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Taylor & Francis

Prepare your manuscript for South African Journal of Plant and Soil.

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
Review Article
Research Article
Book Review
Editorial
Letter
Protocol
Lectio
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 200 words.
  • Use a structured abstract.
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  • The Abstract should convey essential information, including the rationale, objectives, methods, results, and conclusions.
  • Your abstract should focus on what your research is about, what methods have been used, and what you found out.
  • The instructions for authors for each journal will give specific guidelines on what’s required here, including whether it should be a structured abstract or graphical abstract, and any word limits.
  • A non-structured abstract of no more than 200 words.

Keywords

  • A maximum of five keywords must be provided in English in alphabetical order.

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.
  • Authors should prepare their manuscript according to the journal’s structure and style guidelines, including proper formatting for references, set out below.
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  • These should present new information, not duplicate text, and be interpretable without reference to the text.
  • Where applicable, this should include the hyperlink, DOI or other persistent identifier associated with the data set(s).
  • Please use this reference guide when preparing your paper.
  • 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.

Figure and table rules

  • Keep every figure and table numbered, captioned, and cited in the manuscript. Keep figures embedded; Articlo also extracts numbered source files for the package.
  • Group figures at the end of the manuscript.
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  • Group tables at the end of the manuscript.
  • Tables and figures Show clearly in your article text where the tables and figures should appear, for example, by writing [Table 1 near here].
  • Figure size ● For larger format journals (210 × 275 mm page size), figures should be prepared as (a) single (84 mm) or (b) double (176 mm) column width, with a maximum depth of 225 mm to allow space for the figure caption. ● For smaller format journals (170 × 240 mm page size), figures should be prepared as no wider than 140 mm and maximum depth should be 190 mm.
  • Footnotes in the text and in tables should be avoided.
  • Figures should be saved separately from the text.
  • Tables should be placed as close as possible and after the first text callout.
  • Figures should be placed as close as possible and after the first text callout.
  • It’s very important that you have been given permission to use any tables or figures you are reproducing from another source before you submit.
  • The text and all tables and figures should be prepared in a single manuscript Word file, with the tables and figures appearing as close as possible to the first text callout.
  • Check the instructions for authors to see how you should supply tables and figures, whether at the end of the text or in separate files, and follow any guidance given on the submission system.
  • DO NOT embed, paste or insert illustrations into an MS Word document as this can render them uneditable and they may need to be resupplied.
  • Minor adjustments are often needed to suit the journal style and for this reason we prefer to receive illustrations in a format that allows us to adjust figure elements, such as line thickness, symbols, fill colours and fonts, if necessary.

Funding statement

  • 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].
  • Please note that only the corresponding author is eligible to request funding from their institution, and the corresponding author cannot be changed after submission to regain eligibility.

Competing interests

  • Environmental Ethics Authors must ensure scientific integrity by reporting data honestly and transparently, avoiding fabrication, falsification, or plagiarism, and disclosing conflicts of interest.

Data availability statement

  • Articles need to meet the Open Science Badges criteria in order to earn a badge.

Ethics statement

  • Add or confirm the author-written Ethics statement; Articlo flags it if author input is still needed.
  • In settings where ethics approval for non-interventional studies (e.g., surveys) is not required, authors must include a statement explaining this.
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  • All original research papers involving humans, animals, plants, biological material, protected or non-public datasets, collections, or sites must include a written statement in the Methods section, confirming ethical approval has been obtained from the appropriate local ethics committee or Institutional Review Board and that, where relevant, informed consent has been obtained.
  • Manuscripts should include clear, detailed methodologies and materials to enable replication, and research involving humans, animals, or ecosystems must have prior ethical approval and informed consent, with steps taken to minimize harm.

