Guideline

Guide to Authors

Introductrion

Publication policy

Papers submitted for publication in the Quarterly Journal should describe the results of new research in the Agriculture and Allied Sciences. Comprehensive review articles, short articles describing minor investigations on published papers may also be considered.

Papers accepted for the Quarterly Journal must contain original research results and have sufficient generality to attract reasonably wide interest in the meteorological community. Documentation of the results of research activities which lack deeper scientific analysis and fail to provide new insight, will not be considered. In some cases the Editors may recommend that a submitted paper will be of more interest to the readership of one of the Journal’s sister publications of the Mahima Research Foundation and Social Welfare and will recommend resubmission to that journal. In particular, papers documenting agriculture and allied sciences data analysis may be considered to be more suitable for the Indian Journal of Agriculture and Allied Sciences.

While it is committed to only publish the results of original research, the Quarterly Journal also welcomes papers describing the outcomes of major research programmes, where the documentation of these outcomes is valuable to a large section of the meteorological community. Such papers include the documentation and first results of major collaborative field campaigns or significant community modelling efforts. In considering such papers, the Editors will take into account the breadth of interest among the journal’s readership, and the expected long-term legacy of the paper’s content.

Review papers should cover scientific areas in which there have been diverse recent developments, and where there is therefore a need for a synthesis of complex or competing ideas. Authors are advised to consult with the Editors at an early stage before writing or submitting a review paper.

Review Policy

A peer review system involving two or three reviewers is used to ensure high quality of manuscripts accepted for publication. The Managing Editor and Editors have the right to decline formal review of a manuscript when it is deemed that the manuscript is

  • On a topic outside the scope of the Journal.
  • Lacking technical merit.
  • Focused on Agriculture and Allied Science or processes that is of narrow regional scope and significance.
  • Fragmentary and providing marginally incremental results.
  • Is poorly written.

Peer review

This journal operates a single blind review process. All contributions will be initially assessed by the editor for suitability for the journal. Papers deemed suitable are then typically sent to a minimum of two independent expert reviewers in the field to assess the scientific quality of the paper. The Editor is responsible for the final decision regarding acceptance or rejection of articles.

Submission declaration and verification

Submission of an article implies that the work described has not been published previously (except in the form of an abstract or as part of a published lecture or academic thesis or as an electronic preprint, see 'Multiple, redundant or concurrent publication' section of our ethics policy for more information), that it is not under consideration for publication elsewhere, that its publication is approved by all authors and tacitly or explicitly by the responsible authorities where the work was carried out, and that, if accepted, it will not be published elsewhere in the same form, in English language, including electronically without the written consent of the copyright-holder. To verify originality, the article may be checked by the originality detection service.

Submission

Our online submission system guides you stepwise through the process of entering your article details and uploading your files. The system converts your article files to a single PDF file used in the peer-review process. Editable files (e.g. MS-Word) are required to typeset your article for final publication. All correspondence, including notification of the Editor's decision and requests for revision, is sent by e-mail. Authors must provide and use an email address unique to themselves and not shared with another author registered in EES, or a department.

Ten essential rules to ensure your manuscript is handled promptly

  • The manuscript fits the Aims and Scope of the journal
  • Manuscript is in accordance with ARTICLE TYPE - GUIDELINES
  • The text is written in good English. Authors who feel their manuscript may require editing to conform to correct scientific English may wish to use an English Language Editing service such as the one available from IJAAS.
  • Manuscript text is divided into numbered sections; line and page numbers are added and text is double spaced
  • An ethical statement is required for experiments involving humans or animals
  • Conflict of interest statement is included at the end of the manuscript
  • The number of figures and tables combined does not exceed a total of 6; additional tables and figures can be submitted as supplementary material.
  • All relevant references should be provided in the Reference list.
  • Cover letter is prepared, introducing your article and explaining the novelty of the research
  • Highlights are prepared (a birds' eye view of your article in 3-5 points, 85 characters each)

Type of Paper

Original research papers; review articles; rapid communications; short communications; viewpoints; letters to the Editor; book reviews.

