Journal - Instructions for Authors

Journal of Aquatic Plant Management - Instructions for Authors

OPEN ACCESS

JAPM publishes all articles as Gold Open Access to allow authors reach large audiences. The publication fee is $1,100 regardless of article type or number of pages. Color figures or images are encouraged, and they will be included at no additional charge.


SUBMISSIONS

For publication consideration, manuscripts must meet the following scientific criteria:

  • Research must focus on aquatic plants (submerged, floating, and emergent), algae, or harmful algal blooms.
  • Inclusion of vertebrate or invertebrate organisms must be related aquatic plants or algae.
  • Research must be original, and hypothesis driven.
  • Manuscripts must provide a clear rationale for the study.
  • Field experiments should generally be replicated in time or space. However, fulfillment of this requirement may be rescinded by editors depending on the nature and scale of the study. For example, it may be impossible to replicate whole lake treatments due to costs and limnological differences that may confound results. In cases such as this, the authors are expected to clearly present their rationale for a lack of replication in time or space. Observational or survey studies must report unique phenomena, cases of new invasions, or innovative management techniques.
  • Experiments conducted under controlled conditions such as mesocosms must be replicated in time or space to ensure reproducibility. Manuscripts with single experimental runs will not be considered for review.
  • Manuscripts in which scientific misconduct including but not limited to reporting published data, plagiarism, data fabrication, will result in manuscript rejection and a ban of authors for publication in JAPM.
  • The use of artificial intelligence systems for manuscript preparation should be limited to review of language and basic draft preparation. All authors should thoroughly review manuscripts before submission, and manuscripts that are prematurely submitted without grammar and spelling checks will be returned without review.


Manuscripts are submitted electronically through the online submission site: http://www.editorialmanager.com/japm/default.asp. If you have questions regarding electronic submission, please contact the Editor at [email protected].


Manuscripts must be received at least four months before publication date to be included in a particular issue. Manuscripts received too late will be carried over to the next. However, online publication will be done as soon as the edition process is complete, and articles have a DOI number.


MANUSCRIPT REVIEW


ARTICLES PUBLISHED AS FULL-LENGTH PAPERS

Two or more reviewers selected by the Editor will review all full-length manuscripts. Reviewers are knowledgeable of the subject matter of the manuscript. Each submission may also be assigned to an Associate Editor.


ARTICLES PUBLISHED AS NOTES

Short communications or reports of two to three printed pages, usually with one table or figure, are considered as Notes in the Journal. Notes must have a short abstract not exceeding 100 words and have only brief, but pertinent introduction and literature cited sections. Submit Notes to the Editor in a manner similar to full-length papers. Depending upon the subject matter, Notes are usually reviewed by the Editor and one other qualified individual.


TECHNOLOGY APPLICATION COMMENTARIES

Manuscripts that present descriptive information about unique emerging management issues, new potential control measures, and policy and regulatory topics will be considered for publication on a case-by-case basis by the editorial board. In this category, manuscripts should be half to one page in length and have less than 1000 words. A single small table or figure may be included, but the printed space they cover will be deducted from the text space. Commentaries must be written in a manner that it is clear to a broad audience and should limit scientific jargon to strictly necessary cases.

Authors will be notified upon receipt of the manuscript. Manuscripts conforming to correct style and format are sent for review by two knowledgeable, skilled reviewers. Reviewers are asked to critically evaluate manuscripts as: Publish in present form; Publish after minor revisions; Publish after major revisions; Resubmit for review after revisions; Not acceptable for publication; or Consider publishing in another Journal.


FORMAT FOR MANUSCRIPTS

Manuscripts are to be prepared in English, with 12-pt Times New Roman font, printed on one side of 8.5” (22 cm) by 11” (28 cm) paper (e.g., either letter size, or A4) with 1” (2.5 cm) margins on all sides.

Number all pages in the upper right corner. Do not right justify the text.

Double space all text including tables, legends, captions, literature cited, and footnotes.

Indent each paragraph 4 spaces.

Number the lines on each page to facilitate the review process. Begin with line number 1 on the first page and continue the sequence throughout the remainder of the manuscript.

Use active voice and first person whenever appropriate with precision, clarity, and economy. The CBE Style Manual is the appropriate authority for all aspects of writing and publishing in the JAPM.

Assemble full-length manuscripts in the following order: Title, Author(s), Abstract (300 words limit), Key Words, Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results and Discussion, Sources of Mate- rials, Acknowledgements, Literature Cited, Tables, Figure Legends, and Figures. Results and Discussion should be combined into a single section.

Assemble note manuscripts in the following order: Title, Author(s), Abstract (100 words limit), Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results and Discussion, Sources of Materials, Acknowledgments, Literature Cited (no more than 15 references), and Table or Figure Legend and Figure. Only one table or one figure allowed for a note.

Manuscripts that depart significantly from this preparation guide will be returned without review.


MANUSCRIPT STRUCTURE

Title: Make the title as short and informative as possible, preferably 10 words or less, centered at the top of the first page. Where possible, use common names of plants and generic names of herbicides. Do not use a separate title page. Follow the title with the authors’’ names and then immediately begin the abstract.

