Guidelines
AIMS, SCOPE AND ETHOS
DATA POLICY
SUBMISSION TYPES
MODES OF SUBMISSION
SUBMITTING ONLINE
STRUCTURE OF INITIAL SUBMISSION
STRUCTURE OF ACCEPTED ARTICLES
PUBLICATION DETAILS
ARTICLE PROCESSING CHARGES
Aims, Scope And Ethos
AoBP (AoB PLANTS) AoBP is a non-profit open-access journal that publishes outputs of rigorous research on all aspects of organismal, environmental, ecological and evolutionary plant biology. Our mission is to facilitate exchange of scientific ideas and knowledge. We leave judgements about the importance and impact of published works to the scientific community, and we welcome any outputs that are performed rigorously and explained clearly and which represent substantive contribution to knowledge, including:
- experimental, theoretical, descriptive, and confirmatory studies, including negative results;
- studies on either fundamental or translational research;
- studies performed in either natural or managed systems;
- non-traditional outputs such as datasets, models, tools and dialogues;
- direct original submissions, which are subjected to double-anonymised peer review; and
- manuscripts "cascaded" from other journals with associated reviews and decisions.
In order to be published in AoBP, a paper must substantially advance fundamental knowledge and/or understanding in an area closely related to one of the journal's Sections. Purely descriptive studies are welcome in principle, but must compensate with an element of breadth and/or depth by providing unusually rich and novel observations likely to lead to new insights in future work.
We welcome submissions in the broad areas represented by the journal's seven subject Sections.
- Form & Function
Anatomy, morphology, structure-function relationships, organ- and whole-plant physiology, allometry, physiological ecology, water relations, environmental biophysics of plants, carbon balance, biotic interactions.
Section Chief Editor: Katherine McCulloh, University of Wisconsin, Madison. - Populations & Communities
Assembly rules, biological invasions, community assembly, community ecology, demography, plant-soil feedbacks, plant-soil interactions, population dynamics, population viability analysis.
Section Chief Editor: Jean Burns, Case Western Reserve University. - Evolution & Diversity
The origins, nature and biological and ecological significance of plant diversity.
Section Chief Editor: Jeremy Beaulieu, University of Arkansas. - Plant, Ecosystems & Climate
Plant-atmosphere exchange, ecosystem ecology, climate change effects and feedbacks, plant-to-canopy scaling, remote sensing of canopies.
Section Chief Editor: Mary Heskel, Macalester College. - Agroecology & Environment
Crop science, agronomy, diversified systems, sustainability, resilience, ecological intensification, crop functional ecology, plant biotic interactions, rhizosphere ecology.
Section Chief Editor: Amélie Gaudin, University of California, Davis. -
Natural History & Conservation
Ecological interactions, reproductive systems, functional traits, life-history traits, specific adaptations, ploidy levels, chromosome numbers, cryptic species, mating systems, phylogenetic relationships, conservation value, conservation plans.
Section Chief Editor: Xavier Picó, Doñana Biological Station, Seville, Spain. -
Molecular Function & Environment
Molecular and biochemical connections to the natural environment, the molecular responses of plants to environmental changes in field or natural conditions, complex environmental stress responses, integration of multiple environmental signals, molecular responses to changing climate, genotypic variation to climate change.
Section Chief Editor: Colleen Doherty, North Carolina State University, USA
Data Policy
Authors must make available, to all readers, all data needed to reproduce any new analyses in the paper. Under a heading of "Data Availability", immediately after the Discussion, authors must describe where they have deposited these data and how readers can access it. AoBP prefers that authors use a permanent open-access data repository, but it is also acceptable to provide data as Supporting Information.
Use of Artificial Intelligence
Natural language processing tools driven by artificial intelligence (AI) do not qualify as authors, and the Journal will screen for them in author lists. The use of AI (for example, to help generate content or images, write code, process data, or for translation) should be disclosed both in cover letters to editors and in the Methods or Acknowledgements section of manuscripts. Please see the COPE position statement on Authorship and AI for more details.
Preprint policy
Authors retain the right to make an Author’s Original Version (preprint) available through various channels, and this does not prevent submission to the journal. For further information see our Online Licensing, Copyright and Permissions policies. If accepted, the authors are required to update the status of any preprint, including your published paper’s DOI, as described on our Author Self-Archiving policy page.
