Please read all information carefully and follow the instructions in detail when preparing your manuscript.
Manuscripts that
are not prepared according to our guidelines will be sent back to authors without review. A checklist for manuscript submission can be
found at the end of the Guide for Authors.
Biological Conservation encourages the submission of high-quality manuscripts
that advance the science and practice of conservation, or which demonstrate the application of conservation principles for natural resource
management and policy. Given the broad international readership of the journal, published articles should have global relevance in terms
of the topics or issues addressed, and thus demonstrate applications for conservation or resource management beyond the specific system
or species studied.
Types of Contributions 1. Full length articles (Research papers)
Research papers report
the results of original research. The material must not have been previously published elsewhere. Full length articles are usually up
to 8,000 words.
2. Review articles
Reviews should address topics or issues of current interest. They may be submitted
or invited. Review articles are usually up to 12,000 words.
3. Systematic reviews
Systematic review is a methodology used
to summarize, appraise and communicate the results and implications of a large quantity of research and information. Although the manuscript
should report the main outcomes of the systematic review, it is expected that the full review and associated data will be made available
online. The length of a systematic review should not exceed 8,000 words.
For a more elaborate explanation of systematic reviews,
please check the following link: http://www.cebc.bangor.ac.uk/introSR.php. Authors who intend to write a systematic review
are kindly asked to contact Andrew Pullin first.
4. Short communications
Short communications are meant to highlight
important research that is novel or represents highly significant preliminary findings, and should be less than 4,000 words.
5.
Book Reviews
Book reviews will be included in the journal on a range of relevant titles that are not more than two years old.
These are usually less than 2,000 words.
6. Letters to the Editor.
Letters to the editor are written in response to a
recent article appearing in the journal. Letters should be less than 1,600 words.
Editorial Process
Publishing space
in the journal is limited, such that many manuscripts must be rejected. To expedite the processing of manuscripts, the journal has adopted
a two-tier review process. During the first stage of review, the handling editor evaluates the manuscript for appropriateness and scientific
content, taking advice where appropriate from members of the editorial board. Criteria for rejection at this stage include:
Manuscript lacks a strong conservation focus or theme, or management implications not well-developed. Please note that research
on a rare or endangered species or ecosystem is not sufficient justification to merit publication in Biological Conservation. Published
research must also advance the science and practice of conservation biology, and thus have broader application for a wide international
audience.
Manuscript subject matter more appropriate for another journal. Natural history or biodiversity surveys, including
site descriptions, are usually better suited for other outlets, such as a regional or taxon-specific journal. Similarly, manuscripts
with a primarily behavioral, genetic or ecological focus are more appropriate for journals in those fields. For example, studies reporting
on disturbance effects, species interactions (e.g., predator-prey, competitive, or pollinator-host plant interactions), species-habitat
relationships, descriptive genetics (e.g., assays of genetic variation within or between populations), or behavioral responses to disturbance
will be referred elsewhere if they lack a clear conservation message. Authors are advised to contact an Editor prior to submission if
there are any questions regarding the appropriateness of a manuscript for the journal.
Study primarily of local or regional
interest.Biological Conservation is international in scope, and thus research published in the journal should have global
relevance, in terms of the topics or issues addressed.
Study poorly designed or executed. Research lacks spatial or
temporal replication, has insufficient sample sizes, or inadequate data analysis. Such obvious indications of poor-quality science will
be cause for immediate rejection.
Manuscript poorly written. Poor writing interferes with the effective communication
of science. Authors for whom English is not the first language are advised to consult with a technical language editor before submission.
Conservation research ethics violated. Research was unnecessarily destructive, was conducted for the express purpose of causing
harm/mortality (e.g., simulation of treatment or disturbance effects on survivorship), or violated ethics in the treatment and handling
of animals. Where appropriate, authors must provide a statement and supporting documentation that research was approved by the authors'
institutional animal care and use committee(s).
Manuscripts that pass this first stage of editorial review are then subjected
to a second stage of formal peer review. This involves evaluation of the manuscript by at least two specialists within the field of study,
which may include one or more members of the editorial board. Beyond a critical assessment of the scientific content and overall presentation,
referees are asked to evaluate the originality, likely impact and global relevance of the research. Referees make a recommendation to
the handling editor, but note that it is ultimately the decision of the handling editor as to whether a manuscript is accepted for publication
in Biological Conservation.
