PACE Turfgrass Research Institute has launched Super Journal, a free online turf research journal that provides a place for technical data generated by golf course superintendents, turf managers and researchers, interns and others.

According to PACE Co-research Director Wendy Gelernter, Ph.D, turf managers conduct thousands of replicated experiments each year to evaluate products and practices. Until the creation of Super Journal, the technical data generated by superintendents and managers have been untapped by the turf community.

“This is a tragedy as far as we're concerned," Gelernter said. "How many mistakes could be avoided if turf managers could share their experiences with problematic turf management strategies? Research conducted outside of university protocols may be less stringent, but it is no less important because the research seeks to solve the actual problems the managers are experiencing.”

Super Journal's submission requirements are not be as rigorous as an academic journal's, but PACE does require that the basic principles of experimental design, data recording and data summary be followed. For turf managers who are new to research protocols and writing data reports, a research guide has been provided.

The goal, Gelernter said, is to provide a venue for:

* Superintendents to publish the results of their turf research projects and to share their conclusions with fellow turf managers
* Turf researchers to rapidly publish and disseminate their experimental results
* Superintendents who want assistance in designing, carrying out, interpreting and/or summarizing turf research experiments

Contact http://www.paceturf.org.