Authors Guide

An International Journal

Reserarch on Crop Ecophysiology

Continuation of Journal of Research in Agricultural Science

 

ISSN: 2345- 4105

 

 

Aims and Scope

Journal of Research on Crop Ecophysiology (a continuation of Journal of Research in Agricultural Science) is the official journal of the Department of Agronomy – Islamic Azad University, Khorasgan (Isfahan) Branch and publishes peer-reviewed research in English in all fields of original scientific and technical research articles on ecological, physiological and ecophysiological aspects of plants growth and development. Studied Crops can include Cereals, Industrial crops, Pulse crops, Forage crops, etc. with an emphasis on all aspects of environmental factors and their effects on Crops. The journal is published two times per year (June and December).

Journal of Research on Crop Ecophysiology has no page charges.

 

Contact Information

For information on the scientific content of the journal, contact the Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Ali Soleymani, for questions about manuscript preparation and other information contact Mrs Behdad.

E-mail: roce.khuisf.ac.ir@gmail.com, roce@khuisf.ac.ir

Tel: +98 313 5354128

Fax: +98 313 5354038

 

Types of Articles

Journal of Research on Crop EcoPhysiology publishes the results of fundamental and applied research articles on ecological, physiological and ecophysiological aspects of plants growth and development. Studied Crops can include Cereals, Industrial crops, Pulse crops, Forage crops, etc. Submitted manuscripts shall provide new facts or confirmatory data. Papers dealing with experimental design, teaching, extension endeavors, or those of historical or biographical interest may also be appropriate. A limited number of review papers will be considered for publication if they contribute significant additional knowledge, or synthesis of knowledge, to a subject area. Papers that have been, or are scheduled to be, published elsewhere will not be accepted. Publication of a preliminary report, such as an abstract, does not preclude consideration of a complete report for publication as long as it has not been published in full in a proceedings or similar scientific publication; appropriate identification of previously published preliminary reports should be provided in a title page footnote. Opinions or views expressed in papers published by Research on Crop EcoPhysiology are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the opinion of the editor-in-chief.

 

Original Research Articles should report the results of original research. The material should not have been previously published elsewhere, except in a preliminary form. They should not occupy more than 12 Journal pages.

Review Articles should cover subjects falling within the scope of the journal which are of active current interest. Reviews will often be invited, but submitted reviews will also be considered for publication. All reviews will be subject to the same peer review process as applies for original papers. They should not occupy more than 12 Journal pages.

 

Short Communication is a concise but complete description of a limited investigation, which will not be included in a later paper. Short Communications may be submitted to the journal as such, or may result from a request to condense a regular paper, during the peer review process. They should not occupy more than 5 journal pages (approximately 10 manuscript pages) including figures, tables and references.

 

Technical Note is a report on a new method, technique or procedure falling within the scope of Research on Crop EcoPhysiology. It may involve a new algorithm, computer program (e.g. for statistical analysis or for simulation), or testing method for example. The Technical Note should be used for information that cannot adequately incorporated into an Original Research Article, but that is of sufficient value to be brought to the attention of the readers of Research on Crop EcoPhysiology. The note should describe the nature of the new method, technique or procedure and clarify how it differs from those currently in use if cannot be incorporated. They should not occupy more than 5 Journal pages.

 

Language

Papers must be written in English. The text and all supporting materials must use American or British, but not a mixture of these.

Authors whose primary language is not English are strongly encouraged to use an English-language service such as one of those listed below*:

Asia Science Editing: http://www.asiascienceediting.com/

Biomeditor: http://www.biomeditor.com

Bioscience Editing Solutions: http://scienceditors.com

BioScienceEditors: http://www.bioscienceeditors.com

BioScience Writers: http://www.biosciencewriters.com/

Editage: http://www.editage.com

Boston BioEdit: http://www.bostonbioedit.com/

English Manager Science Editing: http://www.sciencemanager.com

Elsevier's WebShop: http://webshop.elsevier.com/languageediting/

ESE - English Science Editing: http://www.english-science.com

Inter-Biotec: http://www.inter-biotec.com

International Science Editing: http://www.internationalscienceediting.com/

ScienceDocs: http://www.sciencedocs.com

Scriptoria: http://www.script-edit.com

SPI Publisher Services: http://www.prof-editing.com/index.php

SquirrelScribe.com: http://www.squirrelscribe.com/

Write Science Right: http://www.writescienceright.com/

*This is a partial list for informational purposes only. Journal of Research on Crop EcoPhysiology has not an interest in these services, and neither endorses nor takes responsibility for these services, which are commercial, for-profit entities.

