Journal of Island Ecology

Instruction to Authors

INSTRUCTION TO AUTHORS
Scope
Journal of Island Ecology publishes scientific articles that link biodiversity and ecology of Islands,
and that apply biological and ecological knowledge to the management and conservation of Island
Biodiversity.
Special Attention to Authors
Please pay careful attention to all instructions provided here while preparing your manuscript.
Manuscripts not in accordance with Journal of Island Ecology rules will be sent back to authors
without review. Hence, authors are requested to strictly follow the submission guidelines for quicker
publication of your valuable manuscripts. Any query regarding the preparation of manuscript can be
addressed to the Editor-in-Chief (jie@nucleusopen.org).
Policy
Manuscript submitted to this Journal should not have been published or under consideration for
publication anywhere else. Submission of manuscript should be approved by all the authors involved.
It is authors duty to obtain necessary permission from the collaborative / parent institution before the
submission of article. Authors are also requested to check their manuscripts for Plagiarism before
submission.
Language
Manuscript must be written in American or British English, but be consistent in whatever form is
used. If the author is not a native speaker, it is strongly recommend having the manuscript edited by a
native English speaker or a professional translator before submission. Please, keep in mind that well
written manuscripts usually go through review process faster. Submissions containing poor grammar
may experience long delays before publication.
Formatting
The manuscript must be submitted electronically as a Word document (.doc, .docx) or Rich Text
Format (.rtf), double-spaced throughout (including tables and references). Use A4 (21.0 x 29.7 cm)
for the document size, leaving 2.0 cm margins on all sides. Please use Times New Roman, 12 point.
Insert tables using Word's Table feature; do not format table lines. All pages should be numbered
consecutively given in bottom right/top right. Please ensure the text of your paper has consecutive line
numbering - this is an essential peer review requirement.
Unit of Measurement: Manuscript should follow International System (SI) of Units
MANUSCRIPT PREPARATION FORMAT
Manuscript type
Four different categories of manuscripts namely research article, review article, research
communication and research note are considered for publication in Journal of Island Ecology.
Title Page (Is Common to all categories)
The title page of each manuscript should contain the following details
Title of the Manuscript
Manuscript type
Full name of the Authors
Full mailing address of the authors with email address
Corresponding Author

Journal of Island Ecology

Instruction to Authors

Research Article
Research articles report research results of major significance. It should include abstract, introduction,
materials and methods, results, discussion and conclusion. There is no page or illustration limits are
applied to this section. However, it is the author(s) own discretion to have appropriate number of
pages and illustrations considering the limitations in the free access and processing of the article. The
below information should be followed while preparing a research article.
Abstract
The abstract should not exceed 400 words and citation free. Abstract may be structured to
Background/Introduction
Materials and Methods
Results and Discussion
Conclusion
Keywords
4 to 6 Keywords explaining the article should be given
Manuscript Structure
Abstract
A concise and factual abstract is required (not longer than 400 words). The abstract should state
briefly the purpose of the research, materials and methods followed, 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.
Keywords
Immediately after the abstract, provide a maximum of 6 keywords. Kindly avoid general and plural
terms and multiple concepts (avoid, for example, 'and', 'of'). Be sparing with abbreviations: only
abbreviations firmly established in the field may be eligible. These keywords will be used for
indexing purposes.
Abbreviations
Define abbreviations that are not standard in this field in a footnote to be placed on the first page of
the article. Such abbreviations that are unavoidable in the abstract must be defined at their first
mention there, as well as in the footnote. Ensure consistency of abbreviations throughout the article.
1. Introduction
State the objectives of the work and provide an adequate background, avoiding a detailed literature
survey or a summary of the results.
2. Materials and methods
Provide sufficient detail to allow the work to be reproduced. Methods already published should be
indicated by a reference: only relevant modifications should be described. Statistical methods/
software used to prepare graphical representation or figures can be mentioned. Geographical location
and a brief description of the study area can be mentioned with the GPS coordinates and a clear map.
3. Results
Results should be clear and concise and should not include references unless very important.
4. Discussion
Explain the significance of the results precisely, not repeat them. A combined Results and Discussion
section is often appropriate. Avoid extensive citations and discussion of published literature.
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5. Conclusions
The main findings of the study may be summarised in a short Conclusions section, which may stand
alone or form a subsection of a Discussion or Results and Discussion section.
The subheadings under each section can be numbered sequentially (i.e. 1, 1.1, 1.2, 1.3 or 2, 2.1, 2.2,
2.3 etc...).
Acknowledgements
Collate acknowledgements in a separate section at the end of the article before the references and do
not, therefore, include them on the title page, as a footnote to the title or otherwise. You may list here
those individuals who provided help during the research (e.g., funding, field data collection, providing
language help, writing assistance or proof reading the article, etc.).
Author contribution statement
The contribution of each author should be explicitly stated. For example, "NP collected the data, NP,
DE and JB wrote the text, and NP made the analysis".
References
Citation in text: References should be numbered consecutively and included in the text using the
superscript option at appropriate places (Eg. The tropical forests in the Islands are among the species
rich ecosystem[1,2,3] that are critical for the survival of many endemic species. [4,5]). It is authors
responsibility to ensure that all the information cited from the references is precise and properly
mentioned in the text using the same numbers. Kindly avoid using grey literature (unpublished
information such as project report, thesis, conference proceedings, etc.) that may not be accessed
online. If strictly necessary, appropriateness of these types of documents will be considered on a caseby-case basis by the Subject Editor and referees.
Journal articles with usual volume and issue number:
Single author:
1. Woodroffe, C.D. 1988. Relict mangrove stand on a Last Interglacial terrace, Christmas Island,
Indian Ocean. Journal of Tropical Ecology, 4: 117.
Two authors
2. Nehru, P., Balasubramanian, P. 2014. Rate of vegetation change in the tsunami impacted
littoral forests of Nicobar Islands, India. Forest Ecology and Management, 313 (2): 243253.
Multiple authors
3. Hayasaka, D., Shimada, N., Konno, H., Sudayama, H., Kawanishi, M., Uchida, T., Goka, K.
2012. Floristic variation of beach vegetation caused by the 2011 Tohoku-oki tsunami in
northern Tohoku, Japan. Ecological Engineering, 44, 227232.
Books and Other Monographs
Book
4. Tomlinson, P.B. 1986. The Botany of Mangroves. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge,
UK. pp. 418.
Chapter in a book
5. Sankaran, R. 2005. Impact of the earthquake and the tsunami on the Nicobar Islands. In:
Kaul, R., Menon, V. (Eds.), The Ground Beneath the Waves, Vol. 2. The Islands. Wildlife
Trust of India, New Delhi, pp. 1077.
Dissertation
6. Jacob, P., 2012. Analysis on the mammal diversity of tropical Islands. PhD thesis, National
University of China, China. pp. 152.
Project report
7. Andrew, P., Lee, B., et al., 2012. Monitoring the Ecosystem Recovery after the eradication of
invasive species in Bombuka Island, Thailand. Technical report, Center for Biodiversity
Research, Ministry of Environment and Forest, Thailand. pp. 180.
Web references
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Instruction to Authors

