Asian Fisheries Society

Asian Fisheries Science

Guide for Authors

©Asian Fisheries Society
ISSN: 0116-6514
E-ISSN: 2073-3720


Author's checklist

Author's checklist should be uploaded with the manuscript.

Open access journal

The Asian Fisheries Science (AFS) is an open access journal with NO publishing or processing fees. Full articles can be downloaded free of charge and should not be used for commercial purposes. All the articles published in AFS are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0). Submitting author, on behalf of all co-authors, is required to fill out and submit the Open Access Agreement during the acceptance of galley proof stage.

Abstracting/Indexing

  • ASFA (Aquatic Sciences & Fisheries Abstracts)
  • Biological Abstracts
  • BIOSIS Previews
  • DOAJ
  • CAB Abstracts
  • EBSCO Publishing
  • Google Scholar
  • ProQuest
  • Scopus
  • Zoological Record

Scope

Asian Fisheries Science publishes articles on problems and issues in fisheries science, including aquaculture, in Asia and other continents that are relevant to the Asian region. Acceptable topics include aquatic ecosystem, population dynamics, resource assessment, fishing gear technology, fish processing, socioeconomics, farming systems, breeding, nutrition, fish health, pollution and aquatic resources management.

For a manuscript to be considered for publication, it must have a novel contribution that will make an impact on the development of fisheries science. In areas where there have been several publications on the same topic reporting similar findings will not be considered for publication even if the work is on a different species. However, it may be considered if the manuscript provides new related findings covering a broader scope.

Page charges

Asian Fisheries Science does NOT charge publication/processing fees.

Code of ethics for authors

Authors submitting research papers for publication must comply strictly with the AFS Code of Ethics for Authors.

Preliminary screening of manuscripts

All manuscripts received will undergo a screening process to check for the required format and to ensure that it meets the scope of the journal. The Editor may return (without reviewing) any manuscript that falls outside the journal's policy or scope. The manuscript that requires reformatting is returned to the authors with instructions to resubmit. The journal will verify the submissions for textual similarity to other published works via anti-plagiarism software. The steps involved, from submission to the publication process, can be viewed here.

Cover letter

The manuscript must be accompanied by a proper cover letter from the corresponding author. The authors must declare in the cover letter that the manuscript submitted has not been published previously nor is being considered for publication elsewhere. The cover letter should also summarise the highlight of the findings, the role and contribution of each author, the conflict of interest, and that each author has read and approved the manuscript before submission. In the event a disclosure of competing interest is needed, the Editor may dispatch a Conflict of Interest Disclosure Statement to the corresponding author for further action.

Authorship and role and contribution of authors

In the cover letter, provide the role and contribution of each author who has contributed substantially to the study (concept, design, analysis of data, drafting and revising the manuscript, grant). Those who assisted indirectly should be acknowledged. The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring that the descriptions are accurate and agreed by all authors. Authors are encouraged to use the “CRediT” (Contributor Roles Taxonomy) taxonomy of contributor roles. Where multiple individuals serve in the same role, the degree of contribution can optionally be specified as ‘lead’, ‘equal’, or ‘supporting’. For more information on “CRediT”, refer to https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/leap.1210

Double blind review

Manuscripts undergo double-blind review, whereby the names of the reviewers are not disclosed to the authors and vice versa. This is to allow unbiased decisions. At least two reviewers evaluate the manuscripts, and the Editor decides on acceptance, revision, or rejection. Manuscripts returned to authors for revision should be resubmitted within the deadline; otherwise, the manuscript may be considered withdrawn. The deadline for the resubmission of the revised manuscript could be extended upon request to the Editor.

Types of papers

Articles may be research papers, short communications or reviews.

Research papers are reports of original research findings that have not been published. The research findings should be novel contributions to scientific knowledge in fisheries science. The research manuscript must have an abstract, introduction, materials and methods, results, discussions, and conclusion.

Short communications are results of brief but significant work that should be published quickly. Manuscripts must have an abstract but may omit the usual major headings of full papers.

Review articles are critical reviews of the state of knowledge of a specific topic or interdisciplinary areas and provide future research directions on the subject for the advancement of knowledge. The review article must have abstract and appropriate subheadings.

Language

Articles must be technically sound and written in clear and correct British English. Authors must display good knowledge of the primary scientific literature and prepare manuscripts according to the journal's standards and instructions to facilitate prompt review and processing of papers. Authors, who are inexperienced in scientific writing or not proficient in English, are advised to have their manuscript checked by a senior colleague or edited prior to submission. Also, it is the author's responsibility to pay attention to grammar and spelling.

