1. GENERALITIES

1.1. Russian Meteorology and Hydrology scientific and technical journal (hereinafter, the journal) is published in accordance with the federal legislation for the media. It was established by the Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring (Roshydromet). The publisher of the journal is Planeta Research Center for Space Hydrometeorology (Planeta).

The journal has been published since September 1935 and has been issued in English in the USA since 1976.

1.2. The journal is registered by the International Center for the Registration of Serial Publications and has the print ISSN 0130-2906. Each issue of the journal is submitted to the Russian Book Chamber and All-Russian Research Institute of Hydrometeorological Information–World Data Center (RRIHMI–WDC) for the international book exchange in the Roshydromet system.

1.3. Russian Meteorology and Hydrology journal is the periodical with the volume of 8 physical, 11.2 conventional printed, and 11.7 publisher’s sheets. The periodicity of the journal is 12 issues per year. It is distributed by subscription. Subscription indices are 70536, 70525, and 71683 in the Rospechat’ agency catalog and 87789 and 87788 in the Pressa Rossii united catalog.

Electronic versions of the journal are available in online mode.

1.4. Russian Meteorology and Hydrology journal covers the problems and achievements of the Russian and world hydrometeorological science and practice as well as the problems of the monitoring of environmental pollution, environmental conditions, and climate. It publishes the papers by the leading Russian and foreign researchers and specialists dealing with the urgent issues of meteorology, hydrology of sea and land, agrometeorology, aviation meteorology, and space meteorology; with the problems of studying the World Ocean, Arctic, and Antarctic, climate change and its consequences, radiation conditions in the near space, radioactive and chemical contamination of natural environments, geomagnetic activity, ionospheric conditions, global, regional, and local changes in the biosphere as well as with the problems of the practical use of modern scientific achievements, methods for forecasting the weather, climate change, water bodies conditions, crop yield, and weather modification activities.

1.5. Russian Meteorology and Hydrology journal is the peer-reviewed scientific journal. The scientific and technical papers are published only at the presence of the positive review in accordance with the Order of Manuscript Reviewing (Chapter 4). General requirements to paper manuscripts and the requirements for the publication of papers are regulated by Technical Requirements (Chapter 5).

1.6. The work on the preparation and publication of the journal has been carried out in accordance with the laws of the Russian Federation, decrees of the President of the Russian Federation, decrees and directions of the Government of the Russian Federation, other standard acts of the legislative and executive bodies of the Russian Federation, orders, instructions, and regulatory documents of the Ministry of the Russian Federation on Press, Broadcasting, and Mass Communications, Roshydromet, decisions of the editorial board of Russian Meteorology and Hydrology journal, and the present regulations.

2. JOURNAL MANAGEMENT

2.1. The organization of work on the formation and publication of the journal is carried out by the editor-in-chief, editorial board, and editorial staff (Publishing Division of Planeta Research Center for Space Hydrometeorology).

2.2. The editorial board is headed by the editor-in-chief appointed by the Head of Roshydromet. The editor-in-chief heads the work of the editorial board in the determination of publishing policy, formation of the urgent subject matter of published papers, and logistics of the journal.

2.3. The editorial board is the body of the journal collective leadership. It determines the subject orientation of the journal, annual and long-term plans of its publication, contents of issues, assesses the quality of papers, and makes the decision on their publication.

Following the order of the Head of Roshydromet, distinguished scientists and leading specialists of Roshydromet and Russian Academy of Sciences are introduced into the editorial board on a voluntary basis. The personal composition of the editorial board and its changes are approved by the Head of Roshydromet following the nomination of the editor-in-chief. The surnames of the members of editorial board are given in the journal.

2.4. The meetings of the editorial board are carried out on a regular basis with the periodicity of not less than six times a year. The meeting is considered competent if it is attended by not less than a half of its members. The decisions are made by the simple majority of votes of the present members of editorial board. In the case of disagreements between the members of editorial board separate issues, the final decision is made by the editor-in-chief.

2.5. The competencies of editorial board include:

– the approval of the publication plan and the discussion of the contents of each issue of the journal including special editions and appendices;

– the working out of the concept and the discussion of the contents of each issue of the journal including special editions and appendices;

– the working out of recommendations on the enhancement of the contents and design of the journal;

– the selection of authors, the maintenance of links with the organizations interested in the publication and distribution of the journal;

– the assessment of manuscripts proposed for the publication in the journal.

