IMPORTANT Progress Update!!!!

Here is our latest progress update on this important 11 year study.

 

Sand Castle Pond -- December 2015 - Powderhorn Ranch Conservation Area by Robert J. Nuelle, Jr.

I would like to report some progress on our push to get our results published. Firstly, to those of you who have never published a paper in a peer reviewed journal it is a very difficult and taxing job! The writing style for scientific papers requires an entirely different mindset and you have to learn to communicate without using imprecise adjectives ( many, very, significant, -- there is a whole long list of "bad words" to be avoided). You must also cite every work you that you quote and you must use citations to back up any facts aka previously published research and conclusions to establish your credibility. You must clearly delineate your hypothesis and the means by which you investigated it, as well as your conclusions how the evidence supports or fails to support your hypothesis. Failure to prove your hypothesis can readily be as valuable to Science as the obverse. It is so important and difficult but ultimately very satisfying.

We have been working on this paper since May of 2014! It has to be right and you must be sure of what you publish. You are staking your reputation on every word and in the Scientific community your reputation ALWAYS precedes you! Well enough about the process and on to the specifics of this amazing crowdfunded research:

Some Statistics: The paper is currently about 12 pages (MS Word) - 4,076 Words, consisting of 59 paragraphs, 370 lines and 26,786 characters. I can track over 300 hours of editing across the three principal versions.

We are on our third major revision of the paper - it has been already been reviewed by our organizations' ( ETNHC ) established peer reviewers and revised to answer their criticisms (sometimes tough to hear but always heeded and discussed!) prior to submission to the International Journal for Entomology and Zoology Studies. The Article was accepted for review and consideration by the Journal of Entomology and Zoology Studies on January 9, 2016. First round of peer review comments and suggestions was received on January 10, 2016 - new paper submitted and acknowledged on January 12, 2016. Second round (much more extensive) of peer review comments and suggestions was received on January 14, 2016. These changes were substantial and required 10 hours of work to review, respond to and make the requested changes. A second heavily revised version of the manuscript was submitted for peer review on January 24, 2016. On January 27, 2016 we received the following message: Dear Robert J. Nuelle, Jr.:

Greetings from "Journal of Entomology and Zoology Studies"

The manuscript titled "TITLE WITHHELD ACCORDING TO PROTOCOL" is very well written and has been accepted. Can I get a WHOOP!!!!!!!!!!! What a relief.

We are now in the final stage = the reviewing authors' proofs which must be completed before publication. This is such a relief - and we are so overwhelmed with your generosity and patience. We are looking back on 11 years of efforts and finally seeing how it has all paid off! When the paper is published we will be mailing out copies inscribed by the principal authors to each backer and the staff at Experiment.com. If you are a backer or staff member and you wish to modify your address on file with us please email me at: bob.nuelle.jr@gmail.com. Four weeks after publication, we will post a link here so you can read the paper online. Here is a link to our previous paper: LINK Thank you again -- We are so excited to complete this step - we are now evaluating other studies/projects for 2016. ------------------ Upcoming Projects: 1) We have been asked to participate in a Texas Parks and Wildlife sponsored bioblitz in Calhoun County at the site of these studies to help profile several different classes of animal communities living on the new State Park property. We expect to spend 4 days and nights on the property as a team of 4 - 5 researchers working with 20 - 30 other specialists, cataloging, collecting and photographing insects and other invertebrates. The other team mates will be studying reptiles, fishes and possibly other classes. Our results will be posted here - LINK sometime in late 2016 early 2017.

 

Sunset on The Livermore Ranch - August 2015 by Robert J. Nuelle, Jr.

2) We are planning a second 10 day trip to the Livermore Ranch in the West Texas Davis Mountains again this year to continue and expand our biological survey. You can see more about our first 2 years of findings here at this iNaturalist page -- LINK. You can also get an appreciation for how beautiful and important this property (The Livermore Ranch) is by looking here - FLICKR LINK.

3) We are in the process of completing a long term loan of some of our Research and Working Collections to Sam Houston State Natural History Collection in Huntsville, Texas. Our appointment as Research Associates is in the works and this will mean all kinds of opportunities. This project will get our extensive research collections into a renowned Public Institution for use and review by other scientists. We anticipate an amazing future with this institution! Thank you all again! On behalf of the team. Bob Nuelle, Jr.