Author Instructions
All manuscripts should be submitted via ScholarOne Manuscripts.
The Rangeland Journal publishes original work that makes a significant contribution to understanding the biophysical, social, cultural, economic, and policy influences affecting rangeland use and management throughout the world. Rangelands are defined broadly and include all those environments where natural ecological processes predominate, and where values and benefits are based primarily on natural resources.
Papers may present the results of original research, contributions to theory, practice or policy, or new conclusions reached from the review of a topic. Their structure need not conform to that of standard scientific articles but writing style must be clear and concise. All material presented must be well documented, critically analysed and objectively presented. All papers are peer-reviewed.
All authors are expected to ensure that their papers meet these requirements before submission, both for scientific content and for correctness in presentation of text, references and illustrations. It is strongly advised that these Author Instructions be read in conjunction with a recent copy of The Rangeland Journal. This will make their interpretation far easier for you. Submitted papers that do not conform to these editorial requirements may be returned without consideration.
- Publishing Policies
- Peer review
- Authorship
- Plagiarism policy
- Licence to publish
- Open access
- Correspondence
- Submission of manuscripts
- Use of inclusive language
- Title
- Summary text for the Table of Contents online
- Abstract
- Keywords
- Botanical names
- Animal experimentation ethics
- Headings
- Abbreviations
- Website addresses (URLs)
- Tables
- Illustrations
- Photographs
- Acknowledgements
- Data Availability Statement
- Conflicts of Interest
- Declaration of Funding
- References
- Footnotes
- Proofs
Publishing Policies
The Rangeland Journal insists on high standards of ethical behaviour throughout the publication process. Our journal editors work within the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE). Further information on our policies can be found at http://www.publish.csiro.au/rj/PublishingPolicies.
Peer review
The Rangeland Journal is a peer-reviewed journal that uses a single-blind peer-review. The Editor-in-Chief is responsible to maintain high-quality peer-review of papers submitted to the journal and works together with Associate Editors to ensure a thorough and fair peer-review and the highest scientific publishing standards. All submissions undergo preliminary assessment by the Editor-in-Chief, who may reject a paper before peer review when it is outside the journal’s scope or is of insufficient quality. Associate Editors select reviewers and after at least two review reports are received, they make the decision whether to accept/reject or send a manuscript for revision. The final decision is made by the Editor-in-Chief.
Authorship
The conditions around authorship for The Rangeland Journal should follow the recommendations of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), for more information see http://www.publish.csiro.au/rj/PublishingPolicies.
Plagiarism policy
Plagiarism is the unattributed appropriation of someone else’s published work as an author’s own, or more commonly, the re-use of chunks of text from published papers by the same author(s) (self-plagiarism). Plagiarism screening is an established part of the editorial process for The Rangeland Journal. To support this policy, all revised manuscripts will be screened using the iThenticate software.
Licence to publish
For details regarding copyright, please see Copyright/Licence to Publish.
Please note that as an Author you agree to:
- Include a link and/or a reference to the Work as published by the Publisher on all digital copies used within his/her institution
- Not reproduce or authorise others to reproduce adaptations of the Work that are substantially identical to the Work for any commercial publication
- Not permit digital copies of the Work as published by the Publisher to be systematically networked to external users
- Not use the work in any way that implies that the Publisher, the Journal or the Editors endorse any product or procedure described in the work
Open access
Authors may choose to publish their paper Open Access on payment of a publication fee. See Open Access for more details.
Correspondence
When you submit a manuscript, please supply us with your telephone number and email address, as well as your postal address; we may need to contact you urgently. Please supply an alternative email address if you will be away or nominate a co-author (with email address) as an alternative contact.
Submission of manuscripts
The Rangeland Journal requires that manuscripts be written in acceptable and comprehensible English. It is important that the author’s meaning and intent is not changed by editing the language in the manuscript, and for that reason The Rangeland Journal editors will not undertake significant editing of manuscripts to improve the English. It is recommended that non-English speaking authors consult native English-speaking colleagues, or consider the use of professional scientific editing services, such as Cambridge Language Consultants or Nature Publishing Group, to ensure that the English language in their manuscript is of an acceptable standard before submission. Manuscripts which, in the opinion of the Editor-in-Chief or the Associate Editor, are not of this acceptable standard will be rejected.
Research Papers
Research Papers are complete reports of original research not previously published, except possibly in the form of a preliminary communication. There are no word/page limitations for research papers. Research Papers will be peer reviewed.
Reviews
Reviews are generally invited and authors considering submitting a Review should first discuss their proposal with the Editor. Reviews should give a concise, critical overview of a subject of high current interest, in which there have been important recent developments. There are no word/page limitations for review papers. Reviews will be peer reviewed.
