Instructions for Authors

The Iraqi Journal of Agriculture Sciences is a self-financed publication.

Publishing Style in Iraqi Journal of Agricultural Sciences

Iraqi J. Agric. Sci. (IJAS)

Please see below the publication method in this journal.

  1. The research should be innovative and contribute to solving a problem or part of a scientific problem to a subject of agriculture, biology, and veterinary work.
  2. The research has not been published or will be published in scientific journal elsewhere, and the research has not been conducted before more than three years ago.
  3. The research is presented in three copies written in English with the abstract in Arabic on A4 white paper and the lines between the line and the last 1.5 cm. The first page of the English and Arabic abstracts is assigned without columns. The pages from the introduction to the end of the research are printed according to two columns. The distance between the columns is 1 cm, and the margin from left, right, upper, and lower left is 2 cm.
  4. The journal is subject for being checked for plagiarism using professional software.
  5. The manuscript is subject to evaluation by at least two independent external peer reviewers. Authors are required to make the revisions recommended by the reviewers. If authors disagree with specific points, they may provide a reasoned response to the editor in a separate document. The manuscript will be rejected if both reviewers judge it to be of low quality or requiring substantial amendments that cannot be adequately addressed.
  6. If the manuscript is accepted and the suggested revisions are made, and then the author(s) should submit one corrected copy with a CD – Microsoft Word- and will be matched with a member of the editorial board. The author(s) will pay the fees of the publication. The author(s) should be provided with a sealed paper confirming the acceptance of the research for publication.
  7. If the reviewers believe that the manuscript is suitable for a (Research Note), then the author should be informed. If the author refuses to publish the manuscript as a research note, the draft manuscript will not be returned to him because of the confidentiality of the research. The research note includes a new idea in one of the fields of knowledge in scientific and agricultural disciplines, or new results limited in quantity but important. The pattern of the research note is: title, researcher’s name and affiliation, and the Arabic and English abstract, around 70–100 words. Followed by the introduction, are the materials and methods, results combined with each other without a title, and approved references, not more than 4 pages maximum. Globally, research note is an innovation in most cases.
  8. The journal accepts review articles that provide a sufficient number of researchers’ results, which added new ideas from results to move research from one rank to another better one. In this case, the materials, methods, results, and discussion may be changed to be written in a new form as the researcher deems necessary, without complying with the pattern used in traditional research. The author(s) can also increase the number of references from what is accepted on the journal from other research.
  9. The research paragraphs that are published in this journal (without the research note and the reference article) consist of the following: The title of the research at the top of the page and the names of the author(s), affiliation(s), e-mail(s), and then the English abstract at the left corner of the page. After that is the Arabic abstract compatible with the English abstract, with the author name(s), affiliation(s), and e-mail(s). The key words at the end of English and Arabic abstract (these words should not found in the title of the manuscript); the above paragraphs at the first page should be without columns. Then the introduction, materials, methods, results, discussion, Acknowledgements (if any), and references are written. The English and the Arabic abstracts should be written in one continuous piece, without paragraphs of 250-300 words each.
  10. It is prohibited to use any term (abbreviation) before mentioning it in advance. For example, one would state “total soluble solid (TSS),” after which the abbreviation can be used whenever the author(s) wants. The English abstract should use lowercase letters, not capital letters, to refer to the day, hour, and measurement. For example, it should use kg for kilogram, g for grams, h for hour, and d for day, etc.
  11. The abstract should include the objective, summary of the work, the experimental design (if any), experimental factors and levels, and their effect on the research. The author(s) should write the abstract in a clear, comprehensive, practical manner, and the research results should be expressed in significant numbers.
  12. The author should write out the manuscript title, abstract, introduction, results and discussion, and reference in capital English letters.
  13. If the reference is a book, dissertation, or master thesis, the first letter of each word in the title should be capitalized, then the publisher, city, state, and total pages of the book or thesis (pp.). If the quote is from specific pages and mentioned only once, write, for example, “pp.18-12,” at the end of the reference. To illustrate this, see the following examples:
    • Ali, R. M., 2008. Response of Soybean Cultivars to Rate and Time of N Application. M.Sc. Thesis, Dept. of Field Crop Sci., Coll. of Agric., Univ. of Baghdad. p. 85. (An example of a thesis or report).
    • Bernard, A. K. and O.H. Omara 2009. Effect of varying rates of gibberellin on rooting characteristics of grapevine. J. Vitis. 51(2) 115–118. (Example of a journal).
  14. Arabic references should be written in English, including thesis and dissertations.
  15. When writing the references in the text line, indicate the name of the researcher and then the reference number if the sentence is actual, such as Steve and Robert (14). If the sentence is an interceptor, then the reference numbers are serialized upwards, such as some researchers (2, 5, 11) found that nitrogen increases the vegetative growth of the plants of this crop.
  16. Due to the importance of references to any scientific research, it must be not less than 20 references; it is preferable that the number of references is not more than 40 references, except for reference articles. The number of references from 2010 should be no less than half of the foreign references approved in the research for the value of modernity of information for scientific research. The number of foreign references should not be less than two-thirds of the number of references in the research, because of the importance of global references that preceded for accurate and numerous details in science.
  17. Tables, figures, and images used in the research should be clear, precise, and understandable; the location of each must be on the subsequent page immediately after it was cited.
  18. The caption for a figure or an image should be written under it as follows:
    Figure (image) 2. The relationship between the quantities of added sulfur and the growth rates of the bread wheat varieties.
    The caption for a table should be written above it as follows:
    Table 5. Rates of the number of grains in spike for the wheat varieties used in the research.
  19. Metric system units (International System of Units or S.I. units) must be used in the research.
  20. A table’s internal lines should be deleted, and the width of the writing column should be 8 cm.
  21. The editorial board of the journal is keen to make a decision to accept or reject research within a period not exceeding four months from the date of receipt of the research until the decision to publish it. The editor-in-chief and the editorial board members have the right to reject the research if they are satisfied that the authors do not comply with the journal’s publication requirements.

