Horticultural Studies

Horticultural Studies covers research on fruits, vegetables, and ornamental plants. Papers are considered for publication on scientific researches in a wide range of horticulture-related fields, such as genetics, plant breeding, post-harvest studies, physiology, crop production technologies, plant protection & nutrition, irrigation, horticultural economy, propagation, and plant biotechnology.

Horticultural Studies covers research on fruits, vegetables, and ornamental plants. Papers are considered for publication on scientific researches in a wide range of horticulture-related fields, such as genetics, plant breeding, post-harvest studies, physiology, crop production technologies, plant protection & nutrition,  irrigation, horticultural economy, propagation, and plant biotechnology.

Guide for Authors

Manuscripts, which report novel information, beyond simply representing a confirmation of previously published work. Manuscripts must not exceed 20 pages, including tables, figures, and reference list.

Preparation of Manuscripts for Submission

All pages and lines should be numbered. The articles should be written in A4 size, single column, 12 point in Arial font and double line spacing. 2.0 cm margin must be left from the top, bottom, left and right sides of the page. All headings and paragraphs must be left-justified and one line space between paragraphs must be left.

Submission of an article implies that the presented work and results have not been published or submitted for publication elsewhere, and that its publication is approved by all authors. All authors are requested to disclose any actual or potential conflict of interest.

Abstract should not exceed;

300 words in Manuscripts, and

Three to five key words (not existing in the title) should be listed below the abstract.

Main document is usually divided into following sections:

Introduction;
Materials & Methods;
Results & Discussion;
Conclusion
Acknowledgements;
References
Tables

Figures

References

The 7th Edition of APA Citation guidelines should be used. You can use the following guide for reference formatting: clicking this link

References in the text examples:

References in the text examples:

“caused (James, 1999).”

“Davies and Kempton (1975) have expressed………”

“……..…gradually increases (Ho et al., 1983; Cullingham and Barta, 1994).”

“…………is expressed (Doi, 1990a, b).”

Book:

Acquaah, G. (2008). Horticulture: Principles and Practices (4th Edition). Pearson, p. 760, Upper Saddle River, N.J.

Chapter in Book:

Baysal, Ö., & Teixeria da Silva, J. A. (2006). Induced Resistance: A New Approach in Plant Protection for Floriculture and Ornamental Plants. pp. 231-237. In: Teixeria da Silva, J. A. (ed.), Floriculture, Ornamental and Plant Biotechnology Advances and Topical Issues. Global Science Books, UK.

Journal Paper:

Aydinşakir, K., Erdal, Ş., Büyüktaş, D., Baştuğ, R., & Toker, R. (2013). The influence of regular deficit ırrigation applications on water use, yield, and quality components of two corn (Zea mays L.) genotypes. Agricultural Water Management, 128:65-71.

Conference Proceedings:

Tepe, A., Gözen, V., Ünlü, A., Boyacı, H.F., & Topçu, V. (2013). Performance of some eggplant genotypes under cold stress. International Plant Breeding Congress, 10-14 November 2013, Antalya/Turkey, p:510.

Website:

FAO (2011). Agricultural Production Data. http://faostat3.fao.org/faostat-gateway/go/to/home. Date accessed: February 06, 2014.

Thesis:

Huang, Y. (2013). Impact of Banana (Musa acuminata) ripening on resistant and non-resistant starch using hot-air and microwave drying. MSc Thesis, McGill University, Montreal.

Acknowledgements

Authors are requested to identify all sources of financial support for the presented research.

Title Page

Authors' full names, with an asterisk after the name of the corresponding author
Authors' affiliations and postal addresses, including e-mail address of the corresponding author
ORCİD Links of the authors must be written.
Phone numbers of corresponding author
Tables

Tables should be numbered consecutively in Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3, ...), with each table presented on a separate sheet. Title of the table should be written on top of the table. Descriptions about table items should be placed at the bottom of the table and marked with an asterisk. Tables should be prepared in regular MS Word format (i.e., tables submitted as a figure or manually written will not be accepted)

Figures

Figures should be numbered consecutively in Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3, ...), with each figure presented on a separate sheet. Title of the figure and descriptions about figure items should be placed at the bottom of the figure.

