Submissions

Author Guidelines

Instructions for Authors

Journal Scope

Asian Journal of Plant Biology (AJPB) is an open access, online-only, peer-reviewed journal publishes research papers, short communications, mini review and review articles. AJPB considers scientific papers in all fields of plant biology that include plant agriculture, plant physiology, plant genetics, plant molecular biology, plant cell biology, plant physiology, plant systematics, plant ecology, plant-microbe interactions, phytoremediation, phytochemistry, phytomedicine, plant biotechnology, plant biochemistry, plant microbiology, mycology and plant pathology. Currently, the manuscript needs to be sent directly to the Editor-in-Chief. Send manuscript and cover letter via email attachment to mohdyunus@upm.edu.my or yunus.upm@gmail.com

Length of manuscript

Cover Letter

The manuscript should be accompanied by a cover letter that includes the following FIVE statements:

1. All authors concur with the submission.
2. The work has not been published elsewhere.
3. The manuscript has not been submitted to another journal and will not be published elsewhere except in the form of abstracts and posters in symposiums, conferences or seminars.
4. The manuscript does/does not contain experiments using animals or humans. If it does then the permission from national or local authorities is needed. Please attach a copy of the permit letter. If your country does not have such permissions, this must be stated.
5. The work has undergone plagiarism detection software with less than 25% (excluding references).

Review Process

All manuscripts are reviewed by at least two reviewers. Authors are encouraged to suggest up to three reviewers. Final decisions will be made after authors have carried out all of the corrections recommended by the reviewers.

Format and Style of Manuscripts

Manuscripts should be submitted in English. British spelling should be used throughout. We prefer to receive manuscripts in Microsoft Word's .docx or .doc format. Manuscripts must be typewritten with double spacing (including references, tables, legends, etc.) using a page setup that leaves margins of 2.54 cm (1 inch) on all sides. Add line numbers to the manuscript.

Title page of manuscript

The title page of the manuscript should contain only the following:

1. Title of the paper.
2. Full names of the authors and the name of their institute(s). Authors having several institutional affiliations use superscript numbers after the name and before the institute.
3. Keywords (3 to 5) and separated by a “;”.
4. Name, title and full postal address of the author to whom all correspondence (including galley proofs) is to be sent. This should include fax and telephone numbers, and e-mail address.
5. A list of abbreviations used in the paper.

Abstract

The second page of the manuscript should contain the abstract only. The abstract section should be unreferenced and contain a brief introduction followed by a summary of the results. A short conclusion should end the abstract. The abstract should not exceed 250 words.

Division of the manuscript

Full paper-manuscript should be divided into the following sections:

1. Introduction.
2. Materials and methods
3. Results
4. Discussion
5. Acknowledgement (If any)
6. References

Sections 3 and 4 may be combined and should then be followed by a short conclusion.

References

The Vancouver system of referencing should be used. Hibiscus journals encourage authors to use the freely available reference management software Zotero (https://www.zotero.org/). Hibiscus journals use the journal template style of “Vancouver (brackets)”. References, including those in tables and figure legends, should be numbered sequentially in the order in which they appear in the text. The numbers should be set in square brackets in the text

i.e. [1, 2] or [1-5]. In the reference list only the first six authors followed by 'et al.' should be written if a reference has many authors. Reference to unpublished data and personal communications should be cited in the text only (e.g. Smith A, 2000, unpublished data), and not appear in the reference list. All citations mentioned in the text, tables or figures must be listed in the reference list. References should also be typed with double spacing throughout.

References should also be typed with double spacing throughout.

Titles of journals should be abbreviated according to standard practice (see http://library.caltech.edu/reference/abbreviations/). If necessary, cite unpublished or personal work in the text but do not include it in the reference list. The DOI for the reference should be included at the end of the reference. If no print reference is available. Responsibility for the accuracy of bibliographic references rests entirely with the author. References should be cited in alphabetical order.

Please note the following examples:

Journal article

Halpern SD, Ubel PA, Caplan AL. Solid-organ transplantation in HIV-infected patients. N Engl J Med. 2002; 347(4):284-7.

Books

Murray PR, Rosenthal KS, Kobayashi GS, Pfaller MA. Medical microbiology. 4th ed.St. Louis: Mosby; 2002.

Chapter in an Edited Book

Meltzer PS, Kallioniemi A, Trent JM. Chromosome alterations in human solid tumors. In: Vogelstein B, Kinzler KW, editors. The genetic basis of human cancer.NewYork: McGraw-Hill; 2002. p. 93-113.

Papers in conferences, proceedings and symposiums

O'Connor J. Towards a greener Ireland. In: Discovering our natural sustainable resources: future proofing; 2009 March 15-16;Dublin, Ireland. Dublin: Environmental Institute; c2009. p. 65-69.

Theses and dissertations should not be referred to, unless necessary.