Preparation of manuscripts

General

Type the manuscript using Microsoft Office Word software using a letter size page (215 cm x 280 cm) with 2.5 cm margins all around. Double-space the manuscript throughout, including references, Table and Figure captions. Use Times New Roman font with a font size of 12 for the body text and font size 10 for the legends of the Table and Figure. According to the Asian Fisheries Science format, a full-length article must have an abstract, introduction, materials and methods, results, discussions, conclusion, and references (all sections are separate).

Title page

The "Title page" should contain the title of the article only and should be uploaded into the system. Do not write the author's and co-author's names and institutional addresses on the Title page. All the authors' names and email contacts should be entered during manuscript submission. Please note that before uploading, to facilitate blind review, the title page and the manuscript file must not contain the names and affiliations of the authors.

Abstract

Provide a summary which includes the introduction or background, purpose of the research, principal results and major conclusions in not more than 250 words. Avoid the usage of references and non-standard or uncommon abbreviations.

Keywords

List 3 to 5 keywords representing the main content of the article. Use only abbreviations firmly established in the field of study. Do not use keywords that appear in the title.

Introduction

Provide sufficient background information on the problem addressed, the current level of knowledge, the aims of the study, and the hypotheses tested. This will allow readers to understand the purpose and significance of the study. Cite references wisely to provide the most salient background rather than an exhaustive review of the topic. Avoid citing references that are difficult to trace.

Materials and Methods

Include detailed information, such as the design of the study, the type of materials involved, and the type of analysis used, to replicate your study. For well-established methodology, cite articles where those protocols are described in and include sufficient information to be understood independent of these references.
Authors must state the biological replicates used in the experimental design.
Equation must be inserted using the Equation Editor.
Provide only brand/model and country of all chemicals/equipment used.

Animal research

All animal experiments should comply with ethics in animal research. One of the requirements for publication in the Asian Fisheries Science is that authors must obtain prior approval from their Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) or equivalent. Please provide the approval letter as evidence for the current study.

Human research/survey/questionnaire

Researchers must adhere to ethical practices and principles involving human subjects. Anyone collecting data has an ethical duty to respect each participant’s autonomy. Any survey should be conducted in an ethical manner and one that accords with best research practices. Confidentiality and informed consent are two important ethical issues to adhere to when conducting a survey. The respondent’s right to confidentiality should always be respected, and any legal requirements on data protection should be adhered to. Survey participation should be voluntary, the participants should be fully informed about the aims of the survey, and the participant's consent to participate in the survey must be obtained and recorded.

Results

Present the results of the experiments as concisely as possible in either text, Table(s), or Figure(s). Figures and Tables should be numbered in the order in which they are cited in the text and be sure to cite all Figures and Tables.
Full information is required when molecular methods are used, including the sequences of novel primers. Supporting molecular data (e.g., nucleic acid sequences, protein sequences) should be deposited in a public database such as GenBank, EMBL or DDBJ and give the accession number in the manuscript.

Discussion

Provide a comprehensive interpretation of the results and explanation of the implications of the findings to previous related studies and potential future directions for research. Avoid extensive repetition of the results or reiteration of the Introduction. Avoid extensive citations and discussion of published literature.

Conclusion

State clearly the main conclusions of the research and its scientific contribution.

Acknowledgements

List the source of any financial support received for the work being published and those individuals who provided help during the research.

Role of funding agencies

In the Acknowledgements, authors must declare all sources of funding received for the research submitted to this journal. Provide information of granting agencies, grant numbers, and a description of each funder's role. If the funder has played no role in the research, this must also be stated.

Conflict of Interest

Authors should include this mandatory declaration of any competing interests. Conflicts of interest, if present, must be briefly stated. If the authors have no conflict of interests, the statement should read "The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest".

References

Ensure that every reference cited in the text is also present in the reference list and vice versa. Unpublished results and personal communications are not recommended in the reference list but may be mentioned in the text.

Citation in text

Authors are encouraged to use Asian Fisheries Science Mendeley citation style that can be downloaded here: AFS CSL file

Cite references in the text as Author (year). Cite three or more authors as (First Author et al., year) and references still in press as (Author, in press). If a reference is unpublished, say (Author, unpubl. data) or (Author, pers. comm.). Arrange references in series by year as in (Beta, 1980; Omega, 1985; Alpha, 1990).

