1.Forwards
All manuscripts submitted to The Journal of Japanese Botany must adhere to the "Aims and Scopes" and "Journal Policy and Ethics Policy" as stipulated in the "Publishing Policy" and comply with "Instructions to Authors". The Editorial Board reserves the right to reject without review, or retract, any manuscript that may not comply with these policies.
Manuscripts submitted to The Journal should be original works that have not been previously published (in part or in whole, in any language), are not in press, and are not under consideration for publication elsewhere. Any manuscript with an unacceptable level of unoriginal material may be rejected by The Editorial Board. Appropriate quoting and redistribution without compromising the originality of manuscripts are permitted.
Note that partial disclosure on pre-print server is allowed within the scope defined in the "Pre-print Policy" as stipulated in the "Publishing Policy".
If authors choose to submit their manuscript elsewhere before a final decision has been made, they must first withdraw it.
Authors should submit manuscripts via the Editorial Manager® online submission system (https://www.editorialmanager.com/jjb). The format of files and style of manuscripts shall adhere to the "Submission Guidelines".
2.Manuscript Types
The following six types of manuscripts, either in English or Japanese (including Latin), are acceptable. All manuscripts, except book reviews and obituaries, are subject to peer review. The final determination of the manuscript types is made by The Editorial Board.
Original articles
Full and comprehensive reports describing original research. Regardless of whether the report is in English or Japanese, an English summary of 200 words, a Japanese summary of 400 characters, and 10 or fewer keywords in Roman alphabet, are required. If the authors are not familiar with Japanese, The Editorial Board will create the Japanese summary.
Reviews
Articles presenting novel or unique overviews of recent or important developments in the relevant fields. Regardless of whether the article is in English or Japanese, an English summary of 200 words, a Japanese summary of 400 characters, and 10 or fewer keywords in Roman alphabet, are required. If the authors are not familiar with Japanese, The Editorial Board will create the Japanese summary.
Notes
Concise, topical reports describing original research that may not constitute original articles but nevertheless deserve publication. Regardless of whether the manuscript is in English or Japanese, both an English summary of 200 words and a Japanese summary of 400 characters, are required. If the authors are not familiar with Japanese, The Editorial Board will create the Japanese summary.
News items
Articles introducing recent topics in the fields. Articles in Japanese require an English summary of 200 words, and articles in English require a Japanese summary of 400 characters.
Book reviews
Introductory articles featuring books, reports, and other publications related to the fields. Although book reviews are not subject to peer review, The Editorial Board retains the right to reject the manuscripts if their contents are inappropriate for The Journal.
Obituaries
Articles honoring and commemorating the achievements of individuals closely related to The Journal and/or the relevant fields. Obituaries are generally commissioned by the Editor-in-Chief.
3.Submission Fees and Article Processing Charges, and Color Print Charges
Submission fees and article processing charge (APCs) are not required.
4.Manuscript Preparation
When preparing a manuscript, authors are required to adhere to the "Submission Guidelines" as provided separately.
5.Peer Review and Editorial Process
5-1.Peer Review Process
The newly submitted manuscripts go through an initial evaluation by the Editor-in-Chief based on "Publishing Policy" and "Instructions to Authors". Manuscripts that fall outside the scope of The Journal or are deemed unsuitable for publication are rejected at this stage.
Manuscripts that pass the initial evaluation stage proceed to the secondary evolution stage and are reviewed by reviewer(s) selected by the Editor-in-Chief. The Journal uses a single-blind peer review system.
The Vice Editor-in-Chief is also responsible for reviewing reviewer reports, evaluating edited manuscripts by reviewer(s), determining the need for additional reviews, evaluating authors' revised manuscripts, and making proposals regarding the acceptance or rejection of manuscripts.
The final decision on acceptance or rejection is made by the Editor-in-Chief, taking into consideration the proposals made by the Vice Editor-in-Chief.