In addition, use of any of these services does not guarantee the acceptability of a manuscript for publication.

 

Editorial Review and Acceptance

The acceptance criteria for all papers are the quality and originality of the research and its significance to our readership. Except where otherwise stated, manuscripts are peer reviewed by two anonymous reviewers and the Editor. Final acceptance or rejection rests with the Editorial Board, who reserves the right to refuse any material for publication.

Manuscripts should be written so that they are intelligible to the professional reader who is not a specialist in the particular field. They should be written in a clear, concise, direct style. Where contributions are judged as acceptable for publication on the basis of scientific content, the Editor and the Publisher reserve the right to modify typescripts to eliminate ambiguity and repetition and improve communication between author and reader. If extensive alterations are required, the manuscript will be returned to the author for revision.

 

Copyright Agreement

Upon acceptance of an article, authors will be asked to complete a 'Journal Publishing Agreement'. In signing the form it is assumed that authors have obtained permission to use any copyrighted or previously published material. All authors must read and agree to the conditions outlined in the form, and must sign the form. Articles cannot be published until a signed form has been received.

 

Submission of Manuscripts

Manuscripts should be submitted online http://journals.khuisf.ac.ir/roce or to roce @khuisf.ac.ir . Authors must supply an email address as all correspondence will be by email. Two files should be supplied: the covering letter and the manuscript (in Word format). All articles submitted to the Journal must comply with these instructions. Failure to do so will result in return of the manuscript and possible delay in publication.

 

Covering Letter

Papers are accepted for publication in the Journal on the understanding that the content has not been published or submitted for publication elsewhere. This must be stated in the covering letter. The covering letter must also contain an acknowledgment that all authors have contributed significantly, and that all authors are in agreement with the content of the manuscript. Authors must declare any financial support or relationships that may pose conflict of interest.

 

Preparing the Manuscript

General

Manuscripts should be typed double-spaced, with lines and pages numbered consecutively, using Times New Roman font at 12 points. All margins should be at least 30 mm. All special characters (e.g., Greek, math, symbols) should be inserted using the symbols palette available in this font. Equations created using the new Equation Builder feature in Microsoft Word 2007 may not be compatible with earlier versions of Word or other software used in our journal composition system. Tables and figures should be placed in separate sections at the end of the manuscript (not placed in the text). Failure to follow these instructions may result in an immediate rejection of the manuscript.

 

Headings.  Major Headings are centered (except ABSTRACT), all capitals, boldface, and consist of ABSTRACT, INTRODUCTION, MATERIALS AND METHODS, RESULTS AND DISCUSSION), ACKNOWLEDGMENTS (optional), and REFERENCES. First Subheadings are placed on a separate line, begin at the left margin, the first letter of all important words are capitalized, and the headings are boldface and italic. Text that follows a first subheading should be in a new paragraph. Second Subheadings begin the first line of a paragraph. They are indented, boldface, italic, and followed by a period. The first letter of each important word should be capitalized. The text follows immediately after the final period of the subheading.

 

Parts of the Manuscript

Manuscripts should be presented in the following order: title page, abstract and key words, introduction, materials and methods, results, discussion (or results and discussion), acknowledgments (optional), references, tables (each table complete with title and footnotes) and figures.

 

Title Page. The title page includes a running head or short title (not more than 45 characters, No abbreviations should be used); the title (boldface and capitalized, as brief as possible, including the species involved and numbers must be given in words rather than in numerals); names of authors (first name, last name; no title, positions, or degrees) and affiliation: Affiliations will be footnoted using the numbered. The corresponding author should be indicated with *, affiliation including the department, city, state and country (all with first letters capitalized).

 

Abstract. The Abstract consists of no more than 300 words, in one paragraph and it must summarize the major objectives, methods, results (with statistical evidence; i.e., p-values), conclusions, and practical applications of the research. The Abstract must consist of complete sentences and use of abbreviations should be limited. References to other work and footnotes are not permitted. The Abstract and Key Words must be on a separate sheet of paper.

