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Taylor & Francis

Prepare your manuscript for Soil Science and Plant Nutrition.

Review the checklist, choose your article type, and turn your draft into a cleaner submission package.

Checked 2026-08-02
Check readiness freePrepare this manuscript

Article types

Review
Editorial
Original Article
Brief Report
Lectio
Clinical Trial
Protocol
Letter
Systematic Review

Readiness requirements

Review the key details below, or download the complete checklist with every stored source-backed requirement.

Abstract length

  • Provide an author-written abstract of no more than 350 words.
  • All articles must have a brief abstract (no more than 350 words ) that states the purpose, basic procedures, main findings and principal conclusions of the study.
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  • The abstract should not contain abbreviations or references.
  • Five key words (for the purposes of indexing) should be supplied below the abstract in alphabetical order.
  • If a graphical abstract is provided, it must be uploaded at the time of initial submission.
  • Upon its first use in the title, abstract and text, the common name of a plant, insect, animal or microorganism should be followed by the scientific name (genus, species and authority) in parentheses.
  • Manuscripts should be presented in the following order: (i) title page, (ii) abstract and key words, (iii) text, (iv) acknowledgements, (v) disclosure statement, (vi) funding, (vii) references, (viii) appendices, (ix) figure legends, (x) tables (each table complete with title and footnotes), (xi) figures and (xii) graphical abstract (optional).

Reference style

  • Articlo formats your supplied references to the journal's stored style and checks that citations match the reference list; source validity is not verified.
  • Where applicable, this should include the hyperlink, DOI or other persistent identifier associated with the data set(s).
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  • Please use this reference guide when preparing your paper.
  • Legends should be concise but comprehensive – the table, legend and footnotes must be understandable without reference to the text.
  • Readers should be able to interpret the table without reference to the text.
  • Legends should be concise but comprehensive - the figure and its legend must be understandable without reference to the text.
  • Authors shall cite all relevant references.
  • A declaration must be included within the submission stating: Confirmation the authors take full responsibility for the integrity of the whole content, including accuracy of references.
  • Original Article: Original articles: Full-length paper: Limited to ten printed pages, including references, tables and figures.

Figure and table rules

  • Keep every figure and table numbered, captioned, and cited in the manuscript.
  • Figures should be high quality (1200 dpi for line art, 600 dpi for grayscale and 300 dpi for color, at the correct size) but less than 40 M pixels.
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  • All figures must be numbered in the order in which they appear in the paper (e.g. figure 1, figure 2).
  • In multi-part figures, each part should be labelled (e.g. figure 1(a), figure 1(b)).
  • If color figures are provided, authors should select either “appear in black and white in the print edition (paper-based media), but in color in the online edition and PDF” or “appear in color in both the print and online editions.” Selection of the latter option will incur a color page charge of US$300 per figure.
  • Tables should be self-contained and complement, but not duplicate, information contained in the text.
  • If the former option is selected, all elements within the figure must be prepared to remain clearly distinguishable in grayscale.
  • Figure legends must be saved separately, as part of the file containing the complete text of the paper, and numbered correspondingly.
  • As an author, you are required to secure permission if you want to reproduce any figure, table, or extract from the text of another source.
  • Authors of accepted papers who wish to publish figures in color in the print edition should consult Taylor & Francis at the proof stage to agree on an appropriate number of color pages.
  • Figures should be supplied in one of our preferred file formats: PS, JPEG, TIFF, or Microsoft Word (DOC or DOCX) files are acceptable for figures that have been drawn in Word.
  • If tables or figures have been reproduced from another source, a letter from the copyright holder (usually the Publisher), stating authorization to reproduce the material, must be attached to the submitted manuscript.

Funding statement

  • Add or confirm the author-written Funding statement; Articlo flags it if author input is still needed.
  • You should declare only the acquired funds and grants that are directly relevant to the work reported in your article; for example, This work was supported by the [Funding Agency #1] under Grant [number xxxx]; [Funding Agency #2] under Grant [number xxxx]; and [Funding Agency #3] under Grant [number xxxx].
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  • The source of financial grants and other funding must be acknowledged, including a frank declaration of the authors’ industrial links and affiliations.

Competing interests

  • Authors shall attempt to declare conflicts of interest.

Data availability statement

  • Include or confirm the data availability statement required by the journal. Articlo checks this item and flags anything that still needs author input.

Ethics statement

  • Include or confirm the ethics statement required by the journal. Articlo checks this item and flags anything that still needs author input.

Blinded manuscript

  • Include or confirm the blinded manuscript required by the journal. Articlo checks this item and flags anything that still needs author input.

