This report has three parts: I) key changes to the ARPAS journal from The Professional Animal Scientist (PAS) to Applied Animal Science (AAS) in 2018 to 2019; II) description of the 2018 to 2019 transition from PAS to AAS; and III) work in 2019 and forward.

The journal can be found at the ARPAS member/JBS site and the library/Science Direct site.

1. Key changes to the ARPAS journal in 2018 and 2019
   1. Associate Editors (AEs)—changes in 2018: Dr. Eric van Heugten (North Carolina State University; swine/nonruminants; began in March 2018), Dr. Wayne Kellogg (University Arkansas retired; dairy cattle; stepped down in July 2018), Dr. Andy Cole (USDA/ARS retired; beef cattle; stepped down in July 2018), Dr. Glenn Duff (New Mexico State University; beef cattle; began in July 2018), and Dr. Stacey Gunter (USDA/ARS; beef cattle/ruminants; continues)
   2. Calls for manuscript submissions were distributed by accessible email addresses/networks to a fairly wide network of animal scientists in the USA (non-Elsevier calls) in addition to Elsevier calls.
   3. Actions taken in the processes of submission, review, revision, and production that affect authors, reviewers, editors, and FASS staff were instituted to change expectations and culture related to the journal as follows:
      1. New, accelerated submission-to-decision timeline instituted for reviewers, editors, and authors in 2018–2019.
      2. Developed written SOP for science editors (EIC and AEs) and FASS editorial staff detailing flow of manuscripts with actions and timelines for the entire process from submission to decision to publication in 2018.
      3. Developed and instituted an SOP and timeline for AEs’ work with reviewers in 2018.
      4. Timeline of review and automated email reminders to reviewers accelerated slightly in ScholarOne (S1M)/Manuscript Central in 2018–2019.
      5. Automated letters (invitation, review, decision) from EIC to authors, reviewers, and AEs in the S1M system were reviewed and edited; some new notification letters were introduced in 2018.
      6. Developed and implemented new online peer-review forms in S1M for scientific reviewers and AEs to evaluate and make recommendations for each manuscript reviewed in 2018–2019.
   4. There was a change in June 2018 of the Elsevier publisher person/contact from Emma Bruun (London, England) to Rebekah (Becky) Collins (Manhattan, NY, USA); I met with Becky at the ARPAS meeting in Knoxville at the end of June.
   5. Two membership (ranking) polls were conducted about renaming the ARPAS journal in 2018.
   6. Two questionnaires were administered seeking input about journal access and usage habits of readers and authors as part of the above-mentioned membership polls in 2018.
   7. According to the questionnaire (25% of ARPAS membership responding; 75% not responding), the two most common and frequent ways (93%) members access the ARPAS journal are when the Elsevier email alert announces a new issue is online and through the APRAS home page under the “Publications” tab. Fewer (21%) access through their common search engine, and fewer yet (12%) access through their institution’s or company’s online library access (e.g., via ScienceDirect).
   8. A common member complaint is not being notified of a new issue by email alert or not being able access the journal online at the Elsevier site. In reality, this is due to lack of understanding and action by members (member’s responsibility) to achieve secure Internet access. Any member can and should opt in to receive the table of contents (TOC) email alert, with links to all articles, each time an issue is posted online (https://www.appliedanimalscience.org/action/doUpdateAlertSettings?action=addJournal&journalCode=tpas&referrer=/) and complete a 2-step registration. Registration is necessary to ensure Internet security for ARPAS members and permits access to view the table of contents, abstracts, and full articles. If you are not able to register or are needing assistance, contact Brittany Morstatter (brittanym@assochq.org), ARPAS administrative assistant, to verify membership status, membership number, and email address and then register at https://www.appliedanimalscience.org/action/doUpdateAlertSettings?action=addJournal&journalCode=tpas&referrer=/ for full access to the ARPAS journal. Or, go to https://www.arpas.org/, login as a member, and access the journal from the society website and “Publications” tab. Also, see the related item later in this report.
   9. Changes were made to make more prominent on the web page the FREE (for 3 months) two to four Editor’s Choice articles in each new issue.
   10. I initiated quarterly invitations to selected individuals to write and submit invited reviews to PAS/AAS.
   11. Reviewers received routine official letters of thanks, and reviewers’ names were publicly posting on journal web pages for all reviewers in 2017 and 2018.
   12. Official individual letters of thanks were sent via email to each reviewer of 2017 and 2018 manuscripts; in 2018 a total of 222 different volunteer experts reviewed one or more manuscripts.
2. Description of 2018–2019 Transition from PAS to Applied Animal Science (AAS)
   1. FASS staff [Susan Pollock (managing editor and FASS director of publications), Christine Horger (lead technical editor), Shauna Miller (ScholarOne Manuscripts support), Ron Keller (production), and Louise Adam (assistant director of editorial at FASS)] and Becky Collins (Publisher; Elsevier) have done significant work in 2018–2019 to facilitate the launch of AAS: redesigning the journal cover, editorial page, table of contents, and opening page of each article and revising the information for authors documents (policies, manuscript preparation), abbreviations and units lists, revision checklist form, copyright release form, publications charge form, and updates in the S1M system.
      • Example: The new cover, new table of contents, and new article opening page are at the end of this report.
   2. Launch of AAS and web pages (www.appliedanimalscience.org) was targeted for January 7, 2019, and was actually accomplished in late February 2019.
   3. The cover of AAS was redesigned to illustrate the science and interaction of people with animals in the animal sciences and production systems.
   4. New, significantly redesigned and edited Information for Authors (Policies and Instructions for Authors documents) for AAS web pages was completed and posted on AAS web pages.
   5. The AAS article types, beginning in 2019, are original research, review, invited review, short communication, technical note, commentary, and letter to the editor. Beginning in 2019 the science and application categories in the table of contents are defined as extension and teaching, food science, forages and feeds, genetics, health, production and management, nutrition, physiology, sustainability and integrated systems, and welfare and behavior.
   6. Organizers of scientific conferences and meetings are invited in the Instructions for Authors to serve as a guest editor (working with AAS EIC) for invited articles and build a special issue of AAS or a set of articles within a scheduled issue.
   7. There are several main technical changes with the transition from PAS to AAS. The journal now uses structured abstracts (≤250 words) with short structured description of Objectives, Materials and Methods, Results and Discussion, and Implications and Applications. Research papers (original research, short communications, technical notes, and commentaries) will use these headings in their structured abstracts: Objectives, Materials and Methods, Results and Discussion, and Implications and Applications. Reviews and invited reviews will use these headings in structured abstracts: Purposes, Sources, Synthesis, and Conclusions and Applications. The change to a structured abstract format was made in response to membership questionnaire requests for an easily visible, quick read of each article. The new APPLICATIONS section replaces the IMPLICATIONS section at the end of the main article. Case Study was placed under the Short Communication article type, and the definition was rewritten to be more specific about what is expected in a case study.
   8. So far through the August 2019 issue, 11 press releases have highlighted articles in AAS via email to ARPAS members, Elsevier AAS web page, and social media. This practice will continue with the publication of each issue. Releases are made the first, second, and third, etc., Monday of the publication month.

