Submissions

Author Guidelines

Aquatic Ecosystem Health and Management receives all manuscript submissions electronically only, via the Michigan State University Press website.  To submit a manuscript:

• Ensure your manuscript follows the Author’s Instruction.
• Register and log into the system in order to begin a submission (be sure to click the "author" box during registration). If you need to register for an account, contact journals@msu.edu. If registering with your ORCID, please put the full web address but without the "s" following "http" (e.g., http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1825-0097).
  
  Note: if you missed clicking "author" in the Roles section you can do so in your profile once you are logged in. If you are a reviewer and want to become an author you will need to this in order to submit.

• Go to "user home" and click "new submission" to begin the submission process.
• Go through the author checklist to make sure you have fulfilled the requirements.
• Submit your manuscript on the submission page.
• Upload any figures, images, or tables as supplemental files on the supplemental files page.
• Complete submission. You will receive an email confirming your submission.

If you have any other requests, please contact Jennifer Lorimer, Assistant to the Editor, at jennifer.lorimer@dfo-mpo.gc.ca.

All manuscripts will be subject to rigorous peer review by at least two qualified and experienced referees / reviewers. Authors have the option to suggest qualified referees (while ensuring no potential for conflict of interest). The review process is confidential and the authors should not be in contact with the suggested referees regarding their reviews. The AEHMS has the right to select qualified referees of their choice. 

Manuscript guidelines

Only manuscripts that meet the following guidelines will be considered for publication by the Aquatic Ecosystem Health and Management (AEHM):

• Manuscripts must be original. They must not be published or be under consideration for publication elsewhere, in whole or in part. It is required that the lead author of accepted papers complete and sign the MSU Press AEHM author publishing agreement.
• The corresponding author should take the lead in the processing of the manuscript. Before submission, every co-author must approve the manuscript.
• The authors should agree to pay page charges by completing the Author Agreement form, as outlined in the Page Charges section (see below), and include it with the manuscript upon submission. Authors must also comply with deadlines, follow the Authors’ Instructions and not withdraw their submitted manuscript without legitimate reasons.
• It is highly recommended that authors follow the page limit restrictions according to the guidelines below on manuscript preparation. Submissions longer than 9 pages will generally be returned to the author for condensing before peer review can begin and may be rejected.
• Manuscript format should follow the preparation guidelines given below, including the method for citing references.
• Papers must be written in clear, comprehensible English that meets international publication standards. Authors, whose native language is not English, are advised to consult someone with English as a first language before submitting their manuscript. Better English will improve the effectiveness and speed of the review process and ensure that the paper is assessed fairly.
• The Aquatic Ecosystem Health and Management Society (AEHMS) offers a manuscript preparation and technical service (Page by Page Editing). Potential contributors needing this linguistic editing service should contact the AEHMS editorial office for rates and details.
• The journal is available online and in print. Figures and tables may be posted in colour online, but print will only be available in black and white (grayscale). Please ensure any colour figures etc are submitted with a legible black and white version.

Processing of papers

All papers submitted for publication are processed as quickly as possible by the editorial office, depending on the availability of experienced referees. The deadlines given to authors to revise their manuscripts should be respected. Following the initial peer review of the manuscript, a systematic response and/or rebuttal to all of the reviewers’ comments is essential for the completion of the review process. Manuscripts will not be considered further unless a systematic response is received.

If  revisions to the manuscript are returned after the given deadline, the manuscript may experience delays in publication, since it will have lost its priority in the publication queue.

Submitting your manuscript in a Word document will give the reviewers the option to make changes on the manuscript using the “Track Changes” function during their review. You may also add line numbering so that the reviewer can refer to individual lines of the paper in their comments.

Page charges

The AEHMS maintains a high international standard of technical and linguistic standard by

contracting these services to qualified and professional editorial personnel. To offset these costs, a fee is charged per published page for accepted manuscripts, as outlined below:

As indicated above, all authors must complete an agreement form regarding the payment of page charges.  The form can be found above in the Manuscript Submission section. Payment will be invoiced after the manuscript is accepted for publication.

Guidelines for developing countries 

The AEHMS works toward publishing papers of merit on a global basis including both industrialized and developing countries. A limited portion of the page budget of the journal has been reserved to support publication of manuscripts from developing countries. In this regard, the AEHMS developed a modified list of approved countries based on UN guidelines.

