The Leading Edge article submission guidelines

If you have an article that you would like to submit to The Leading Edge for publication, contact:

The Leading Edge (TLE) publishes articles covering all aspects of applied geophysics, and other disciplines that impact it, in a style that appeals to a broad readership. TLE is a gateway publication, introducing new geophysical theory, instrumentation, innovative concepts, and established practices to scientists in a wide range of geoscience disciplines. The magazine publishes these articles before these areas have undergone enough field testing for rigorous peer review. Most material for TLE emphasizes practical applications presented in a manner that minimizes mathematical theory.

Papers that target the special section of a specific issue should be submitted to the guest editor in charge of the special section (see the editorial calendar at the front of each issue of TLE or online). All articles should adhere to the following guidelines:

  • Article text should be composed in Microsoft Word. Equations should be computed using MathType. (Please note: We cannot accept articles composed with LaTeX).
  • TLE articles ideally are four to six magazine pages (3000–4000 words) in length. We recommend that authors submit no more than eight (8) figures per article.
  • Article figures must be high resolution—at least 300 dpi— and in jpeg or tiff format.
  • References to other journals should be listed at the end of the article in standard reference format that includes: author(s) name(s); publication title; year published; article title; publication volume number; and page number(s). The suggested number of references is six (6). Please follow Geophysics' Instructions to Authors guidelines for references.
  • Multimedia files can greatly enhance the science within an article, and we encourage their use. Acceptable multimedia formats include QuickTime Nonstreaming, MPEG, or DV files. AVI files are not accepted at this time.
  • Digital audio files are also accepted. Acceptable formats include PCM, WAV, AIFF, and MP3 (128Kbs or greater).
  • Geophysics' Instructions to Authors provide many guidelines also applicable to The Leading Edge. Authors and editors are encouraged to consult it for guidance not provided in TLE-specific documentation.Collect all related files in a folder and then compress them into a .zip or .sit archive. There are three ways to send the files:
    • Upload the file to TLE's FTP site. Contact Jenny Kucera, jkucera@seg.org, for instructions and a current password.
    • Use a free online file-sending service such as yousendit.com, with Associate Editor Jenny Kucera, jkucera@seg.org, as the designated recipient.
    • E-mail your file to Associate Editor Jenny Kucera. (If your article file is larger than 5 MB, please use one of the first two submission methods.
  • Please include the name and e-mail address of the corresponding author, which will be printed with the article for comments and/or questions from readers. Also include the name and e-mail address of the person who will review the page layout of the article and answer staff questions before publication.
  • If your article is accepted for publication, a signed copyright release form will be required. This form and other helpful information can be found on TLE's Web site, seg.org/publications/tle/.