Cover letter

  • Provide the claims and editor-specific context for the cover letter; Articlo creates an editable companion without inventing content.
  • Authors are themselves responsible for the payment of any permission fees required by the copyright owner.
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  • Letter: Copies of permission letters should be sent with the manuscript upon submission to the Editor(s).
  • All manuscripts must be submitted with a cover letter, which should state the originality, significance and advancement made by the work.
  • Exceptions are made for certain Governments’ employees whose policies require that copyright cannot be transferred to other parties.
  • Letter: The cover letter should also include a statement declaring that the manuscript reports unpublished work that it is not accepted for publication elsewhere, nor been published in full or in part.

Author contributions

  • Submitting authors should be prepared to submit CRediT roles for themselves and their co-authors (where applicable) as part of the submission process.

Title page and author information

  • A short running title (less than 40 characters) should also be provided.
  • All authors of a manuscript should include their full name and affiliation on the cover page of the manuscript.
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  • The title page should also contain the type of contribution and division of the manuscript.
  • The title page should contain (i) the title of the paper, (ii) the full names of the authors and (iii) the addresses of the institutions at which the work was carried out together with (iv) the full postal and email address, plus facsimile and telephone numbers, of the author to whom correspondence about the manuscript should be sent.
  • One author will need to be identified as the corresponding author, with their email address normally displayed in the article.

Article structure and word limits

  • The filename for a graphic should be descriptive of the graphic, e.g. Figure1, Figure2a.
  • Simple fractions should be written as Ti +1 /Ti (not Ti +1 ÷ Ti).
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  • For chemical formulae, valence of ion should be indicated as Ca 2+ or SO 4 2+ (not Ca ++ or SO 4 ++ ).
  • Isotope numbers should precede the symbols (e.g. 14 C or ( 15 NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 ).
  • A publication fee of US$30 per printed page within the range allowed and US$200 for each additional page is required.
  • To qualify for a waiver of the additional US$150 per article, the four-digit JSSSPN membership number of the first author must be provided during the online submission process.
  • These instructions will ensure we have everything required so your paper can move through peer review, production and publication smoothly.
  • Should you have any queries, please visit our Author Services website or contact us here.
  • Contributions to Soil Science and Plant Nutrition must report original research and will be subjected to review by referees at the discretion of the Editorial Office.
  • Your research funder or your institution may require you to publish your article open access.
  • Use our APC finder to view the APC for this journal.
  • If you choose to make your article Open Access, you will not be required to pay any page or color charges.
  • When using a word which is or is asserted to be a proprietary term or trade mark, authors must use the symbol ® or TM.
  • Authors will be required to pay page charges for accepted manuscripts prior to publication.
  • Biographical notes on contributors are not required for this journal.
  • The title should be short, informative and contain the major key words.
  • The contribution of colleagues or institutions should also be acknowledged.
  • Vertical lines should not be used to separate columns.
  • The use of color should be limited to cases where it is scientifically necessary rather than merely cosmetic.
  • All measurements must be given in SI or SI-derived units.
  • For chemical nomenclature, recommendations by the convention of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry should be followed.
  • Standard genetic nomenclature should be used.
  • Complicated formulae should be drawn on a separate page.
  • The revised manuscript must be returned within two months.
  • Manuscripts should be written in a clear, concise, direct style so that they are intelligible to the professional reader who is not a specialist in the particular field.
  • If extensive alterations are required, the manuscript will be returned to the author for revision.
  • All submissions should be made online at the Soil Science and Plant Nutrition ScholarOne Manuscripts site.
  • Once logged on to the site, submissions should be made via the Author Center.
  • This code number should be quoted in all correspondence about the manuscript thereafter.
  • Line numbers should be added beside each line of text.
  • Authors of Short Papers must also justify why their work fulfils the criteria and warrants rapid review.
  • This must be stated when the manuscript is submitted.
  • Any experiments involving animals must be demonstrated to be ethically acceptable and where relevant conform to national guidelines for animal usage in research.
  • Authors who choose to pay an APC to publish their article Open Access will not be required to pay any page charges for that article.
  • Authors must not submit the same or similar manuscripts to any other Journal or publication medium while they are under review with Soil Science and Plant Nutrition.
  • A declaration must be included within the submission stating: Originality and accuracy of content has been confirmed by the authors.
  • Authors must provide full methodological details and adhere to relevant reporting guidelines where applicable.
  • Authors must retain the original and revised versions which must be shared upon request.
  • The PLSP guidelines for authors must be followed at all times.
  • However, Taylor & Francis and its agents and licensors make no representations or warranties whatsoever as to the accuracy, completeness or suitability for any purpose of the Content and disclaim all such representations and warranties whether express or implied to the maximum extent permitted by law.
  • Contributions are classified into three types as follows, and authors should indicate the type of manuscript on submission (the Editorial Committee may, however, request authors to change the type of contribution after review).
  • Sexist or racist terms should not be used.
  • Deposition of such data should, at the latest, be made immediately after the paper has been accepted for publication, so that the authors can add the relevant accession number at the end of the text at the page proof stage.
  • New users should first create an account.
  • A typical article will not exceed 10 pages (or 5 pages for short papers).
  • Except where otherwise stated, manuscripts are peer reviewed by at least two reviewers.
  • The first author of manuscript who is a member of JSSSPN will also need to supply their JSSSPN membership number for online submission.
  • To the extent possible, the article shall contain sufficient detail about procedures to permit the author's peers to replicate the work.
  • Authors shall identify significant risks that arose in conducting the research.
  • Authors shall avoid fragmented or piecemeal publication (i.e., the separation of a single article into a series of articles that overlap substantially in content).
  • Limited to five printed pages.
  • Limited to ten printed pages.
  • Image descriptions are typically used by systems such as pronouncing screen readers to make images accessible to people that cannot read or see the object due to a visual disability.