 

Key  Words. List up to 6 key words or phrases including the species, variables tested, and the major response criteria. The first letter of each key word is lowercase (unless a proper noun); key words are separated by commas; and no abbreviations should be used.

 

Introduction. The Introduction, while brief, should provide the reader with information necessary for understanding research presented in the paper. Previous work on the topic should be summarized, and the objectives of the current research must be clearly stated.

 

Materials and Methods. All sources of products, equipments, and chemicals used in the experiments must be specified parenthetically at first mention in text, tables, and figures [i.e., (model 123, ABC Corp., Provo, UT)]. A clear description or specific original reference is required for all biological, analytical, and statistical procedures. Also, provide a publication reference for the methodology used in kits. Centrifugal force should be provided in × g, not rpm, and duration and temperature of centrifugation must be included. Include volume of blood collected, container used, and amount of preservative or anticoagulant (e.g., heparin).

Statistical analysis: Appropriate statistical methods should be used, although the biology should be emphasized. Statistical methods commonly used in the animal sciences need not be described in detail, but adequate references should be provided. The statistical model, classes, blocks, and experimental unit must be designated. Any restrictions used in estimating parameters should be defined. Reference to a statistical package without reporting the sources of variation (classes) and other salient features of the analysis, such as covariance or orthogonal contrasts, is not sufficient. A statement of the results of the statistical analysis should justify the interpretations and conclusions. The experimental unit is the smallest unit to which an individual treatment is imposed. Measurements on the same experimental unit over time also are not independent and should not be considered as independent experimental units. Provide a validation for assays [e.g., mean and CV for repeated analysis of a sample (both between and within-assay if available) and the sensitivity (minimum amount or concentration detectable)]. The pooled standard error of the mean is the preferred estimate of experimental error.

 

Results. The results are presented in the form of tables or figures when feasible. The text should explain or elaborate on the tabular data, but numbers should not be repeated within the text. Sufficient data, all with some index of variation attached (including significance level; i.e., p-value), should be presented to allow the reader to interpret the results of the experiment. Reporting the actual p-value is preferred to the use of the terms significant and highly significant. Thus, the observed significance level (e.g., p = 0.027) should be presented, thereby allowing the reader to decide what to reject.

 

Discussion. The discussion should interpret the results clearly and concisely in terms of biological mechanisms and significance and also should integrate the research findings with the body of previously published literature to provide the reader with a broad base on which to accept or reject the hypotheses tested. A stand-alone discussion section should not refer to any tables or figures, nor should it include p-values (unless citing a p-value from another work).

In Journal of Research on Crop EcoPhysiology authors have the option of combining the Results and Discussion into one section.

Acknowledgments. The source of financial grants and other funding must be acknowledged, including a frank declaration of the authors’ industrial links and affiliations. The contribution of colleagues or institutions should also be acknowledged. Personal thanks and thanks to anonymous reviewers are not appropriate.

References. The Harvard (author, date) system of referencing is used.

Citations in Text: All citations in the text should refer to the author's name (without initials, unless there is ambiguity) and the year of publication; Smith (1992), Smith and Jones (1992) or Smith and Jones (1990, 1992). If the sentence structure requires that the authors’ names be included in parentheses, the proper format is (Smith and Jones, 1982; Jones, 1988a,b; Jones et al., 1993). Where there are more than two authors of one article, the first author’s name is followed by “et al.” : Smith
et al. (1993). More than one article listed in the same sentence of text must be in chronological order first, and alphabetical order for two publications in the same year.

The author’s own unpublished work should be listed in the text as “(J. Smith, unpublished data).” Personal communications and unpublished data must not be included in the References section.

References section: To be listed in the References section, papers must be published or accepted for publication (“in press”). In the References section, references are listed alphabetically by the author(s)’ last name(s), and then chronologically. The year of publication follows the authors’ names. More than one reference from the same author(s) in the same year must be identified by the letters 'a', 'b', 'c', etc., placed after the year of publication. All authors’ names must appear in the References section.

Sample references are as follows:

 

1. Journal articles

Moore GN, Luoma SN. 1990. Hazardous wastes from large-scale metal extraction. Environment Science Technology, 24:1278–1285.

Sio-Se Marde A, Ahmadi A, Poustini K, Mohammadi V. 2006. Evaluation of drought resistance indices under various environmental conditions. Field Crop Research, 98:222-229.

