Working Paper Series Instructions

All researchers in NCEE are invited to submit their work to the NCEE Working Paper Series for publication, including collaborative works with researchers outside of NCEE. In addition, papers and research funded by NCEE are eligible for publication, regardless of whether or not an NCEE researcher is a co-author.

Instructions to Authors

Step 1: Obtain one favorable review (see Review of Manuscripts)
Step 2: Prepare manuscript for submission. Manuscripts should include:
(a) double spaced text
(b) margins equal to 1.5" left, l.0" right
(c) single cover page with title, authors, contact information, and abstract of no more than 300 words
(d) key words of your choosing
(e) up to 3 subject matter categories from the Subject Area Classifications.
(f) three-digit JEL Classification Codes which may be found at JEL Classification Codes Guide.
Step 3: Send manuscript to Cynthia Morgan (morgan.cynthia@epa.gov) in electronic form (Word or WordPerfect) along with contact information for the reviewer.

Required Review of Manuscripts

All papers submitted for publication must first undergo review by a minimum of one person. The reviewer must be a subject matter expert for the research described in the manuscript, and may or may not be affiliated with NCEE. The Project Officer may serve as reviewer for papers funded by NCEE. If the working paper relies heavily on technical work that is outside the expertise of NCEE, the managing editor may require that the paper be reviewed by an outside reviewer with the relevant expertise. The managing editor may also require the author to identify an alternate subject matter expert if the same individual has served as a reviewer for the author multiple times within a year.

It is the author's responsibility to identify and arrange for the review. Authors should inform reviewers that they should base their recommendations on the technical quality and clarity of the presentation in the manuscript as indicated in the Instructions to Reviewers. The review should be completed prior to the paper's submission for publication. When a paper is submitted for publication to the managing editor, the author must identify the reviewer and provide a brief justification for selecting that individual as the expert. Authors do NOT need to provide any additional information on how comments were addressed. Rather, the managing editor will contact reviewers to ensure that they have favorable reviews of the paper and that they support the publication of the paper in its current form as a working paper in the Series.

Publication of NCEE Working Papers

Upon acceptance, working papers will be posted to the NCEE Working Paper Series Web page and will be available for downloading as PDF files (hard copies are available upon request).

NCEE Working Papers Policy for Published Papers

A citation and a link to the published paper will be included once a working paper is published in a peer-reviewed publication. The responsibility to provide this citation and link to the editor of the Working Paper Series rests with the author(s). If there is a substantial difference between the published paper and working paper, the author(s) should also provide the editor with a brief description of the differences to be included on the working paper website page.

Instructions to Reviewers

The National Center for Environmental Economics Working Paper Series is a forum for the dissemination of a work-in-progress by researchers affiliated with NCEE. NCEE Working Papers are distributed by their authors for purposes of information and discussion.

NCEE is committed to producing a high quality Working Paper Series and therefore requires some review of each manuscript published as part of the Series. It is the responsibility of authors to arrange for review by a minimum of one individual, who must be a subject matter expert for the research described in the paper. We ask that the reviewer read the manuscript and form a recommendation for publication based on technical quality and clarity of presentation. The purpose of the review is to screen working papers for logical flaws, inconsistencies, and unclear presentation of ideas and results. The reviewer is asked to restrict required revisions to these purposes, with the understanding that the Working Paper Series is a forum for presenting works in progress. Reviewers should communicate comments on the manuscript directly to the authors.

Once a favorable review has been obtained by the author(s), the manuscript is then submitted to the Series for publication. The Managing Editor of the Series will contact the reviewer to confirm his/her recommendation. Any questions regarding the review process can be addressed to the Managing Editor, Cynthia Morgan (morgan.cynthia@epa.gov).