Dear XXXX,

The Journal of Earth System Science Education (JESSE) is a competitively peer-reviewed e-journal that aims to foster the study of the Earth as a system and promote the development and exchange of interdisciplinary learning resources for formal and informal education. JESSE employs an open review, meaning that reviewers communicate directly with the author and that a synopsis of the review with reviewers identified is published with the resource. JESSE serves educators and students by publishing and providing ready electronic access to Earth system and global change science learning resources for the classroom, as well as providing professional recognition for authors and creators of interdisciplinary education resources through publication in a peer reviewed journal. JESSE is in its startup phase and intends to publish its first issue this summer.

JESSE accepts a wide range of resources for review: traditional articles, interactive electronic learning modules, web-based classroom and lab exercises, courses, texts, annotated image collections, etc. Resources must address the Earth as a system as a common thread for their publication by JESSE. Copyright of all material remains with the author, but JESSE maintains an archival copy of the material as reviewed on its own server.

We have received the following submission for peer review:

Title
Authors
Institution
Web address of resource at author's institution or abstract of resource

Two or three sentences about the resource

Peer reviewing for JESSE takes place on-line using a specially designed web-based communication forum. Our emphasis is on promoting a constructive dialogue between reviewers and the authors in order to improve both the learning resource and its usefulness in the classroom. The Principal Editor, reviewers and authors mutually agree upon the acceptability of the resource for publication in JESSE. A summary of reviewer comments, with attribution, is published with the resource, and provision is made for a moderated discussion among readers and users about the resource once it has been published by JESSE. A traditional anonymous review of the resource will also be conducted in parallel to validate and ensure credibility of the open review approach.

We would like to conduct the review of this resource during a two to three week period commencing in XXXXXX (approximately YYY to ZZZ). There is some flexibility in this schedule if you are unavailable for the entire period. Reviewing for JESSE should take about the same amount of time as traditional reviewing methods, though we are still working out our procedures and the use of the review software in this early stage of JESSE. Your comments and suggestions about the PROCESS will also be very valuable.

Please let me know as soon as possible if you are able and willing to participate in the review process during this period. If so, I will contact you again with further instructions on our process and software, and a more precise reviewing schedule.

Best regards,

XXXX
Principal Editor, YYYYY
JESSE