Editor-in-Chief
Dr. Richard B. Primack
Biology Department
Boston University
5 Cummington Street
Boston, MA 02215
USA
Phone: 1-617-353-2454
Email: primack@bu.edu
Editors
Dr. Richard Corlett
Department of Ecology and Biodiversity, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, China, Email: corlett@hkucc.hku.hk
Dr. Andrew B. Gill
Department of Natural Resources, School of Applied Sciences, Building
37, Cranfield University, Cranfield, UK MK43 0AL, Phone: 44 (0)1234 750111 x2711, Email: a.b.gill@cranfield.ac.uk
Professor Rob H. Marrs
Applied Vegetation Dynamics Laboratory, School of Biological Sciences, Liverpool, UK L69 7ZB, Phone: 44 (0)
151 795 5172, Email: calluna@liv.ac.uk
Dr. Jean-Paul Metzger
Universidade de Sao Paulo, Dep. de Ecologia,
Inst. de Biociencias, Rua do Matao, 321, travessa 14, 05508-900 Sao Paulo, Brazil, Email: jpm@ib.usp.br
Dr. Andrew
S. Pullin
Centre for Evidence-Based Conservation, School of Environment and Natural, Resources, University of Wales, Bangor Bangor,
Gwynedd UK LL57 2UW, Phone: 01248382289, Email: a.s.pullin@bangor.ac.uk
Dr. Navjot S. Sodhi
National University
of Singapore, Department of Biological Sciences, 14 Science Drive 2, 117543, Singapore Phone: 65 6516 2700, Email: dbsns@nus.edu.sg
Dr. Kimberly A. With
Division of Biology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506 USA, Phone: 1-785-532-5040, Email: kwith@ksu.edu
Manuscript submission Biological Conservation uses an online, electronic submission system. By accessing
the website http://ees.elsevier.com/bioc you will be guided stepwise through the creation and uploading of the various files.
When submitting a manuscript to Elsevier Editorial System (EES), authors need to provide an electronic version of their manuscript. For
this purpose, original source files, not PDF files, are preferred. The author should specify a category designation for the manuscript
(full length article, review article, short communications, letters, book reviews), choose a set of classifications from the prescribed
list provided online, and select a preferred editor. Choice of editor cannot be guaranteed, as allocation depends on editor's workload
and availability.
a) Original work
Submission of an article implies that it is original research that is not being
considered simultaneously for publication elsewhere. Submission of multi-authored manuscripts must be with the consent of all the participating
authors.
b) Cover letter
Submission of a manuscript must be accompanied by a cover letter that includes the following
statements or acknowledgements:
The work is all original research carried out by the authors.
All authors agree
with the contents of the manuscript and its submission to the journal.
No part of the research has been published in any form
elsewhere, unless it is fully acknowledged in the manuscript. Authors should disclose how the research featured in the manuscript relates
to any other manuscript of a similar nature that they have published, in press, submitted or will soon submit to Biological Conservation
or elsewhere.
The manuscript is not being considered for publication elsewhere while it is being considered for publication
in this journal.
Any research in the paper not carried out by the authors is fully acknowledged in the manuscript.
All
sources of funding are acknowledged in the manuscript, and authors have declared any direct financial benefits that could result from
publication.
All appropriate ethics and other approvals were obtained for the research. Where appropriate, authors should state
that their research protocols have been approved by an authorized animal care or ethics committee, and include a reference to the code
of practice adopted for the reported experimentation or methodology. The Editor will take account of animal welfare issues and reserves
the right not to publish, especially if the research involves protocols that are inconsistent with commonly accepted norms of animal
research.
c) Confirmation of submission
After the editorial office has received your submission, you will receive
a confirmation, and information about the further proceeding. The handling editor will carry out a light review and decide whether a
paper falls within the scope of the journal and is of sufficient standard to be sent for independent peer-review. Any manuscript not
being sent for independent peer-review will be returned to the author(s) as soon as possible.
d) Conflicts of Interest
To allow scientists, the public, and policy makers to make more informed judgements about published research, Biological Conservation
adopts a strong policy on conflicts of interest and disclosure. Authors should acknowledge all sources of funding and any direct financial
benefits that could result from publication. Editors likewise require reviewers to disclose current or recent association with authors
and other special interest in this work.
e) Potential reviewers
Authors are at liberty to suggest the names of up to three
potential reviewers (with full contact details). Potential reviewers should not include anyone with whom the authors have collaborated
during the research being submitted.