Citation in the Reference list

The reference list should be in alphabetical order and include the full title. See below for the reference style:

-Journal article with DOI
Gammanpila, M., Amarasinghe, U.S., Wijeyaratne, M.J.S. 2019. Dietary guild structure in fish assemblages and trophic position of constituent species in brush parks of a tropical estuary. Asian Fisheries Science 32:8–18. https://doi.org/10.33997/j.afs.2019.32.01.002
Obtain DOI link for your reference list or bibliography from the link:
https://doi.crossref.org/simpleTextQuery   

-Article within proceedings
El-Naggar, G., Nasr-Allan, A., Kareem, R.O. 2008. Economic analysis of fish farming in Behaira governorate of Egypt. In 8th international symposium on Tilapia in aquaculture. (eds. Elghobashy, H., Fitzsimmons, K., Diab, A.S.), pp. 693–707. Central Laboratory for Aquaculture Research, Abbasa, Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, Cairo, Egypt.

-Book
Bardach, J.E., Ryther, J.H., McLarney, W.O. 1972. Aquaculture: the farming and husbandry of freshwater and marine organisms. Wiley Interscience, New York. 100 pp.

-Book chapter, or an article within a book
Smith, I., Chong, K.C. 1984. Southeast Asian milkfish culture: economic status and prospects. In: Advances in milkfish biology and culture, Juario, J.V., Ferraris, R.P., Benitez, L.V. (Eds.), Island Publishing House, Manila, pp. 1–20.

-Online document
Fish Farming Expert 2008. http://www.fishfarmingxpertno/index.php?page_id37&article_id=78056. (Accessed 30 April 2010).

Tables and Figures

The Tables and Figures must not be submitted separately and should appear in the text where they are mentioned in the first instance. All figures and tables are to be numbered using Arabic numerals consecutively. Figure parts should be denoted by lowercase letters (a, b, c, etc.). Table and Figure legends must be in sentence case, self-explanatory and detailed. The reader should be able to understand without referring to the text. Abbreviations should be defined. Figure legends begin with the term Fig., followed by the figure number. Avoid footnotes, addenda, or appendices; if they are necessary, incorporate them briefly in the text. Footnotes to tables should be indicated by superscript lower-case letters (or asterisks for significance values and other statistical data) and included beneath the table body. In the figures, experimental error and statistical significance should be indicated clearly. In designing Tables and Figures, bear in mind the journal’s page and make any reduction if needed. Tables must have horizontal lines only at the top and bottom and no vertical lines at all. Leave spaces to indicate groupings of data. Figures must be neat and simple line drawings, computer-generated graphics, or good-quality black and white or colour photographs. Labels or lettering on Figures must be of a size readable after reduction.

Authors who reproduce or use modified figures or tables from previous copyright publications must first obtain permission from the copyright authority and must cite the original source before the manuscript can be reviewed.

Photographs

Authors should provide sharp pictures and state the level of magnification. Photomicrograph or electron micrograph must include a legible scale bar within the figure at the lower right-hand corner.

Latin Names and Authority

Give in full the Latin name of all individual species along with the authority with the correct use of parenthesis at first mention in the manuscript, including the title, abstract and the body of the paper – provide authority for all the species mentioned even in Discussion and Tables. Refer to http://www.fishbase.org/search.php or http://www.marinespecies.org/index.php

Units and Symbols

Place a (leading) zero before the decimal in numbers less than 1. Give dates in the form 10 January 1994. Spell out numbers less than 10 unless they stand beside standard units of measure (eight fish and 8 kg). Do not spell out numbers larger than 10 unless they are used to start a sentence.

Follow internationally accepted metric units or the International System of Units (with base units metre, gram, second, litres, mole, joule, etc.). Common units such as day, tonnes, hectare, watts, horsepower, °C and ppt salinity may be acceptable. Use abbreviations of units only beside numerals (e.g., 5 m); otherwise spell out units (e.g., only metres away). Do not use plural forms or periods for abbreviations of units. Use superscripts instead of the bar (/) for compound units including tables and figures, e.g., gland/kg should be gland.kg-1; 4.2 kcal.g-1; mg.L-1; µg.L-1; g.L-1; US$.kg-1; fish.ha-1 (-1 superscript). Refer IUPAC: Nomenclature of Organic Chemistry: http://www.iupac.org/ for further information.

Multiplication symbols are used (×) and not small "x" letters. Use h for hours, min for minutes and sec for seconds. Use L for litres, µL for µl, mL for ml, g for gram and kg for Kg. Use proper symbols ( °, ', ") for coordinates. Use the degree symbol (°C) and not zero or alphabet "o" superscript. Give space between the numerical value and unit symbol, e.g., 9 %, 4 cm, 26 °C. Give space between value and ±, =, ×, e.g. 0.239 ± 0.092; n = 64; 5 × 6. P < 0.05; P > 0.05 - The P is upper case and italicized.

