author instruction jie

Journal of Island Ecology Instruction to Authors

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INSTRUCTION TO AUTHORSScopeJournal of Island Ecology publishes scientific articles that link biodiversity and ecology of Islands,and that apply biological and ecological knowledge to the management and conservation of IslandBiodiversity.Special Attention to AuthorsPlease pay careful attention to all instructions provided here while preparing your manuscript.Manuscripts not in accordance with Journal of Island Ecology rules will be sent back to authorswithout review. Hence, authors are requested to strictly follow the submission guidelines for quickerpublication of your valuable manuscripts. Any query regarding the preparation of manuscript can beaddressed to the Editor-in-Chief ([email protected]).PolicyManuscript submitted to this Journal should not have been published or under consideration forpublication anywhere else. Submission of manuscript should be approved by all the authors involved.It is authors duty to obtain necessary permission from the collaborative / parent institution before thesubmission of article. Authors are also requested to check their manuscripts for Plagiarism beforesubmission.

LanguageManuscript must be written in American or British English, but be consistent in whatever form isused. If the author is not a native speaker, it is strongly recommend having the manuscript edited by anative English speaker or a professional translator before submission. Please, keep in mind that wellwritten manuscripts usually go through review process faster. Submissions containing poor grammarmay experience long delays before publication.FormattingThe manuscript must be submitted electronically as a Word document (.doc, .docx) or Rich TextFormat (.rtf), double-spaced throughout (including tables and references). Use A4 (21.0 x 29.7 cm)for the document size, leaving 2.0 cm margins on all sides. Please use Times New Roman, 12 point.Insert tables using Word's Table feature; do not format table lines. All pages should be numberedconsecutively given in bottom right/top right. Please ensure the text of your paper has consecutive linenumbering - this is an essential peer review requirement.Unit of Measurement:Manuscript should follow International System (SI) of UnitsMANUSCRIPT PREPARATION FORMATManuscript typeFour different categories of manuscripts namely research article, review article, researchcommunication and research note are considered for publication in Journal of Island Ecology.Title Page (Is Common to all categories)The title page of each manuscript should contain the following details

Title of the Manuscript Manuscript type Full name of the Authors Full mailing address of the authors with email address Corresponding Author


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Research ArticleResearch articles report research results of major significance. It should include abstract, introduction,materials and methods, results, discussion and conclusion. There is no page or illustration limits areapplied to this section. However, it is the author(s) own discretion to have appropriate number ofpages and illustrations considering the limitations in the free access and processing of the article. Thebelow information should be followed while preparing a research article.AbstractThe abstract should not exceed 400 words and citation free. Abstract may be structured to

Background/Introduction Materials and Methods Results and Discussion Conclusion

Keywords4 to 6 Keywords explaining the article should be givenManuscript StructureAbstractA concise and factual abstract is required (not longer than 400 words). The abstract should statebriefly the purpose of the research, materials and methods followed, the principal results and majorconclusions. An abstract is often presented separately from the article, so it must be able to standalone. For this reason, References should be avoided, but if essential, then cite the author(s) andyear(s). Also, non-standard or uncommon abbreviations should be avoided, but if essential they mustbe defined at their first mention in the abstract itself.KeywordsImmediately after the abstract, provide a maximum of 6 keywords. Kindly avoid general and pluralterms and multiple concepts (avoid, for example, 'and', 'of'). Be sparing with abbreviations: onlyabbreviations firmly established in the field may be eligible. These keywords will be used forindexing purposes.AbbreviationsDefine abbreviations that are not standard in this field in a footnote to be placed on the first page ofthe article. Such abbreviations that are unavoidable in the abstract must be defined at their firstmention there, as well as in the footnote. Ensure consistency of abbreviations throughout the article.1. IntroductionState the objectives of the work and provide an adequate background, avoiding a detailed literaturesurvey or a summary of the results.2. Materials and methodsProvide sufficient detail to allow the work to be reproduced. Methods already published should beindicated by a reference: only relevant modifications should be described. Statistical methods/software used to prepare graphical representation or figures can be mentioned. Geographical locationand a brief description of the study area can be mentioned with the GPS coordinates and a clear map.3. ResultsResults should be clear and concise and should not include references unless very important.4. DiscussionExplain the significance of the results precisely, not repeat them. A combined Results and Discussionsection is often appropriate. Avoid extensive citations and discussion of published literature.


