JWAS - Manuscript Preparation Checklist

JOURNAL OF THE
WORLD AQUACULTURE SOCIETY
Checklist for Manuscript Preparation
(Print this in pdf format)

  1. General Instructions
  • Format manuscripts for 22 x 28 cm (8½ x 11 inch) or A4 (21 x 30 cm) paper.
  • Number all pages sequentially.
  • Number all lines in the text beginning with the title page
  • Use any standard 12 pt font. Do not use italic, bold, or other non-standard type. Underline words to be italicized. Do not justify right margins. Indent the first sentence of all paragraphs.
  • Double-space throughout, including title page, abstract, literature cited, tables, and figure legends.
  • Leave at least a 2.5-cm (1-inch) margin on all sides.
  • Use metric units of measurement. When needed, English equivalents may be given in parentheses.
  • Citing materials within your manuscript
    • One author: Jones (1994) or (Jones 1994)
    • Three or more authors: Smith et al. (1994) or (Smith et al. 1994)
    • Manuscripts accepted for publication: Jones (in press) or (Jones, in press)
    • Reference to unpublished data or personal communications is strongly discouraged. If necessary, cite as R. Ishihara (Humboldt State University, unpublished data) or R. Ishihara (Humboldt State University, personal communication).
    • Within parentheses, use a semicolon to separate multiple citations of literature and figures and tables (Smith1991; Jones 1994) (Table 1; Fig. 2). Cite multiple references within parentheses by year, with the oldest first.
  • Use “Figure” only to start a sentence; otherwise use “Fig.” or “Figs.” (e.g., Fig. 5; Figs. 5, 6). Spell out “Table” in all usages.
  • Assemble the manuscript in this order: title page, abstract page, text, literature cited, tables, figure legends, figures.
  1. Title Page (Page 1)
  • Near the middle of the page, type the title of the paper, centered, in capital and lower case letters (e.g., Acute Toxicity of Copper Sulfate to Channel Catfish Ictalurus punctatus).
  • Below the title, type the author(s) names, affiliation(s), and unabbreviated complete address (es). If the author is currently at another location, include a superscript number after the name and provide the full present address as a footnote.
  • In papers written by authors at different addresses, type the name and address of the first author, the name and address of the second author, and so on.
  • In multiauthored papers, type “Corresponding author:” and follow with the full mailing address of the author responsible for correspondence. Type this near the bottom of the page, but above any footnotes.
  1. Abstract page (Page 2)
  • Type the heading “Abstract,” centered, at the top of the page.
  • Abstract must be one paragraph. Do not cite references or use abbreviations other than those listed on the back cover of the Journal.
  • Be concise (normally not more than 3% of the text length) but include why you did the study, how you did it, the results of the study, and what the results mean.
  1. Text
  • Follow general instructions in Section I.
  • Begin with an introduction that concisely establishes the purpose and importance of the work. Do not use a heading for this section.
  • Subsequent sections in the text should include centered headings in capital and lower case letters. Typical main headings are Materials and Methods, Results, Discussion, and Acknowledgments. Do not start these sections with a new page.
  • Second level headings (if required) are centered, in capital and lower case letters, and underlined. Do not use third level headings.
  • Acknowledgments should contain grant and contribution numbers. Acknowledge only those people and institutions that contributed directly to the research or manuscript quality.
  1. Literature Cited
  • Start this section at the top of a new page.
  • Spell out journal names in full.
  • Verify all entries against citations in the text.
  • Verify the accuracy of all entries against the original sources, especially journal titles, authors, pages, and spelling.
  • Start the first line of each entry at the left margin and indent other lines.
  • Alphabetize entries first by the surnames of the senior authors and first word or acronym of corporate authors; second by the initials of senior authors with the same surname (e.g., Smith, B. F. precedes Smith, J. W.); and third, by the surnames of the junior authors. Single authored citations precede multiauthored works by the same senior author regardless of date.
  • List multiple works by the same authors by date.
  • Distinguish papers by the same author in the same year by putting lower case letters after the date (e.g. 1994a, 1994b). Be sure that such date citations within the text correspond to the dates in the Literature Cited.

    The following illustrates some common citation formats.

    Journal Article:
    Xu, D. and W. A. Rogers. 1993. Oxytetracycline residues in hybrid striped bass muscle. Journal of the World Aquaculture Society 24:466-472.

    Book:
    Boyd, C. E. 1982. Water quality management for pond fish culture. Elsevier Scientific Publishing Company, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
    Stickney, R. R., editor. 1986. Culture of nonsalmonid freshwater fishes. CRC Press, Inc., Boca Raton, Florida, USA.

    Article or chapter in a book:
    Ward, P. D. 1982. The development of bacterial vaccines for fish. Pages 47-58 in R. J. Roberts, editor. Microbial diseases of fish. Academic Press, New York, New York, USA.

    Dissertation or Thesis:
    Hymel, T. M. 1985. Water quality dynamics in commercial crawfish ponds and toxicity of selected water quality variables to Procambarus clarkii. Master's thesis. Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA.

  1. Tables (Continue page numbering)
  • Start each table on a new sheet.
  • Double space everything, including title, column headings, and all entries. Do not reduce type size in an effort to fit the table on one page. Use the same size type as the text. Print tables broadside, if necessary, to allow adequate margins. In extreme instances, continue the table on a second page.
  • Type the table caption at the top of the page. Start at the left margin with the table number, which should be in arabic followed by a period (e.g., Table 4.). Follow with the table title using sentence-style capitalization (not title-style).
  • Place a single horizontal line beneath the table title.
  • Use single horizontal lines to separate column heads.
  • Use a single horizontal line to indicate the end of the table.
  • Do not use vertical lines in the table.
  • Indicate footnotes by lowercase superscript letters (a, b, c, etc.).
  1. Figure Legend (Continue page numbering)
  • Put captions on the same page as the figure.
  • Type the first line at the margin for each entry. Indent other lines. Spell out “Figure” followed by an arabic number. Use sentence-style capitalization of the caption:
  • Figure 1. Growth of Peneaus setiferus over time at various combinations of water exchange and stocking density.
  • Do not include symbols (dots, circles, triangles, etc.) in the figure captions. Label them in the figure or refer to them by name in the caption.
  • Do not refer to magnification of photomicrographs in the caption: figures will be reduced when printed so they will be wrong if given in the caption. Place a bar scale directly on each photo and give its equivalent length in the caption (e.g., bar = 25 µm).
  1. Illustrations Line Drawings
  • Submit electronic copies of line drawings with the initial manuscript submission. Save files in TIFF or EPS format at 300dpi.resolution or higher.
  • Lettering should be clear and large enough to withstand at least 50% reduction without becoming illegible. A clean sans serif typeface (such as Helvetica or Univers) is preferred. Lettering on a figure 20 cm wide should be at least 4.5 mm high (18-point type) to withstand reduction.
  1. Photographs
  • Submit electronic copies of photographs with the initial manuscript submission. Save files in TIFF or EPS format at 300dpi.resolution or higher.
  • The cost of color reproduction must be paid for by the author.
  1. What and Where to Submit
  • Completed manuscripts should be submitted online via the website (http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/jwas). New users should go to the tab in the upper right hand corner to “Create an Account”. A User ID and password will be sent via email within a few minutes. Follow the online directions for submission of your manuscript.


Questions?
Contact Dr. Carole Engle, Execuitive Editor
Phone: +1 870 489 4259
E-mail: CarolE@was.org

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