Tables and Figures can be cited in the text consecutively.
Tables and Figures should be embedded in the manuscript document, and provided at the end of the document. Original files should be also uploaded separately through the online submission system.
Figures should have a minimum resolution of 300 dpi.
Copyright Release Form

During the submission process, authors will be directed to download and complete a ”Copyright Release Form’’ to be signed by the all authors.

The author(s) warrant(s) that:

The manuscript submitted is his/her/their own original work;
All authors participated in the work in a substantial way and are prepared to take public responsibility for the work;
All authors have seen and approved the manuscript as submitted;
The manuscript has not been published and is not being submitted or considered for publication elsewhere;
The text, illustrations, and any other materials included in the manuscript do not infringe upon any existing copyright or other rights of anyone.
Horticultural Studies has unlimited, worldwide, irrevocable, royalty-free right to publish, use, distribute, license, transmit, display, exhibit, record, store, translate, digitize, broadcast, reproduce and archive, in any format or medium, whether now known or hereafter developed.
Manuscript Submission

In case of resubmitting rejected manuscripts in Horticultural Studies:

Authors must clarify their changes in the Cover Letter, including point-by-point responses to the reviewers' comments. Otherwise, the manuscript will be rejected directly.

Submission of all types of manuscripts to Horticultural Studies is completely managed online, via the Online Submission & Review System. During the submission process, authors will be guided step-by-step while uploading all required documents and information. All correspondence, including notification of the Editor's decision and requests for revision, is sent by e-mail.

Authors that have submitted manuscripts to Horticultural Studies may be asked to be reviewers in the future.

Peer-Review

Double-blind review system with at least two reviewers is used to evaluate manuscripts for publication. Editors have the right to reject the manuscripts without peer-review when the manuscript:

a) is on a topic outside the scope of the Journal,

b) lacks technical merit,

c) exhibits narrow regional scope and significance,

d) presents conflicting results,

e) is poorly written,

f) represents a case of scientific misconduct,

g) When the journal is overburdened with too many submissions, editors have right to reject manuscripts without peer-review based on their perceived merit.



Submission checklist

Please carefully check this list not to lose your time:

First and/or corresponding author do not have any accepted manuscript in Horticultural Studies within the last 12 months.
In case of resubmitting rejected manuscripts in Horticultural Studies, changes and point-by-point responses to the reviewers' comments are provided in Cover Letter section
Copyright Release Form is enclosed, completed and signed by the all authors (in pdf or jpeg format)
Title, Abstract and Key Words are provided
Abstract does not exceed 300 words
Three to five key words (not presented in the title) are listed below the abstract.
Spelling and grammar checks have been completed
Main document is 2.0 spaced throughout, with 20 mm margins including Abstract, Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results, Discussion, and References
Font and font size is 12 pt Arial, double spaced throughout the manuscript
All abbreviations and acronyms are defined at first mention
Main document does not contain names and institutions (in line with the double blind review system)
Title page contains names of authors, written in full (NOT abbreviated)
Title page contains authors address(es), provided in English
ORCID links are added to the title page.
Acknowledgements are provided on the title page
The percent sign appears without a space after the number (e.g., 53%) and not before (e.g., NOT %53)
Decimals are indicated by decimal points and not by commas (e.g., 10.24 NOT 10,24)
et al. is in italics (et al.)
Latin terms such as species’ names are in italics (e.g., Oncorhynchus mykiss)
Degree symbols are inserted from the Symbols menu, and are not superscript letter 'o' or number '0'
Multiplication symbol is used (×) and not small "x" letters
Significant level symbol; ‘P< or P>’ is in italics and upper case
High quality figures are enclosed (if any)
Figures are referred to consecutively in the paper (if any)
Tables are referred to consecutively in the paper (if any)
Unpublished references (project reports, etc.) are not referred to or cited
References are listed in alphabetical order in the style shown in the instructions
References are cited in the text according to APA-6
DOI Links of references are indicated (if available)
Full names of journal titles are provided in the reference list (NOT abbreviated)
Sections are not numbered
Tables and figures, if applicable, must be included in the main document. They are also uploaded separately via online submission system.
Reviewer suggestions are provided in the cover letter