8. 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.
Appendices
If there is more than one appendix, they should be identified as A, B, etc. Formulae and equations in
appendices should be given separate numbering: Eq. (A.1), Eq. (A.2), etc.; in a subsequent appendix,
Eq. (B.1) and so on. Similarly for tables and figures: Table A.1; Fig. A.1, etc.
Tables and Figures
Figures and tables should not be submitted in separate files. Tables and figures should be included
at the end of the text of the manuscript, named or labelled properly and should be cited consecutively
in the text (eg. A total of 110 bird species are recorded (Appendix 1) from the studied Islands (Table
1) of Indian Ocean. However, the species accumulation curve (Fig. 1) did not reach the asymptote.)
Every table should have a descriptive title and measurements should be included in the column
heading. Vertical rules should be avoided. Foot notes should be mentioned clearly if any. Insert table
option (In MS Word) should be used for preparing the table. Similarly, the figures should contain an
appropriate legend at the bottom.
High resolution figures (TIFF, GIF, JPEG, PNG formats) of not less than 300 dpi should be submitted
at the end of review process if the article is accepted for publication. Source of the files or figures
should be mentioned clearly with copyright permissions, if acquired. Drawings using softwares such
as (Illustrator, EPS, WMF, FreeHand, CorelDraw, PowerPoint, Excel, etc.) can also be submitted.
Every figure should have a concise legend on the bottom. Photographic credit can be included at the
end the legend within parenthesis eg. (Photo by Dominic).
Research communication
This part contain important new findings that are novel and of fairly broad interest. They should
include a brief abstract and an introductory paragraph. Text should not be broken up under subheads.
Abstract
Limited to 200 words and should be structured as
a. Background
b. Case Description
c. Literature Review
Manuscript
a. Limited to 1500 words excluding references.
b. Maximum of 15 references can be included.
c. Should be structured as
Introduction
Case Report
Discussion
Acknowledgements
Author contribution
References
Tables and figures.
Appendix
Kindly follow the instructions provided in the research article column for other details.

Review article
The most useful reviews go beyond summarizing the literature and focus on synthesizing key insights
that will be most useful to readers. Authors are encouraged to discuss potential review topics with the
Journal editor. There is no page or illustration limits are applied to this section. However, it is the
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Instruction to Authors

authors own discretion to have appropriate number of pages and illustrations considering the
limitations in the free access and processing of the article. The below instructions should be
considered while preparing a review article.

Systemic critical assessments of literature and data sources are welcome.

