From “A review of current knowledge concerning the breeding and summer distribution of the cordilleran flycatcher (Empidonax occidentalis) in Mexico,” Occasional Paper No. 89, this map shows the distribution cordilleran flycatcher.
The Occasional Papers of the Museum of Natural Science, Louisiana State University are now available through LSU Digital Commons, LSU’s institutional repository. The journal is a scientific peer-reviewed publication and an important part of the LSU Museum of Natural Science's distinction of being the only comprehensive research natural history museum in the south-central United States. Publishing its journal in the institutional repository furthers the museum’s research mission by increasing the discoverability and impact of the museum’s scholarship.
George H. Lowery Jr., a professor of zoology at LSU, launched the journal by publishing the first issue, titled “A new grackle of the Cassidix mexicanus group,” on May 4, 1938, two years after he founded the museum. The journal was closely modeled after the University of Michigan’s Occasional Papers of the Museum of Zoology and continues to follow the tradition of that journal and other museum publications such as the American Museum Novitates. Topics cover all aspects of natural history, including ecology, population genetics, taxonomy, and phylogenetics.
While the Occasional Papers have been available online and open access for some time, collaborating with the LSU Libraries to include the journal in the LSU Digital Commons improves visibility and usability for the journal, because LSU librarians assign DOIs to articles hosted in the repository journal collection and provide complete metadata for each issue. And as part of the Digital Commons Network, the journal is now indexed in the Genetics and Genomics Commons and Population Biology Commons. The LSU Digital Commons platform also provides statistics such as downloads, geographical reach, and altmetrics, giving authors and editors more information to evaluate the impact of their work.
“I’ve very excited about the ‘Occ Pap,’ as we affectionately call it, being hosted by the LSU Digital Commons, this partnership will allow us to spread the news of our museum research to a broader audience.”
-- Dr. Prosanta Chakrabarty, curator of ichthyology and editor of the Occasional Papers
For more information about publishing a journal through the institutional repository, email ir@lsu.edu.
The LSU Libraries includes the LSU Library and the adjacent Hill Memorial Library. Together, the libraries contain more than 4 million volumes and provide additional resources such as expert staff, technology, services, electronic resources, and facilities that advance research, teaching, and learning across every discipline.