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

  • Letter: A cover letter should accompany your submission, containing: a.
  • Letter: A cover letter should accompany your submission, containing: b.
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  • Letter: A cover letter should accompany your submission, containing: c.
  • Letter: A cover letter should accompany your submission, containing: d.
  • Letter: A cover letter should accompany your submission, containing: e.
  • Letter: A cover letter should accompany your submission, containing: f.
  • Letter: A cover letter should accompany your submission, containing: g.
  • Letter: A cover letter should accompany your submission, containing: h.
  • Letter: A cover letter should accompany your submission, containing: i.
  • Letter: A cover letter should accompany your submission, containing: j.
  • Declarations Using Third-Party Material You must obtain the necessary permission to reuse third-party material in your article.
  • The use of short extracts of text and some other types of material is usually permitted, on a limited basis, for the purposes of criticism and review without securing formal permission.
  • If you wish to include any material in your paper for which you do not hold copyright, and which is not covered by this informal agreement, you will need to obtain written permission from the copyright owner prior to submission.

Author contributions

  • Add or confirm the author-written Author contributions statement; Articlo flags it if author input is still needed.
  • A separate Title page should be submitted listing the title, author list, affiliations, ORCiDs, author contributions, and acknowledgments.
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  • Author Contributions should not be included in the original manuscript.
  • Authors must therefore ensure that all Author Contribution details are complete and accurate prior to final acceptance.
  • One document (Title page) will need to include all your author details (names, affiliations, ORCiDs, author contributions, etc.), and the other (main manuscript document) will need to be anonymized and include all text aside from names, affiliations, ORCiDs, and acknowledgments.

Supplementary files

  • Include every cited supplementary file and use matching labels in the manuscript.

Title page and author information

  • Provide the author, affiliation, and correspondence details for the separate title page; Articlo creates the editable companion file.
  • All authors of a manuscript should include their full names and affiliations on the first page of the title document.
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  • Provide the full name of the author(s), the institution where the work was done, and an email address for the corresponding author.

Article structure and word limits

  • Use SI units throughout with correct superscript formatting.
  • Formatting and Templates All manuscripts should be double-spaced in A4 format with 2.5 cm margins, use Times New Roman 12 pt, and include continuous line numbering.
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  • Photographs or scans should have a resolution ≥300 dpi (colour/greyscale) or ≥600 dpi (black line drawings).
  • Include scale bar on maps; scale bar to be simple, as shown, and not too large 4.
  • Margins Margins should be at least 2.5cm (1 inch).
  • It should not exceed 200 words.
  • Font size of text within maps ranges from 6 to 9 point Arial Maps should be generated using a drawing program such as Adobe Illustrator and supplied as AI, EPS or PDF format files.
  • Photographs and scanned images 1 Digital photographs and scanned images MUST be supplied at the correct resolution: (a) Colour or greyscale images must have a resolution of at least 300 dpi, equivalent to 1000 × 800 pixels for a one-column (85 mm) width photograph. (b) Scanned line drawings or photographs that include any lines or text labels must have a minimum resolution of 600 dpi, equivalent to 2000 × 1600 pixels for a one- column (85 mm) width photograph.
  • These instructions will ensure we have everything required so your paper can move through peer review, production and publication smoothly.
  • 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.
  • Any identifiable information should be removed.
  • No identifiable information must be included in the main manuscript file.
  • Use plural and singular forms correctly and consistently, e.g., “data are” and “datum is”.
  • These must follow journal style with particular attention to line thickness, font, and proportions.
  • For all NIH/Wellcome-funded papers, the grant number(s) must be included in the declaration of interest statement.
  • All research studies on humans (individuals, samples, or data) must have been performed in accordance with the principles stated in the Declaration of Helsinki.
  • Please include all relevant safety precautions and cite any applicable standards or codes of practice.
  • Queries Should you have any queries, please visit our Author Services website or contact us here.
  • Any labels on photographs must be placed on a separate layer.
  • Digital photographs and scanned images should be supplied (in order of preference) as PSD, PDF, TIFF or JPEG format files.
  • For JPEG format files, choose settings for maximum quality, even if this produces a large file size.
  • Before you submit your article, make sure you’ve checked the instructions for authors for your chosen journal, so you are aware of everything required.
  • Most journals create image descriptions during the production process, but a minority may require authors to provide image descriptions.
  • Review: Running heads and received dates These aren’t required when submitting a manuscript for review.
  • 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.
  • If you submit a paper to a participating journal, you will then receive an email upon submission with: Details of the badges offered by the journal.
  • If you submit a paper to a participating journal, you will then receive an email upon submission with: Links to additional information.
  • If you submit a paper to a participating journal, you will then receive an email upon submission with: An open practices disclosure form.
  • If you submit a paper to a participating journal, you will then receive an email upon submission with: The journal editor’s email address.
  • Use a decimal point (not a comma).
  • A statement indicating why the journal should consider publishing the work, how it fits within the aim and scope of the journal, and outlining the importance/novelty of the research.
  • The title must be informative and brief.
  • Studies should consider environmental impacts, address biodiversity and ecosystem health, ensure resource sustainability, and incorporate agro-environmentally friendly practices.
  • Authors should appropriately acknowledge all contributors, make data and related materials openly accessible where possible, and consider the social implications of their research to promote sustainability and community well-being.
  • Special characters If you are preparing your manuscript in Microsoft Word and your article contains special characters, accents, or diacritics, we recommend you follow these steps: European accents (Greek, Hebrew, or Cyrillic letters, or phonetic symbols): choose Times New Roman font from the dropdown menu in the “Insert symbol” window and insert the character you require.
  • Special characters If you are preparing your manuscript in Microsoft Word and your article contains special characters, accents, or diacritics, we recommend you follow these steps: Asian languages (such as Sanskrit, Korean, Chinese, or Japanese): choose Arial Unicode font from the dropdown menu in the “Insert symbol” window and insert the character you require.
  • Such as: The standards on Data, Materials, and Analytical Code Transparency speak to the items generated over the course of the study and how you should preserve or share them.
  • The South African Journal of Plant and Soil requires manuscripts to follow the standard submission for authors.
  • You will need to prepare two documents for submission.
  • MS Office files are acceptable, but do not embed Excel graphs or PowerPoint slides in Word; send the originals.
  • If you haven't submitted a paper to this journal before, you will need to create an account in ScholarOne.
  • You will also need to upload your LaTeX source files as a single zip file alongside your submission, labeled “LaTeX Source Files”.
  • If you are at the early stage of your research, you may also need to read how to start writing a journal manuscript.
  • COS currently offers three badges in its program: • The Open Materials badge is earned by making publicly available the components of the research methodology needed to reproduce the reported procedure and analysis.