Submission Types
AoB PLANTS publishes the following types of outputs:
Studies. Traditional research articles describing any substantive contribution to knowledge and understanding in plant science. Up to 6000 words (Introduction through Acknowledgements) and 10 presentation items (Figures plus Tables). Studies should contain an Abstract, Introduction, and References, and any other sections needed to convey the work and to ensure that others can reproduce the work.
Reviews. Papers summarizing current knowledge and suggesting future research directions for a topical issue in plant science. Original data may be included for illustrative purposes. Up to 8000 words (Introduction through Acknowledgements) and 12 presentation items (Figures plus Tables). Reviews must be formally invited; authors interested in preparing a review for AoBP should contact the Chief Editor.
Viewpoints. Letters presenting an opinion about a topical issue in plant science. Up to 3000 words (excluding References). Viewpoints should emphasize ideas and evidence.
Dialogues. Structured discussions between two "teams" (consisting of individuals or groups) with contrasting opinions on a topical issue in plant science. Dialogues comprise an Introduction co-written by both teams (up to 500 words), an Opening Statement from each team (up to 1000 words each), a revolving discussion, and a Closing Statement by each team (up to 1000 words each). The revolving discussion consists of Statements (up to 500 words each) made by each team in turn; one team will be chosen at random to make the first statement. Up to three rounds of Statements (three per team, six total) may be made. Authors interested in carrying out Dialogues must first contact the Chief Editor.
Datasets. Novel or newly compiled datasets of substantial value to the plant science research community, with a detailed Methods section describing how the data were collected and/or gathered from the literature, as well as a brief Introduction (up to 500 words) with up to two presentation items (Figures plus Tables) describing the data and their value for research. Data themselves must be permanently stored in an open-access data repository and, if practical, published as Supporting Information. Work that includes extensive analyses of novel datasets should be submitted as Studies.
Tools. Descriptions of novel tools of substantial value to the plant science community, including new experimental or analytical methods or tools, and mathematical and/or computational models. Up to 6000 words (Introduction through Acknowledgements) and eight presentation items (Figures plus Tables). Mathematical tools must include (in Supporting Information if additional space is needed) derivations of all new equations, in sufficient detail to enable mathematically competent reviewers to validate the results without additional effort. If applicable, code and schematics must be provided as Supporting Information.
Modes of Submission
Direct original submissions. AoBP welcomes direct original submissions from authors, including transfers from pre-print archives such as bioRxiv. Direct original submissions will undergo double-anonymised peer review. We aim to deliver initial decisions on direct submissions within 30-40 days of article receipt.
Cascaded manuscripts. We also welcome previously reviewed ("cascaded") manuscripts that include at least two prior peer reviews and an editorial decision. Authors may cascade their own manuscripts from any other journal, provided they have permission to transfer the reviews and decisions. Authors must provide a thorough response to any prior reviews, including a detailed description of how they have modified the manuscript in response to those reviews. Cascaded manuscripts will be initially assessed based on prior reviews. When further external review is considered unnecessary, we aim to render initial decisions within seven days of receipt. Thus, if you do not hear from the journal within 7 days of submitting a cascaded manuscript, you may assume that it has been sent out for further review.
Manuscript Transfer. In addition to these transfer opportunities, AoBP sends and receives transfers from other journals on related topics published by Oxford University Press. All transfers are sent according to the choice of the authors. Unless a reviewer declines to have their feedback shared, reviewer reports and the original decision letter are included in the transfer, but the reviewer identities are not shared. Authors must provide a thorough response to any prior reviews, including a detailed description of how they have modified the manuscript in response to those reviews.
Transferred manuscripts may be sent out for additional peer review, and a decision will be made on the manuscript based on the feedback from all reviewers and the judgment of the editorial team.
Submitting Online
AoB PLANTS accepts only online manuscript submissions. Authors using the AoB PLANTS online submission system for the first time should register a username and password by clicking the ‘Create an Account’ link on the login page. A ‘Reset Password’ link is also available for registered authors who have forgotten their password. On-screen guidance is available throughout the submission process. For assistance with manuscript submission issues, contact the Editorial Office of AoB PLANTS ([email protected]).
Structure of Initial Submissions
To streamline submission, initial submissions consist of a single manuscript file in PDF format. Any legible typeface (font) and any unambiguous method of referencing citations is acceptable. The only requirements are grammatically correct English, at least 1.5 line spacing, and both line and page numbers (specific formatting requirements are only applied after acceptance – see "Structure of Accepted Articles", below).
