Guidelines for contributors
Prithivya publishes original research articles, short notes, and comments about wildlife (flora and fauna) and conservation biology. Methodological and technical contributions are also welcome. Only submissions in English will be considered for publication. Identification of species, annotated checklists, trip reports, new species records, book reviews, letters, announcements, notices, and news from the wildlife world are also welcome.
The text and captions of tables, figures, photographs and appendices should be combined in one Microsoft Word® (“.doc,” “.docx”) file format. The preferred font is ‘Times New Roman’ in 12 point, with single space.
Photographs, artwork, maps, diagrams, etc. should have a resolution of 300 dpi. After the final acceptance, we may ask to send a JPEG file with maximum quality as separate attachments.
Plagiarism: Prithivya strictly follows the ethics of research and publication, and we publish articles with less than 15% of similarities. The articles submitted to Prithivya will be checked for plagiarism and will be returned to the author in cases of more than 15% similarity.
Types of Manuscript
The word counts include the abstract, whole text and references. The table and figure captions are excluded from the word count.
1. Research articles: up to 5000 words
2. Short notes: 1500 words
3. Important sightings: 250-500 words with proper GPS location
4. Important findings: 250-500 words with proper justification
5. Research paper: up to 10,000 words (excluding the appendix)
Preparation and submission of manuscripts
Submitted manuscripts should follow the standard structure of scientific manuscripts: Abstract, Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion, Acknowledgments, and References. However, Prithivya has certain flexibility in the section structure. The MS not prepared according to these guidelines will be sent back to the authors and subjected to rejection.
Title: Try to keep it short and concise.
Author(s) name: Last name first
Affiliation of author(s) and email of corresponding author
Abstract: 250 words should contain a summary of all major findings of the work. Abstracts are not necessary for short note papers.
Keywords: 4-5 words for indexing and literature searching; do not repeat words in the titles.
Introduction: should provide a review of the state-of-the-art and existing knowledge on the topic as well as state the hypothesis, explain the issues or problems that motivate the research, the knowledge gaps and/or the main questions to be answered.
Methods: Include information about the study species, area, number of samples, studied population(s), methods (both field and statistical), and equipment. It should be clear enough that anybody could repeat the study.
Results: This section describes the findings of the study without any further explanation or comment on the findings. Results are often presented in tables and/or figures with proper labeling or numbering. The captions of tables and figures should be self-explanatory. Photographs are also allowed. Species checklists should be presented as an appendix.
Discussion: Summarise the main findings of the study (but do not repeat results), explain, and comment on the results in relation to previous research. Discuss the limitations of the study and potential needs in future research.
Conclusion: Optional. It should contain 10-15 sentences, concisely stating the main outcomes of the study.
Acknowledgements: Contains funding support, persons who helped during the project or research or findings, and the name of a university other than affiliated.
Conflict of interest: The authors declare the conflict of interest related article.
References: Strictly follow the APA style of referencing. References should be arranged alphabetically by first author. Following are some examples of references.
Unpublished sources
“(Harkirat Sangha, in litt., e-mail/letter dated 02 January 2013)”; if oral, “(Rajah Jayapal, verbally, dated 15 December 2013)”.
Journal articles
Naoroji, R., & Sangha, H. S., 2011. Threats to habitat and wildlife in Changthang and Rupshu areas of Ladakh: a case study at Hanle. Prithiviya 7 (1): 2–6.
Books
Futehally, Z. (ed.) 2006. India through its birds. 1st ed. Bangalore, India: Dronequill Publishers Pvt. Ltd. Pp. 1–214.
Book chapter
Pittie, A., 2011. Stray Feathers (1872–1899) (p. 247). In: Priority! The dating of scientific names in ornithology: a directory to the literature and its reviewers. Dickinson, E. C., Overstreet, L. K., Dowsett, R. J., & Bruce, M. D. (eds.). Northampton, UK: Aves Press Limited.
Website
2013. Kadalundi makes history with new gull species. The Hindu (Thiruvananthapuram ed.) dated February 7, 2013. Website: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-kerala/kadalundi-makes-history-with-new-gull-species/article4388171.ece. [Accessed on 21 July 2014.]
ETHICAL MATTERS
Authors involved in the use of experimental animals and human subjects in their research work should seek approval from the appropriate Institutional Animal Ethics Committee in accordance with "Principles of Laboratory Animal Care." The material and methods section of the manuscript should include a statement to prove that the investigation was approved and that informed consent was obtained.
Publication charges/ Processing fees:
As Prithivya, the official newsletter of the WCB Research Foundation, according to the policies of the foundation, there will be no publication charges or article processing fees; however, a printed hard copy of the article (reprint) may available on request by author(s) with the printing and shipping costs payable.
Disclaimer
- While every care is taken of manuscripts and their accompanying material, Prithivya cannot be held responsible for accidental loss or damage of any material sent for publication or for their return, whether they are accepted for publication or not.
- Material published in Prithivya reflects the views of the authors and not necessarily those of the publishers, editors, referees, etc.
- The editor reserves the right to make necessary changes to manuscripts in consultation with the author.
All submissions are evaluated under the assumption that the conditions listed here have been understood and accepted by the author(s). All manuscripts will take 3-4 weeks for review and a decision for approval or rejection.
Contact
The Editor, Prithivya
E-mail: prithivya.wcb@gmail.com