An International Scientific Journal Covering Research on Animal Nutrition, Feeding and Technology
Guide for Authors
Animal Feed Science and Technology
Types of contribution
1. Original Research Papers (Regular Papers)
2. Review
Articles
3. Short Communications
4. Book Reviews
Original Research Papers should report the results of original
research. The material should not have been previously published elsewhere, except in a preliminary form.
Review Articles
should cover subjects falling within the scope of the journal which are of active current interest.
A Short Communication
is a concise but complete description of a limited investigation, which will not be included in a later paper. Short Communications should
be as completely documented, both by reference to the literature and description of the experimental procedures employed, as a regular
paper. They should not occupy more than six printed pages (about 12 manuscript pages, including figures, tables and references).
Book Reviews will be included in the journal on a range of relevant books which are not more than two years old. Book reviews
will be solicited by the Book Review Editor. Unsolicited reviews will not usually be accepted, but suggestions for appropriate books
for review may be sent to the Book Review Editor:
Professor G. Flachowsky
Federal Research Centre of Agriculture
Institute
of Animal Nutrition
Bundesallee 50
D-38116 Braunschweig, Germany
Submission of manuscripts
1. Submission to Animal
Feed Science and Technology proceeds online via Elsevier Editorial System - http://ees.elsevier.com/anifee. Authors
will be guided step-by-step through uploading files directly from their computers. Electronic PDF proofs will be automatically generated
from uploaded files, and used for subsequent reviewing.
Authors should send queries concerning the submission process or journal
procedures to AuthorSupport@elsevier.com. Authors can determine the status of their manuscript within the review procedure
using Elsevier Editorial System.
2. Poorly written and/or presented manuscripts (relative to the journal's guidelines) may be returned
to authors for upgrading by the editorial office, prior to a review for scientific merit.
3. Authors submitting a series of manuscripts,
or multiple manuscripts on a similar topic that will be reviewed in the same period, must indicate this clearly in Author Comments. Detail
the authors, title(s), and manuscript number(s) of any such submissions.
4. Authors may suggest reviewers in the Author Comments
whom they judge qualified to evaluate their submission. These suggestions will only be considered if e-mail addresses are also provided.
Submission of such names does not imply that they will definitely be used as referees.
5. Submission of an article is understood
to imply that the article is original and is not being considered for publication elsewhere. Submission of a manuscript to more than
one scientific journal at the same time is not acceptable to the Editors, and any such papers will be rejected outright. There is also
the risk that future papers from authors who do this will not be considered for publication. Submission also implies that all authors
have approved the paper for release and are in agreement with its content. Upon acceptance of an article, Authors will be asked to transfer
copyright (for more information on copyright see http://www.elsevier.com/authors). 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.
6. Circumstances relating to animal experimentation must meet the International
Guiding Principles for Biomedical Research Involving Animals as issued by the Council for the International Organizations of Medical
Sciences. These are obtainable from: Executive Secretary C.I.O.M.S., c/o WHO, Via Appia, CH-1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland, or at the following
URL: http://www.cioms.ch/frame_1985_texts_of_guidelines.htm. Unjustified cruelty in animal experimentation is not acceptable
to the Editors of Animal Feed Science and Technology.
7. Questions on submission and reviewing process can be sent to: anifee@elsevier.com
Preparation of manuscripts
1. Manuscripts should be written in English. Language Editing: http://www.elsevier.com/authors
provides details of some companies who can provide English language and copyediting services to authors who need assistance before
they submit their article or before it is accepted for publication. Authors should contact these services directly. For more
information about language editing services, please email authorsupport@elsevier.com. Please note that 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 at http://www.elsevier.com/termsandconditions.
2. Before
preparing their manuscript, it is suggested that authors examine the editorial by the Editors-in-Chief in Vol.
134/3-4, which outlines several practices and strategies of manuscript preparation that the Editors-in-Chief have found
to be successful. This editorial also outlines practices that can lead to difficulties with reviewers and/or rejection of the manuscript
for publication. There is also an example of an Animal Feed Science and Technology manuscript available on the journal website
at http://www.elsevier.com/locate/anifeedsci.
