Name: Albert De Vries
Institution: Department of Animal Sciences, University of Florida
Role with Journal of Dairy Science (JDS): Senior editor for Farm Systems and Environment section
Can you tell us a bit about your background, and what your current research is focused on?
I grew up on a dairy farm in the Netherlands and studied animal science there before attending the University of Minnesota to obtain a PhD in dairy science. After graduate school I went to the University of Florida. I have been at the University of Florida since 2001 with an appointment in teaching, research, Extension, and now also some administration. I like quantitative dairy management: using math and modeling to help dairy farmers and their advisors make better decisions. I think systems approaches to dairy farming are important and getting more important. The Farm Systems section in JDS aims to attract such types of research.
What advice do you have for grad students or other early-career scientists submitting their first manuscripts? What are common oversights you see?
Write clearly, not too complicated, and trigger the reader’s curiosity. What is in it for the reader to read your paper? What does the reader learn that is worthwhile? Further, do not make your paper too long; pay attention to spelling and the layout because that will help the reviewers. The paper must also have somewhat of a global appeal. This means that the paper cannot be of only local interest. Finally, if you get a chance to review somebody else’s paper, do so.
Why should authors publish in JDS?
Publish in JDS because the journal generally publishes good science and the allied dairy industry pays close attention to what gets published in JDS. If you want your research to be noted by the allied industry and have an effect in practice, then JDS is the journal to aim for.
What do you think are the biggest challenges currently facing the dairy industry, and how is JDS part of the solution?
Dairy farming is mostly a commodity industry, which means that the best adopters of good ideas survive and do well. JDS helps by offering vetted research of products and protocols and good ideas.