Changes to authorship

Authors are expected to consider carefully the list and order of authors before submitting their manuscript and provide the definitive list of authors at the time of the original submission. Any addition, deletion or rearrangement of author names in the authorship list should be made only before the manuscript has been accepted and only if approved by the journal Editor. To request such a change, the Editor must receive the following from the corresponding author: (a) the reason for the change in author list and (b) written confirmation (e-mail, letter) from all authors that they agree with the addition, removal or rearrangement. In the case of addition or removal of authors, this includes confirmation from the author being added or removed.

After Acceptance

Once the manuscript is accepted for publishing in Horticultural Studies, authors will receive an e-mail notification with all necessary information on further steps in publishing process. Accepted manuscript can be tracked via the link that will be sent by email. Early View proof will be provided for corrections, before the paper is published in its final form.

Authors should indicate all corrections on the paper published as Early View by sending all comments by email to info@horticulturalstudies.org

Author rights

Authors of published articles (and/or their employers or institutions) are not allowed to reuse published works without permission.

Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement

Publication Ethics

Peer-reviewed studies are those that embody and comply with the scientific method, and thus ensure quality standards, improvement of performance, and credibility in science. Consequently, it is important that all stakeholders (authors, readers, researchers, publishers, referees and editors) comply with the ethical principles and standards. Within this framework, Horticultural Studies expects all stakeholders to have the following ethical responsibilities as a part of its publication ethics.

Consequently, it is important that all stakeholders (authors, readers, researchers, publishers, referees, and editors) comply with the ethical principles and standards defined by International Council of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME), the Council of Science Editors (CSE), the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the European Association of Science Editors (EASE), and National Information Standards Organization (NISO). Within this framework, Horticultural Studies expects all stakeholders to have the following ethical responsibilities as a part of its publication ethics.

Ethical Responsibilities of Authors

1. The manuscript has not been published and is not being submitted or considered for publication elsewhere.

2. The authors are required to make a full and correct reference to other studies. APA 7 guidelines for citation and bibliography should be taken into account.

3. Submission of an article implies that the presented work and results have not been published or submitted for publication elsewhere, and that its publication is approved by all authors. All authors are requested to disclose any actual or potential conflict of interest.

4. Authors have to be prepared to share raw data assessed in the manuscript and any related information if so requested by the editorial board within the framework of the evaluation process.

5. The text, illustrations, and any other material included in the manuscript do not infringe upon any existing copyright or other rights.

6. All authors participated in the work in a substantial way and are prepared to take public responsibility for the work and manuscript contents.

7. In case of plagiarism detected by the editorial board in a submitted or accepted manuscript, the full responsibility lies with the authors. The publisher has the right to reject and/or retract the manuscript in case of plagiarism, even it was previously accepted. The authors are not able to object to the decision made by the journal.

8. Authors of published articles (and/or their employers or institutions) are not allowed to reuse published works without permission.

9. Authors are expected to consider carefully the list and order of authors before submitting their manuscript and provide the definitive list of authors at the time of the original submission. Any addition, deletion or rearrangement of author names in the authorship list should be made only before the manuscript has been accepted and only if approved by the journal Editor. To request such a change, the Editor must receive the following from the corresponding author: (a) the reason for the change in authors' list and (b) written confirmation from all authors that they agree with the addition, removal or rearrangement. In the case of addition or removal of authors, this includes confirmation from the author being added or removed.

10. All authors must disclose any financial and personal relationships with other people or organizations that could inappropriately influence their work.

