Author Instructions
All manuscripts should be submitted via ScholarOne Manuscripts.
- Publishing Policies
- Peer review
- Authorship
- Licence to publish
- Open access
- General
- Paper categories
- Presentation
- Use of inclusive language
- Format
- Title
- Abstract
- Keywords
- Summary text for the Table of Contents
- Text
- Data Availability Statement
- Conflicts of Interest
- Declaration of Funding
- Acknowledgements
- References
- Tables
- Figures
- Supplementary material
- Guidelines for data analysis and presentation
- Units, nomenclature and formulae
- Animal and human research ethics
- Data deposition
- Use of copyright material
- How to submit manuscripts
- Proofs and reprints
Publishing Policies
Pacific Conservation Biology insists on high standards of ethical behaviour throughout the publication process. Our journal editors work within the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE). Further information on our policies can be found at http://www.publish.csiro.au/pc/PublishingPolicies.
Peer review
Pacific Conservation Biology is a peer-reviewed journal that uses a single-blind peer-review. The Editor-in-Chief is responsible to maintain high-quality peer-review of papers submitted to the journal and work together with the Managing Editors and Editors to ensure a thorough and fair peer-review and the highest scientific publishing standards. All submissions undergo preliminary assessment by the Editor-in-Chief, who may reject a paper before peer review when it is outside the journal’s scope or is of insufficient quality. Editors select reviewers and after at least two review reports are received, they make the decision whether to accept/reject or send a manuscript for revision. The final decision is made by the Editor-in-Chief.
Authorship
The conditions around authorship for Pacific Conservation Biology should follow the recommendations of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), for more information see http://www.publish.csiro.au/pc/PublishingPolicies.
Licence to publish
For details regarding copyright, please see Copyright/Licence to Publish.
Open access
Authors may choose to publish their paper Open Access on payment of a publication fee. See Open Access for more details.
General
To reduce the burden on the editorial team, Pacific Conservation Biology does not require pre-submission enquiries to the Editor. Authors should determine if their manuscripts fit the journal’s scope before submitting their manuscripts through ScholarOne Manuscripts. Editorial advice and decisions will not be provided on manuscripts submitted to the journal through other means.
Papers will be considered for publication if they make an original and significant contribution to research into conservation biology and wildlife management in the Pacific region, and fit the Journal´s scope. Descriptive papers may be accepted if they are placed in an appropriate conceptual setting and have global relevance. However, papers that are purely taxonomic or parochial, describe preliminary or incremental results, or simply present data with minimal or no context will not be considered. The Editor reserves the right to reject poorly prepared or inappropriate manuscripts without sending them for review. Manuscripts may be returned for revision before sending out for peer review if the English expression is poor, the data analysis is inappropriate, or the style deviates considerably from that advocated in this set of instructions.
Ad hominem criticism seeks to discredit an argument by attacking the qualities of the arguer, rather than the merits of the argument. Such criticism is rarely warranted and risks being defamatory. From a defamation perspective, the purpose, context and support provided for ad hominem criticism is important. Among other things, authors should consider whether, if viewed objectively, their conduct in making the criticism would be assessed as fair-minded, reasonable, and supportive of debate over an issue of public interest, and whether the criticism would be interpreted as a statement of fact or as a statement of opinion. For further details see https://www.publish.csiro.au/PC/PC17022.
Pacific Conservation Biology assumes that all authors of a multiauthored paper agree to its submission, and that the results have not been published nor are being considered for publication elsewhere. The Journal endeavours to ensure that the work published is that of the named authors except where acknowledged and, through its reviewing procedures, that all published results and conclusions are consistent with the primary data. However, it can take no responsibility for fraud or inaccuracy on the part of the contributors.