Conflict of Interest

Generally, members of the editorial board are not encouraged to publish in JBRB. Manuscripts authored by members of the editorial board will be supervised by a senior editor who will review the decision of the assigned decision editor for objectivity before a final decision is taken. (See WAME Publication Ethics. http://www.wame.org/resources/publication-ethics-policies-for-medical-journals#conflicts).

Legends, Illustrations and Tables

1. Figures should be numbered consecutively with Arabic numerals in order of mention in the text. Include Figure captions at the bottom of the Figure.
2. Number tables consecutively in accordance with their appearance in the text. Table caption should be on the top of the Table.
3. The text of the article should refer to figures as "Figure 1", "Figure 2".
4. Tables and Figures should be included in the manuscript file. Authors should supply Figures in excel format preferably that would allow the layout editor to easily scale down or up the Figures.
5. Color figures should be in RGB format and supplied at a minimum of 300 dpi. Authors would have to pay for colored Figures in the print versions (USD 300).
6. Monochrome (bitmap) images must be supplied at 1200 dpi. Grayscale must be supplied at a minimum of 300 dpi.

Nomenclature

Authors should use systematic names similar to those used by Chemical Abstract Service or IUPAC. SI units must be used throughout.

Language Polishing

Authors who require information about English language editing services pre- and post-submission, please contact us.

Fees

The journal adheres to the Diamond Open Access Policy where there is no fee for publication in the open access format. Publication process generally takes between 2 to 4 months from submission to publication.

Data Availability in Line with COPE and MCRCR Guidelines

Data availability is a critical component of ensuring transparency, reproducibility, and accountability in scientific research. Both the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and the Malaysian Code of Responsible Conduct in Research (MCRCR) emphasize the importance of providing access to the underlying data that supports published research findings. These guidelines promote ethical data management practices and outline the need for researchers to make their data available for scrutiny, verification, and reuse by other researchers.

 COPE Guidelines on Data Availability
COPE encourages journals to adopt data-sharing policies that require authors to deposit their raw data in accessible repositories. This aligns with the principle that transparency in data reporting allows others to replicate and build on research findings. According to COPE, authors should:
- Deposit data in recognized public repositories.
- Provide sufficient metadata to ensure that data can be accurately interpreted and reused.
- Disclose any restrictions on data access (such as confidential or sensitive data) and justify these restrictions.

Learn more: [COPE Data Sharing Guidelines](https://publicationethics.org)

 MCRCR Guidelines on Data Management and Availability
MCRCR highlights that researchers are responsible for ensuring the accuracy and integrity of the data they generate. The code encourages data sharing, particularly for publicly funded research, and requires that data be stored in secure repositories that allow access to other researchers. This promotes the advancement of knowledge and increases the trustworthiness of research.

Key principles in the MCRCR include:
- Data stewardship: Researchers must manage their data responsibly, keeping clear and accurate records of the data collection, analysis, and storage process.
- Open access: Researchers are encouraged to make their data openly available to the research community, except when confidentiality, intellectual property, or legal issues prevent sharing.

Learn more: [MCRCR Data Management Guidelines](https://www.mcrcr.gov.my)

 Examples of Free Data Repositories

Here are some well-known, free-to-use data repositories where researchers can deposit their data, making it accessible in line with COPE and MCRCR guidelines:

1. Figshare
   - Description: Figshare is a free and open platform that allows researchers to upload, share, and cite research data, figures, and datasets. Data deposited here is given a DOI (Digital Object Identifier) and is publicly accessible.
   - Link: [https://figshare.com](https://figshare.com)
2. Zenodo
   - Description: Zenodo is a research data repository developed by CERN and OpenAIRE, designed to support data from any field of science. It offers free storage and ensures all data gets a DOI for easy citation.
   - Link: [https://zenodo.org](https://zenodo.org)
3. Dryad
   - Description: Dryad is a free data repository for the publication of research data, particularly from the life sciences. It is commonly used by researchers who need a secure place to host and share their data openly.
   - Link: [https://datadryad.org](https://datadryad.org)
4. Open Science Framework (OSF)
   - Description: OSF is a free and open platform that supports researchers in managing their projects and sharing data. It facilitates data storage, version control, and collaboration.
   - Link: [https://osf.io](https://osf.io)
5. Mendeley Data
   - Description: Mendeley Data is a free cloud-based platform where researchers can upload and share datasets. It allows for easy organization and citation of data.
   - Link: [https://data.mendeley.com](https://data.mendeley.com)

 Benefits of Using Free Repositories
- Transparency: By depositing data in these repositories, researchers comply with COPE and MCRCR guidelines, ensuring that their data is available for verification and further research.
- Reproducibility: Open data allows other researchers to replicate experiments or build upon the original work.
- Citable Data: Free repositories assign DOIs to datasets, making them citable in academic publications, increasing the visibility and impact of the research.

Making research data openly available is essential to promoting integrity in science and fostering a collaborative research environment. By adhering to COPE and MCRCR guidelines and utilizing free repositories, researchers can contribute to a more transparent and reliable scientific ecosystem.