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5. ConclusionsThe main findings of the study may be summarised in a short Conclusions section, which may standalone or form a subsection of a Discussion or Results and Discussion section.The subheadings under each section can be numbered sequentially (i.e. 1, 1.1, 1.2, 1.3 or 2, 2.1, 2.2,2.3 etc...).AcknowledgementsCollate acknowledgements in a separate section at the end of the article before the references and donot, therefore, include them on the title page, as a footnote to the title or otherwise. You may list herethose individuals who provided help during the research (e.g., funding, field data collection, providinglanguage help, writing assistance or proof reading the article, etc.).Author contribution statementThe contribution of each author should be explicitly stated. For example, "NP collected the data, NP,DE and JB wrote the text, and NP made the analysis".ReferencesCitation in text: References should be numbered consecutively and included in the text using thesuperscript option at appropriate places (Eg. The tropical forests in the Islands are among the speciesrich ecosystem[1,2,3] that are critical for the survival of many endemic species.[4,5]). It is authorsresponsibility to ensure that all the information cited from the references is precise and properlymentioned in the text using the same numbers. Kindly avoid using grey literature (unpublishedinformation such as project report, thesis, conference proceedings, etc.) that may not be accessedonline. If strictly necessary, appropriateness of these types of documents will be considered on a case-by-case basis by the Subject Editor and referees.Journal articles with usual volume and issue number:Single author:

1. Woodroffe, C.D. 1988. Relict mangrove stand on a Last Interglacial terrace, Christmas Island,Indian Ocean. Journal of Tropical Ecology, 4: 117.

Two authors2. Nehru, P., Balasubramanian, P. 2014. Rate of vegetation change in the tsunami impacted

littoral forests of Nicobar Islands, India. Forest Ecology and Management, 313 (2): 243253.Multiple authors

3. Hayasaka, D., Shimada, N., Konno, H., Sudayama, H., Kawanishi, M., Uchida, T., Goka, K.2012. Floristic variation of beach vegetation caused by the 2011 Tohoku-oki tsunami innorthern Tohoku, Japan. Ecological Engineering, 44, 227232.

Books and Other MonographsBook

4. Tomlinson, P.B. 1986. The Botany of Mangroves. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge,UK. pp. 418.

Chapter in a book5. Sankaran, R. 2005. Impact of the earthquake and the tsunami on the Nicobar Islands. In:

Kaul, R., Menon, V. (Eds.), The Ground Beneath the Waves, Vol. 2. The Islands. WildlifeTrust of India, New Delhi, pp. 1077.

Dissertation6. Jacob, P., 2012. Analysis on the mammal diversity of tropical Islands. PhD thesis, National

University of China, China. pp. 152.Project report

7. Andrew, P., Lee, B., et al., 2012. Monitoring the Ecosystem Recovery after the eradication ofinvasive species in Bombuka Island, Thailand. Technical report, Center for BiodiversityResearch, Ministry of Environment and Forest, Thailand. pp. 180.

Web references


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8. As a minimum, the full URL should be given and the date when the reference was lastaccessed. Any further information, if known (DOI, author names, dates, reference to a sourcepublication, etc.), should also be given.

AppendicesIf there is more than one appendix, they should be identified as A, B, etc. Formulae and equations inappendices should be given separate numbering: Eq. (A.1), Eq. (A.2), etc.; in a subsequent appendix,Eq. (B.1) and so on. Similarly for tables and figures: Table A.1; Fig. A.1, etc.Tables and FiguresFigures and tables should not be submitted in separate files. Tables and figures should be includedat the end of the text of the manuscript, named or labelled properly and should be cited consecutivelyin the text (eg. A total of 110 bird species are recorded (Appendix 1) from the studied Islands (Table1) of Indian Ocean. However, the species accumulation curve (Fig. 1) did not reach the asymptote.)Every table should have a descriptive title and measurements should be included in the columnheading. Vertical rules should be avoided. Foot notes should be mentioned clearly if any. Insert tableoption (In MS Word) should be used for preparing the table. Similarly, the figures should contain anappropriate legend at the bottom.High resolution figures (TIFF, GIF, JPEG, PNG formats) of not less than 300 dpi should be submittedat the end of review process if the article is accepted for publication. Source of the files or figuresshould be mentioned clearly with copyright permissions, if acquired. Drawings using softwares suchas (Illustrator, EPS, WMF, FreeHand, CorelDraw, PowerPoint, Excel, etc.) can also be submitted.Every figure should have a concise legend on the bottom. Photographic credit can be included at theend the legend within parenthesis eg. (Photo by Dominic).

Research communicationThis part contain important new findings that are novel and of fairly broad interest. They shouldinclude a brief abstract and an introductory paragraph. Text should not be broken up under subheads. Abstract

Limited to 200 words and should be structured asa. Backgroundb. Case Descriptionc. Literature Review

Manuscripta. Limited to 1500 words excluding references.b. Maximum of 15 references can be included.c. Should be structured as

Introduction Case Report Discussion Acknowledgements Author contribution References Tables and figures. Appendix

Kindly follow the instructions provided in the research article column for other details.Review articleThe most useful reviews go beyond summarizing the literature and focus on synthesizing key insightsthat will be most useful to readers. Authors are encouraged to discuss potential review topics with theJournal editor. There is no page or illustration limits are applied to this section. However, it is the