Author(s): Provide the full name of each author (first, mid- dle initial [optional], and last).

Place the names of the authors centered two lines below the title and indicate a footnote with an asterisk. Use of one given name and initial for each author is encouraged. In the footnote, give the institution or institutions where the study was conducted, followed by the institutional address. Spell out names of institutions in full. E-mail address of the cor- responding author should be included. Also include the full job titles of the authors at the institution or agency. Current addresses should be listed at the end. An example of an au- thor address footnote follows:

*First, third, and fourth authors: Graduate Student, Assistant Professor, and Professor, Department of Plant Sciences, University, City, FL 32653; Second author: Professor, Department of Natural Resources, University, P.O. Box 11111, City, NY 14853. Current address of third author: Associate Professor, Department of Horticultural Science, University, City, NC 27695. Corresponding author’s E-mail: [email protected]. Received for publication and in revised form .

Abstract: Using no more than 250 words in one paragraph, succinctly state the essence of the contribution. Summary or conclusions sections following the discussion are unnecessary with an appropriate abstract. The abstract should be understandable and complete without reference to the manuscript itself.

Key Words: Following the abstract, indent five spaces and italicize the Key Word section followed by a list of four to six descriptive words not contained in the title, but useful to abstracting services in describing the subject matter of the manuscript. Do not italicize the descriptive words. If a plant common name is included in the title, then list the scientific name in the key word list. Likewise, include the chemical name for herbicides.

Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results and Discussion: Must be readable, clear, and concise to be considered for publication. Avoid footnotes unless necessary. Use headings and subheadings sparingly and with discretion. Results and Discussion should be a single section.

Sources of Materials: The Sources of Materials section ap- pears right before Acknowledgments or Literature Cited. Type “Sources of Materials” in bold, centered. Indicate sources of materials in the text using a superscript Arabic numeral. In the Sources of Materials section, type a superscript numeral followed by a trade name or brief description, a model number (if applicable), and the name of the company. The company’s address should also be included.

Acknowledgements: In this section authors must specify the funding sources for the study. Also, authors must declare any conflict of interest that exist. Otherwise, this sentence must be included “The authors declare no conflict of interest”. This section may be used for expressing appreciation to individuals, organizations, or agencies helpful to research project.

Literature Cited: Authors are responsible for the accuracy of their references. List only published papers, books, or those “in press”. Such things as personal communications, unpublished information, etc. should be used sparingly and included in the text in parentheses or as footnotes. Citing references in the text should follow rules established in the CBE Style Manual. A few examples follow:

  • One author citation: Fox (1976) or (Fox 1976)
  • Two authors: Fox and Haller (1976) or (Fox and Haller 1976)
  • Three or more authors: Sytsma et al. (1950) or (Sytsma et al. 1950)


If the author(s) and the year are identical for more than one reference, insert lower case letters (in alphabetical succession) after the year:

  • Anderson (1976a) or (Anderson 1976a)
  • Anderson (1976b) or (Anderson 1976b)


Separate multiple citations with a comma:

  • Kay (1980a,b) or (Kay 1990, Spencer and Anderson 1996, Getsinger et al. 1997)


List references first in alphabetical and second in chronological order according to the rules outlined in the CBE Style Manual. The JAPM uses the “Name and Year” or “Harvard System” of reference. Do not number the references when cited, or in the literature cited section.

Examples of citations are as follows:

Journal Articles:

Gleason HA. 1926. The individualistic concept of the plant association. Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 34:1-20.

Bell DT, Muller CH. 1973. Dominance of California annual grasslands by Brassica nigra. Am. Midl. Nat. 90:277-299. Bowes GA, Holaday AS, Haller WT. 1979. Seasonal variation in the biomass, tuber density, and photosynthetic metabolism of hydrilla in three Florida lakes. J. Aquat. Plant Manage. 17:61-65.

Book:

Kirk JTO. 1983. Light and photosynthesis in aquatic eco- systems. Cambridge Univ. Press, Cambridge. 401 pp.

Article in an edited volume:

Westlake DF. 1969. Sampling techniques and methods for estimating quantity and quality of biomass. Macrophytes, pp. 25-40. In: R. A. Vollenweider (ed.). IBP Handbook No 12: A manual on methods for measuring primary production in aquatic environments. Blackwell Scientific Publications, Ox- ford.

Report:

Kantrud HA. 1990. Sago pondweed (Potamogeton pectinatus L.): A literature review. US Fish Wildl. Serv., Resourc. Publ. 176. 89 pp.


All tables and figures must be placed after the Literature Cited List.

Tables: One per page, numbered with Arabic numerals in order of reference in the text. Legends should contain complete sentences descriptive of table contents. Tabular data needs to be statistically analyzed where appropriate.

Captions for Figures: Written on a separate page entitled List of Figures. Type figure number(s) and legend(s) exactly as it (they) should appear in print.