3. Manuscripts should have numbered lines, with wide margins and double spacing throughout, i.e. also for abstracts, footnotes and references. Every page of the manuscript, including the
title page, references, tables, etc., should be numbered continuously. However, in the text no reference should be made to page numbers;
if necessary, one may refer to sections. Avoid excessive usage of italics to emphasize part of the text.
4. Manuscripts in general
should be organized in the following order: • Title (should be clear, descriptive, not too long and mention the animal(s) studied
if appropriate) • Name(s) of author(s) • Complete postal address(es) of affiliations • Full telephone and
fax numbers, e-mail address of the corresponding author • Present address(es) of author(s) if applicable • Complete
correspondence address (including e-mail address) to which the proofs should be sent • Abstract • Keywords (indexing
terms), normally 3-6 items. Please refer to the cumulative indexes (Vol. 125/3-4). • Abbreviations and/or acronyms •
Introduction • Material and methods • Results • Discussion • Combined 'Results and Discussion' sectors
are only acceptable for 'short communications', except under compelling circumstances. • Conclusion • Acknowledgements
and any additional information concerning research grants, etc. • References • Figure captions • Tables (separate
file(s)) • Figures (separate file(s))
5. Titles and subtitles should not be run within the text. They should be placed on
a separate line, without indentation. Use lower-case letter type.
6. All abbreviations/acronyms used in a manuscript must be explained
in full when first used in the Abstract, and again when first used in the body of a manuscript. In addition, a separate list of abbreviations/acronyms
used should follow the list of keywords. Keywords should not exceed eight and avoid words used in the title. Authors should try to restrict
the use of abbreviations/acronyms to the most commonly used terms.
7. Use past tense for current findings, and the present tense
for "truths" and hypotheses.
8. Percent is only used to indicate relative changes. For composition, both w/w (often solids
composition g/kg) and w/v (e.g. g/L), v/v (e.g. m/L), mol/mol or M can be accepted depending on the circumstances. Specify units (e.g.
g/L) and never as percent.
9. If differences between treatments are statistically significant, this should be indicated by adding
the actual 'P' value obtained. If 0.10 > P > 0.05, then differences can be considered to suggest a trend, or tendency, to a difference,
but the actual 'P' value should be stated. Further information on this issue can be found in Animal Feed Science and TechnologyVol. 129/1-2.
10. Avoid using X Y-1 in favour
of X/Y.
11. Use spaces between values and units, except for °C and %.
12. Elsevier reserves the privilege of returning
to the author for revision accepted manuscripts and illustrations which are not in the proper form given in this guide.
Abstracts
The abstract should be clear, descriptive and not longer than 400 words. It should contain the following specific information: purpose
of study; experimental treatments used; results obtained, preferably with quantitative data; significance of findings; conclusions; implications
of results if appropriate.
Materials and Methods
1. If reference is made to AOAC, ISO or similar analytical procedure(s),
the specific procedure identification number(s) must be cited. A number of references for neutral and acid detergent fibre (NDF, ADF)
assays exist, and an alternative reference to the now out-of-print USDA Agriculture Handbook 379 must be used. There are many options
for NDF and ADF assays (e.g. sodium sulfite, alpha amylase, residual ash), which must be specified in the text. For more details see
the editorial in Vol. 118/3-4.
The following definitions
should be used, as appropriate:
a. aNDFom-NDF assayed with a heat stable amylase and expressed exclusive of residual ash.
b. NDFom-NDF
not assayed with a heat stable amylase and expressed exclusive of residual ash.
c. aNDF-NDF assayed with a heat stable amylase and
expressed inclusive of residual ash.
d. NDF-NDF assayed without a heat stable amylase and expressed inclusive of residual ash.
e. ADFom-ADF expressed exclusive of residual ash.
f. ADF-ADF expressed inclusive of residual ash.
g. Lignin (sa)-Lignin determined
by solubilization of cellulose with sulphuric acid.
h. Lignin (pm)-Lignin determined by oxidation of lignin with permanganate.
