FFN Article Submission Guidelines
General Information
Prepare manuscripts on 8.5 x 11 inch paper. Double-space throughout, including tables,
figure legends, and literature cited.
Leave at least a 1-inch (25-mm) margin on all sides. Do not hyphenate words at ends
of lines.
Italicize scientific names. If possible, use italic type instead of underlining
words to be italicized.
Cite each figure and table in text. Tables and figures must be sequenced in the
order cited.
Use "Figure" outside of parentheses; otherwise, use "Fig." if singular, "Figs."
if plural (e.g. Fig. 2; Figs. 2 and 3; Figs. 3-6).
All measurements are to be given in metric units.
Use continental dating (e.g. 29 July 1996), the 24-hour clock (e.g. 0800 and 2300),
and standard time (not daylight savings time). Specify that it is Standard Time
(e.g. EST for Eastern Standard Time) at first reference to time of day.
English proper names of bird species that occur in North and Middle America should
follow the 7th edition of AOU’s Check-list of North American Birds and its supplements.
English proper names of birds should be capitalized. English names of other organisms
should not be capitalized.
Use the following abbreviations: s (second), min (minute), h (hour); designate temperature
as 32°C. Do not abbreviate day, week, month, or year.
For user-defined abbreviations, write out words in full the first time term used
in text. Abbreviate thereafter: "Second-year (SY) birds ... We found SY birds in
large numbers."
Use the following statistical abbreviations: ANOVA, SD, SE, df, CV, ns, n, P, r,
F, G, t-test, U-test. Other statistical abbreviations, in general, conform to sixth
edition of Scientific Style and Format: The CBE Manual for Authors, Editors, and
Publishers (1994, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom).
Numbers: Write out one to nine unless a measurement, but use numerals for larger
numbers (e.g. three birds, 6 mm, 12 days, 2 min.). If number is in a series with
at least one number being 10 or more, then use all numerals (e.g. 6 males and 13
females). Use 1,000 not 1000, 0.01 not .01, and 50% instead of 50 percent.
Each reference cited in text must be listed in Literature Cited section and vice
versa. Please make final check when revised manuscript is complete.
Literature citations in text are to be as follows: Assemble Article manuscripts
in following order: (1) title, author names and addresses, (2) abstract, (3) text;
(4)acknowledgments; (5) literature cited; (6) figure legends; (6) figures; and (7)
tables.
Format
Running head (36 Characters or less). Use italics and capitalize significant words.
Running head not needed for Notes.
Title in bold, capital letters for Article, or caps and lowercase (in bold) for
Notes.
Author names in caps and small caps. Author addresses (no small caps) at time research
was carried out in italics. Footnotes are not used except to indicate current addresses
of authors or death of an author at the bottom of the first page. Indicate the corresponding
author, if other than the first author.
The following are typical main headings for articles: Abstract , (no heading for
Introduction), Methods, results, Discussion, Acknowledgments, and Literature Cited.
Notes often are not subdivided into sections and have no Abstract. Longer notes
should have a summary paragraph.
Up to three levels of headings can be used: (1) caps and small caps, centered; (2)
caps and small caps, flush left; (3) italics, indented, with period and followed
by a dash. Keep headers to a minimum. In long articles, use header type 1 first,
and type 3 next, then type 2 (if needed). For Notes, only type 3 is allowed, except
for Literature Cited header, which is type1.
Literature Cited
Verify all entries against original sources, especially journal titles, volume and
page numbers.
Cite references in alphabetical order by first author’s surname and then his/her
first name and initial. References by a single author precede multi authored works
by same first author, regardless of date. Listings with multiple authors are done
by first author’s name (surname and then initials), second author’s name, etc.
List works by the same author(s) in chronological order, beginning with earliest
date of publication. If author has two works in same year, place in alphabetical
order by first significant word in title; these works should be lettered consecutively
(e.g. 1991a, 1991b).
In press" citations must have been accepted for publication, with the name of journal
or publisher included. Please make an effort to provide year and volume number.
Do not write author names in uppercase. Use the "small caps" command or "normal"
case (e.g. Hendricks, D. P.). Insert a period and space after each initial of an
author’s name.
Journal titles should be written in full and not abbreviated.
Citations should follow formats below:
Papers:
Dissertations and Theses :
Chapters:
Books:
Figure Legends
Indent and double-space legends. Type legends in paragraph form.
Do not include "exotic symbols" (lines, dots, triangles, etc.) in figure legends;
either label them in figure or refer to them by name in legend.
Preparation of Illustrations
The submission of photographs pertinent to the paper is encouraged. They should
be glossy black and white prints of high contrast and sharpness and about the same
size as they will appear in print either 4 x 3 inches or 4 x 6 inches. Such prints
can be made from high quality color slides.
Drawings should be on good-quality paper and allow for about 20% reduction.
Illustrations should be prepared for one- or two-column width, keeping in mind dimensions
of a page in The Florida Field Naturalist (FFN).
Where possible, group several illustrations as panels in a single figure.
Write author(s), name(s), and figure number(s) in pencil on back of each original
figure or plate. Include the same information on front or back of review copies.
Tables
Each table must start on separate sheet and be double-spaced throughout (header,
table body, footnotes). Table number should be Arabic numeral followed by a period.
Capitalize first word of title; all other words should be lowercase unless a proper
noun. Include a period at end of title. See recent issues for examples.
Indicate footnotes by lowercase superscript letters (a, b, c, etc.).
Do not use vertical lines in tables.
Include horizontal lines above and below boxhead, and at end of table.
Proofs, Reprints, and Charges
Authors will receive page proofs for approval, along with the original typescript.
Both must be returned within 48 h to the Editorial Office to avoid publication delays.
A reprint order form will be sent with proofs, reprints are billed following the
printer’s current cost schedule. Because changes in proofs are expensive, authors
should not expect to make major modifications in their work at this stage. Authors
should keep the Editor informed of address changes, so proofs will not be delayed.
FFN requests that authors, if possible, bear part or all of the cost of publishing
their papers when grant, institutional, or personal funds are available for the
purpose. Current costs per printed page are $25.00; a minimum contribution of $10.00
is recommended, but the FFN is pleased to receive any payment. Authors who do not
have access to publication funds may request a waiver of this payment.
FFN Editor:
Scott Robinson
Florida Museum of Natural History
PO Box 117800 , Gainesville , FL 32611
Phone: 352-392-1721, ext 509
Email: srobinson@flmnh.ufl.edu