Publishing by New Zealand and Australian ecologists: trends and comparisons

Publishing trends in the New Zealand and Australian Journals' of Ecology (N ZJE and AJE) were compared (1953-97) and publishing by contemporary (1997) Australasian authors examined from mid-1995 to 1998. The NZJE published a s maller proportion (9%) of their authors total manuscripts than the AJE (13% ). Both Journals' authors published almost 70% of their manuscripts in inte rnational journals and 31% (NZ) and 35% (Aust.) in their local journals. Th e AJE consistently contained a high proportion (80%) of papers on the funda mental ecology of native: species. In contrast, the NZJE gradually increase d the proportion of papers on the ecology, impacts and management of exotic species (13%, 1953-62 to 52%, 1993-97) and reduced the proportion of manus cripts investigating the fundamental ecology of native species from 67% (19 53-62) to 28% (1993-97). Comparisons show that the difference between the j ournals is due to a fundamental difference in the emphasis of ecological re search in Australia and New Zealand that can, in part, be attributed to dif ferences in the relative contribution of government research agencies to pu blishing in ecology in the two countries. Government research agencies cont ribute relatively more to ecological publishing in and from New Zealand tha n they do in Australia. However, the differences were also amplified by dif ferent submission behaviour by Australian and New Zealand authors. When sub mitting manuscripts about the ecology of native species and ecosystems, New Zealand ecologists favoured international journals rather than the NZJE, a nd local journals generally. Australian ecologists, on the other hand, favo ured international journals over the AJE when submitting manuscripts on the ecology, impacts and management of exotic species.