While expressions of NDF and ADF inclusive of residual ash will continue to be acceptable (i.e., the terms aNDF, NDF and ADF above),
the Editors-in-Chief highly recommend reporting all fibre values, including digestibilities, on an OM basis. Silica is partially soluble
in ND, is quantitatively recovered in AD, and so may contribute to the 'fibre' values and to subsequent digestibility coefficients.
Reporting 'hemicellulose' values as the difference between NDF and ADF is generally only acceptable if the analyses have been sequential
on the same sample. Crude fibre (CF), nitrogen-free extract (NFE) and total digestible nutrients (TDN) are not acceptable terms for
describing feeds and should only be referred to in a historical context.
2. SI or SI-derived units should be used throughout (e.g.
MJ and not Kcal for energy concentrations). Concentrations should be expressed on a 'per kg' basis (w/w); however, w/v, v/v, mol/mol
or M may be accepted depending on the circumstances. In addition, 'units' and 'equivalents' are acceptable. Normality should be avoided,
as it may be ambiguous for certain acids. If analytical standards have been used, they should be specified by name (e.g. yeast RNA) and
form (e.g. lactose monohydrate). Percents should only be used when describing a relative increase or decrease in a response. Proportions
should be maximum 1.0 or ≤1.0. For more details see the editorial in Vol. 118/3-4.
3. Digestibility/metabolisability and degradability
should always be expressed as a coefficient (not %), and the content of, for example, the digestible component should be expressed as
g/kg: thus, the coefficient of digestibility of dry matter is 0.8, while the content of digestible dry matter is 800g/kg. A distinction
between true and apparent digestibility should be made, as well as between faecal and ileal (e.g. coefficient of total tract apparent
digestibility - CTTAD). The terms 'availability' and 'bioavailability' should be avoided without definition in context.
4. Manuscripts
describing the use of commercial feed products are welcome, but should include the following information: major components, contents
of active ingredients (for example enzyme activities). Independent verification, as opposed to a manufacturers guarantee, is always
desirable and often avoids difficulties in the review process, especially where there are no, or few, treatment impacts. The Editors reserve the right to reject any manuscript employing such products, wherein this information is not disclosed.
5. Submissions concerning
feedstuff composition are welcome when published and/or accepted analytical procedures have been employed. However, unusual feedstuffs
and/or a wide range of data are pre-requisites.
Submissions concerning NIRS may be suitable when more accurate, precise or robust
equations are presented. Mathematical, technical and statistical advancement, may constitute the foundation for acceptance. For more
details see the editorial in Vol. 118/3-4.
6. Statistical analysis is an integral part of most manuscripts. It is suggested that
authors consult the editorial in Vol. Vol. 129/1-2.
References
1. All publications cited in the text should be presented
in a list of references following the text of the manuscript. The manuscript should be carefully checked to ensure that the spelling
of authors' names and dates are exactly the same in the text as in the reference list. The accuracy of the references is the responsibility
of the author(s).
2. References published in other than the English language should be avoided, but are acceptable if they include
an English language 'Abstract' and the number of non-English language references cited are reasonable (in the view of the handling Editor)
relative to the total number of references cited.
3. In the text refer to the author's name (without initial) and year of publication,
followed - if necessary - by a short reference to appropriate pages. Examples: "Since Peterson (1988) has shown that...". "This is in
agreement with results obtained later (Kramer, 1989, pp. 12-16)".
4. If reference is made in the text to a publication written by
more than two authors, the name of the first author should be used followed by "et al.". This indication, however, should never be used
in the list of references. In this list names of first author and co-authors should be mentioned.
5. References cited together in
the text should be arranged chronologically. The list of references should be arranged alphabetically on authors' names, and chronologically
per author. If an author's name in the list is also mentioned with co-authors the following order should be used: publications of the
single author, arranged according to publication dates - publications of the same author with one co-author - publications of the author
with more than one co-author. Publications by the same author(s) in the same year should be listed as 2001a, 2001b, etc.