• Authors must indicate at the time of submission that they wish to apply for a discount towards the page charges, supported by documentation confirming lack or shortage of official funding from their department or institute.
• The chief editor makes all decisions about the waiving of page charges. The decision is largely based on the manuscript's suitability for publication in the journal, its scientific merit, and the availability of funding. Please contact the chief editor regarding the availability of such funding. 
• A two-year membership of the primary author in the Society is a prerequisite to qualify for receiving financial assistance for page charges.
• If the waiver is granted, a waiver code will be supplied for use on the Author's Agreement Form.

Any queries regarding page changes should be directed to Dr. Munawar, President of the AEHMS and Chief Editor of AEHM, before the submission of the manuscript.

Manuscript preparation

Please submit your manuscript in a Microsoft Word document.

Manuscripts should be submitted in clear and concise English. The authority for spelling is the Concise Oxford Dictionary. Authors may use either English or American spelling but must be consistent throughout the paper.

The editors reserve the right to adjust the style to conform to the in-house style.

Formatting and sizing

• Font:  Times New Roman, 11 pt font size
• Spacing:  Single line spacing
• Margins:  2.54 cm (1”)
• Size:  Letter size paper (21.6×28 cm or 8.5×11”)
• Titles and headers: Place section titles/headings on a separate line without accompanying text.
• Page numbering: Every page should be numbered; however, there should be no reference in the text to page numbers.
• Figures and tables: Figures and tables should be submitted as separate files, but note that they are included in the size of your manuscript when determining manuscript length. For details about format see the “Figures” and “Tables” sections.

Manuscript length

AEHM prefers to publish short and concise papers, i.e. manuscripts of approximately 9 printed pages, including tables and figures. Shorter papers will be given priority in publication (see “Manuscript preparation” below). Papers longer than 9 pages may be sent back to authors for condensing. Very long papers may not be accepted due to lack of space. Invited and Keynote papers may be given more space (10-12 pages) depending on the nature of the article, at the discretion of the editor. Longer appendices, figures and tables could be posted online as supplementary material or addenda (see guidelines below).

Guidelines for online supplementary materials

The AEHM allows supplementary files (appendices), which are posted online and cited in the text as follows (Appendix 1: available at http://webaddress/). Due to size restrictions, appendices are not printed in the journal. Although appendices do not count towards the printed size of the paper, they should be as concise as possible. An appendix should not contain information that is not strictly necessary, even though it may be interesting. 

• Supplementary material (SM) is defined as supporting, complementary material that enhances the discussion and thrust of the paper.
• The paper should be self-sufficient and not dependent on the SM to convey its message.
• SM is linked online only and is not available in the printed version.
• The SM option must not be used for material that is extraneous to the crux of the paper.
• Supplementary files should not be over 10 MB, at the largest. Please also keep in mind that the larger these files are, the longer they will take for users to download, especially for readers without strong internet access. File sizes should always be kept small if possible. Authors may also supply supplementary data of any file type, but the more obscure the file type, the fewer the number of people who will be able to use them globally.

Authorship

In multi-authored papers, the general role of co-authors towards the development of the paper should be defined. Each contributor must have contributed meaningfully to the paper’s concept, direction, data procurement, analysis, fieldwork, and/or consultation in order to be eligible for authorship. The primary author is responsible for leading the development of the paper in consultation with the co-authors. We strongly discourage having a large authorships (more than 10 authors on the paper) and recommend that contributors who’s input was not weighty, but still valuable, be recognized in the Acknowledgments. Department heads should not be included as co-authors unless they have directly contributed to the content of the manuscript.

The corresponding author will serve as the main contact between the AEHMS, the online peer-review system, and the authors during peer review and revision. Furthermore they will also serve as the contact for readers after publication. The corresponding author must be identified with an asterisk, their e-mail address included, as well as a current address if their address has recently changed.

Abstract and keywords

A concise abstract of 300–400 words should synthesize the objectives, major highlights, results, and conclusions. Acronyms and citations should not be included in the abstract. Two to six keywords, not already included in the title, should be supplied at the bottom of the abstract.

Text

The following order is used: title, authors, addresses (affiliations), Abstract, Keywords, Introduction, Methodology, Results, Discussion (or a combined results and discussion), Conclusions, Acknowledgements, Funding, References, Figures, and Tables. If footnotes are included in the text, they should be kept to a minimum and be identified with superscript numbers. Footnotes are not encouraged except those accompanying tables. Double quotation marks are used for quotations within the text. Use “and” instead of the ampersand “&”.