 

2. Book

Novotny V, Chesters V. 1981. Handbook of Nonpoint Pollution: Sources and Management. Van Nostrand Reinhold Company, New York.

Nassiri Mahallati M, Koocheki A, Rezvani Moghaddam P, Beheshti A. 2001. Agroecology. Ferdowsi University of Mashhad Publicatioin. [In Persian].

 

3. Chapter in a book

Nooden LD. 1988. The phenomena of senescence and aging. In: Nooden LD, Leopald AC (eds), Senescence and Aging in Plants, pp. 1–50. Academic Press, San Diego, CA,USA.

 

4. Conference proceedings

Van der Werf JHJ. 1990. A note on the use of conditional models to estimate additive genetic variance in selected populations. Proceedings of the 4th World Congress on Genetics and Applied Livestock Production, Edinburgh, Scotland, pp: 476–479.

 

5. Electronic publication

Blum A. 2000. Mitigation of drought stress by crop management [homepage on the Internet]. Retrieved June 15, 2010.Available from URL: http://www.plant stress.com/Aricles/.

 

6. Patent

El Halawani ME, Rosenboim I. 2004. Method to enhance reproductive performance in poultry. University of Minnesota, Assignee, US Patent, No. 6,766,767.

 

Tables. Tables must be created using the MS Word table feature and inserted in the manuscript after the references section. Author-defined abbreviations must be defined (or redefined) in each table. When possible, tables should be organized to fit across the page without running broadside.  Each column must have a heading. Units should be separated from headings by a comma. Limit the data field to the minimum needed for meaningful comparison within the accuracy of the methods. In the body of the table, references to footnotes should be numerals. Each footnote should begin on a new line. To indicate significant differences among means within a row or column, superscript lowercase letters are used; the preferred statement in the footnotes is: “Within a row (or column), means without a common superscript differ (P < 0.05).” Do not use vertical lines and use few horizontal lines. Use of bold and italic typefaces in the table body should be done sparingly; such use must be defined in a footnote. Each table must be on a separate page.

 

Figure. Figures should be placed at the end of the manuscript and each figure should be placed on a separate page (separated by section breaks) and identified by the figure number. Figure captions should be typed double spaced on a separate page. The use of color in figures should be avoided unless it is essential to understanding the figure.

 

Additional Usage Notes

Units. All measurements must be given in SI units.

 

Scientific names. Upon its first use in the title, abstract and text, the common name of a species should be followed by the scientific name (Genus, species and authority) in parentheses. However, for well-known species, the scientific name may be omitted from the article title. If no common name exists in English, the scientific name should be used only.

 

Abbreviations. Author-derived abbreviations should be defined at first use in the abstract and again in the body of the manuscript. The following abbreviations should be used in Journal of Research on Crop Ecophysiology; plural abbreviations do not require a final “s”. Use of 3-letter abbreviations for amino acids (e.g., Ala) and use of standard abbreviations for elements (e.g., S).

 

Physical   units
Item	Unit	Item	Unit
cal	calorie	°C	degree Celsius
cM	centimorgan	Ci	curie
Eq	equivalent (only can be used with a prefix)	Da	dalton
ha	hectare	g	gram
IU	international unit	Hz	hertz
L	liter	J	joule
m	meter	lx	lux
mol	mole	M	molar (concentration; preferred over mol/L)
Pa	pascal	N	normal (concentration)
t	metric ton (1,000 kg)	rpm	revolutions/minute
W	watt	V	volt

 

 

 

Units of Time
Item	Unit	Item	Unit
s	second(s)	min	minute(s)
h	hour(s)	d	day(s)
wk	week(s)	mo	month(s)
yr	year(s)

 

 

Statistical symbols and abbreviations
Item	Term	Item	Term
ANOVA	analysis of variance	CV	coefficient of variation
df	degree(s) of freedom	LSD	least significant difference
n	sample size	P	probability
r	simple correlation coefficient	r2	simple coefficient of determination
R	multiple correlation coefficient	R2	multiple coefficient of determination
s2	variance (sample)	SD	standard deviation (sample)
SE	standard error	SED	standard error of the differences of means
SEM	standard error of the mean	α	probability of Type I error
β	probability of Type II error	μ	mean (population)
σ	standard deviation (population)	σ2	variance (population)
χ2	chi-squared distribution