Authors should redact identifying information from the main text (e.g., author names and affiliations, names of institutions at which experiments were carried out) to enable double-anonymised peer review.
For Cascaded manuscripts, authors should include a cover letter that includes the prior reviews and decision, and a description of changes the authors have made to address issues raised in those reviews and decision, along with a single PDF of the anonymized manuscript.
Structure of Accepted Articles
After a manuscript is accepted, authors will be asked to email their final main text file and separate figure, table and supporting information files to the Editorial Office. Main text files should be prepared and submitted in Microsoft Word, Text, Postscript, RTF, or LaTeX formats.
Do not number each section in the paper. Any conflicts of interest must be disclosed in a section entitled "Acknowledgements", at the end of the main text and before the References. It is up to the authors' discretion whether they wish to list any other acknowledgements, such as funding sources or author contributions.
Data
Authors must either include a link to a permanent open-access data depository containing all data needed to reproduce any new analyses, under the heading of "Data Availability Statement", immediately after the main text (typically after the Discussion), or they must include such data as Supporting Information, or, preferably, both. Examples of data availability statements.
Supporting Information
Authors are strongly encouraged to provide additional material as Supporting Information (SI). For accepted articles, SI consisting mostly of text should be provided as a separate PDF file, extensive tabulated data should be provided as Excel or CSV files, and videos (up to 5 megabytes) may be provided in any widely used format. Each SI file should be cited from within the text (e.g., "[see Supporting Information]"). Each SI item should be cited from within the text (e.g., "[see Supporting Information Figure S3]"). Authors should compile SI content into as few separate files as possible, to make it easier for readers to access the content.
Tables
All tables must numbered consecutively and cited in the text in the order that they appear. Include a legend above the table, beginning with a single introductory sentence that summarizes the contents, and including additional text as needed to explain the table's contents.
Figures
All figures must be numbered consecutively, cited in the text in the order that they appear, and described with a succinct Figure Legend. All figures should be submitted as 600-dpi JPGs, saved in grayscale or RBG colour mode (not CMYK) and sized to suit either single-column (up to 8 cm wide) or double-column (up to 17 cm wide) reproduction, with maximum height of 23 cm. Grouping related images and charts into a single figure is strongly encouraged; panels should be labelled A, B, C, etc. Use of colour is strongly encouraged to improve clarity; use colourblind-safe palettes where possible. Electron and light micrographs should have internal scale markers.
Figure accessibility and alt text
Incorporating alt text (alternative text) when submitting your paper helps to foster inclusivity and accessibility. Good alt text ensures that individuals with visual impairments or those using screen readers can comprehend the content and context of your figures. The aim of alt text is to provide concise and informative descriptions of your figure so that all readers have access to the same level of information and understanding, and that all can engage with and benefit from the visual elements integral to scholarly content. Including alt text demonstrates a commitment to accessibility and enhances the overall impact and reach of your work.
Alt text is applicable to all images, figures, illustrations, and photographs.
Alt text is only accessible via e-reader and so it won’t appear as part of the typeset article.
Detailed guidance on how to draft and submit alt text.
Symbols and Abbreviations
Spell out abbreviations at first mention, and provide a list of abbreviations as a Table only if necessary for clarity. Symbols representing quantities must either consist of a single italicized letter followed by subscripts as needed (e.g., γmax, g s), or multiple non-italicized capital letters (e.g., LMA), but not multiple italicized letters (e.g., LMA, which can be confused for a product of three quantities, i.e., L·M·A).
Scientific Names
Write out names of organisms in full at first mention, in both the abstract and the main text, in italics, including any cultivar or variety name (e.g., Solanum lycopersicum 'Moneymaker'); thereafter, abbreviate the genus name and exclude cultivar names unless this would create ambiguity. Species authorities are not required unless their omission would create ambiguity. Once defined in full, taxa may also be referred to using vernacular names or abbreviations without italics (e.g., Arabidopsis thaliana = arabidopsis, Pinus flexilis = PIFL).
Dates and Times
To prevent ambiguity, refer to months using letters, not numbers (e.g., January or Jan) and provide times either in 24-hour format or with "am" or "pm" (e.g., 1615h or 4:15 pm).
Citations
In-text citations should take the form of Felle et al. (2008) or Jacobsen and Forbes (1999) and should be ordered chronologically when grouped within parentheses (Williamson and Watanabe 1987; Rodrigues 2007 a, b ). Papers by three or more authors should be abbreviated to the name of the first author followed by et al. (e.g., Zhang et al. 2005). Refer to papers as 'in press' if they have been accepted for publication in a named publication. For other sources, including papers not yet accepted, use the terms 'unpubl. data' or 'pers. comm.', giving the name of the person concerned (e.g., Richard Feynman, pers. comm.).
References should be listed alphabetically in the References section according to the surname of the first author, including the names of the first 10 authors and then using 'et al.'. For two or more papers by the same first author, chronologically for multiple papers with identical author lists, and with italicized lowercase letters added to the year for multiple papers in the same year with identical authors lists.
Each reference cited must conform to one of the following styles:
Book
Chapin FS III, Matson PA, Vitousek PM. 2012. Principles of terrestrial plant ecology , 2nd edn. New York: Springer.
Book Chapter
Stohlgren TJ. 2011. Landscape patterns of plant invasions. In: Rejmánek M, Simberloff D, eds. Encyclopedia of biological invasions . Berkeley: University of California Press, 422–425.
Research Paper
Seastedt TR, Pyšek P. 2011. Mechanisms of plant invasions of North American and European grasslands. Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution and Systematics 42:133–153.
Dissertation/Thesis
Tholen D. 2005. Growth and photosynthesis in ethylene-insensitive plants . PhD Thesis, University of Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Sequence information
Before novel sequences for proteins or nucleotides can be published, authors must deposit their data with one of the principal databases such as EMBL Nucleotide Sequence Database, GenBank, or the DNA Data Bank of Japan. Details of any novel protein structures must be submitted to a data bank such as the Protein Data Bank. Sequence matrices and microarrays should be included only if alignment information is critical to the paper's message, and should not occupy more than half a page; publish larger matrices as Supporting Information.
Gene nomenclature
Species-specific rules on plant gene nomenclature are available for: maize ; rice ; wheat and arabidopsis ; tomato and brassica . Otherwise, use the following conventions for abbreviations: each gene abbreviation is preceded by a combination of upper- and lowercase letters identifying the genus and species of origin (e.g., Rp or Rp for Rumex palustris ). Use lower-case italics for mutant genes (e.g., Rp-etr1 ) and upper-case italics (e.g., Rp-ACO1 ) for wild-type genes; use non-italicized lowercase for products of mutated genes (e.g., Rp-adh1) and non-italicized upper-case for proteins of wild-type genes (e.g., Rp-MYB2). It may sometimes be helpful to readers if the names of genes or gene families are spelled out in full at first mention; e.g. R > umex p > alustris.
Permissions
It is the responsibility of the corresponding author to obtain permission from copyright holders (and to pay any associated fees) to reproduce figures, tables, or other material that has been previously published elsewhere.
Publication Details
Shortly after final acceptance, each manuscript will be published online as a reviewed and accepted PDF (but not officially copyedited or typeset). It will carry a unique DOI (Digital Object Identifier) code that can be used in bibliographic referencing and searching, and the date will constitute the official publication date for the paper. PDF proofs will be emailed to the corresponding author approximately 2–4 weeks later. Authors must correct the proofs and return them to the publisher within 24 hours. In addition to the text, authors need to review all diagrams, figures and equations, since these items are usually regenerated by the publisher to conform to a standard style.
As soon as author-corrected proofs have been processed by the publisher, the author’s provisional PDF manuscript will be replaced online with fully formatted PDF and HTML versions. The promotional items, DOI and original date of publication will be retained.
Upon receipt of accepted manuscripts at Oxford Journals, authors will be asked to complete an online copyright licence to publish form.
By submitting an article for publication authors confirm that they are the corresponding author and agree that Oxford University Press ("OUP") may retain their email address in order to communicate about the article.
Crossref Funding Data Registry
In order to meet your funding requirements authors are required to name their funding sources, or state if there are none, during the submission process. For further information on this process or to find out more about CHORUS, visit the CHORUS initiative.
Article Processing Charges
AoB PLANTS is a fully open access journal, and all articles are published in the journal under an open access licence immediately upon publication. You will need to pay an open access charge to publish under an open access licence.
Details of the open access licences and open access charges.
CC BY licence - £1,065
Corresponding authors based in countries and regions, that are part of the developing countries initiative are eligible for a full waiver of publishing fees in our fully open access journals. For further details, please see our APC Waiver Policy.
OUP has a growing number of Read and Publish agreements with institutions and consortia which provide funding for open access publishing. This means authors from participating institutions can publish open access, and the institution may pay the charge. Find out if your institution is participating.