III. Setting up and formatting your manuscript
1. General information
Set
up your document one-sided, using double spacing and wide (3 cm) margins. Use continuous line numbering throughout the document. Avoid
full justification, i.e., do not use a constant right-hand margin. Ensure that each new paragraph is clearly indicated. Number every
page of the manuscript, including the title page, references tables, etc. Present tables and figure legends on separate pages at the
end of the manuscript. Layout and conventions must conform with those given in this guide to authors. Journal style has changed over
time so do not use old issues as a guide. Number all pages consecutively. Italics are not to be used for expressions of Latin origin,
for example, in vivo, et al., per se. Use decimal points (not commas); use a space for thousands (10 000 and above).
Please assure your manuscript is written in excellent English (American or British usage is accepted, but not a
mixture of these). Authors whose first language is not English are encouraged to have the paper edited by a native English speaker prior
to submission.
Authors who require information about language editing and copyediting services pre- and post-submission please visit
http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/authorshome.authors/languagepolishing
or contact authorsupport@elsevier.com
for more information. Please note Elsevier neither endorses nor takes responsibility for any products, goods or services offered by outside
vendors through our services or in any advertising. For more information please refer to our Terms & Conditions http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/termsconditions.cws_home/termsconditions.
IV. Structure of the manuscript
1. Title page
a) Title of manuscript
State the title of the manuscript.
The title should be concise and informative. Titles are often used in information-retrieval systems. Avoid abbreviations and formulae
where possible.
b) Author(s) names and affiliation(s)
State the authors' first and family names (put family name in capitals)
and affiliations. Where the family name may be ambiguous (e.g., a double name), please indicate this clearly. Present the authors' affiliation
addresses (where the actual work was done) below the names and only in English. Indicate all affiliations with a lower-case superscript
letter immediately after the author's name and also in front of the appropriate address. Provide the full postal address of each affiliation,
including the country name, and e-mail address of each author.
Once a manuscript is submitted, authorship cannot be changed. In case
a change in authorship is requested, the manuscript must be withdrawn and be resubmitted as new submission.
c) Corresponding author
Clearly indicate who is the corresponding author, willing to handle correspondence at all stages of reviewing and publication, also post-publication.
Ensure the corresponding author's telephone and fax numbers (with country and area code) are provided in addition to the e-mail address
and the complete postal address.
d) Present address
If an author has moved since the work described in the article was done, or
was visiting at the time, a 'Present address' (or 'Permanent address') may be indicated as a footnote to that author's name. The address
at which the author actually did the work must be retained as the main, affiliation address. Superscript Arabic numerals are used for
such footnotes.
e) Abstract
Provide a concise and factual abstract (maximum length of 250 words). The abstract should state briefly
the purpose of the research, the methods, the principal results, major points of discussion, and conclusions. An abstract is often presented
separate from the article, so it must be able to stand alone. References should therefore be avoided, but if essential, they must be
cited in full, without reference to the reference list. Non-standard or uncommon abbreviations should be avoided.
f) Keywords
Immediately
after the abstract, provide a maximum of 6 keywords, avoiding general and plural terms and multiple concepts (avoid, for example, 'and',
'of'). Avoid the use of entire phrases as keywords and do not repeat words that were already used in the title. Be sparing with abbreviations:
only abbreviations firmly established in the field may be eligible. These keywords will be used for indexing purposes.
2. Introduction
State the objectives of the work and provide an adequate background to the international context in which the research is carried out.
3. Materials and methods
Provide sufficient detail to allow the work to be reproduced. Methods already published should be
indicated by a reference: only relevant modifications should be described.
4. Results
Provide your main results in a concise
manner. Avoid overlap between figures, tables, and text.
5. Discussions and Conclusions
Indicate significant contributions
of your findings, their limitations, advantages and possible applications. Discuss your own results in the light of other international
research and draw out the conservation implications.
6. Acknowledgements
Place acknowledgements as a separate section after
the discussion and before the references. Include information on grants received and all appropriate ethics and other approvals obtained
for the research.
7. Appendices
If there is more than one appendix, they should be identified as A, B, etc. Formulae and
equations in appendices should be given separate numbering: (Eq. A.1), (Eq. A.2), etc.; in a subsequent appendix, (Eq. B.1) and so forth.
8. References
Assertions made in the paper that are not supported by your research must be justified by appropriate references.
Follow the journal format for references precisely (see section V. below for more detailed information). Ensure all references cited
in the text are in the reference list (and vice versa).
9. Captions, tables, and figures
Present these, in this order, at
the end of the manuscript. They are described in more detail below (see section VI.). High-resolution graphics files must always be provided
separate from the main text file in the final version accepted for publication.
Colour diagrams can be printed (see below).