- News and Views (less than 1000 words) are news and correspondence items. Examples include society news, obituaries, and replies to published papers. News and views items are subject to editorial review only, not peer review. News and Views should be emailed directly to the Editor-in-Chief, not submitted via the website;
- Research notes (less than 2000 words) are short reports of original work not previously published and are subject to full peer review;
- Research papers (typically 2000–10 000 words) are complete reports of original research not previously published and are subject to full peer review;
- Reviews (typically 2000–10 000 words) including both narrative and systematic reviews and meta-analyses are subject to full peer review;
- Perspectives (previously known as Forum essays) (1000–4000 words) present a novel view on a topical issue of broad conservation interest, explore significant conservation questions, examine the validity of current views in the field, and recommend directions for future research. The author, usually a recognised authority in the field, is welcome to take a controversial standpoint, but the article should provide a clear and balanced discussion to inform non-specialist readers. The author can make specific and practical proposals, either setting an agenda or proposing better options. Perspectives are usually commissioned by the Editorial Board but prospective authors are welcome to submit proposals to the Perspectives Editor. Perspectives are subject to full peer review; and
- Field Notes (450 words) use a single high quality photograph and associated text to illustrate a species, event, phenomenon or interaction of genuine scientific interest in the field of conservation biology in the Pacific region and are subject to full peer review. Please refer to the details in the Format section.
- Book Reviews are by invitation only, which is necessary to ensure that multiple reviews are not written for the same book or that reviews are not submitted for books outside the scope of the journal. Prospective reviewers should email the book review editor, Dr Kate Bryant, at k.bryant@murdoch.edu.au, mentioning the book they wish to review. Dr Bryant will then advise whether or not to proceed with the review.
A brief summary of the paper (~50 words) should be provided upon submission for all paper types for use in the online table of contents in case of acceptance.
Presentation
The work should be presented in clear and concise English. All text should be in Times New Roman, 12 point font, with double or 1.5-line spacing throughout, and with a margin of at least 3 cm on the left-hand side. Every line of each page must be consecutively numbered in the left-hand margin, starting from 1 to the highest numbers needed as this greatly assists the referees. All pages of the manuscript must be numbered consecutively, including those carrying references, tables and captions to illustrations, all of which are to be placed after the text. Follow the form of headings, tables and illustrations exemplified in recent issues of the Journal.
Supplementary material that is not essential in the printed paper (e.g. large raw data files) but that may be useful to other workers can be lodged with the Editor if submitted with the manuscript for inspection by the referees. Such material will be published online as Supplementary Material in association with the published paper and made available free to all users.
Use of inclusive language
These guidelines should be used to assist in identifying appropriate language, but are by no means exhaustive or definitive. Inclusive language comprises carefully chosen words and phrases that are respectful and promote the acceptance and value of all people. It is language which is free from words, phrases or tones that demean, insult, exclude, stereotype, or trivialise people on the basis of their membership of a certain group or because of a particular attribute. As such, inclusive language should make no assumptions about the beliefs or commitments of any reader, and contain nothing which might imply that one individual is superior to another on any grounds including but not limited to: age, gender, race, ethnicity, culture, sexual orientation, disability or health condition. We encourage the use of plural nouns (e.g., 'they' as default wherever possible instead of 'he/she'), and recommend avoiding the use of descriptors that refer to personal attributes, unless there is scientific or clinical relevance. For further guidance on inclusive language see Inclusive language | Style Manual. If there are questions about language use and/or publishing with regards to First Nations people, please contact the Journal.
Format
Papers should usually be in the form Title, Abstract, Additional keywords, Online table of contents summary text, Introduction, Materials and methods, Results, Discussion, Acknowledgements, Conflicts of Interest, References, Figure captions and Tables. Common exceptions are explained where relevant below. If authors choose to combine the Results and Discussion sections, they must also include a Conclusion to summarise their key findings. Consider using subheadings to organise material.
Title
The title should be concise and appropriately informative and should contain all keywords necessary to facilitate retrieval by online search engines.
Abstract
Abstracts should be no more than 250 words. Abstracts of Research Papers should be formatted to include the following labelled sections: Context; Aims; Methods; Key results; Conclusions; Implications. Using these headings, the Abstract should state concisely why the study was done, what hypothesis was tested, and how the study was undertaken; should give the principal findings and conclusions; and should highlight the implications of the results to conservation biology. Abstracts of Reviews, Research Notes and Perspectives papers do not need to be formatted with sections but should still provide a concise overview of the full manuscript. Abstracts are not required for Field Notes. As a general rule, avoid including references and abbreviations in Abstracts.
Keywords
A minimum of 8 key words or phrases are required to improve online discoverability of your work. These terms can be repeated from the title if necessary. List the keywords under the abstract, with terms separated by commas.
Summary text for the Table of Contents
A brief summary of the entire paper (~50 words) should also be provided for use in the online table of contents.This text should be written for interested non-experts, such as journalists, government workers, and other social media contributors etc. Your first sentence should engage the reader, convincing them that this is an important area. The second sentence should introduce the problem addressed in the paper, and state your main discovery. The final sentence should describe how the results fit into the bigger picture (i.e. implications or impact of the discovery).