      Press Releases

      • Proper protocol can reduce antibiotic use for high-risk calves [PDF]
        June 17, 2019
      • Use of straw bedding for calves does not affect dietary studies [PDF]
        June 10, 2019
      • Feed manufacturing processes affect poultry performance [PDF]
        June 3, 2019
      • Water buffalo remain underutilized as livestock [PDF]
        April 22, 2019
      • Breed affects auction price for beef steer and heifer calves [PDF]
        April 15, 2019
      • Better practices lead to greener dairy farms [PDF]
        April 8, 2019
      • Cooperative extension programming must adapt to changing industry [PDF]
        February 5, 2019
      • Stocking density requirements for lairage are outdated [PDF]
        February 5, 2019
   9. Previously used animal silhouettes were removed from article title pages and replaced with subheading of respective article type and science and application category (see example at later in the report).
   10. New AAS websites launched late in the first quarter of 2019 after significant delay.
   11. An Elsevier Marketing Plan and implementation launched.
3. Work in 2019 and Forward
   • The new Editorial Board launched on AAS websites; as of June 27, 2019, this still had not happened after lengthy delay due to problems with Elsevier software programs. The Editorial Board structure and organization was filled with experts along the 10 Science and Application categories listed previously.
   • We might initiate a Journal Management Committee (main purposes to advise on scope and promote content of AAS) to be selected from the Editorial Board, editors, Governing Council, and FASS staff.
   • We initiated a social media editor (Twitter and Facebook); $2,000 was requested in budget 2019.
   • We could consider and develop special issues of AAS on selected topics (e.g., swine science and production systems, others?).
   • EIC-invited Expert Commentaries could be written—“Experts from the Field”—by a pool of experts from professional/university/ARPAS members on special topics, in reaction to published articles, hot topics, contemporary topics, or current events in animal science and agriculture.
   • I will continue quarterly invitations from the Editor-in-Chief to write and submit invited reviews to AAS. As of May 3, 2019, 52 prospective authors have been invited to submit reviews in 2019; 19 have agreed to submit (not all of those have submitted yet). Even though AAS invites these articles, the authors must pay the page charges, except in the case of the articles resulting from the ARPAS Symposium.
   • We will continue making press releases based on journal articles in each issue and any other associated industry or ARPAS events.
   • We will continue sending a letter of thanks to each and all reviewers in 2019.
   • Elsevier (Rebekah Collins) is to submit an Impact Factor application—possibly late in 2019.
   • We plan to post this reminder to ARPAS members quarterly via email:
 

Registration process for accessing full-text articles of Applied Animal Science (AAS)

Examples: new cover, new table of contents, and new opening page of article: