Purpose and scope of the journal

Journal of Integrated Pest Management (JIPM) is an open-access, peer-reviewed, extension-focused journal covering the field of integrated pest management. The Editor-in-Chief is Hugh Smith.

The objective of JIPM is to target a non-technical audience with original, high-quality articles supported with published references. The intended readership for JIPM is anyone engaged in any aspect of integrated pest management, including, but not limited to farmers and ranchers, consultants, extension professionals, retailers, manufacturers and suppliers of pest management products, educators, foresters, animal and human health professionals, and pest control operators. The journal will not publish articles based on original, unpublished research. Data and results from original research are better suited for research-focused journals, such as the Journal of Economic Entomology (published by the ESA), Plant Disease (published by the American Phytopathological Society), or Weed Technology (published by the Weed Science Society of America).

The journal is multi-disciplinary in scope, including topics associated with entomology, nematology, plant pathology, weed science, and other subject areas. The editors request submissions of original, extension-focused articles in the broadest sense, including, but not limited to the management of pests that affect agronomic and horticultural crops, forage and grasslands, forests, urban landscapes, structures, schools and households, livestock and pets, and human health. Articles should be written for one of the five following categories:

1. Profiles: There are two types of Profiles articles:
   • Pest Profiles: These are biology and ecology profiles for pests such as, for example, soybean aphid, emerald ash borer, bed bugs, powdery mildew, garlic mustard, and others. Profiles will include the organism’s scientific name, description of stages, biology, life history, host plants, potential for economic damage, sampling or scouting procedures, and management and control options. Example of a Profiles article.
   • Natural Enemy Profiles: As the name suggests, these focus on the biology and ecology of important natural enemies, including predators, parasitoids, and pathogens. These profiles will include the organism’s scientific name, description of stages, biology, hosts, distribution, mass rearing information if available, and biological control results or potential.
2. Issues: These articles will focus on emerging integrated pest management issues. Articles will address the issue's relevance, why the issue developed, balanced perspectives on the issue, and possible solutions. A limited amount of unpublished, applied research can be included to support statements associated with the issue, but the primary focus should be on the issue itself. To see an example of an Issues article, click on this link.
3. Recommendations: These articles will contain consensus-based pest management recommendations. Recommendations will be based upon the principles of integrated pest management and supported by published research and validation data when available. To see an example of a Recommendations article, click on this link.
4. Case Studies: These articles document and explain the implementation and results of a specific integrated pest management program. A limited amount of unpublished, applied research can be included to clarify results, but the primary focus should be on the implementation and recommendations from the case study. To see an example of a Case Studies article, click on this link.
5. Surveys and Needs Assessments: These articles will focus on the results from unpublished surveys that address an issue, customer perceptions and opinions, needs assessments, or other related subject matter. The survey or needs assessment must be of sufficient breadth (e.g., reasonable percentage of a target population surveyed) and depth (e.g., number of substantive inquiries) to warrant attention and deliberation from the readership. The purpose of the survey and how the results will be used should be clearly articulated. Using descriptive subtitles, authors should state the issue being addressed; an overview of current knowledge about customer perceptions and opinions; specific methodology used for conducting the survey and/or needs assessment (including sample population and size); and conclusions and/or a summary about what the survey or needs assessment revealed. The editor will consider for further review articles containing robust statistical analysis of survey responses, but it is the authors’ responsibility to determine if the statistical methods and results are understandable to a general audience. If statistical methods are complex or highly specialized, authors are encouraged to submit this information as supplemental material. Example of a Surveys and Needs Assessments article.
6. Brief Communications: These articles are basic reports on pests that invade new crops or environments, exhibit a significant range expansion, are managed differently due to newly available techniques or a change in the pest's biology, or are new invasive species. Authors must justify the significance of the report in the cover letter that accompanies the article. These reports should be 2,000 words or less (not including abstract, references, or figure and table legends) and must not contain original research. To see an example of a Brief Communications article, click on this link.

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Key Metrics

*Source: Journal Impact Factor™, from Clarivate, 2024