Text
The Introduction should set the global relevance of the work in the opening sentences. Text should cover essential background literature and clearly indicate the reason for the work. Major bibliometric databases and newer resources such as Conservation Evidence (valuable if the paper reports a conservation intervention) may assist in ensuring appropriate coverage of relevant background literature and highlighting gaps in knowledge. This section should close with a paragraph specifying the aims and, where appropriate, testable hypotheses. In the Materials and methods, sufficient detail should be given to enable the work to be repeated. If a commercial product such as an analytical instrument is mentioned, supply its full model name and location of the manufacturer. Give complete citations and version numbers for computer software. Data analysis must be explained clearly, especially when complex models or novel statistical procedures are used (see Guidelines for data analysis and presentation). Results should be stated concisely and without interpretation (although in complex studies, modest interpretation of some data may provide context helpful for understanding subsequent sections). Data presented should address aims and testable hypotheses raised in the Introduction. Use tables and figures to illustrate the key points but do not repeat their contents in detail. The Discussion should explain the scientific significance of the results in context with the literature, clearly distinguishing factual results from speculation and interpretation. Avoid excessive use of references - more than three to support a claim is usually unnecessary. Limitations of methods should also be addressed where appropriate. Conclude the Discussion with a section on the implications of the findings. Footnotes should be used only when essential.
Perspectives: Authors need not follow the headings Introduction, Materials and methods, Results, Discussion if alternative headings are more suitable.
Field Notes: Authors are required to submit a high quality photograph in TIFF or EPS format (see instructions for Tables and Figures) and short explanatory text written in English in WORD.DOC or WORD.DOCX format, including line numbers. Text should not exceed 450 words (including title, citations, up to 3 references and acknowledgements), and should describe the event, general location and its significance. A Conflicts of Interest Statement should be included (not counted in word limit). Generally Field Notes should have three or fewer authors, usually the photographer and one or two authors explaining the photograph’s significance. If more than three authors are required, authors should explain why this is necessary in a letter accompanying the submission. Field Notes will be subject to peer review, especially with regards to the scientific significance of the submission, and scientific value will take precedence over the photographic quality or aesthetics of the photograph. Images will also be analysed for digital authenticity. The editors will also specifically consider potential social, cultural and conservation implications of Field Notes submissions, and will discuss potential issues with the authors. A brief summary (~50 words) should be provided upon submission for use in the online table of contents in case of acceptance.
Data Availability Statement
CSIRO Publishing encourages authors to share the research data underlying their papers to support transparency and reproducibility of research. A Data Availability Statement must be included at the end of the manuscript indicating whether the data used to generate the results in the paper are available and, if so, where to access them. For more information on CSIRO Publishing’s data sharing policy and for examples of what to include in the data availability statement please see https://www.publish.csiro.au/journals/publishingpolicies#6.
Authors can get credit for their work by citing their research data in the reference list of their article. Citations should include at a minimum: all authors, year of publication, title of dataset, record ID, publisher. DOI or URL if available. Examples of how to cite research data:
Wang L, Edwards D, Bailey A, Carr L, Boreham C, Grosjean E, Anderson J, Jarrett A, MacFarlane S, Southby C, Carson C, Khider K, Palu T, Henson P (2021). Well log data analysis and interpretation on the pre-Carboniferous succession in Waukarlycarly 1, Canning Basin, Western Australia. Record 2021/003 [Dataset]. Geoscience Australia, Canberra. Available at http://pid.geoscience.gov.au/dataset/ga/144547
Fiddes S, Pepler A, Saunders K, Hope P (2020) Southern Australia’s climate regions (Version 1.0.0) [Dataset] Zenodo. doi:10.5281/zenodo.4265471
Digital Earth Australia (2021). Wetlands Insight Tool Queensland Wetlands Polygons. Version 1.0.0 [Dataset]. Geoscience Australia, Canberra. Available at http://pid.geoscience.gov.au/dataset/ga/144795
Conflicts of Interest
A ´Conflicts of Interest´ section should be included at the end of the manuscript. It should identify any financial or non-financial (political, personal, professional) interests/relationships that may be interpreted to have influenced the manuscript. If there is no conflict of interest, please include the statement "The authors declare no conflicts of interest".
Declaration of Funding
Under a subheading 'Declaration of Funding' at the end of the text authors are required to declare all sources of funding for the research and/or preparation of the article, and the inclusion of grant numbers is recommended. Authors should declare sponsor names along with explanations of the role of those sources if any in the preparation of the data or manuscript or the decision to submit for publication; or a statement declaring that the supporting source had no such involvement. If no funding has been provided for the research, please include the following sentence: "This research did not receive any specific funding".
Acknowledgements
The contribution of colleagues who do not meet all criteria for authorship should be acknowledged. Anyone included in the Acknowledgements section should have granted permission to be listed. Sources of financial support should be acknowledged in a separate ‘Declaration of Funding’ rather than here.
References
Please strive to make the References section accurate and consistent with the journal´s style. We use the Harvard system. Cite references chronologically in the text by the author and date, e.g. (Smith 2012; Jones 2014). Multiple references from the same year should be cited alphabetically. In the text, the names of two coauthors are linked by ´and´; for three or more, the first author´s name is followed by ´et al.´. Avoid excessive citation of references.
All references cited in the text must be listed at the end of the paper, with the names of authors arranged alphabetically, then chronologically. No editorial responsibility can be taken for the accuracy of the references so authors are requested to check these with special care. In the reference list, include the full author list, article title and journal name (i.e. no abbreviations).
Papers that have not been accepted for publication must not be included in the list of references. If necessary, they may be cited either as ´unpublished data´ or as ´personal communication´ but the use of such citations is discouraged. Authors must ensure that they have permission to cite material as a personal communication and can provide unpublished data if required by a reviewer. Pay special attention to punctuation, spelling of author and species names, and titles of articles, books and journals.
EndNote provides an output style for Pacific Conservation Biology and the Endnote style file can be downloaded here. References should be as per the following examples:
- Journal article
Calver MC, Lilith M, Dickman CR (2013) A ´perverse incentive´ from bibliometrics: could National Research Assessment Exercises (NRAES) restrict literature availability for nature conservation? Scientometrics 95, 243–255.
Hughes RA, Williams SL, Duarte CM, Heck KL, Waycott M (2009) Associations of concern: declining seagrasses and threatened dependent species. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 7, 242–246. - Book chapter
Kuo J, McComb AJ (1989) Seagrass taxonomy, structure and development. In ´Biology of Seagrasses: a Treatise on the Biology of Seagrasses with Special Reference to the Australian Region´. (Eds AWD Larkum, AJ McComb, SA Shepherd) Chapter 2, pp. 6–73. (Elsevier: New York)
Blomberg S, Shine R (1996) Reptiles. In ´Ecological Census Techniques: a Handbook´. (Ed. WJ Sutherland) pp. 218–226. (Cambridge University Press: Cambridge) - Book
Sokal RR, Rohlf FJ (1981) ´Biometry. The Principles and Practice of Statistics in Biological Research.´ 2nd edn. (W. H. Freeman: New York)
Stewart DW, Shamdasani PN (1990) ´Focus Groups: Theory and Practice.´ (Sage: Newbury Park, CA) - Thesis
Paap T (2006) The incidence, severity and possible causes of canker disease of Corymbia calophylla (marri) in the southwest of Western Australia. PhD thesis, Murdoch University, Perth.
Isaacs J (1994) The riparian link: bird use of riparian vegetation in a fragmented rainforest landscape. MSc thesis, James Cook University, Townsville. - Report or Bulletin
Chippendale GM, Wolf L. (1981). The natural distribution of Eucalyptus in Australia. Australian National Parks and Wildlife Service, Special Publication No. 6, Canberra. - Conference Proceedings
Hayman PT, Collett IJ (1996) Estimating soil water: to kick, to stick, to core or computer? In ´Proceedings of the 8th Australian Agronomy Conference, Toowoomba, 1 January 1996´. (Ed. M. Asghar.) p. 664. (Australian Society of Agronomy: Toowoomba, Qld, Australia)
Kawasu T, Doi K, Ohta T, Shinohara Y, Ito K (1990) Transformation of eucalypts (Eucalyptus saligna) using electroporation. In ´Proceedings of the VIIth International Congress on Plant Tissue and Cell Culture, Florence, 12-17 June 1994´. pp. 64-68. (Amsterdam IAPTC: Amsterdam) - Web-based material
Goudet J (2001) FSTAT, a Program to Estimate and Test Gene Diversities and Fixation Indices (Version 2.9.3). Available at http://www2.unil.ch/popgen/softwares/fstat.htm [Accessed 15 November 2007]
Tables
Editable tables should be prepared in Word using the 'Table' tool (not tabs), without any hard returns within cells, or can be set up in Excel. Number each table and refer to it in the text (Table 1, Table 2, etc.) in order of appearance. There is no need to add instructions on the placement of tables as long as each table is referred to in the text. Do not provide tables as images.
Table titles should be concise and clear and should fully explain the table. Use sentence case throughout the table. Supporting information relating to the whole table should be placed in the headnote. Any symbols, abbreviations or acronyms used in the table should also be defined in the headnote. Additional information relating to specific cells should be placed as table footnotes using superscript capital letters as identifiers. Symbols for units of measurement should be placed in parentheses beneath the column heading.
Tables should appear at the end of the main document, not within the text. Keep tables as simple as possible, without excessive subdivision of column headings.
Figures
Figures should be supplied as separate files but the captions should be included in the main document (at the end). Refer to each figure in the text (Fig. 1, Fig. 2, etc.), and number each figure according to the order in which it appears in the text. There is no need to add instructions on placement of figures as long as each figure is referred to in the text. If your figure has multiple parts label with (a), (b), (c), etc. and place the labels in the top left of each image where possible. Figure parts can be supplied as separate images if needed. Please make sure all images are supplied are at highest possible resolution.
Format
Where possible, line diagrams (graphs, charts, etc.) should be provided as editable files and prepared using either a graphics or chart/graph program such as MacDraw, Illustrator, CorelDraw, Excel, Sigmaplot, Harvard Graphics or Cricket Graph and files should be saved in one of the following formats: encapsulated PostScript (EPS), Illustrator or Excel (provided the Excel files have been saved with the chart encapsulated in it). The submission of scanned images or illustrations prepared in a paint program, e.g. Photoshop (and PICT and JPEG files) is discouraged, because of the difficulty in making editorial corrections to these files. If illustrations must be created in a paint program, save the file as a TIFF or EPS (these files should be 600 dpi for line drawings and 300 dpi for halftone figures). Photographs can be supplied in the highest resolution possible.
Fonts
Please prepare figures using a standard sans serif font. Arial preferred. Font sizes for main axis labels, part labels should not be more than 8pt. Legends and data points should be 7pt font size where possible. Font should never be smaller than 5pt to ensure readability.
Style
- Use sentence case for text within figures
- Use Australian English spelling (ise, not ize, etc.) throughout
- Use 'and' not '&'
- For ranges in numbers (5–10) or minus signs (–20) please use an en rule rather than a hyphen as this is clearer for the reader.
Graphs
Should be prepared with one main x and y axis line. Grid lines are not required. Line weight of x- and y-axes should be ~1.0 (not below 0.7). State on the axes of a graph what is being measured and give the appropriate units in parentheses. Ensure any symbols/colours used are explained in a legend on the figure, or in the caption. Ensure numbers on axes have the same number of decimal places.
Maps
Ensure north is identified and a scale is provided. Ensure any symbols used are fully explained in a legend within the figure, or the caption. If maps are taken from Google Earth (or similar) please ensure attribution information is retained either on the figure, or provided in the caption.
Photographs
Ensure that permission has been gained by the copyright holder of the photograph and include a photographer credit in your caption. If your photograph contains people, please ensure that they have provided permission for their image to be published.
Captions
Captions should be concise and clear and should fully explain the figure. Explain any symbols or abbreviations used in the caption of the figure, or in a legend. If your figure has multiple parts, ensure each part is explained in the caption. If your figure is a photograph, ensure the photographer is credited in the caption.
Colour figures in print
Colour is free of charge in the online versions of your paper. Colour charges are incurred only if you want colour in the print version of the journal, see Publishing Charges for details.
If your figure files are too large for upload to ScholarOne please ensure you let CSIRO Publishing know as soon as your paper is accepted and an alternative transfer will be arranged. Note: Figures used in the final paper will be based on what is provided – if the quality is low in the original, it will remain low in the final publication.
Authors are responsible for obtaining prior permission from the copyright holder for the use of figures/images from other publications. Authors may be charged a fee by the copyright holder for such reuse.