Viewpoints
Submissions classified as Viewpoints are aimed at stimulating discussion and further interest in a topic of likely interest to readers of The Rangeland Journal. They are the expression of a personal opinion, a new and unique perspective on a particular topic or issue, or the questioning and need for re-evaluation of an existing one. While they may be opinionated or argue for a particular perspective, they must be balanced and contain sufficient evidence and reasoning supporting, or at least consistent with, the argument being put forward. They should identify or suggest potential pathways for future action that would most likely be open to debate. They should be more forward-looking and/or speculative than a conventional review research article. Viewpoints will be peer reviewed.
To submit your paper, please use our online journal management system ScholarOne Manuscripts, which can be reached directly through this link or from the link on the journal´s homepage. If a first-time user, register via the ´Register here´ link, or use your existing username and password to log in. Then click on the ´Author Centre´ link and proceed.
Papers should be typed with double spacing and include line numbers to assist in the editing process. All pages should be numbered consecutively, including the bibliography, figure captions, tables and appendices. The Journal requires electronic copies of all submitted and revised manuscripts provided as a Word file (to allow editing and changes to formatting if required during the review process). Even if provided in the file with the text, all figures must also be provided in a separate file from the text in MS Word, EPS, XLS, WMF, BMP or TIF format. Figures and tables should be numbered in the order in which they are discussed in the text, and authors should indicate the approximate position of the figures and tables on the manuscript. Place figures and tables at the end of the manuscript, each on a separate page. Figure captions should be provided in the file containing the text (the Word file) and should be on a separate page. List references in the References section in alphabetical order. Do not put full web addresses in the text but cite them as a reference and put the address in the References section. Check that figures and tables are numbered in the order in which they are discussed in the text and indicate the approximate position of the figures and tables on the manuscript. Place tables and figures at the end of the manuscript, each on a separate page. Figure captions should be on a separate page.
A covering letter must accompany the new submission and should include the name, address, telephone number, and email address of the corresponding author. The letter should also contain a statement justifying why the work should be considered for publication in the journal, and that the manuscript has not been published or simultaneously submitted for publication elsewhere. Suggestions of possible referees are welcome.
If you encounter any difficulties, or you have any queries, please contact:
Editor-in-Chief
Dr Paul Novelly
The Rangeland Journal
Email penovelly@gmail.com
Use of inclusive language
These guidelines should be used to assist in identifying appropriate language, but are by no means exhaustive or definitive. Inclusive language comprises carefully chosen words and phrases that are respectful and promote the acceptance and value of all people. It is language which is free from words, phrases or tones that demean, insult, exclude, stereotype, or trivialise people on the basis of their membership of a certain group or because of a particular attribute. As such, inclusive language should make no assumptions about the beliefs or commitments of any reader, and contain nothing which might imply that one individual is superior to another on any grounds including but not limited to: age, gender, race, ethnicity, culture, sexual orientation, disability or health condition. We encourage the use of plural nouns (e.g., 'they' as default wherever possible instead of 'he/she'), and recommend avoiding the use of descriptors that refer to personal attributes, unless there is scientific or clinical relevance. For further guidance on inclusive language see Inclusive language | Style Manual. If there are questions about language use and/or publishing with regards to First Nations people, please contact the Journal.
Title
This should be short and informative and should contain the keywords used in the text; a short running title of 4 to 8 words (for use as a header) should also be provided.
Summary text for the Table of Contents online (this does not appear in the hardcopy version)
The online version of each paper requires a three-sentence paragraph of 50 to 80 words written for interested non-experts, such as journalists, teachers, government workers, etc. The text should be free from scientific jargon, and written at the level of an article in a science magazine. Your first sentence should engage the reader, convincing them that this is an important area. The second sentence should introduce the problem addressed in the paper, and state your main discovery. The final sentence should describe how the results fit into the bigger picture (i.e. implications or impact of the discovery).
Abstract
A brief and informative abstract should be provided. It should not exceed 300 words and should be suitable for direct use by abstracting agencies.
Keywords
A minimum of 8 keywords selected from the CAB Thesaurus (or an equivalent reference volume) are required to improve online discoverability of your work. These terms can be repeated from the title if necessary. List the keywords under the abstract, with terms separated by commas.
Botanical names
Authorities should be quoted at first mention of each name. Alternatively, a reference can be given to the nomenclature being followed.