  • Research papers - original full-length research papers which have not been published previously, except in a preliminary form, and should not exceed 5000 words (including allowance for no more than 6 tables and illustrations). Research papers should not contain more than 30 references.
  • Review articles - will be accepted in areas of topical interest, will normally focus on literature published over the previous five years, and should not exceed 7,000 words (including allowance for no more than 6 tables and illustrations). Review articles should not contain more than 50 references). If it is felt absolutely necessary to exceed this number, please contact the editorial office for advice before submission.
  • Rapid communications - an original research paper reporting a major scientific result or finding with significant implications for the research community, designated by the Editor.
  • Short communications - Short communications of up to 2000 words, describing work that may be of a preliminary nature but which merits immediate publication. These papers should not contain more than 20 references.
  • Viewpoints - Authors may submit viewpoints of about 1200 words on any subject covered by the Aims and Scope.
  • Letters to the Editor - Letters are published from time to time on matters of topical interest.
  • Book reviews

Conflict of Interest

All authors are requested to disclose any actual or potential conflict of interest including any financial, personal or other relationships with other people or organizations within three years of beginning the submitted work that could inappropriately influence, or be perceived to influence, their work. Further information and an example of a Conflict of Interest form can be found at: Conflict of Interest Form

Copyright : This journal offers authors a choice in publishing their research: Open access and Subscription.

For subscription articles : Upon acceptance of an article, authors will be asked to complete a 'Journal Publishing Agreement' (for more information on this and copyright, see Undertaking & Copyright Form). An e-mail will be sent to the corresponding author confirming receipt of the manuscript together with a 'Journal Publishing Agreement' form or a link to the online version of this agreement.

Submission: Our online submission system guides you stepwise through the process of entering your article details and uploading your files. Editable files (e.g., Word) are required to typeset your article for final publication. All correspondence, including notification of the Editor's decision and requests for revision, is sent by e-mail.

Presentation

Use of word processing software

General: Manuscripts must be typewritten, double-spaced with wide margins on one side of white paper. Each page must be numbered, and lines must be consecutively numbered from the start to the end of the manuscript. Good quality printouts with a font size of 12 or 10 pt are required. The corresponding author should be identified (include a Fax number and E-mail address). Full postal addresses must be given for all co-authors. Authors should consult a recent issue of the journal for style if possible. An electronic copy of the paper should accompany the final version. The Editors reserve the right to adjust style to certain standards of uniformity. Authors should retain a copy of their manuscript since we cannot accept responsibility for damage or loss of papers. Original manuscripts are discarded one month after publication unless the Publisher is asked to return original material after use.

Article Structure

Follow this order when typing manuscripts: Title, Authors, Affiliations, Abstract, Keywords, Main text, Acknowledgements, Appendix, References, Vitae, Figure Captions and then Tables. Please import the Figures or Tables into your text. The corresponding author should be identified with an asterisk and footnote. All other footnotes (except for table footnotes) should be identified with superscript Arabic numbers. The title of the paper should unambiguously reflect its contents. Where the title exceeds 70 characters a suggestion for an abbreviated running title should be given.

Abstract : A concise and factual abstract is required. The abstract should state briefly the purpose of the research, the principal results and major conclusions. An abstract is often presented separately from the article, so it must be able to stand alone. For this reason, References should be avoided, but if essential, then cite the author(s) and year(s). Also, non-standard or uncommon abbreviations should be avoided, but if essential they must be defined at their first mention in the abstract itself. The abstract should not exceed 150 words.

Introduction : This section is meant to introduce the subject of the paper. Introduction should be short, concise and indicate the objectives and scope of the investigation. To orient readers, give a brief reference to previous concepts and research. Limit literature references to essential information. When new references are available, do not use old references unless it is of historical importance or a landmark in that field. Emphasis should be given among other things on citing the literature on work done under Indian conditions. Introduction must include: (a) a brief statement of the problem, justifying the need for doing the work or the hypothesis on which the work is based, (b) the findings of others that will be further developed or challenged, and (c) an explanation of the approach to be followed and the objectives of the research described in the paper. If the methods employed in the paper are new, it must be indicated in the introduction section.

Material and Methods : This part of the text should comprise the materials used in the investigation, methods of experiment and analysis adopted. This portion should be self-explanatory and have the requisite information needed for understanding and assessing the results reported subsequently. Enough details should be provided in this section to allow a competent scientist to repeat the experiments, mentally or in fact. The geographical position of soil site or soils used in the experiment or site of field trial should be identified clearly with the help of coordinates (latitude & longitude) and invariably proper classification according to Soil Taxonomy (USDA), must be indicated to the level of Great-group, Suborder or Order as far as possible. For materials, give the appropriate technical specifications and quantities and source or method of preparation. Should a product be identified by trade name, add the name and location of the manufacturer or a major distributor in parenthesis after the first mention of the product. Known methods of analysis should be indicated by referring to the original source, avoiding detailed description. Any new technique developed and followed should be described in fair detail. When some specially procured or proprietary materials are used, give their pertinent chemical and physical properties. Any plants, animals, organisms and soils not already mentioned in the abstract should be identified accurately by scientific name. References for the methods used in the study should be cited. If the techniques are widely familiar, use only their names in that case.