Supplementary material
In an effort to make best use of printed journal space, Pacific Conservation Biology strongly encourages authors to place supporting files such as additional tables, figures and raw data in ´Supplementary Material´, which is linked online to the paper when it is published electronically. Such material is not crucial to the paper’s interpretation but would bolster claims, illustrate specific aspects of interest, or expand on a point in the text. There is no special format for Supplementary Material and it should be cited in the main text as ´..available as Supplementary Material...´ or ´(see Supplementary Material)´.
Guidelines for data analysis and presentation
Effective data analysis seeks to summarise and clarify results, enhancing the objectivity with which they are presented and interpreted. If an analysis fails to achieve this, it is probably unsuitable. No matter what analysis is used, the reader must be provided with enough information to independently assess whether the method is appropriate. Therefore, assumptions and models underlying unusual statistical analyses must be clearly stated, usually with supporting references. Even when conventional parametric statistics are used, the reader must be assured that the data satisfied assumptions of normality as well as other specific requirements (e.g. homogeneity of variances). Bayesian and other non-frequentist approaches are welcomed but their application and assumptions must be explained and justified in sufficient detail.
Describing data. Full details of sampling, survey and experimental designs, protocols for collecting data (with references where appropriate), precision of measurements, sampling or experimental units, and sample sizes must be given. Typically, reported values should include the sample size and some measure of precision (e.g. standard errors or specified confidence intervals) of estimates. Presenting data as graphs is invaluable, helping demonstrate trends and illustrate where data might violate statistical assumptions. Tables are useful when specific values are to be presented or the data do not lend themselves readily to graphical presentation. See recent issues of the Journal for examples of effective figures and tables.
Describing statistical analyses. The specific statistical procedure must be stated. If it is an unusual one, it should be explained in sufficient detail, including references where appropriate. All statistics packages used should be cited fully with their version number. Sometimes, it will be necessary to indicate which procedure, method or module within a package was used. If conclusions are based on an analysis of variance or regression, there must be sufficient information to enable the construction of the full analysis of variance table (at least both degrees of freedom, the structure of F-ratios, and P values). Indicate which effects were considered fixed or random and explain why. If data are to be pooled or omitted, this should be fully justified.
Actual P values are far more informative than ´P < 0.05´ or symbols such as ´*´. However, statistical significance should not be confused with effect size and biological importance. Power analyses (i.e. determination of Type II error rates) may be useful, especially if used in conjunction with descriptive procedures such as confidence intervals.
Units, nomenclature and formulae
Use SI units for all measurements unless there are valid reasons for not doing so - these will need full explanation. Avoid ambiguous forms of expression such as mL/m2/day. Note that the journal style is to express units with exponential notation; hence, mg/mL is expressed as mg mL-1.
Mathematical formulae. Mathematical formulae should be presented with symbols in correct alignment and adequately spaced. Equations should not be embedded images; use equation editors that result in an editable format. Each formula should be displayed on a single line if possible. During the final proof stage, the author(s) must check formulae very carefully.
Enzyme nomenclature. The names of enzymes should conform to the Recommendations of the Nomenclature Committee of the IUB on the Nomenclature and Classification of Enzymes as published in ´Enzyme Nomenclature 1984´ (Academic Press, Inc., New York, 1984). If there is good reason to use a name other than the recommended one, at the first mention of the alternative name in the text it should be identified by the recommended name and EC number. The Editor should be advised of the reasons for using the alternative name.
Chemical nomenclature. The names of compounds such as amino acids, carbohydrates, lipids, steroids, and vitamins should follow the recommendations of the IUPAC-IUB Commission on Biochemical Nomenclature. Other biologically active compounds, such as metabolic inhibitors, plant growth regulators, and buffers should be referred to once by their correct chemical name (in accordance with IUPAC rules of Chemical Nomenclature) and then by their most widely accepted common name. Where there is no common name, trade names or letter abbreviations of the chemical may be used.
Microbiological nomenclature. The names of bacteria should conform to those used in ´Approved List of Bacterial Names´ (American Society for Microbiology, Washington, D.C., 1980). Fungal nomenclature should conform to the International Code for Botanic Nomenclature.