2.6. The member of the editorial board has the right

– to propose the subject matter of publications;

– to take part in the preparation of the issues of the journal;

– to propose one of the following decisions for each manuscript under review: to declare the manuscript suitable for the publication; to give the manuscript back to the author for  improvement; to declare the manuscript unsuitable for the publication.

2.7. The member of the editorial board must

– execute the commissions of the editor-in-chief;

– familiarize him (her) self with the papers proposed for the publication and take part in their discussion;

– make the conclusion on the manuscript under consideration;

– participate in activities associated with the issue of the journal;

– propagandize the journal actively and strive for strengthening its authority among the readers.

2.8. The executive secretary of the editorial board  has additional rights and obligations. The executive secretary

– controls the inflow and technical processing of papers proposed for the publication;

– plans the journal subject matter on a regular basis and prepares the plan of the current issue;

– carries out the annual planning and prepares the corresponding plan for the approval;

– sends the manuscripts for the reviewing and controls the reviewing timeframe;

– works out and presents the schedule of journal issue preparation in accordance with the approved plan;

– is in personal charge of the timely and high-quality publication of Russian Meteorology and Hydrology journal at the modern technical and printing level.

3. ORDER OF WORK WITH AUTHORS OF PAPERS 

3.1. The citizen of any country who sent the manuscript of the scientific paper to the editorial office of the journal in Russian that meets the subject matters of the journal and is designed in accordance with the technical requirements (see Chapter 4), can be the author (authors) of the paper in Russian Meteorology and Hydrology scientific and technical journal.  

The publishing agreement with the author (authors) for the publication of the paper is not concluded. The cover letter signed by the head of the organization or institution where the author (authors) works, or by the author (authors) him (her) self is the fact of the consent of the author (authors) for the publication of his (her) paper in Russian Meteorology and Hydrology scientific and technical journal. The author’s fee for the publication of the scientific paper is not paid except cases specified in 2.10. 

3.2. The manuscript of the paper is registered in the diary of incoming mail of Meteorology and Hydrology Publishing Centre. The information about the paper and the author (authors) is recorded to the computer database.  

3.3. On the base of the resolution of the editor-in-chief (deputy editor-in-chief) of the journal or, in case of their long absence, of any member of the editorial board, the paper is sent for the reviewing (see Chapter 4). The reviewing is closed. 

The editorial board has the right to decline the manuscript of the paper proposed by the author (authors) before reviewing if the quality of the presented material does not meet the technical requirements to the manuscripts. In the case of the refusal of publication, the message with the motivated substantiation of the reasons for the refusal is sent to the author.  

3.4. The decision on the publication of the paper, refusal of publication, or its improvement following the remarks of the reviewer is made by the editorial board of the journal during its meeting based on the received review and collective discussion.

3.5. The author (authors) of the paper which was not approved for the publication in the journal has the right to propose the paper for the publication in Russian Meteorology and Hydrology again after it the improved according to the reviewer’s remarks. After that the paper is sent for reviewing and the decision on its publication, refusal of publication, or its improvement is made at the meeting of the editorial board of the journal.  

3.6. The improved paper sent to the editorial office is submitted for the re-reviewing. The decision on its publication, refusal of publication, or its improvement is made at the meeting of the editorial board of the journal. The date of the reception of the improved version is considered the date of receipt.  

3.7. If the author (authors) and reviewer divide, the paper can be sent for reviewing to another specialist.  

3.8. The decision of the editorial board on the approval of the paper for the publication in the journal (the approval of the backlog of manuscripts) is a reason for its inclusion into the issue of the journal under formation. The contents of Russian Meteorology and Hydrology issues are approved at the meeting of the editorial board. The editorial board has the right to specify or correct the title of the paper proposed by the author (authors).  

3.9. The editorial board reserves the right to make necessary editorial corrections, additions, or abridgements in the paper being under preparation for the publication. At the presence of essential editorial corrections or questions, the paper is submitted to the author for endorsement.  

3.10. The papers published in Russian Meteorology and Hydrology by the order of the editorial board as well as in “Reviews and Consultations” section are paid according to the established fee.  

The resolutions of the editorial board and the manuscript of the paper presented and signed by the author (authors) is the fact of the agreement on its publication made in order between Russian Meteorology and Hydrology and the author (authors).  

3.11. The author (authors) of the paper is given the reprints of his (their) paper for free. Not more than 20 copies of the given issue of Russian Meteorology and Hydrology journal can be used for giving the reprints of the papers to the authors of one of the issues of the journal.  