Abstract is limited to 250 words
Content may be systematically divided under suitable subheadings. There is no intended page
limit for the review articles. However, the authors are encouraged to be as precise as possible.
Include the method (literature search) in abstract as well as in the introduction section.
Kindly follow instructions given in the research article column for other details.

Research Note (Not exceeding 800 words and one Figure)

Significant observations, case studies on Island conservation, and any interesting novel approaches on
island biodiversity research can be published with appropriate illustration. This section may serve to
rapidly communicate important new findings.
Referees
Authors are required to identify four persons who are qualified to serve as reviewers (Not applicable
for research notes category). Authors are requested not to suggest reviewers with whom they have a
personal or professional relationship, especially if that relationship would prevent the reviewer from
having an unbiased opinion of the work of the authors. Therefore, we are encouraging the authors to
identify subject experts from different countries, who may potentially serve as a reviewer for your
article. A working e-mail address of each reviewer is essential for rapid review in the event that
reviewer is selected from those that are identified by the authors. You may also mention reviewers
you do not want to review your manuscript, but please state your reason for doing so. The selection of
reviewer is solely based on the discretion of the editors.
Animal Experimentation Studies
All the experiments involving animals should follow CPCSEA guidelines. Producing CPCSEA
approval number in the publications is mandatory.
Ethics
Following ethical guidelines is mandatory in case of experiments involving human and animal
subjects.
All experimentation work involving humans must be conducted in accordance with the
Declaration of Helsinki (1964)
Prior informed consent and ethical committee approval must be obtained for experimental work
on human subjects involving harmful or risk prone procedures.
Authors should provide a description of anaesthetic / surgical procedures that were used &
evidence of possible steps taken to avoid suffering of the animal during experiments.
Documents to be submitted, if required
The authors are requested to submit appropriate documents for the following criteria
Clearance for using Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs).
Clearance for using radioactive materials.
Authentication for plants or animals (i.e. Voucher specimen details).
Clearance from any responsible notional body (Eg. National Biodiversity Authority of India),
if marine organisms are used.
Submission of Manuscript
Online submission of the manuscript facilitates rapid publication and reduces administrative costs;
hence authors are encouraged to use the Manuscript Submission System for submitting their articles.
If there is any problem with the online submission, the authors are advised to submit the manuscript
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Instruction to Authors

directly to jie@nucleusopen.org. There is no page limit to the manuscript. Copyright form should be
submitted while submitting the manuscript in order to support quick peer review process and
publication. Manuscript Number will be allocated and will be intimated through an E-mail to the
corresponding author. Only an acknowledgement from the editorial office established the date of
receipt.
Manuscript submission check list
1. Cover letter (indicate the type of article, details including name, address, telephone/fax
numbers and e-mail address of the corresponding author)
2. Referee list (Provide complete corresponding address and a working e-mail address of four
potential reviewers and a small description of not more than 250 characters or three lines
about the referee on why you think he/she may be the suitable person to review your article).
3. Manuscript (a single word file containing the whole article including Title page, Abstract,
Manuscript, Tables, Figures, Appendices).
4. Duly filled-in Copyright form.
All further correspondences and proof of manuscript will be through the Corresponding Author alone.
Hence we request you to provide correct information of the corresponding author. All queries relating
to the publication process can be written to jie@nucleusopen.org.
Review Process
Manuscripts submitted are subject to peer-review process in order to meet the academic and
publication standards. Our subject editors and the Editor-in-Chief will evaluate each submitted
manuscript to verify if they meet the least publishable unit criterion. Manuscripts that do not meet this
criterion will be returned to the author without external review. If the editor is satisfied with the
articles content and scientific credibilitys then the manuscript will be forwarded to a minimum of
two subject experts for peer-review. The identity of the reviewers will remain anonymous.
Article Processing Charges (APC)
Journal of Island Ecology publishes peer-reviewed scholarly articles with immediate access to the full
text of articles in PDF format. We do not levy article processing charges for submission, processing
or publication.
Submission/Publication fee
Reprint Charges

Nil
Optional, Not complementary

We follow a Platinum open access model of publication. Platinum model of publication enables
the publisher to waive Article Processing Charge (APC) levied from the authors and the articles are
available online once published.
However reprint and print charges for all the journals are levied. Other Journals of Nucleus can levy
Article Processing Charges (APC). For further information please use the search facility.
Copyright
An Open Access publisher retains the copyright of their papers, and all open access articles are
distributed under the terms of the Attribution-Non Commercial-NoDerivs 2.5 India and Creative
Commons Attribution License 4.0, which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in
any medium, provided that the original work is properly cited.
While the advice and information in this journal are believed to be true and accurate on the date of its
going to press, neither the authors, the editors, nor the publisher can accept any legal responsibility for
any errors or omissions that may be made. The publisher makes no warranty, express or implied, with
respect to the material contained herein.