Style

Write in the past tense unless you are describing present or future situations. Keep sentences concise and short, not more than 30 words long. Do not use all capitals for the title. Do not use italic text for Latin or other foreign phrases.  For example, use “et al.” not “et al.”

Units and symbols

Use the SI system (Système international d’unités) of unit symbols throughout the manuscript. Note that symbols are to be written in full when used as an adjective, e.g. 1-litre bottle. Use positive exponents for quantities (m³) and negative exponents for concentrations(mg l^‑1) and rates (g m^‑3 h^‑1). Periods are not used in these expressions. Use a decimal point to indicate the fractional part of a number, not a comma (e.g. 2.05). A space should be used to separate groups of 3 digits within a number (e.g. 4 600).

Abbreviations

Where long names of chemicals, processes, and institutions are repeated throughout the text, shortened versions or initials should be included in parentheses after the full name first appears. Thereafter, only the shortened version is to be used. Binomial/Latin names should always appear in italics and should be written in full for the first occurrence only. In succeeding occurrences, the genus name should be abbreviated to the first letter (e.g. Escherichia coli should appear as E. coli in following occurrences). However, where there are two or more genera having the same initial letter, these must be written in full throughout the text so that the reference is clear. The author of the binomial name may be indicated the first time the name is given but should not be repeated throughout the text or in the title of the paper.

Common/vernacular names of species

Common names of species should be followed by the binomial/Latin name in the first occurrence in the text. They should be capitalized when referring to a specific species (e.g.Largemouth Bass, Mallard, Canadian Waterweed, Carolina Wren). The name should not be capitalized when referring to several species of similar type or if the species is undetermined (e.g. the lake was full of bass). For example, “Arctic Foxes” indicates members of the species Vulpes lagopus, whereas “Arctic foxes” indicates several foxes, of any species, from the Arctic.

Funding

Information about the funding received to carry out the research and/or publication may be included in the either the Acknowledgements section, or in a “Funding” section after the acknowledgements and before references.

References

All publications cited in the text must be included in the list of references following the text of the manuscript. Conversely all references included in the bibliography should be cited in the text. References that are not cited in the text should not be included. Citations in the text should be in the following formats: single author (Smith, 1979); two authors (Smith and Jones, 1979); three or more authors (Smith et al., 1979); two citations (Smith, 1979; Dawson, 1986); one author and two or more publications (Smith, 1979, 1986); same author(s) with two publications in one year (Smith, 1979a, 1979b); different authors with the same last name (Smith, P., 1979; Smith, T., 1986). Names of institutions should be given in full, with acronym in parentheses in the first instance and as the acronym in subsequent citations. For example, (United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA), 1998) and later instances (US EPA, 1998).

The list of references should be arranged alphabetically by author surnames and if appropriate, by year.

The manuscript should be checked carefully to ensure that the spelling of authors’ names and dates is the same in the text as in the reference list. All authors must be listed; the use of “et al.” within a reference is not allowed. References should be given in the following formats:

Journal article

Vollenweider, R.A., Munawar, M., Stadelmann, P., 1974. A comparative review of phytoplankton and primary production in the Laurentian Great Lakes. J. Fish. Res. Board Can. 31(5), 739-762.

Journal article with optional DOI

Marshall, B.E., 2021. What affects fisheries in African lakes: Climate change or fishing effort? A case study. Aquatic Ecosyst. Health Mgmt. 24 (1), 5–11. https://doi.org/10.14321/aehm.024.01.03.

Book

Cairns, J., Jr., Niederlehner, B.R., Orvos, D.R. (Eds.), 1992. Predicting Ecosystem Risk. Princeton Scientific Publication Co., Inc., Princeton, NJ, USA.

Chapter or section in a book

Dave, G., 1996. Harmonization of methods for determination of sediment and water quality in the Scandinavian countries. In: M. Munawar,  G. Dave,  (Eds.), Development and Progress in Sediment Quality Assessment: Rationale, Challenges, Techniques and Strategies, pp. 213-226. SPB Academic Publishing, Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Report

Vollenweider, R.A., 1971. Scientific fundamentals of the eutrophication of lakes and flowing waters, with particular reference to nitrogen and phosphorus as factors in eutrophication. Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, Paris, France.

Ph.D. dissertation

Doe, J., 2009. Population dynamics of Lake Trout (Salvelinus namaycush) the upper Great Lakes region.  Ph.D. dissertation, University of Wisconsin – Madison, Madison, WI, USA.