6. Use the
following system for arranging your references:
a. For periodicals
Fondevila, M., Nogueira-Filho, J.C.M., Barrios-Urdaneta,
A., 2002. In vitro microbial fermentation and protein utilisation of tropical forage legumes grown during the dry season. Anim. Feed
Sci. Technol. 95, 1-14.
b. For edited symposia, special issues, etc. published in a periodical
Schofield, P., Mbugua,
D.M., Pell, A.N., 2001. Analysis of condensed tannins: a review. In: A.N. Pell, R.I. Mackie, I. Mueller-Harvey, L.R. Ndlovu (Eds), Tannins:
Analysis and Biological Effects in Ruminant Feeds. Anim. Feed Sci. Technol. 91, 21-40.
c. For books
McDowell, L.R.,
2003. Minerals in Animal and Human Nutrition, Second Edition. Elsevier, Amsterdam.
d. For multi-author books
Van Zutphen,
L.F.M., Hedrich, H.J., van Lith, H.A., Prins, J.B., 2001. Genetic standardization. In: Van Zutphen, L.F.M., Baumans, V., Beynen, A.C.
(Eds), Principles of Laboratory Animal Science. Elsevier, Amsterdam, pp.129-147.
7. Abbreviate the titles of periodicals mentioned
in the list of references in accordance with BIOSIS Serial Sources, published annually by BIOSIS. The correct abbreviation for this journal
is Anim. Feed Sci. Technol.
8. In the case of publications in any language other than English, the original title is to be retained
but an English translation added in parentheses, and a notation such as "(in Russian)" or "(in Greek, with English abstract)" should
be added.
9. Work accepted for publication but not yet published should be referred to as "in press".
10. References concerning
unpublished data and "personal communications" should not be cited in the reference list but may be mentioned in the text.
11. Web
references may not be used except under exceptional circumstances and 'abstracts' older than two years are not normally allowed. Books
and conference proceeding papers that have not been peer reviewed should be avoided. Corporate books and promotional information is
not suitable as a reference.
12. Articles available online but without volume and page numbers may be referred to by means of their
Digital Object identifier (DOI) code.
Tables
1. Authors should take notice of the limitations set by the size and lay-out
of the journal. Large tables should be avoided. Reversing columns and rows will often reduce the dimensions of a table.
2. If many
data are to be presented, an attempt should be made to divide them over two or more tables.
3. Tables should be numbered according
to their sequence in the text. The text should include references to all tables.
4. Each table should occupy a separate page of the
manuscript. Tables should never be included in the text.
5. Each table must have a brief and self-explanatory title, and should be
understandable with minimal reference to other tables, text or figures (which should be clearly specified in a footnote).
6. Column
headings should be brief, but sufficiently explanatory. Standard abbreviations of units of measurement should be added between parentheses.
7. Vertical lines should not be used to separate columns. Leave some extra space between the columns instead.
8. Any explanation
essential to the understanding of the table should be given as a footnote at the bottom of the table.
Figures and Illustrations
1. References should be made in the text to each figure.
2. Each figure should have a caption. The captions to all figures should
occupy a separate sheet of the manuscript.
3. All data in figures should have a measure of variation either on the plot (e.g., error
bars), in the figure legend itself, or by reference to a table with measures of variation in the figure legend.
4. Explanations should
be given in the figure legend(s). Drawn text in the figures should be kept to a minimum.
5. Figures should be designed with the format
of the page of the journal in mind. Any figures that are larger than the paper may rotate upon generation of the PDF file by the online
submission system.
6. Lettering should be big enough to allow a reduction of 50% without becoming illegible, and should be uniform
throughout. Use only Arial, Courier, Helvetica, Times New Roman or Symbol. All lettering should be in English where possible, and any
non-English words should be italicised.
7. If a scale is given, use bar scales (instead of numerical scales) that must be
changed with reduction.
8. Photographs are only acceptable if they have good contrast and intensity.
9. Save text in illustrations
as "graphics" or enclose the font.
