Guidelines for Authors

1. Types of Manuscripts

Research Articles

Original research reports presenting significant findings from empirical or theoretical investigations. Word limit: 5,000–8,000 words (excluding references).

Review Articles

Comprehensive reviews of current knowledge on specific topics. Must be submitted by invitation from the Editor or with prior approval. Word limit: 8,000–10,000 words (excluding references).

Short Communications

Brief reports of significant findings that do not require a full research article format. Word limit: 2,000–3,000 words (excluding references).

Case Studies

Detailed documentation of specific instances or applications with practical relevance. Word limit: 4,000–6,000 words (excluding references).

Technical Notes

Descriptions of new methods, techniques, or instruments useful to researchers in the field. Word limit: 2,000–3,500 words (excluding references).

2. Manuscript Preparation Guidelines

General Requirements

• Manuscripts must be written in clear, concise English.
• Use double spacing throughout.
• Use Times New Roman or a similar serif font, 12 pt.
• Number all pages consecutively.
• All margins should be at least 2.5 cm (1 inch).
• Use SI units throughout.
• All text should be left-aligned, not justified.

Manuscript Structure

Research articles should follow the standard format:

1. Title page — concise informative title (max 15 words), author names and affiliations, corresponding author details (email and phone), running title (max 50 characters).
2. Abstract (150–250 words) — background, methods, results, conclusions, and 5–8 keywords.
3. Introduction — context, background, research gap, objectives/hypotheses.
4. Materials and Methods — study location and conditions, experimental design, statistical analysis, ethical considerations if applicable.
5. Results — clear presentation of findings using tables and figures, avoiding duplication between text and figures.
6. Discussion — interpretation in context of the literature, comparison with previous studies, limitations, future directions.
7. Conclusions — summary of main findings and practical implications.
8. References
9. Appendices (if necessary)

Language and Style

• Use active voice where appropriate.
• Avoid jargon; define specialized terms.
• Use British English spelling throughout.
• Avoid abbreviations in the title and abstract.
• Use abbreviations consistently and define on first use.

3. Specific Formatting Requirements

Headings

Units of Measurement

Use the International System of Units (SI) throughout. Common examples:

• Length: meter (m), centimeter (cm), millimeter (mm)
• Mass: kilogram (kg), gram (g), milligram (mg)
• Volume: liter (L), milliliter (mL)
• Concentration: mol/L, mg/mL, ppm (with conversion to SI)
• Temperature: Celsius (°C) or Kelvin (K)
• Time: seconds (s), hours (h), days (d), years (yr)

Scientific Names

• First mention: Genus species (Author, Year) — e.g. Oryza sativa L. (Smith, 1995).
• Subsequent mentions can use the genus abbreviation — e.g. O. sativa.
• Always italicize genus and species names; capitalize the genus, not the species.

Mathematical Expressions

• Use proper mathematical notation and define all variables and parameters.
• Number important equations and use consistent notation throughout.

4. References Format

The journal uses APA 7th edition style for references. Please ensure all references are accurate, complete, consistently formatted, relevant to the manuscript, and include DOIs where available.

Common Reference Formats

Journal articles:

5. Figures and Tables

General Requirements

• Figures and tables should enhance understanding, not duplicate information already in the text.
• Place figures and tables at the end of the manuscript.
• Number sequentially in the order they are cited, and reference every figure and table in the text.

Figures

• Format: JPEG, PNG, or TIFF, minimum 300 dpi.
• Legends: concise but descriptive captions placed below each figure.

6. Manuscript Templates

Standardized templates help ensure your submission arrives in the correct structure and formatting from the start.

• Research article template (Word, APA 7th edition references)
• Review article template
• Short communication template
• Cover letter template

7. Manuscript Submission Process

Required Documents

When submitting, please provide:

1. Manuscript file (Word or PDF format)
2. Cover letter addressing significance, originality, and competing interests
3. Suggested reviewers (3–5 names)
4. Author information sheet

Submission Platform

Manuscripts should be submitted through the editorial office; see the contact page for current submission instructions.

8. Peer Review and Publication Process

Review Timeline

• Initial screening: 1–2 weeks
• Peer review: 4–8 weeks
• Editorial decision: 1–2 weeks

See the full peer review policy for details on the review workflow.

9. Special Requirements

Ethical Considerations

For research involving animals or human subjects, authors must obtain institutional ethics approval and include an approval statement in the manuscript. See the publication ethics page for further detail.

10. Contact Information

For questions about manuscript submission and the publication process, please use the contact page, or write to the editorial office at editor@gjbe.org.