3.12. Russian Meteorology and Hydrology is given on a free basis on the application of RRIHMI–WDC for the international book exchange in the Roshydromet system. The rest of the circulation of Russian Meteorology and Hydrology is distributed by subscription through the corresponding agencies at the list price. 

4. REVIEWING OF PAPERS 

4.1. The paper received in the editorial office is reviewed obligatorily. The reviewer is chosen by the editor-in-chief (deputy editor-in-chief) of the journal or, in case of their long absence, by one of the members of the editorial board.  

4.2. The reviewers of the journal are the members of the editorial board and leading specialists of the organizations and institutions of Roshydromet, Russian Academy of Sciences, and other agencies. The specialists from the same research institute where the research was carried out, are not involved in reviewing.

4.3. The reviewers are informed about the fact that the manuscripts sent to them are the private ownership of the authors and contain confidential information. The reviewers are not allowed to make copies of the papers for their needs.  

4.4. The reviewing is carried out confidentially. The author of the paper under review is given a change of familiarizing with the text of the review. The breach of confidentiality is possible only on demand of the reviewer or if he/she claims the unreliability or falsification of the information presented in the paper. The reviewer can notify the editorial office, contact directly the author (authors) of the paper, and discuss the issues concerning its publication. 

4.5. The correspondence with authors and reviewers is registered in the special diary and is kept in the editorial office of the journal during three years.  

4.6. The editorial office does not enter into publishing agreements with the reviewers. The reason for the fee payment is the letter with the request for the reviewing of the scientific paper and the sent review with the author’s sign. The reviewing is paid according to the fixed rate of the author’s fee. 

5. TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS TO THE MANUSCRIPT OF THE PAPER 

5.1. The volume of the paper should not exceed 15 pages of A4 size including references, tables, and figures (each figure is considered as a separate page). The number of figures should not exceed three per one paper. It is desirable to provide the index in Universal Decimal Classification (UDC).

5.2. The paper set sent by the author(s) should include: the body text of the paper; the annotation with the volume of not more than 12 lines, separately in Russian and English (with the title and surname(s) of the author(s)) giving a clear idea about the content of the paper; references in the alphabetic order of the authors, separately for Russian and foreign sources (compiled according to the National Standard 7.1-76); tables with headings typed with double spacing, each on a separate sheet; figures a list of figure names and the information about the author(s). All the above should be present in two copies.  

The paper set also includes an expert’s report for the paper (one) and a cover letter signed by the head of the organization or institution where the author(s) works(-) or by the author(s) himself(themselves).  

The author(s) should also present the text of the paper in the electronic form: the text in Microsoft Word format and the figures in TIFF or JPG format. The figures should not be inserted into the text of the paper. The figures should be presented in two variants: black-and-white and colored.  

In view of the reprinting of the journal in English in the USA, the author can propose the translation of the paper which must be full and accurate, and both texts should be adequate.  

5.3. The manuscript should be typed with double spacing on one side of the standard sheet (A4 format) of heavy white paper with the following margins: 25 mm (bottom and left), 10 mm (right), and 20 mm (top). Both copies of the manuscript should be printed cleanly with the clear and “not blind” type.  

5.4. Mathematical and chemical designations and formulae are printed keeping the size of upper- and lower-case letters. It is necessary to give the decoding of all parameters used in the paper including subscripts and superscripts as well as of all abbreviations.  

The uniformity of terms should also be kept.  

Foreign surnames used in the paper and being absent in references are to be given in brackets in original language.

5.5. All graphic material should be clear (the maximum size of the figure is 20 × 28 cm) and attached to the manuscript separately (they are not to be placed in the manuscript). A list of figure names should be attached on separate sheet where the numbers of figures are given as well as the captions to them and descriptions of conventional signs in the figures (the captions should not be present in the figures). On the opposite side of the figures, the surname(s) of the author(s), the heading of the paper, and the number of the figure should be given. The figures are sent in two copies.  

5.6. The manuscript should be signed by the author(s) with the indication of the surname, name, and patronymic (full-length), home and work addresses and phones, e-mail, the name and postal address of the institute where the paper was prepared, and the academic degree and title of the author(s).  

5.7. In the case the paper is returned to the author for the reworking, the date of the coming of the final version to the editorial office is considered the date of the receipt. A request for the reworking of the paper does not mean that the paper is accepted for press; it is reconsidered by the editorial board after the reworking. 

5.8. The manuscript signed by the author(s) is an original for press. The authors are not allowed to make significant corrections and additions against the original.  

5.9. The editorial board has the right to make the needed editorial corrections, additions, and abridgements.

5.10. The editorial board does not enter into discussion with authors.