Ensure
that each illustration has a caption. Supply captions on a separate page, not attached to the figure. A caption should comprise a brief
title (not on the figure itself) and a description of the illustration or table. Keep text in the illustrations and tables themselves
to a minimum but explain all symbols and abbreviations used.
10. Footnotes
Footnotes should not be used.
11. Nomenclature
and units
Follow internationally accepted rules and conventions: use the international system of units (SI) for all scientific
and laboratory data. If other quantities are mentioned, give their equivalent in SI.
Common names must be in lower-case except proper
nouns. All common names must be followed by a scientific name in parentheses in italics. For example, bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops
aduncus). Where scientific names are used in preference to common names they should be in italics and the genus should be reduced
to the first letter after the first mention. For example, the first mention is given as Tursiops aduncus and subsequent mentions are
given as T. aduncus.
12. Preparation of supplementary data
Elsevier now accepts electronic supplementary material
to support and enhance your scientific research. Supplementary files offer the author additional possibilities to publish supporting
applications, movies, animation sequences, high-resolution images, large tables, background datasets, sound clips, stellar diagrams and
more. Supplementary files supplied will be published online alongside the electronic version of your article in Elsevier web products,
including ScienceDirect: http://www.sciencedirect.com. In order to ensure that your submitted material is directly usable,
please ensure that data are provided in one of our recommended file formats. Authors should submit the material in electronic format
together with the article and supply a concise and descriptive caption for each file. For more detailed instructions please visit ohttp://www.elsevier.com.
Supplementary data must be supplied at submission so that it can be refereed.
V. Referencing
1. Citations in the text
Please ensure that every reference cited in the text is also present in the reference list (and vice versa). Unpublished results and
personal communications should not be in the reference list, but may be mentioned in the text. Conference proceedings, abstracts and
grey literature (research reports and limited circulation documents) are not acceptable citations. Citation of a reference as 'in press'
means that the item has been accepted for publication.
2. Citing and listing of web references
As a minimum, the full URL
and last access date should be given. Any further information, if known (author names, dates, reference to a source publication, etc.),
should also be given. Web references can be listed separately (e.g., after the reference list) under a different heading if desired,
or can be included in the reference list.
3. Citing in the text
Citations in the text should be:
Single author: the author's
name (without initials, unless there is ambiguity), the year of publication;
Two authors: both authors' names, the year of publication;
use 'and' between names not '&'.
Three or more authors: first author's name followed by et al., the year of publication. Citations
may be made directly (or parenthetically). Groups of references should be given chronologically with the earliest first and if several
from the same year then they should be given alphabetically. If there are several from the same author in the same year then they are
given as author, yeara, b (eg 1996a,b] (not yeara, yearb)
Examples: "as demonstrated (Allan and Jones, 1995; Smith et al., 1995; Woodbridge,
1995; Allan, 1996a, b, 1999). Kramer et al. (2000) have recently shown ...."
4. List of references
References should be
arranged first alphabetically and then further sorted chronologically if necessary. More than one reference from the same author(s) in
the same year must be identified by the letters "a", "b", "c", etc., placed after the year of publication. You may use the DOI (Digital
Object Identifier) and the full journal reference to cite articles in press. The format for listing references is given below and must
be followed precisely.
Examples:
Reference to a journal publication. Give the journal title in full:
Moseby, K.E.,
Read, J.L., 2006. The efficacy of feral cat, fox and rabbit exclusion fence designs for threatened species protection. Biological Conservation
127, 429-437.
Reference to a book:
Strunk Jr., W., White, E.B., 1979. The Elements of Style, 3rd edn. Macmillan, New
York.
Reference to a chapter in an edited book:
Mettam, G.R., Adams, L.B., 1999. How to prepare an electronic version
of your article, in: Jones, B.S., Smith , R.Z. (Eds.), Introduction to the Electronic Age. E-Publishing Inc., New York, pp. 281-304.
5. Digital Object Identifier (DOI):
In addition to regular bibliographic information, the digital object identifier (DOI) may
be used to cite and link to electronic documents. The DOI consists of a unique alpha-numeric character string which is assigned to a
document by the publisher upon the initial electronic publication. The assigned DOI never changes. Therefore, it is an ideal medium for
citing a document, particularly 'Articles in press' because they have not yet received their full bibliographic information. The correct
format for citing a DOI is shown as follows (example taken from a document in the journal Physics Letters B): doi:10.1016/j.physletb.2003.10.071
NB: Please give as much bibliographic information as possible with the DOI. Please give the name(s) of the author(s), title of the paper,
journal name and if possible year of publication.
