Issue Deadline (excluding News) News deadline
Spring (1st March) 2023 Mon 14 Nov 2023 Fri 13 Jan 2023
Summer (24th May) 2023 Wed 1 Mar 2023 Mon 27 Mar 2023
Autumn (1st September) 2023 Mon 12 Jun 2023 Mon 3 Jul 2023
Winter (1st December) 2023 Mon 11 Sept 2023 Mon 2 Oct 2023

(These deadlines do not apply to Book Reviews or Obituaries)

Please email all content and pitches to geoscientist@geolsoc.org.uk

Advertising information and rates

To advertise in Geoscientist magazine please contact, Elly Kiss: elly.kiss@jamespembrokemedia.co.uk

Download the media pack and rates card for Geoscientist magazine here

For conference advertising (and general promotion), please contact the Events Team: conference@geolsoc.org.uk
For book and journal advertising, please contact the Publishing House: sales@geolsoc.org.uk
For Corporate Patrons advertising, please contact the Head of Development: Jenny.Boland@geolsoc.org.uk