Applied Animal Science (AAS) has had a banner year in 2024, including our move to an open access publishing model and our first stand-alone Special Issue on the causes and potential solutions for liver abscesses in feedlot cattle. We also oversaw the full transition of our extensive back catalog of articles (1984 to present), ensuring that all content of AAS (including issues of the former Professional Animal Scientist) is freely available to the public via open access.

As we celebrate the accomplishments of 2024 and look ahead to 2025, I’d like to announce that I’ll be transitioning out of my role as journal editor in chief, and passing the leadership baton to William (Bill) P. Weiss, PhD, PAS, Dipl. ACAS, a distinguished colleague many of you know. Bill will be taking the helm as of January 1, 2025, and will be bringing his depth of scientific and publishing knowledge, an outstanding understanding of applied animal science and production, and deep commitment to the mission of ARPAS and the journal into the role. Welcome, Bill, and we look forward to your contributions as editor in chief!

Look out for more information on the transition in the December issue of the journal and from ARPAS in the coming weeks.

Report for January 1 to May/June, 2024 (Vol. 40, Issues 1–3)

This report has 2 parts:
(I) Performance information about the submission-review-editorial-production-publication process of AAS from January through May/June of 2024, and comparison with the previous 4 years (2020–2023) of publication; and (II) summary of activities and accomplishments so far in 2024, and anticipated work and activities for the rest of 2024.
  
Part I. Performance information for January 1 to May/June, 2024 compared with the previous 4 years.
Tables 1 and 2 below contain information that we’ve tracked for nearly 7 years to monitor various variables about the publication process and performance.

Brief Summary:

Table 1. In the first part (data reporting available through May 31 from ScholarOne Manuscripts) of 2024, there have been 62 submissions. If one projects into the future [multiplying by 2.4 (5 of 12 months represented in the data)], the number for total 2024 submissions might be approximately 149. This would be near the record number of submissions of 2020 when annual submissions were at an all-time high (n = 156). The acceptance rate (63%) of reviewed manuscripts so far in 2024 is nearly identical to that of the average of the last 4 years (61%).

Time metrics (e.g., average time in review, production time, total time from submission to publication) have remained relatively steady across the last nearly 4.5 years, including so far in 2024. This is a testament to the excellent responsiveness and diligent work of our volunteer reviewers, scientific associate editors, and technical editors and journal production staff at FASS Inc.

The total number of pages published so far in 2024 (3 of the 6 issues for 2024) is 434; if this is projected for the remainder of the year (3 more similar issues) the total number of pages might be about 868, which would be markedly greater than the average of previous 4 years (n = 715) and nearly as many as in the peak year of 2020 (n = 898). Perhaps page count is less important nowadays than previously when we tracked pages to estimate page charge revenue. Now the number of open access whole articles is the key to estimate journal gross revenue; see additional description of open access below.

Beginning in January 2024, AAS is published by Elsevier using only gold open access (GOA); the subscription model (and page charges) is no longer available to receive the published journal (see additional comments about GOA below).

Table 2. Original Research articles make up the majority (85%) of articles published so far in 2024. However, more Invited Reviews, Reviews, Symposia, and Perspectives and Commentary manuscripts are currently in review and most are anticipated for publication in the last half of 2024. So, the final profile of article types will likely change somewhat by the end of 2024. Authors select one of the 10 science and application categories (Extension and Teaching, Food Science, Forages and Feeds, Genetics and Breeding, Health, Production and Management, Nutrition, Physiology, Sustainability and Integrated Systems, and Welfare and Behavior) at the time of submission; only a few changes are made to the categories during the review and revision process in consultation with the editor in chief.

Applied Animal Science Data (June 2024)

Table 1. Journal Submissions, Review, and Publication Data (compiled by L. Esterman, FASS)

Table 2. Published Articles by Manuscript Type (compiled by L. Esterman, FASS)

Part II. Summary of activities and accomplishments so far in 2024, and continuing activities.

A. Activities in 2024, thus far:

1. So far in 2024, 7 press releases (listed below) have been issued about newly published articles and other topics. The press releases were posted to the AAS website and Elsevier’s Science Direct, and widely distributed to various pertinent news outlets and via social media platforms. Additionally, on June 7, a press release, “Promoting professional competency and a culture of integrity: Applied Animal Science transitions archives to fully gold open access,” announced and highlighted worldwide internet availability of all back (since 1985) issues and articles published in the Professional Animal Scientist and Applied Animal Science; the press release was sent via email to every ARPAS member and released to the general public through several outlets including Elsevier’s Science Direct. Also, 3 more press releases related to articles in the June 2024 Special Issue on Liver Abscesses in Cattle will be released on Mondays in the next few weeks.