Article in a foreign language

Hildebrand, H.H., Chávez, H., Compton, H., 1964. Aportación al conocimiento de los peces del arrecife Alacranes, Yucatán (México). (Contribution to the knowledge of Alacran reef fishes, Yucatan (Mexico). In Spanish). Ciencia 33(3), 106-135.

Conference presentation / Abstract from conference program book

Munawar M., Munawar I.F., Fitzpatrick M., Niblock H., Lorimer J., 2012. The Laurentian Great Lakes in transition: A chronicle of research at the base of foodweb. Presented at the international symposium on the state of Lake Vanern (SOLVE), Vanersborg, Sweden, June 11–14, 2012.

Conference proceedings

Malley, D. (Ed.), 1986. Proceedings of conference, 1985 Nov 3-5. Publisher, City, Country.

Article in a conference proceedings

Leach, J.H., 1999. Title of presentation. In: C. Adams,  (Ed.), Title of Proceedings, pp. 216-225. Publisher, City, Country.

Papers published in regularly published conference proceedings are given as articles in a journal. References for Ph.D. and Masters theses should include name of the university, city, province and country.

Website citations

References to websites should include the date the page was accessed. Ensure the website consulted is credible. Content from publicly modifiable “wiki” sites (e.g. Wikipedia) is not acceptable for citation. Citation of website content is not encouraged due to the lack of stability of websites.

Citations in the text for personal communications or unpublished data are not included in the list of references. Instead, the full affiliation must be given within the text for the person(s) whose work is cited; for example, (D. Malley, Freshwater Institute, Winnipeg, MB, Canada, pers. comm.).

Figures

A list of numbered figure captions should be included in the manuscript following the references. Figures should be submitted as individual image files (e.g. jpg, tif, png) and should have 300 dpi. The image must be of good quality, as well as clear and easy to read. Figures and tables may be in colour online, but print will only be available in black and white (grayscale). Please ensure any colour figures etc. are submitted with a legible black and white version.

Figures should be numbered consecutively in the order in which they are referred to in the text. Figures not cited in the text should be removed.

All lettering, graph lines and points on graphs should be sufficiently large, bold and clear to permit reproduction when the diagram has been reduced to a size suitable for inclusion in the journal. Hand drawing or lettering is not acceptable. Please see the copyright section given below for issues regarding use of copyrighted material such as Google Maps.

Tables

Tables should be numbered consecutively by their citation in the text. All tables must be referred to and cited in the text. All tables must be editable in Word and should fit within the page size listed in the Formatting and sizing section. Each table should be inserted on a separate sheet and given a suitable caption above. Footnotes should be given below the table and should be referred to by superscript letters. No vertical rules should be used. Tables should not duplicate results presented elsewhere in the manuscript.

Reproduction of published material

Authors who wish to include previously published figures in their papers are required to obtain permission from the rights holder to reprint the third-party tables or figures. A copy of the permission must be given to the AEHM. This should be done in a timely fashion. The paper should state the permission for re-use and rights holder information. If the rights holder has supplied text for this purpose, please use their text; otherwise, please use the following format: © [Rights holder]. Reproduced by permission of XXX.

The reproduction of images from Wikipedia, internet and Google maps is not acceptable.

Galley Proofs

Proofs will be sent to the corresponding author and should be returned to the publisher within 3 days of receipt. Corrections should be restricted to typesetting errors only. Any other alterations may be charged to the author. New material cannot be inserted at the galley proof stage. Any queries should be answered in full. Authors are urged to check proofs carefully and promptly before returning them since the inclusion of late corrections cannot be guaranteed.

Copyright

Authors must sign the “Transfer of Copyright” agreement at the time of submission. This transfer agreement enables the AEHMS and MSU to protect the copyrighted material for the authors, but does not relinquish the author’s proprietary rights. The copyright transfer covers the exclusive right to reproduce and distribute the article, including reprints, PDFs, photographic reproductions, microfilm, or any other reproductions of similar nature and translations.

Copyright transfer also includes the right to adapt the article for use in conjunction with computer systems and programs, including reproduction or publication in machine-readable form and incorporation in retrieval systems.

Access to the Journal

The journal is published mainly online. Authors will be given online access to the journal for the year in which their article is published. Lead authors will be given one printed copy of the issue in which their manuscript appears. Please ensure the lead author’s address is complete and will receive mail.

Policy concernint the status of the manuscript for publication

Decisions of the chief editor about the status of the manuscript are final. Each decision is based on the review process, payment of page charges, submission of accompanying forms and the cooperative conduct of the author(s) during the processing of their manuscript for publications. Please contact chief editor for any questions or information.