Animal experimentation ethics
For papers reporting work with animals, Editors should ensure that peer reviewers consider ethical and welfare issues raised by the research they are reviewing, and to request additional information from authors where needed. In situations where there is doubt as to the adherence to appropriate procedures or approval by the relevant ethics committee, editors are required to reject these papers. Where an experiment has involved the use of captive animals, the animal experimentation ethics committee approval number should be given in the acknowledgements.
CSIRO Publishing also follows guidelines provided by the CSIRO Animal Ethics committee.
Headings
The hierarchy of headings is: upper and lower case bold left flush; upper and lower case italic left flush; upper and lower case italic indented; and upper and lower case italic on the same line as the text. This is best understood by reference to a recent issue of The Rangeland Journal.
Abbreviations
SI units should be used throughout; Imperial equivalents are not required. Numbers referring to units of measurement (e.g. 10 mm) are never spelt out; if it does not refer to a unit of measurement then numbers fewer than ten are spelt out. Figure is abbreviated to Fig. both in the text and figure captions, except when it is the first word of a sentence.
Website addresses (URLs)
Website addresses (URLs) should not be included in the text but should be placed in the References section. If the item is dated, then the name and year should be placed in the text as for a normal reference and linked to the name and date in the References section. If there is no short name and date on the item referenced, then a short name should be invented followed by the year in which the site was accessed. This name and date is then linked to and used in the References section. The URL in the References section should be prefaced by ‘Available at:’ and followed by ‘(accessed dd Month yyyy).’ The date at which it was accessed is important because websites change over time.
Tables
All tables should be constructed using the Table option in Word or Excel and each value should have its own cell. Tables must be self-explanatory, typed on separate sheets, numbered consecutively and carry an appropriate title. The same material should not be presented in both tabular and graphical form. If material can be presented in either form then the graphical form is preferred. Vertical rulings (lines) should not be used in tables. Tables should be submitted in editable format and should not be appended to the Word file as uneditable images. See a recent copy of the Journal for the details of table presentation.
A table of mean yields should always present an estimate of the variation, usually the standard error of the mean (s.e.m.) or the standard error of difference between two means (s.e.d.). Please do not use spaces to align columns in tables.
Illustrations
Line diagrams and photographs must be prepared electronically using either a draw or chart/graph program such as Illustrator, Excel, Sigmaplot, Harvard Graphics, or Cricket Graph and files should be saved in one of the following formats: encapsulated PostScript (EPS) (preferred), Illustrator (preferred), Excel (provided the Excel files have been saved with the chart encapsulated), or as pictures in a Word file.
If using other people’s photographs, illustrations or data in figures, authors are expected to clear all third party intellectual property rights and obtain formal (written) permission from their respective institutions before submission, where necessary. Prior permission must be obtained to avoid any copyright infringements and unnecessary delay during production. When exercising any of the rights assigned or granted, each party is required to give sufficient acknowledgement of the contribution made by the other party to the published material including a citation to the Journal source and/or book.
Lettering should be in sans-serif type (Helvetica preferred) with the first letter of the first word and any proper names capitalised. The x-height of inscriptions after reduction should be 1.2-1.3 mm (capitals 2 mm). Thus, for the preferred reductions of graphs to 30, 40, or 50% of original linear dimensions, the initial x-height of lettering should be 4, 3, or 2.5 mm, respectively. Symbols and grid marks should be the same respective sizes, and curves and axes should then be 0.8, 0.7, or 0.6 mm thick, respectively. Proportionately smaller sizes of type, symbols, grid marks and curve thicknesses should be used for lesser reductions. The following symbols should be used: 
. Grid marks should point outwards; legends to axes should state the quantity being measured and be followed by the appropriate SI units in parentheses.
Photographs
Photographs must be of the highest quality with a full range of tones and of good contrast. They must be separated from neighbouring photographs by uniform spaces that will be 2 mm wide after reduction. Lettering should be in a sans-serif type and contrast with its background; thus, white lettering should be used on darker backgrounds. The size of lettering should be such that the final height after reduction is 1.5-2 mm. A scale bar must be inserted on each photomicrograph and electron micrograph. Important features to which attention has been drawn in the text should be indicated.
Suitable electronic formats for photographs are TIFF and EPS at a required resolution of 300 d.p.i.
Acknowledgements
The contribution of colleagues who do not meet all criteria for authorship should be acknowledged. Anyone included in the Acknowledgements section should have granted permission to be listed. Sources of financial support should be acknowledged in a separate ‘Declaration of Funding’ rather than here.