Other

Avoid starting sentences or headings with a number or abbreviation. Abbreviations should be expanded at first mention, even in the Abstract. Define acronyms or unfamiliar abbreviations at first mention in the text. Do not give any acronym in parenthesis if it is not used later in the text. Do not italicise et al., sp. and spp.

Submission process

All manuscripts must be submitted via the online submission system. Hardcopy or email submission will not be accepted. Submit your manuscript as a single Word file containing the title, abstract, introduction, materials and methods, results, discussions, conclusion, and references (all sections are separate). The Tables and Figures must not be submitted separately and should appear in the text where they are mentioned in the first instance.

Before submitting your manuscript, please ensure that you carefully read and adhere to all the guidelines and instructions as mentioned in the "Guide for Authors". You can access it at: https://www.asianfisheriessociety.org/publication/guideline.php

To submit a manuscript go to the following link; https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/afsj

First-time users will need to click "Create Account" with your email as an ID, and you will immediately receive a temporary password to log in. You can change the password after you have logged in.

After logging into your account, select "Author" in the top left hand after which the "Author Dashboard" will appear. The system is user-friendly and will guide you to facilitate submission of the manuscript. You may use the Tutorial guide to be familiar with the submission procedure.

Tips for members who are using the system for the first time for submission of manuscripts.

Have the followings ready;

  1. Cover letter
  2. Five keywords that do not appear in the title.
  3. Abstract.
  4. Three potential reviewers with their email contacts and institutions who are experts in the same subject area as the paper. The list of reviewers should be preferably from other institutions and/or countries.
  5. Full manuscript (Word file), which includes figures and tables laid out in the appropriate place within the text.
  1. DO NOT prepare a title page with names of authors and their affiliations. Author's names have to be typed during the submission.
  2. Copy and paste the abstract (Maximum 250 words) into the space provided and upload as a file.
  3. Provide names of three possible reviewers, although the Editorial Board may have their own choice of reviewers.
  4. The process can be completed intermittently over a few hours or a few days by saving the incomplete sections. The data saved can be recalled on logging into the system.
  5. Submit your manuscript as a single Word file. Before submission, check that everything is in order.
  6. Upload the Author's Checklist. Authors should strictly follow the instructions in the Checklist and should not simply tick.
  7. Complete the Declaration Form and upload it with the manuscript.

Acknowledgement of submission of the manuscript will be sent to the corresponding author and the co-authors.

The authors can monitor the progress of their submission by logging into the system.

Open Access Agreement

Submitting Author, on behalf of all co-Authors from whom a written permission has been obtained, is required to provide consent to the terms of listed in AFS Open Access Agreement. The agreement will be executed electronically during acceptance of the galley proof of the manuscript for final publication. A copy of this agreement can be found here.

Copyright Transfer Form

Submitting Author, on behalf of all co-Authors from whom a written permission has been obtained, is required to provide consent to the terms of listed in AFS Copyright Transfer Form (CTF). The CTF will be executed electronically during acceptance of the galley proof of the manuscript for final publication. A copy of the CTF can be found here.

Repository Policy

AFS allows authors to deposit different versions of their articles including submitted, accepted and/or published versions in an institutional or other repository of their choice without embargo.

Changes to authorship and address

Authors should finalise the list and order of authors and their address at the time of the original submission. Any changes of author names and/or address should be made only before the manuscript has been accepted and only if approved by the Editor-in-Chief. A request for a change signed by all the authors (this includes confirmation from the author being added or removed) clearly stating the reasons must be sent to the Editor-in-Chief.

Manuscript Withdrawal Policy

Withdrawal of manuscript after submission is strongly discouraged. In case there is a strong reason for withdrawal, a request for withdrawal signed by all the authors clearly stating the reasons for withdrawal must be sent to the Editor-in-Chief. After acceptance by the Editor-in-Chief, the editorial office will provide the author with a manuscript withdrawal letter and the manuscript will be withdrawn. It is not an acceptable practice to withdraw a manuscript after it has been sent for peer review.

Reprints

The final copy of the manuscript in PDF format can be downloaded from the journal website.