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.

Artificial intelligence disclosure

  • 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.
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  • 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

  • The contents must be arranged in an orderly way with suitable headings for each subsection.
  • Short communications and commentaries do not include headings or subheadings.
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  • Note: When working with ArcGIS (and ArcVIEW) generated maps containing patterns, ensure that you DO NOT use unique values linked to individual field attributes, otherwise this results in an unmanageably large file.
  • Headings This will show you the different levels of the heading section in your article: First-level headings (e.g. Introduction, Conclusion) should be in bold, with an initial capital letter for any proper nouns.
  • 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.

Article type and manuscript length

  • This information should be omitted from the first page of the main text document to keep the authors anonymous during review.

Language and text style

  • Please use single quotation marks, except where ‘a quotation is “within” a quotation’.
  • Please note that long quotations should be indented without quotation marks.
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  • Must be able to stand alone, with all abbreviations explained/written out.
  • Headings This will show you the different levels of the heading section in your article: Fourth-level headings should be in bold italics, at the beginning of a paragraph.
  • Headings This will show you the different levels of the heading section in your article: Fifth-level headings should be in italics, at the beginning of a paragraph.
  • Manuscripts must use South African English.
  • Headings This will show you the different levels of the heading section in your article: Second-level headings should be in bold italics, with an initial capital letter for any proper nouns.
  • Headings This will show you the different levels of the heading section in your article: Third-level headings should be in italics, with an initial capital letter for any proper nouns.

Study reporting guidelines

  • For animal studies, approval must have been obtained from the local or institutional animal use and care committee.
  • Authors must provide full methodological details and adhere to relevant reporting guidelines where applicable (e.g. CONSORT-AI, STARD-AI, GAMER, TRIPOD-AI, etc).
Save journal and get updates Download complete checklist

What your package checks

Abstract: 200 words
Title page: separate file
Declarations: Ethics, Author contributions
Format: Times New Roman, double spacing

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
South African Journal of Plant and Soil manuscript requirements | Articlo