Data Availability Statement
CSIRO Publishing encourages authors to share the research data underlying their papers to support transparency and reproducibility of research. A Data Availability Statement must be included at the end of the manuscript indicating whether the data used to generate the results in the paper are available and, if so, where to access them. For more information on CSIRO Publishing’s data sharing policy and for examples of what to include in the data availability statement please see https://www.publish.csiro.au/journals/publishingpolicies#6.
Authors can get credit for their work by citing their research data in the reference list of their article. Citations should include at a minimum: all authors, year of publication, title of dataset, record ID, publisher. DOI or URL if available. Examples of how to cite research data:
Wang L et al. (2021). Well log data analysis and interpretation on the pre-Carboniferous succession in Waukarlycarly 1, Canning Basin, Western Australia. Record 2021/003 [Dataset]. Geoscience Australia, Canberra. Available at http://pid.geoscience.gov.au/dataset/ga/144547
Fiddes S et al. (2020). Southern Australia’s climate regions (Version 1.0.0) [Dataset]. Zenodo. doi:10.5281/zenodo.4265471
Digital Earth Australia (2021). Wetlands Insight Tool Queensland Wetlands Polygons. Version 1.0.0 [Dataset]. Geoscience Australia, Canberra. Available at http://pid.geoscience.gov.au/dataset/ga/144795
Conflicts of Interest
A ´Conflicts of Interest´ section should be included at the end of the manuscript. It should identify any financial or non-financial (political, personal, professional) interests/relationships that may be interpreted to have influenced the manuscript. If there is no conflict of interest, please include the statement "The authors declare no conflicts of interest".
Declaration of Funding
Under a subheading 'Declaration of Funding' at the end of the text authors are required to declare all sources of funding for the research and/or preparation of the article, and the inclusion of grant numbers is recommended. Authors should declare sponsor names along with explanations of the role of those sources if any in the preparation of the data or manuscript or the decision to submit for publication; or a statement declaring that the supporting source had no such involvement. If no funding has been provided for the research, please include the following sentence: "This research did not receive any specific funding".
References
References are cited chronologically in the text by author and date and are not numbered. All references in the text must be listed at the end of the paper, arranged alphabetically; all entries in this list must correspond to references in the text. In the text the names of two coauthors are linked by ‘and’; for three or more the first author’s name is followed by ‘et al.’. No editorial responsibility can be taken for the accuracy of the references; authors are requested to check these with special care. Papers that have not been accepted for publication may not be included in the list of references and must be cited either as ‘unpublished data’ or as ‘personal communication’; the use of such citations is however discouraged.
- Journal article
Woelkerling WJ, Irvine LM, Harvey AS (1993) Growth-forms in non-geniculate coralline red algae (Corallinales, Rhodophyta). Australian Systematic Botany 6, 277-293. - Chapter in a book
Andrew CS (1978) Mineral characterisation of tropical forage legumes. In ‘Mineral nutrition of legumes in tropical and subtropical soils’. (Eds CS Andrew, EJ Kamprath) pp. 93-111. (CSIRO Publishing: Melbourne) - Whole book
Simmonds DH (1989) ‘Wheat and wheat quality in Australia’, (CSIRO Publishing: Melbourne) - Conferences/Symposia
Stuth JW, Freer M, Dove H, Lyons RK (1999) Nutritional management for free ranging livestock. In ‘Nutritional Ecology of Herbivores. Proceedings Vth International Symposium on Nutrition of Herbivores’. pp. 696–750. (ASAC: Denver, CO, USA) - Report/Bulletin
Chippendale GM, Wolf L (1981) The natural distribution of Eucalyptus in Australia. Australian National Parks and Wildlife Service, Special Publication No. 6, Canberra, ACT. - Thesis
Ossiya S (1999) Development of a nutritional profiling system for free-ranging livestock in major agro-ecological zones of sub-Saharan Africa. PhD Thesis, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA. - Software
R Core Team (2020) R: A language and environment for statistical computing. R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna, Austria. Available at https://www.R-project.org/ [Accessed DD MM YYYY]. - Web pages
Referencing from web pages is acceptable and should give the author’s names or company name, year of publication and title as for a report, followed by the URL, and access date
e.g. British Association of Sexual Health and HIV (BASHH) (2008) United Kingdom national guideline on the management of the viral hepatitides A, B & C. Available at http://www.bashh.org/documents/1927.pdf [Accessed DD MM YYYY]
Footnotes
In general, avoid the use of footnotes. Working this material into the text itself is the preferred option. If they must be used, indicate them by superscript numbers in the text, and type them all double-spaced on a separate page. Never use footnotes to cite references.
Proofs
These will be sent to authors to enable them to check for the correctness of the typesetting. Excessive alterations made after page proofing may be charged to the author.