10. Number the illustrations according to their sequence in the text.
11. Use a logical naming
convention for your artwork files.
12. Provide all illustrations as separate files.
13. Produce images near to the desired size
of the printed version.
If you submit usable colour figures or illustrations, Elsevier will ensure that these figures appear free-of-charge
in colour in the electronic version of your accepted paper, regardless of whether or not these illustrations are reproduced in colour
in the printed version. Colour illustrations can only be included in print if the additional cost of reproduction is contributed by the
author: you will receive information regarding these costs from Elsevier after receipt of your accepted article.
Please note that
because of technical complications which may arise by converting colour figures to 'grey scale' (for the printed version, should you
not opt for colour in print), you should submit in addition usable black and white figures corresponding to all colour illustrations.
A detailed guide on electronic artwork is available on our website: http://www.elsevier.com/artworkinstructions.
Electronic
Formats for artwork
Regardless of the application used, when your electronic artwork is finalised, please "save as" or convert
the images to one of the following formats: EPS: Vector drawings. Embed the font or save the text as "graphics". TIFF:
Colour or greyscale photographs (halftones): always use a minimum of 300 dpi. TIFF: Bitmapped line drawings: use a minimum
of 1000 dpi. TIFF: Combinations bitmapped line/half-tone (colour or greyscale): a minimum of 500 dpi is required. DOC,
XLS or PPT: If your electronic artwork is created in any of these Microsoft Office applications please supply "as is".
Please do not: • Supply embedded graphics in your wordprocessor (spreadsheet, presentation) document • Supply
files that are optimised for screen use (like GIF, BMP, PICT, WPG); the resolution is too low • Supply files that are too low
in resolution • Submit graphics that are disproportionately large for the content
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, background datasets,
sound clips and so on. Supplementary files supplied will be published free of charge 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
together with the article and supply a concise and descriptive caption for each file.
Formulae
1. Give the meaning of
all symbols immediately after the equation in which they are first used.
2. For simple fractions use the solidus (/) instead of a
horizontal line.
3. Equations should be numbered serially at the right-hand side in parentheses. In general only equations explicitly
referred to in the text need be numbered.
4. The use of fractional powers instead of root signs is recommended. Powers of e are often
more conveniently denoted by exp.
5. In chemical formulae, valence of ions should be given as, e.g. Ca2+, not as Ca++.
6. Isotope numbers should precede the symbols e.g. 18O.
7. The repeated use of chemical formulae in the text is to be
avoided where reasonably possible; instead, the name of the compound should be given in full.
Exceptions may be made in the case of
a very long name occurring very frequently or in the case of a compound being described as the end product of a gravimetric determination
(e.g. phosphate as P2O5).
8. Spaces should be used between all values and units, except for the following:
Between the value and degrees or percent. In equations around * and /. In probability expressions (P<0.05). When probability values
are given, the 'P' should be a capital letter.
Footnotes
1. Footnotes should only be used if absolutely essential. In most
cases it should be possible to incorporate the information into the normal text.
2. If used, they should be numbered in the text,
indicated by superscript numbers, and kept as short as possible.
Nomenclature
1. Authors and Editors are, by general
agreement, obliged to accept the rules governing biological nomenclature, as laid down in the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature,
the International Code of Nomenclature of Bacteria, and the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature.
2. All biotica
(crops, plants, insects, birds, mammals, etc.) should be identified by their scientific names when the English term is first used, with
the exception of common domestic animals.
3. All biocides and other organic compounds must be identified by their Geneva names when
first used in the text. Active ingredients of all formulations should be likewise identified.
4. For chemical nomenclature, the conventions
of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry and the official recommendations of the IUPAC-IUB Combined Commission
on Biochemical Nomenclature should be followed.
Copyright
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 preprinted
forms for use by Authors in these cases: contact Elsevier's Rights Department, Oxford, UK: phone (+1) 215 239 3804 or +44(0)1865 843830,
fax +44(0)1865 853333, e-mail healthpermissions@elsevier.com. Requests may also be completed online via the Elsevier
homepage http://www.elsevier.com/permissions.