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authors own discretion to have appropriate number of pages and illustrations considering thelimitations in the free access and processing of the article. The below instructions should beconsidered while preparing a review article. Systemic critical assessments of literature and data sources are welcome. Abstract is limited to 250 words Content may be systematically divided under suitable subheadings. There is no intended page

limit for the review articles. However, the authors are encouraged to be as precise as possible. Include the method (literature search) in abstract as well as in the introduction section. Kindly follow instructions given in the research article column for other details.Research Note (Not exceeding 800 words and one Figure)Significant observations, case studies on Island conservation, and any interesting novel approaches onisland biodiversity research can be published with appropriate illustration. This section may serve torapidly communicate important new findings.RefereesAuthors are required to identify four persons who are qualified to serve as reviewers (Not applicablefor research notes category). Authors are requested not to suggest reviewers with whom they have apersonal or professional relationship, especially if that relationship would prevent the reviewer fromhaving an unbiased opinion of the work of the authors. Therefore, we are encouraging the authors toidentify subject experts from different countries, who may potentially serve as a reviewer for yourarticle. A working e-mail address of each reviewer is essential for rapid review in the event thatreviewer is selected from those that are identified by the authors. You may also mention reviewersyou do not want to review your manuscript, but please state your reason for doing so. The selection ofreviewer is solely based on the discretion of the editors.Animal Experimentation StudiesAll the experiments involving animals should follow CPCSEA guidelines. Producing CPCSEAapproval number in the publications is mandatory.EthicsFollowing ethical guidelines is mandatory in case of experiments involving human and animalsubjects. All experimentation work involving humans must be conducted in accordance with the

Declaration of Helsinki (1964) Prior informed consent and ethical committee approval must be obtained for experimental work

on human subjects involving harmful or risk prone procedures. Authors should provide a description of anaesthetic / surgical procedures that were used &

evidence of possible steps taken to avoid suffering of the animal during experiments.Documents to be submitted, if requiredThe authors are requested to submit appropriate documents for the following criteria

Clearance for using Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs). Clearance for using radioactive materials. Authentication for plants or animals (i.e. Voucher specimen details). Clearance from any responsible notional body (Eg. National Biodiversity Authority of India),

if marine organisms are used.

Submission of ManuscriptOnline submission of the manuscript facilitates rapid publication and reduces administrative costs;hence authors are encouraged to use the Manuscript Submission System for submitting their articles.If there is any problem with the online submission, the authors are advised to submit the manuscript


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directly to [email protected]. There is no page limit to the manuscript. Copyright form should besubmitted while submitting the manuscript in order to support quick peer review process andpublication. Manuscript Number will be allocated and will be intimated through an E-mail to thecorresponding author. Only an acknowledgement from the editorial office established the date ofreceipt.Manuscript submission check list

1. Cover letter (indicate the type of article, details including name, address, telephone/faxnumbers and e-mail address of the corresponding author)

2. Referee list (Provide complete corresponding address and a working e-mail address of fourpotential reviewers and a small description of not more than 250 characters or three linesabout the referee on why you think he/she may be the suitable person to review your article).

3. Manuscript (a single word file containing the whole article including Title page, Abstract,Manuscript, Tables, Figures, Appendices).

4. Duly filled-in Copyright form.All further correspondences and proof of manuscript will be through the Corresponding Author alone.Hence we request you to provide correct information of the corresponding author. All queries relatingto the publication process can be written to [email protected] ProcessManuscripts submitted are subject to peer-review process in order to meet the academic andpublication standards. Our subject editors and the Editor-in-Chief will evaluate each submittedmanuscript to verify if they meet the least publishable unit criterion. Manuscripts that do not meet thiscriterion will be returned to the author without external review. If the editor is satisfied with thearticles content and scientific credibilitys then the manuscript will be forwarded to a minimum oftwo subject experts for peer-review. The identity of the reviewers will remain anonymous.Article Processing Charges (APC)Journal of Island Ecology publishes peer-reviewed scholarly articles with immediate access to the fulltext of articles in PDF format. We do not levy article processing charges for submission, processingor publication.

Submission/Publication fee NilReprint Charges Optional, Not complementary

We follow a Platinum open access model of publication. Platinum model of publication enablesthe publisher to waive Article Processing Charge (APC) levied from the authors and the articles areavailable online once published.However reprint and print charges for all the journals are levied. Other Journals of Nucleus can levyArticle Processing Charges (APC). For further information please use the search facility.CopyrightAn Open Access publisher retains the copyright of their papers, and all open access articles aredistributed under the terms of the Attribution-Non Commercial-NoDerivs 2.5 India and CreativeCommons Attribution License 4.0, which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction inany medium, provided that the original work is properly cited.While the advice and information in this journal are believed to be true and accurate on the date of itsgoing to press, neither the authors, the editors, nor the publisher can accept any legal responsibility forany errors or omissions that may be made. The publisher makes no warranty, express or implied, withrespect to the material contained herein.