Result and Discussion : This section should discuss the salient points of observation and critical interpretation thereof. This should not be descriptive and mere recital of the data presented in the tables and diagrams. Unnecessary details must be avoided but at the same time significant findings and special features should be highlighted. For systematic discussion, this section may be divided into sub-sections under side-heading and/or paragraph side heading. Relate the results to your objectives. While discussing the results, give particular attention to the problem, question or hypothesis presented in the introduction. Explain the principles, relationships, and generalizations that can be supported by the results. Point out any exceptions. Explain how the results relate to previous findings, support, contradict or simply add as data. Use the Discussion section to focus on the meaning of your findings rather than recapitulating them. Scientific speculation is encouraged but it should be reasonable and firmly founded in observations. When results differ from previous results, possible explanations should be given. Controversial issues should be discussed clearly.

Conclusion : This section should clearly crystallize the summary of the results obtained along with their implications in solution of the practical problems or contribution to the advancement of the scientific knowledge.

Highlights : Highlights are mandatory for this journal. They consist of a short collection of bullet points that convey the core findings of the article and should be submitted in a separate editable file in the online submission system. Please use 'Highlights' in the file name and include 3 to 5 bullet points (maximum 85 characters, including spaces, per bullet point).

Electronic Artwork

General points

  • Make sure you use uniform lettering and sizing of your original artwork.
  • Embed the used fonts if the application provides that option.
  • Aim to use the following fonts in your illustrations: Arial, Courier, Times New Roman, Symbol, or use fonts that look similar.
  • Number the illustrations according to their sequence in the text.
  • Use a logical naming convention for your artwork files.
  • Provide captions to illustrations separately.
  • Size the illustrations close to the desired dimensions of the printed version.
  • Submit each illustration as a separate file.
  • TIFF (or JPEG): Color or grayscale photographs (halftones), keep to a minimum of 300 dpi.
  • TIFF (or JPEG): Bitmapped (pure black & white pixels) line drawings, keep to a minimum of 1000 dpi.
  • TIFF (or JPEG): Combinations bitmapped line/half-tone (color or grayscale), keep to a minimum of 500 dpi.

Figure captions : Ensure that each illustration has a caption. Supply captions separately, not attached to the figure. A caption should comprise a brief title (not on the figure itself) and a description of the illustration. Keep text in the illustrations themselves to a minimum but explain all symbols and abbreviations used.

Tables : Number tables consecutively in accordance with their appearance in the text. Place footnotes to tables below the table body and indicate them with superscript lowercase letters. Avoid vertical rules. Be sparing in the use of tables and ensure that the data presented in tables do not duplicate results described IJAAS in the article.

References

Citation in text: Please ensure that every reference cited in the text (superscript numerical order in squire bracket in your manuscript text (example [1]) is also present in the reference list. Unpublished results and personal communications are not recommended in the reference list, but may be mentioned in the text. If these references are included in the reference list they should follow the standard reference style of the journal and should include a substitution of the publication date with either 'Unpublished results' or 'Personal communication'. Citation of a reference as 'in press' implies that the item has been accepted for publication.

Web references : As a minimum, the full URL should be given and the date when the reference was last accessed. Any further information, if known (DOI, author names, dates, reference to a source publication, etc.), should also be given. Web references can be listed separately (e.g., after the reference list) under a different heading if desired, or can be included in the reference list.

Example: CTAHR (College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, University of Hawaii). Tea (Camellia sinensis) a New Crop for Hawaii, 2007. URL http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/oc/freepubs/pdf/tea_04_07.pdf . Accessed 14.02.11.

Reference style in manuscript text

List: References should be arranged superscript numerical order in squire bracket in your manuscript text (example [1]).

Style of References List

Reference to a journal publication

Van der Geer, J., Hanraads, J. A. J., & Lupton, R. A. (2010). The art of writing a scientific article. Journal of Scientific Communications, 163, 51–59.

Reference to a book

Strunk, W., Jr., & White, E. B. (2000). The elements of style. (4th ed.). New York: Longman, (Chapter 4).

Reference to a chapter in an edited book

Mettam, G. R., & Adams, L. B. (2009). How to prepare an electronic version of your article. In B. S. Jones, & R. Z. Smith (Eds.), Introduction to the electronic age (pp. 281–304). New York: E-Publishing Inc.

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