Material in unpublished letters and manuscripts is also protected and
must not be published unless permission has been obtained.
Revised Manuscripts
Authors should use the 'Track Changes'
option when revising their manuscripts, so that any changes made to the original submission are easily visible to the Editors. Those
revised manuscripts upon which the changes are not clear may be returned to the author.
Specific comments made in the Author Comments
in response to referees' comments must be organised clearly. For example, use the same numbering system as the referee, or use 2 columns
of which one states the comment and the other the response.
Proofs
One set of page proofs in PDF format will be sent
by e-mail to the corresponding author (if we do not have an e-mail address then paper proofs will be sent by post). Elsevier now sends
PDF proofs which can be annotated; for this you will need to download Adobe Reader version 7 available free from http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html.
Instructions on how to annotate PDF files will accompany the proofs. The exact system requirements are given at the Adobe site: http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/acrrsystemreqs.html#70win.
If you do not wish to use the PDF annotations function, you may list the corrections (including replies to the Query Form) and
return to Elsevier in an e-mail. Please list your corrections quoting line number. If, for any reason, this is not possible, then mark
the corrections and any other comments (including replies to the Query Form) on a printout of your proof and return by fax, or scan the
pages and e-mail, or by post.
Please use this proof only for checking the typesetting, editing, completeness and correctness of the
text, tables and figures. Significant changes to the article as accepted for publication will only be considered at this stage with permission
from the Editor. We will do everything possible to get your article published quickly and accurately. Therefore, it is important to ensure
that all of your corrections are sent back to us in one communication: please check carefully before replying, as inclusion of any subsequent
corrections cannot be guaranteed. Proofreading is solely your responsibility.
Offprints
1. The corresponding author will,
at no cost, be provided with a PDF file of the article via e-mail or, alternatively, 25 free paper offprints (100 for Review Articles).
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.
2. Additional paper offprints can be ordered on an offprint order form, which is included
with the proofs.
3. UNESCO coupons are acceptable in payment of extra paper offprints.
Author Services
Questions
arising after acceptance of the manuscript, especially those relating to proofs, should be directed to Elsevier Ireland, Elsevier House,
Brookvale Plaza, East Park, Shannon, Co. Clare, Ireland, Tel: (+353) 61 709600, Fax: (+353) 61 709111/113.
Authors Rights
As an author you (or your employer or institution) may do the following: • make copies (print or electronic) of the article
for your own personal use, including for your own classroom teaching use • make copies and distribute such copies (including
through e-mail) of the article to research colleagues, for the personal use by such colleagues (but not commercially or systematically,
e.g., via an e-mail list or list server) • post a pre-print version of the article on Internet websites including electronic
pre-print servers, and to retain indefinitely such version on such servers or sites • post a revised personal version of the
final text of the article (to reflect changes made in the peer review and editing process) on your personal or institutional website
or server, with a link to the journal homepage (on elsevier.com) • present the article at a meeting or conference and to distribute
copies of the article to the delegates attending such a meeting • for your employer, if the article is a 'work for hire', made
within the scope of your employment, your employer may use all or part of the information in the article for other intra-company use
(e.g., training) • retain patent and trademark rights and rights to any processes or procedure described in the article
• include the article in full or in part in a thesis or dissertation (provided that this is not to be published commercially)
• use the article or any part thereof in a printed compilation of your works, such as collected writings or lecture notes (subsequent
to publication of your article in the journal) • prepare other derivative works, to extend the article into book-length form,
or to otherwise re-use portions or excerpts in other works, with full acknowledgement of its original publication in the journal
Funding body agreements and policies
Elsevier has established agreements and developed policies to allow authors who publish
in Elsevier journals to comply with potential manuscript archiving requirements as specified as conditions of their grant awards. To
learn more about existing agreements and policies please visit http://www.elsevier.com/fundingbodies).
Animal
Feed Science and Technology has no page charges