Reporting guidelines

  • Include or confirm the reporting guidelines required by the journal. Articlo checks this item and flags anything that still needs author input.

Preprints and prior publication

  • If you have shared an earlier version of your Author’s Original Manuscript on a preprint server, please be aware that anonymity cannot be guaranteed.
  • We do not consider posting on a non-commercial preprint server to be duplicate publication and this will not affect editorial consideration.

Artificial intelligence disclosure

  • Add or confirm the author-written Artificial intelligence statement; Articlo flags it if author input is still needed.
  • Please include a statement disclosing whether and how generative AI has been used in the research and manuscript preparation process.
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  • Use of AI tools as part of ethical research studies is permitted.
  • A declaration must be included within the submission stating: The name and version number of the AI tool used.
  • Systematic Review: Use of AI tools as part of ethically conducted literature reviews, systematic reviews, meta-analysis and bibliometrics studies is permitted.
  • Use of AI tool assisted plain language summaries (PLS) of authors own work is permitted.
  • Please read our guidance on using AI tools in your research and manuscript preparation to understand scenarios where their use may be permissible, and the required information that must be disclosed.
  • A declaration must be included within the submission stating: Confirmation the authors have checked terms of use for the specific AI tool used, and therefore confirm suitability for publication.

Manuscript structure

  • Footnotes to the text are not allowed and any such material should be incorporated into the text as parenthetical matter.
  • The present address of any author, if different from that where the work was carried out, should be supplied in a footnote.
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  • Authors should use the following subheadings to divide the sections of their manuscript: (1) Introduction, (2) Materials and Methods, (3) Results and (4) Discussion.
  • Footnote symbols: †, ‡, §, ¶, should be used (in that order) and *, **, *** should be reserved for P-values.
  • When the research is carried out in areas for which research permits are required (e.g. nature reserves), or when it deals with organisms for which collection or import/export permits are required (e.g. protected species), the authors must clearly detail obtaining these permits in the Acknowledgements section.
  • Authors must retain full records of the methods undertaken, including full descriptions and records of the prompts used, which must be shared with the journal upon request.
  • Original Article / Brief Report: Original articles: Short paper: A brief report on new findings or improvement of experimental methods, which requires rapid publication.
  • The ethical obligations of Authors who publish in Scientific Journals: Authors shall strive to present an accurate account of the research performed, and offer an objective discussion of its significance.

Language and text style

  • Column headings should be brief, with units of measurement in parentheses; all abbreviations must be defined in footnotes.
  • Include definitions of any symbols used and define/explain all abbreviations and units of measurement.
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  • Abbreviations should be used sparingly - only where they ease the reader’s task by reducing repetition of long, technical terms.
  • Do not use abbreviations in the title.

Article type and manuscript length

  • The main text file should be MS Word file format.

Statistical reporting

  • Statistical measures such as SD or SEM should be identified in the headings.

Study reporting guidelines

  • Authors must provide full methodological details and adhere to relevant reporting guidelines where applicable (e.g. CONSORT-AI, STARD-AI, GAMER, TRIPOD-AI, etc).
  • Authors must take care to refer to the following style details: Units.

Authorship and originality

  • All authors must supply their email addresses for all correspondence.
  • The submission must also contain an acknowledgement that all authors have contributed significantly, and that all authors are in agreement with the content of the manuscript.
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What your package checks

Abstract: 350 words
Cover letter: requested
Declarations: Funding, Acknowledgements, Artificial intelligence

Source transparency

This preparation guide uses published journal-specific author requirements. Journal instructions can change, so authors should complete a final review before submission.

Open official guideline source