Manuscript Administrative Record System (MARS)

Manuscript Administrative Record System (MARS) is a peer review system only, and is not a publication outlet. It is used to track the peer review of Service documents. Submissions will tend to be specialized management and decision-making documents, such as species status assessments, biological sections from Environmental Impact Statements, Federal Register Documents, ESA Recovery Plans, and National Wildlife Refuge compatibility determinations. The end product of MARS will be electronic files of the document, containing reviewer and editor comments and recommendations, and associated email correspondence in order to provide a complete administrative record of the review process. Use of the MARS system does not preclude future publication elsewhere. Intended for Service employees only; others wishing to use MARS should contact the Editor-in-Chief before submission of documents.

The submission and peer review of documents will function in a manner similar to the Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management and North American Fauna. However, MARS is more flexible in order to accommodate different review parameters and various levels of reviewer anonymity. For example, when documents being reviewed contain scientific information classified as “influential” and “highly influential,” submission will require answers to a series of questions that will assist Editors in tailoring the peer review process to meet the needs of the document being reviewed (e.g., number of reviewers, level of anonymity for reviewer’s names and comments).

Last updated: October 16, 2008