Editorial Decision-Making Process

Upon submission, each manuscript undergoes an initial editorial assessment by the Editor-in-Chief or a designated member of the editorial board to determine its suitability for peer review. Manuscripts that pass this initial screening are sent to at least two independent external reviewers (see Peer Review Policy).

Final decisions on all manuscripts are made by the Editor-in-Chief. Where members of the editorial board or handling editors are involved, they provide recommendations based on reviewer reports and their own assessment; the Editor-in-Chief retains final authority over the decision to accept, reject, or request revision. Editorial decisions are made independently of the journal's commercial or financial interests.

For the ethical principles governing editorial decisions — including impartiality, confidentiality, and conflict of interest — see Editors' Responsibilities (Click Here)

Delegated decision-making: For guest-edited collections or special issues, the Editor-in-Chief remains accountable for all published content. Guest editors may manage the peer review and make recommendations, but the Editor-in-Chief approves all final decisions and retains responsibility for the content of the collection.

The Editor-in-Chief is also responsible for post-publication decisions, including corrections, expressions of concern, and retractions (see Publication Ethics).

Appeals Against Editorial Decisions

Authors who believe that a serious procedural error or factual misunderstanding occurred during the editorial handling of their manuscript may submit a formal appeal. Appeals must be based on demonstrable issues, such as a factual error in reviewer comments, an undisclosed conflict of interest, or a procedural failure. A simple disagreement with the editorial decision is not grounds for an appeal.

How to submit an appeal

The corresponding author must submit the appeal by email to [email protected] within 30 days of the decision notice. The appeal must include:

  • The manuscript reference number
  • A clear, point-by-point explanation of the basis for the appeal
  • Any supporting evidence or new information

Who handles the appeal?

Appeals are received by the Editor-in-Chief. If the Editor-in-Chief was directly involved in the original decision, the appeal will be handled by a designated member of the editorial board with no prior involvement in the manuscript. All appeal decisions are final.

Complaints

The journal welcomes feedback and takes all complaints seriously. A complaint may concern the journal's policies, editorial procedures, the conduct of editorial staff or reviewers, or the handling of a manuscript. Complaints about research or publication misconduct (such as data fabrication, plagiarism, or duplicate publication) are handled separately under the journal's Allegations of Misconduct policy.

How to submit a complaint

Complaints must be submitted in writing by email to [email protected].

The complaint should include:

  • The name and contact details of the complainant
  • A clear description of the issue
  • Relevant manuscript reference numbers or dates
  • Any supporting documentation

How complaints are handled

  1. Receipt of the complaint will be acknowledged within 5 working days.
  2. The complaint will be reviewed by the Editor-in-Chief or a designated member of the editorial board who was not involved in the matter.
  3. The complainant will be informed of the outcome within 30 days of acknowledgement or updated on progress if the review requires more time.
  4. If the complaint concerns the Editor-in-Chief directly, it will be handled by an independent member of the editorial board.

All complaints are treated confidentially, and the journal will not tolerate retaliation against anyone who submits a complaint in good faith.

Important Links & Forms

The article template is available for download (Click Here)