5-2.Reviewer Selection
Reviewers are selected based on factors such as their expertise in the field and previous experience as peer reviewers for The Journal.
Reviewers are invited within one week of an article being submitted. They are asked to submit their first review within three weeks of accepting the invitation to review.
Authors can propose recommended reviewers and/or non-recommended reviewers at initial submission. The Editor-in-Chief takes into consideration the author's proposal and select reviewer(s).
5-3.Reviewer Report
The reviewer reports are sent to the authors after being reviewed by the Vice Editor-in-Chief.
The Vice Editor-in-Chief has the right to edit the report without consulting the reviewers.
5-4.Manuscript Revision
When the decision is that revisions are necessary, authors are expected to submit a revised or unrevised manuscript, along with a "Response to Referee" document summarizing their response to the referee's comments and providing explanations for their revisions or lack thereof, within one month.
The deadline may be extended upon the author's request, as long as the request is made before the original deadline.
5-5.Accepted Manuscripts and Proofreading
After the manuscript is accepted, The Editorial Board will copyedit and format it before publication. During the editorial process, The Editorial Board may provide comments on the manuscript. At that time, the author(s) should address the comments within the specified limit.
The authors will carry out proofreading only once. Excessive changes are generally not permitted.
5-6.Publication Order
The Editorial Board determines the publication schedule and order of the accepted manuscripts.
5-7.PDF and Offprints
After publication of the manuscript, the final PDF will be sent to the author by the Editorial Board Office. No offprints will be provided, whether free of charge or for a fee.
6.Corrections, Retractions and Removals
The Journal reserves the right to make corrections, retractions, or removals of published articles based on notifications received from authors or readers. These actions are taken to uphold the integrity and reliability of our publications.
The corrections will be made if deemed necessary by The Editorial Board, as stated in the "Corrections , Retractions and Removal" section below.
The process of retracting or removing published articles will follow the COPE guidelines (https://publicationethics.org/sites/default/files/retraction-guidelines-cope.pdf) and flowcharts (https://publicationethics.org/guidance/Flowcharts) and will be decided upon by the Editor-in-Chief after discussion within The Editorial Board committee.
Corrections
If an error is found in a published article, it may be corrected through the publication of an erratum.
Errata will be published only when The Editorial Board determines that the error hinders the readers' correct understanding of the content. Minor copyediting or typesetting errors that do not affect the meaning or interpretation of an article will not be corrected.
If authors wish to correct a published article, they should propose correction to The Editorial Board, providing details of the error after obtaining consensus among the co-authors.
Retractions
If a published article contains significant errors or if there is clear evidence that the article violates or has violated research ethics and the "Journal Policy and Ethics Policy" set out in the Publishing Policy of The Journal, the article will be retracted.
Individuals who believe that a published article should be retracted are encouraged to contact The Editorial Board (see Article 8 for contact details).
Removals
If a published article contains defamation, intellectual property infringement, or any other serious legal issue, it will be completely removed from the online archive, except for its biographic metadata (title and author list). The retained biographic metadata will be accompanied by a statement explaining the reason for the article's removal.
7.Appeals and Complaints
Authors who believe that the result of peer review or a decision has been made in error may lodge an appeal. Appeals are only considered if the authors provide detailed evidence of a misunderstanding or mistake by a reviewer or editor. If an appeal is raised, the Editor-in-Chief carefully considers the author's claims and the reviewer's reports, consulting with The Editorial Board if necessary, and makes the final decision.
If authors have complaints, The Editorial Board of The Journal of Japanese Botany will investigate the matter and provide the author with appropriate feedback.
Appeals and complaints should be raised through Editorial Manager® or by using the contact information provided in Article 8 of these Instructions.
8.Contact
The Editorial Board Office The Journal of Japanese Botany
c/o Tsumura & Co.
3586, Yoshiwara, Ami-machi, Inashiki-gun, Ibaraki, 300-1192, JAPAN
Email: jjb@mail.tsumura.co.jp
Phone: +81-29-889-3832