Inquiries or Feedback

For inquiries, suggestions or complaints authors may contact the Assistant Editor by sending an email to editor@asianfisheriessociety.org

 

Code of Ethics

Authors should, at all times, adhere strictly to the following code of ethics when preparing and submitting papers for publication:

AFS Code of Ethics for Authors

  1. The manuscript must be the original work of the author(s). Author(s) must not submit a manuscript which is under review with another journal for possible publication in AFS nor must they submit a manuscript already submitted to AFS to another journal. 
  2. The manuscript must not have been published or accepted for publication in another journal. 
  3. Authors must not submit a manuscript to AFS which was previously submitted to AFS, sent out for review and rejected, unless the author(s) have done major revision of or extension to the paper. 
  4. The manuscript must be free of plagiarism, falsification or fabrication. Plagiarism of the authors’ own work is also not acceptable unless there is some strong justification. Work of other authors must be cited appropriately. 
  5. Authors should declare all conflicts of interest relevant to the work under consideration (e.g. financial and personal relationships that might interfere with the interpretation of the work) to avoid any potential for bias. 
  6. The AFS implements a double-blind review process where authors do not know the reviewers and vice versa. Authors should not do anything to compromise the confidentiality of the review process by, for example, revealing their names and/or affiliations in the documents meant for review. 
  7. All co-authors listed should have contributed significantly to the work, have their consent to the manuscript publication and must share accountability for the results. 
  8. The corresponding author should keep all co-authors informed of the submission and progress of the review process and its results.
  9. Authors should be prompt with their manuscript revisions.
  10. When an author discovers a major error or inaccuracy in his/her published work, it is the author’s obligation to notify the journal editor to retract or correct the paper. 
  11. If live animals are used in experiments, authors must include a statement that the animals were handled or treated in compliance with relevant laws and guidelines, and must mention the institutional committee that has approved the experiments.

AFS Code of Ethics for Reviewers

  1. Reviewers should read all articles objectively, without any bias based on origin of the article; gender, race, national origin, ethnicity, religious or political beliefs, sexual orientation, or age of the authors; or commercial considerations.
  2. Reviewers should agree to review articles only in subject areas in which they have proven expertise.
  3. Before agreeing to review an article, a reviewer must ensure he/she has sufficient time and other resources to complete a comprehensive assessment of the article in the time frame given.
  4. Reviewers should turn down invitations to review articles that create a conflict of interest (resulting from collaborative, financial, institutional, personal, or other relationships or connections with any of the companies, institutions, or people connected to the papers) or the appearance of it. In the event of uncertainty, reviewers should disclose the potential conflict of interest to the editors and seek advice before proceeding further.
  5. Reviews provided should be constructive and impartial, and free of any hostile, inflammatory, libellous, unfair or unnecessarily derogatory comments.
  6. During and after the peer review process, reviewers must maintain the confidentiality of unpublished articles, including by refraining from discussing them with others.
  7. Reviewers must refrain from using research or information contained in unpublished articles for any purpose, including for personal gain or for the advantage or disadvantage of any other person or organisation.
  8. Reviewers must disclose to the editors if an article under review has not properly cited sources, or contains errors or material omissions.

AFS Code of Ethics for Editors

  1. Editors must make decisions to accept or reject articles based solely on their scholarly or journalistic merit, including their importance, originality, clarity, and relevance to the journal’s mission and purview.
  2. Editors should accept manuscripts from all authors and must at all times maintain objectivity and balance in the review of all articles, acting without bias or favouritism based on the origin of an article; an author’s gender, race, national origin, ethnicity, religious or political beliefs, sexual orientation or age; or commercial considerations.
  3. Editors must follow strictly the same rules governing conflict of interest and improper use of unpublished articles as peer reviewers.
  4. Editors must provide guidance to authors and peer reviewers on their responsibilities, and oversee their performance, ensuring that they understand what is expected of them.
  5. Editors should take steps to ensure the timely review of all manuscripts. He should also respond promptly to inquiries from authors about the status of their manuscript.
  6. Editors should provide authors with an explanation of the editorial decision on a manuscript by writing editorial letters that integrate reviewer comments and offer additional suggestions to the author.
  7. Editors must adopt editorial policies that promote comprehensive, honest and ethical reporting.
  8. Editors must seek assurances that research has been in conformity with the rules or guidelines of applicable regulatory or industry bodies, while appreciating that such approval is not a guarantee of ethical conduct.
  9. Editors must protect the anonymity of authors, peer reviewers and the confidentiality of unpublished articles.
  10. Editors must pursue suspected and alleged misconduct in the research, writing, submission, acceptance and/or rejection, review, and publication process, to protect the integrity of the journal. They must make reasonable efforts to ensure a proper investigation is conducted and the issue resolved fairly.
  11. Upon identifying errors or material omissions in an article, editors must promptly communicate corrections, retractions and/or revisions, as applicable, to the Editor in Chief and, in the case of an unpublished article, to the author.