Instructions to Authors

Plant Science Research publishes original review articles and results of scientific research in Botany, Plant Biotechnology, Biodiversity and other aspects of plant sciences as full papers or short communications in English. It is open only to the members of the Society. Publication is facilitated, if authors ensure that the manuscript and illustrations meet the requirements outlined below before they are submitted.

1.   One hard copy of the manuscript along with the illustrations and a matching electronic version should be sent, preferably by email to:

    Dr. P. C. Panda
    Managing Editor, Plant Science Research
    Principal Scientist
    Regional Plant Resource Centre
    Nayapalli, Bhubaneswar 751 015, Odisha (India)
    E-mail: pcpanda2001@yahoo.co.in

2.   Text should be typed double spaced throughout with the left margin at least 40 mm wide. Each page of the article should be numbered.

3.   The first page should carry only the title of the article, name(s) of author(s) and institution(s) where the work was done. An additional sheet should carry the Keywords (maximum six), a running title (not to exceed 50 letters and spaces) and the address for correspondence.

4.   Papers should have an Abstract in English not exceeding 200 words in the beginning and the usual sequence of Sections (1. Introduction, 2. Materials and methods, 3. Results, 4. Discussion and  5. References) should be followed for the text. “Results and Discussion” can also be combined into a single section, if necessary. A manuscript or review article should not exceed 20 (twenty) A4 size typed pages in double space including tables and figures. “Short communications” should have an abstract in the first paragraph but without any sub-headings like Introduction, Materails and Methods etc., and should not exceed 4 typed pages (A4 size) in double space.

5.   Footnotes are not allowed, except under tables.

6.   Symbols, units and nomenclature should conform to international usage.  For all the numerical data metric system should be followed.

7.   Correct plant names (in italics) with author citation (in normal fonts) must be provided.

8.   Text references should be made using the author(s) name followed by the year of publication within parenthesis. Example: Murashige and Skoog (1962).

9.   The references should be listed alphabetically at the end of the paper in the following pattern:

• Journal: Murashige, T. and Skoog, F. (1962). A revised medium for rapid growth and bioassays with tobacco tissue cultures. Physiol. Plant. 15: 473-497.
• Edited volumes: Bell, J.M.B. and Mudd, C.H. (1976). Sulphur dioxide resistance in plant: A case study of Lolium perene. In: Mansfield, T.A. (ed.) Effects of Air Pollution on Plant. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, U.K., pp. 87-103.
• Books: Halliwell, B. and Gutteridge, J.M.C. (2007). Free Radicals in Biology and Medicine. 4th Edn. Oxford University Press, New York. U.S.A.

Unpublished materials and personal communications are accepted only as references in the text, not in the bibliography. The authors may refer to a latest volume of the journal “Plant Science Research” to ascertain the exact pattern of citation of references.

10. Tables should be typed on separate sheets furnished with short explanatory heading and be referred to in the text. They must be fit in a printed page within a length of either 8 or 16 cm.

11. Illustrations should be drawn on separate sheets in Indian ink and photographs be printed in black and white on glossy papers with strong contrast. They should be planned to appear with a maximum final width of either 8 cm or 16 cm. Letters, numbers and symbols must appear clearly, but should not be oversized. In diagrams, the top and right side should be boxed in by lines or the same type as the abscissa and ordinate. Each figure should be identified with author’s name, figure number and   indication of orientation. Combination of photographs and pen drawings in the same plate should be avoided. However, in exceptional cases, if photographs are required to be printed in colour in the journal then the author(s) will have to bear the expenses for the colour re-production.

12.Proofs of the articles will be sent to the authors by email and the same, after correction of printing errors, must be returned to the Managing Editor within seven days of receiving the proof. Corrections at the proof stage involving deviations from the original manuscript are not permissible and will be charged extra to the authors.  

13. Printing cost at the rate of Rs.300/- (Rupees three hundred only) per page is charged to the authors.

14.  A PDF of the article will be supplied gratis by email to the corresponding author.

15. Acceptance of any paper is subject to the recommendations of the reviewers, who are specialists in their own fields.

16. The Editorial Board reserves the right to reject any paper found unsuitable for the journal.