DNA data. DNA sequences published in the Journal should be deposited in one of the following nucleotide sequence databases: EMBL, GenBank or DDBJ. An accession number for each sequence or sequence set must be included in the manuscript before publication. In addition, electronic copies of the data sets in nexus format should be supplied with the manuscript to aid the review process.
Animal and human research ethics
Researchers must have proper regard for the ethical implications of all research involving animals and/or humans*. Possible adverse consequences of the research for individuals or populations – of any species – must be weighed against the potential gains in knowledge and practical applications. Papers reporting work with animals and/or humans must include a reference to the code(s) of practice adopted for the research. Permits for ethics clearance for human and/or animal research, for sampling and for animal handling must be specified clearly in the Acknowledgements. Authors are required to confirm that their research meets the ethical guidelines, including adherence to the legal requirements of the study country, when they submit their manuscript via ScholarOne Manuscripts. Editors should ensure that peer reviewers consider ethical and welfare issues raised by the research they are reviewing, and to request additional information from authors where needed. In situations where there is doubt as to the adherence to appropriate procedures or approval by the relevant ethics committee, editors are required to reject these papers.
*Human research is research conducted with or about people, and may include the involvement of humans through taking part in surveys, interviews or focus groups; being observed by researchers; researchers having access to their personal documents of other information; or access to their information as part of an existing published or unpublished source or database (for more information, see the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research, 2007 – Updated 2018). Authors are required to document that a formally constituted review board (Institutional Review Board or Ethics committee) has granted approval for the research to be done, or that the principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki regarding human experimentation have been met. Investigators who do not have access to an institutional review board are required to provide a statement to the editor outlining why it was not possible to gain formal ethics approval. If the study is judged exempt from review, a statement from the committee is required. Authors should make an ethics statement within the manuscript to this effect. Authors should also state that the research was undertaken with appropriate informed consent of participants or guardians.
CSIRO Publishing also follows guidelines provided by the CSIRO Animal Ethics committee and CSIRO’s own guidelines on ethical human research.
Data deposition
Authors are encouraged to deposit labelled voucher specimens documenting their research in an established permanent collection and to cite this collection in publication. Authors are encouraged to place all species distribution records in a publicly accessible database such as the national Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) nodes or data centres endorsed by GBIF, including BioFresh.
Use of copyright material
If copyrighted material (such as a figure or table) is sourced from another journal or book (etc.), permission must be gained by the author to reuse such material and appropriate credit must be given. Copies of written permission must be provided on request and will be kept on file.
How to submit manuscripts
To submit your paper, please use our online journal management system ScholarOne Manuscripts, which can be reached directly through this link or from the link on the journal´s homepage. If a first-time user, register via the ´Register here´ link, or use your existing username and password to log in. Then click on the ´Author Centre´ link and proceed. A covering letter must accompany the submission and should include the name, address, fax and telephone numbers, and email address of the corresponding author. The letter should also contain a statement justifying why the work should be considered for publication in the Journal, and stating that the manuscript has not been published or simultaneously submitted for publication elsewhere. News and Views should be emailed directly to the Editor in Chief, not submitted via the website.
If you encounter any difficulties, or you have any queries, please contact:
Pacific Conservation Biology
CSIRO Publishing
Locked Bag 10
Clayton South, Vic. 3169
Australia
Telephone +[61 3] 9545 8400
Email publishing.pc@csiro.au
Authors are strongly advised to consult recent issues of Pacific Conservation Biology to confirm their paper fits the scope and follows the Journal´s conventions for headings, tables, illustrations, style, references, and general form. Following these closely will shorten the time between submission and publication and reduces the workload for reviewers. Poorly prepared and unnecessarily lengthy manuscripts have less chance of being accepted or will require laborious revision.
Resubmission of manuscripts revised in response to reviewers´ comments should occur within two months of the primary editorial decision, and be accompanied by a detailed point-by-point explanation of how each comment has been addressed. Unless prior arrangements are made with the Editor, revised manuscripts received after two months will usually be treated as new submissions.
Proofs and reprints
Page proofs are sent to the corresponding author for checking before publication. Proofs should be checked and returned by email to the Production Editor within 48 h of receipt. At this stage, only essential alterations and correction of typesetting errors may be undertaken. Excessive author alterations will be charged to the author.
Reprint order forms and prices are enclosed with the proofs and should be completed and returned to the Production Editor with the proofs. Corresponding authors will be sent a free PDF of their paper on publication. There are no page charges.