Press Releases:

1. Liver abnormalities lead to decreased cattle performance and lost monetary value
   June 10, 2024
2. Increase in research provides insights on historic problem of liver abscesses
   June 3, 2024
3. Assessing perceptions to digital records and supply-chain traceability in the US wool industry
   April 22, 2024
4. Comparison of beef calves in conventional or natural systems for backgrounding and finishing
   April 15, 2024
5. Integrated cattle grazing systems can conserve critical resources without impacting economic viability
   April 1, 2024
6. Feedlot performance and carcass value of beef × Holstein steers superior to straight-bred Holsteins
   February 12, 2024
7. Quantifying the effects of steam-flaked corn and wet distillers grains with solubles on the energy metabolism of finishing beef steers
   February 5, 2024

2. In June 2024, the first stand-alone Special Issue of AAS on “Liver Abscesses in Cattle” was published. Dr. Kristin Hales of Texas Tech University was the lead in development of this effort, inviting the authors and raising outside funding to publish the Special Issue via GOA (see more information below). Eighteen invited articles were published in the June 2024 issue of AAS; all were rigorously peer-reviewed before acceptance. This Special Issue is a worldwide “one of a kind” in publication of animal science technical information.

3. Clarivate announced in mid-2023 AAS’s first Impact Factor: 1.5 for the publication year 2022, and an Impact Factor of 1.4 for 2023. Additionally, Elsevier’s current CiteScore for AAS is 3, a slight increase over the previous CiteScores.

4. Associate editors for 2024 are Dr. Eric van Heugten (North Carolina State University; swine/nonruminants); Dr. Kristin Hales (Texas Tech University; beef feedlot and meats); Dr. Daniel Rivera (University of Arkansas; grazing beef cattle/ruminants/forages); and Dr. David Beede (Michigan State University; dairy and other topics, and article types).

5. Laura Esterman is the managing editor and FASS Inc. director of publications. Other FASS staff members working with AAS are Christine Horger (lead technical editor), Shauna Miller (ScholarOne Manuscripts administrator and support), Ron Keller (production), and Jess Townsend (marketing and communications). Andrew L. Berin currently is the publisher of AAS as assigned by Elsevier working with the FASS Inc. director of publications and AAS editors.

6. With funding approved by the ARPAS Executive Committee and the work and support of FASS Inc. personnel (Jess Townsend and Laura Esterman), AAS launched a concerted marketing campaign in May 2023 that is continuing throughout 2024.

7. Marketing: worldwide “Calls for Papers” were made by ARPAS and Elsevier marketing using their databases and networks to prospective animal science authors (including the United States and beyond).

8. Publication of ORCIDs when authors provide needed information; ORCID maintains a database that keeps the publication history and unique name(s) of individual authors, if they choose to register and maintain their data in the system. This service is facilitated and offered to authors by AAS without charge; Shauna Miller leads this effort for AAS.

9. Invitations have been made to selected individuals to write and submit invited reviews to AAS. Three Reviews, Invited Reviews and Symposia, and Perspectives and Commentaries articles have been published so far in 2024; more are expected for the remainder of 2024.

B. Continuing work and activities in 2024 and forward:

• A major change for AAS in 2024 and forward is the flip exclusively to GOA publishing. This has been widely publicized the last several months. The GOA fees to authors will be $1,850 or $1,480 if at least one author is an active member of ARPAS. This is about a 26% reduction in the open access publication fee in AAS compared with 2023 and earlier. This reduction in cost to authors is very competitive with the open access fee charged by other animal science journals. It is hoped it will attract additional submissions.
• A second Special Issue of AAS is under development currently on “Previous Management and Health Affect Finishing Performance of Beef Cattle” with Dr. Daniel Rivera (associate editor of AAS, University of Arkansas) as the lead in development. June 15, 2024, was the deadline for submissions for this Special Issue.
• We continue to consider and develop other special issue(s) of AAS or provide focused sections within issues on selected topics (e.g., specific feedstuff utilization; production systems). 
• Official letters of thanks and public posting of reviewers’ names will be made to journal web pages for all volunteer reviewers at the end of 2024, and an official e-letter of thanks was sent via email to each reviewer of 2024 manuscripts.
• An email announcement and request has been recently sent to ARPAS members asking for potential topics and authors for invited articles in 2024–2025.
• Solicitation with continued quarterly invitations from the editor in chief to write and submit invited reviews to AAS. Suggestions of possible topic areas are always welcome.
• Press releases will be monthly or quarterly based on journal articles in each issue.