When you use the DOI to create URL hyperlinks to documents on the web, they are
guaranteed never to change.
VI. Manuscript handling after acceptance
1. Copyright
Upon acceptance of an article,
authors will be asked to transfer copyright (for more information on copyright see http://www.elsevier.com/authorsrights).
This transfer will ensure the widest possible dissemination of information. A letter will be sent to the corresponding author confirming
receipt of the manuscript. A form facilitating transfer of copyright will be provided.
If excerpts from other copyrighted works are
included, the author(s) must obtain written permission from the copyright owners and credit the source(s) in the article. Elsevier has
pre-printed forms for use by authors in these cases: contact ES Global Rights Department, P.O. Box 800, Oxford, OX5 1DX, UK; phone: (+44)
1865 843830, fax: (+44) 1865 853333, e-mail: permissions@elsevier.com
2. Costs for colour prints
a) Colour
illustrations in print
Colour illustrations in print will be charged to the author. Illustration costs are EURO 350 for every first
page. All subsequent pages cost EURO 175.
b) Colour illustrations on the web (ScienceDirect)
Colour illustrations in the web (ScienceDirect)
are free of charge. If you want a colour illustration on the web and the same illustration in black and white in the print version of
the journal, please note that you will then have to submit two different illustration files, one colour and one black and white version.
3. Proofs
When your manuscript is received by the Publisher it is considered to be in its final form. Proofs are not to be
regarded as 'drafts'.
One set of page proofs in PDF format will be sent by e-mail to the corresponding author, to be checked for typesetting/editing
and should be returned within 2 days of receipt, preferably by email. No changes in, or additions to, the accepted (and subsequently
edited) manuscript will be allowed at this stage. Any amendments may be charged to the author. Proofreading is solely the author's responsibility.
Should you choose to mail your corrections, please return them to: Log-in Department, Elsevier, Stover Court, Bampfylde Street, Exeter,
Devon EX1 2AH, UK.
A form with queries from the copyeditor may accompany your proofs. Please answer all queries and make any corrections
or additions required. The Publisher reserves the right to proceed with publication if corrections are not communicated. Return corrections
within 2 days of receipt of the proofs. Should there be no corrections, please confirm this.
Elsevier will do everything possible
to get your article corrected and published as quickly and accurately as possible. In order to do this we need your help. When you receive
the (PDF) proof of your article for correction, it is important to ensure that all of your corrections are sent back to us in one communication.
Subsequent corrections will not be possible, so please ensure your first sending is complete. Note that this does not mean you have any
less time to make your corrections, just that only one set of corrections will be accepted.
4. Tracking your article
Authors
can keep a track on the progress of their accepted article, and set up e-mail alerts informing them of changes to their manuscript's
status, by using the "Track a Paper" feature, which can be obtained at:: http://www.elsevier.com/. Contact details for questions
arising after acceptance of an article, especially those relating to proofs, are provided when an article is accepted for publication.
5. Offprints
The corresponding author, at no cost, will be provided with a PDF file of the article via e-mail or, alternatively,
25 free paper offprints. The PDF file is a watermarked version of the published article and includes a cover sheet with the journal cover
image and a disclaimer outlining the terms and conditions of use.
VII. Submission Checklist
It is hoped that this list
will be useful during the final checking of an article prior to sending it to the journal's editor for review. Please consult this Guide
for Authors for further details of any item.
Ensure that the following items are present for submission:
One author
designated as corresponding author.
Full contact addresses of all author(s).
Covering letter stating that the manuscript
is original work, that it is not being submitted elsewhere, that all authors agree with the content and to the submission, any research
in the paper not carried out by the authors is fully acknowledged in the manuscript and where necessary all appropriate ethics and other
approvals were obtained for the research.
The names and contacts of three potential reviewers are provided.
The manuscript
is one-sided, double spaced, page numbered and line-numbered throughout.
The name and address of the author(s) is only stated
on the first title page and nowhere else in the manuscript, except for quoting own work.
The second title page contains the
title, abstract and keywords.
All tables (including title, description and caption) are included.
All illustrations
(including title, description and caption) are included.
Manuscript has been "spellchecked", and checked by someone fluent in
English who understands the subject material of the manuscript.
References are in the correct format for the journal (see above).
All references mentioned in the Reference list are cited in the text, and vice versa
All tables and figures have been referred
to in the text.
Permission has been obtained for use of copyrighted material from other sources (including the Web)