Figures: Submit each figure on a separate sheet as high-quality computer output, glossy prints (8” [20cm] by 10” [25cm]), or original India ink line drawings. Lettering must be professional quality with fonts of sufficient size so that if the figure is reduced, lettering will be readable. Do not send color prints for black and white reproductions as contrast is usually of poor quality. Allow a 1” margin around the entire edge of the figure. On the back of each print or drawing write lightly in pencil the figure number and author(s)’s name.

Units for Measurements: Report all measurements in SI or SI-derived units (see CSE Manual), and English units may be included in parentheses if necessary.  Use Arabic numerals for all numbers with two or more digits, and for all measurements of time, weight, degrees, etc. except when the number is the first word of a sentence. Spell out numbers of less than 10 that are not measurements unless in a series in which one number has two or more digits. Write 50 by 30 rather than 50 x 30, and 2 to 4 rather than 2-4. Do not report non-significant decimal places. Use exponents rather than a slash (/) or dot (·) in reporting units of measure. e.g., kg ha-1 and μmol m-2 s-1, not kg/ha or μmol/ m2-2 · s-1-1

Replication and Statistical Analyses: Research involving aquatic plants and aquatic plant management frequently requires flexible experimental approaches. However, experiments should have adequate treatment replication and trial repetition for the specific experimental design used. All data should be subjected to appropriate statistical analyses and results of the analyses should be presented with the data.

Abbreviations: Unless commonly used in scientific publications (i.e. JAPM) do not use without adequate definition. Do not place a period after abbreviations in the text unless its omission might be confusing.

Plant and Animal Names: At the first mention of a plant or animal in either the abstract or text, give its common name followed in parentheses by the complete, correct scientific name and authority, e.g. Eurasian watermilfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum L.), then use common names thereafter. Plant scientific names can be checked at the Tropicos Database (https://www.tropicos.org/home)

Chemical Names: At the first mention of a chemical name in the Abstract or text, give the complete common name followed in parentheses by the chemical name, e.g. 2,4-D (2,4-dichlorophenoxy acetic acid). For herbicides with approved common names through the Weed Science Society of America, it is not necessary to list the complete chemical name (Table 1).  Use the common name throughout text. For herbicides with common names approved by the Weed Science Society of America, listing the full chemical name is optional. A complete list of herbicide names may be found here: https://wssa.net/wssa/weed/herbicides/. Reference all pesticide concentrations as “active ingredients” and identify exact formulation used.

Trade Names: Use trade names in the text only if necessary to describe materials or methods. Include appropriate trademark symbols (i.e. registered trademark [®]) with trade names.


Reprints are available for a nominal fee. The Editor will provide a list of reprint charges and estimated page charges at the time page proofs are sent to authors. Editor will send invoices for page and reprint charges to senior author unless directed otherwise.


AUTHOR CHECKLIST

  1. Style and format correct – Review recent issues of the Journal.
  2. Entire manuscript double spaced. Do not right justify right margin.
  3. Line numbers on all pages beginning with 1 on page 1.
  4. Assembled in correct sequence.
  5. Title concise and indicative of text in the manuscript.
  6. Author(s) name(s).
  7. Addresses properly footnoted with publication statement.
  8. Abstract – succinctly written, and understandable with- out reference to the manuscript itself.
  9. Key words – do not use same words as in the Title.
  10. Text understandably organized and written.
  11. Common and scientific names of plants and animals, chemical names, units of measurement, numbers, and abbreviations handled correctly.
  12. Literature citations accurate and match those included in the text.
  13. One Table per page.
  14. Table Legends properly done.
  15. Data statistically analyzed; presented clearly, concisely.
  16. Figures: One per page.


For additional publication information contact:

Ramon G. Leon
North Carolina State University
Box 7620, Williams Hall
Raleigh, NC 27695

Phone: (919) 515-5328
Fax: (919) 515-5315
E-mail: [email protected]

Table 1. Common names and Weed Science Society of America approved chemical names for selected aquatic herbicides.
2,4-D(2,4-dichlorophenoxy)acetic acid
CarfentrazoneX,2-dichloro-5-[4-(difluromethyl)-4,5-dihydro-3-methyl-5-oxo-1H-1,2,4-triazol-1-yl]-4-fluorobenzenepropanic acid
Diquat6,7-dihydrodipyrido[1,2-α:2′,1′-c]pyrazinediium ion
Endothall7-oxabicyclo[2.2.1]heptane-2,3-dicarboxylic acid
Fluridone1-methyl-3-phenyl-5-[3-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]-4(1H)-pyridinone
GlyphosateN-(phosphonomethyl)glycine
Imazamox2-[4,5-dihydro-4-methyl-4-(1-methylethyl)-5-oxo-1H-imidazol-2-yl]-5-(methoxymethyl)-3-pyridinecarboxylic acid
Imazapyr(±)-2-[4,5-dihydro-4-methyl-4-(1-methylethyl)-5-oxo-1H-imidazol-2-yl]-3-pyridinecarboxylic acid
Penoxsulam2-(2,2-difluoreethoxy)-N-(5,8-dimethoxy[1,2,4]triazolo[1,5-c]pyrimidin-2-yl)-6-(trifluoromethyl)benzenesulfonamide
Triclopyr[(3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinyl)oxy]acetic acid