Author Instructions
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Guidelines for Preparing: Manuscripts | Abstracts | References | Beltwide Cotton Conference References
Contributions to the Journal of Cotton Science may be compilations of original research, reviews, short communications, or perspectives of contemporary issues, from any discipline concerning cotton. Letters to the Editor may also be submitted. Contributions may not be previously published or simultaneously submitted to another refereed journal. Articles must be original or provide a significant contribution that improves the understanding of cotton science in one of the following eight academic disciplines:
The Journal of Cotton Science is published electronically four times per year at http://www.cotton.org/journal/. Submission of Manuscripts Journal of Cotton Science is now using Editorial Manager for online submission and peer review. Manuscripts should be submitted to the JCS Manuscript Submission site. Additional information about Editorial Manager and help guides can be found here. Authors should contact the editorial office (journal@cotton.org) with any questions regarding mansucript submission. Authors should submit along with their manuscript a cover letter and a cover page. The manuscript should not include any identifying information about the author(s). The cover letter is optional, but preferred. The cover page should contain author information and affiliations. Templates are available under the Guidelines for Preparing Manuscripts page. To speed the publication process, the editorial board highly recommends that authors seek comments and corrections from their peers before submitting a manuscript to the Journal of Cotton Science. Before a submitted manuscript is placed into peer review, a technical check will be performed by the Editor-in-Chief to ensure that the authors have followed the proper format and style (see Guidelines for Preparing Manuscripts), and the experiments have been properly replicated and repeated. Submissions not in compliance will be returned to the authors. Manuscripts in compliance then assigned by the Editor-in-Chief to the Associate or Assistant Editor of the appropriate discipline for a double-blind peer review. Final acceptance or rejection is the decision of the Associate or Assistant Editor. Authors can view the status of their submitted manuscript on the JCS Manuscript Submission site. Revision of Accepted Manuscripts Authors are permitted 60 days to revise manuscripts deemed acceptable for publication with revision. If additional time for revisions is required, authors should communicate with the Associate or Assistant Editor that is overseeing the review process to request an extension. Otherwise, manuscripts that are not revised within 60 days must be resubmitted as a new manuscript. Upon submission of a revised manuscript, authors should submit a clean version of the manuscript with all changes and suggestions incorporated, a manuscript with tracked changes on, a document that responds to reviewer comments and suggestions line by line, as well as a signed Permission to Print and Reprint form. Additional information and exmaples can be found on the Guidelines for Preparing Manuscripts page. The Associate or Assistant Editor will assist the author(s) in making the necessary corrections to make the manuscript acceptable for publication, and may request authors make additional revisions. Although it is the intent of the Editors to facilitate the publication of the accepted manuscript, failure of the author(s) to adequately address the comments of the reviewers or the Associate or Assistant Editor can result in rejection of the manuscript. Following acceptable revision, the Associate or Assistant Editor will notify the Editor-in-Chief. The Editor-in-Chief will submit the manuscript to the Copy Editor for proofing the format, grammar, and other nonscientific aspects of the manuscript. Following revision, the manuscript will be formatted for publication on the Journal of Cotton Science web site and to prepare galley proofs for final approval by the author. Galley proofs represent the final copy and can only be edited for minor technical revisions recommended by the author(s) and the Editor-in-Chief. Upon return from the author(s) the manuscript will be scheduled for electronic publication. Appeal of Released Manuscripts Author(s) have the right to appeal decisions that result in the release of their manuscript. Author(s) should send their appeal to the Editor-in-Chief, specifically stating why they do not agree with the stipulations for release of the manuscript outlined by the Associate or Assistant Editor that released the manuscript. This information will then be provided to the Editorial Board of the Journal of Cotton Science, which has the final authority as to the disposition of the appealed manuscript. The Editorial Board may view manuscript details and correspondance through the Editorial Manager system or email to provide background information. The Editorial Board will notify the author(s) and the Editor-in-Chief of their decision on the status of the appealed manuscript within 30 days. Re-Submission of Released Manuscripts Manuscripts previously declined for publication in Journal of Cotton Science may be re-submitted for review and consideration as new manuscripts with the following stipulations. The manuscript is submitted to the Editor-in-Chief with a letter detailing the changes that have been made to the manuscript to address the comments of the previous reviewers and the Associate or Assistant Editor. The letter should also state clearly in the letter to the Editor-in-Chief that the manuscript is a re-submission to the journal. Any deviation from this policy will be brought before the Editorial Board of the Journal of Cotton Science and result in the immediate rejection of the manuscript for publication at any time in the present or future should the Board find just cause for purposeful deceit by the author. The manuscript will be assigned a new identifying code, but will be handled, when possible, by the same Associate or Assistant Editor as the original manuscript. The same ad hoc reviewers may be assigned the manuscript. |