Ten simple rules to bridge ecology and palaeoecology by publishing outside palaeoecological journals

by Nick Schafstall, Xavier Benito, Sandra O. Brugger, Althea L. Davies, Erle Ellis, Sergi Pla-Rabes, Alicja Bonk, M. Jane Bunting, Frank M. Chambers, Suzette G. A. Flantua, Tamara L. Fletcher, Caroline Greiser, Armand Hernández, Benjamin Gwinneth, Gerbrand Koren, Katarzyna Marcisz, Encarni Montoya, Adolfo Quesada-Román, Amila S. Ratnayake, Pierre Sabatier, John P. Smol, Nancy Y. Suárez-Mozo

Owing to its specialised methodology, palaeoecology is often regarded as a separate field from ecology, even though it is essential for understanding long-term ecological processes that have shaped the ecosystems that ecologists study and manage. Despite advances in ecological modelling, sample dating, and proxy-based reconstructions facilitating direct comparison of palaeoecological data with neo-ecological data, most of the scientific knowledge derived from palaeoecological studies remains siloed. We surveyed a group of palaeo-researchers with experience in crossing the divide between palaeoecology and neo-ecology, to develop Ten Simple Rules for publishing your palaeoecological research in non-palaeo journals. Our 10 rules are divided into the preparation phase, writing phase, and finalising phase when the article is submitted to the target journal. These rules provide a suite of strategies, including improved networking early in the process, building effective collaborations, transmitting results more efficiently and cross-disciplinary, and integrating concepts and methodologies that appeal to ecologists and a wider readership. Adhering to these Ten Simple Rules can ensure palaeoecologists’ findings are more accessible and impactful among ecologists and the wider scientific community. Although this article primarily shows examples of how palaeoecological studies were published in journals for a broader audience, the rules apply to anyone who aims to publish outside specialised journals.