11. Authors are requested to fully declare all sources of funding received for the research submitted to the Journal.

Ethical Responsibilities of Editors

1. All manuscripts are judged based on the intellectual contents, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, religion, citizenship or political values of the authors.

2. Personal information related to the articles shall be kept confidential.

3. All identified conflicts of interest of Editorial Board members, and the observed conflicts of interest and plagiarism identified in manuscripts and published articles must be disclosed.

4. The Editorial Board shall assume responsibility for making publication decisions for the manuscripts submitted, based on the evaluation of the candidate article, the policies of the editorial board and the copyright infringement rules.

5. Double-blind review system with at least two reviewers is used to evaluate manuscripts for publication.

6. Editors have the right to reject the manuscripts without peer-review when the manuscript:

a) is on a topic outside the scope of the Journal,

b) lacks technical merit,

c) exhibits narrow regional scope and significance,

d) presents conflicting results,

e) is poorly written,

f) represents a case of scientific misconduct.

g) When the journal is overburdened with too many submissions, editors have the right to reject manuscripts without peer review based on their perceived merit.

Editors are responsible for the final decision regarding acceptance or rejection of articles.

Ethical Responsibilities of Reviewers

Before accepting to review the manuscript:

1. Reviewers should treat manuscripts as confidential documents. This means that they cannot be shared without prior authorization from the editor and authors.

2. Reviewers should keep the ideas obtained through peer review confidential, and not use them for personal advantage.

3. Reviewers should provide objective peer review, with clear and well-founded comments and submitted in a timely manner

4. Reviewers should decline the invitation for peer review if they feel unqualified to provide a relevant report, have conflicts of interest resulting from competitive, collaborative or other relationships or connections with any of the authors, companies, or institutions connected to the reviewed manuscript.

5. Assessment of the manuscript should be made in an objective manner and be based exclusively on the contents of the study. It should not allow nationality, gender, religious beliefs, political beliefs, and commercial concerns to influence the assessment.

Once the invitation to review the manuscript is accepted, reviewers should first check if the manuscript is reporting original research, and if so, first step of the review should be to check the methodology:

1. If the methodology is unreliable or invalid;

2. If there is any relevant part of the methods missing;

3. If there are any contradictions between conclusions and statistical or qualitative evidence reported in the manuscript.



For a general review, please use our checklist for reviewers in Horticultural Studies:

1. Summarize the article in a short paragraph. This shows the editor that you have read and understood the research.

2. Provide your main impressions of the article, including whether it is novel and interesting,

3. Assess whether the article conforms to the journal-specific instructions (i.e., the guidelines for authors).

4. Give specific comments and suggestions about all the elements of the manuscript, e.g. title and the abstract: Does the title accurately reflect the content? Is the abstract complete and sufficiently informative?

5. Carefully review the methodology, statistical errors, results, discussion / conclusions, and references.

6. Inform the editor if you suspect plagiarism, fraud or have other ethical concerns, providing as much detail as possible.

7. Be aware of the possibility for bias in your review. Unconscious bias can lead reviewers to make questionable decisions, which can negatively affect academic publishing process

8. Do not make ad hominem comments.

9. Do not suggest to the authors to include citations to your own or your associates’ publications, unless for genuine scientific reasons.

Rights granted to Horticultural Studies

Horticultural Studies reserves the right to reject a paper even after it has been accepted, if it becomes apparent that there are serious problems with its scientific content, or the publishing policies of journal have been violated.

The Journal reserves the right to provide the article in all forms and media, so the article can be used by the latest technology even after its publication.

Article transfer service

This journal is included in our Article Transfer Service. This means that if the Editor considers an article to be more suitable for one of the other participating journals, authors may be asked to consider transferring the article to another journal, in which case it will be transferred automatically on behalf of the authors with no need for reformatting. Please note that the article will be reviewed again by the new journal.

Open Access Policy

All research articles published in Horticultural Studies are fully open access: immediately freely available to read, download and share. Articles are published under the terms of a Creative Commons license which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Horticultural Studies is an Open Access Journal which doesn't charge publication fee.