Marine Fisheries Review

Editorial Guidelines

The Marine Fisheries Review publishes review articles, original research reports, significant
progress reports, technical notes, and news articles on fisheries science, engineering, and economics, commercial and recreational fisheries, marine mammal studies, aquaculture, and U.S. and foreign fisheries developments. Emphasis, however, is on in-depth review articles and practical or applied aspects of marine fisheries rather than pure research. Preferred paper length ranges from 4 to 12 printed pages (about 10-40 manuscript pages), although shorter and longer papers are sometimes accepted. Papers are normally printed within 4-6 months of acceptance. Publication is hastened when manuscripts conform to the following recommended guidelines.

The Manuscript

Submission of a manuscript to the Marine Fisheries Review implies that the manuscript is the author’s own work, has not been submitted for publication elsewhere, and is ready for publication as submitted. Commerce Department personnel should submit papers under a completed NOAA Form 25-700. Manuscripts must be typed double-spaced throughout and submitted with two duplicate copies. The complete manuscript normally includes a title page, a short abstract, text, literature citations, tables, figure legends, footnotes, and the figures. The title page should carry the title and the name, department, institution or other affiliation, and complete address (plus current address if different) of the author(s). Manuscript pages should be numbered and have 1-inch margins on all sides. Running heads are not used. An “Acknowledgments” section, if needed, may be placed at the end of the text. Use of appendices is discouraged.

Abstract and Headings

Keep titles, headings, subheadings, and the abstract short and clear. Because abstracts are circulated by abstracting agencies, it is important that they represent the research clearly and concisely. Headings within each section must be short, reflect a logical sequence, and follow the rules of multiple subdivision (i.e. there can be no subdivision without at least two items).

Style

The entire text should be intelligible to interdisciplinary readers; therefore, all acronyms, abbreviations, and technical terms should be spelled out the first time they are mentioned. The scientific names of species must be written out the first time they are mentioned; subsequent mention of scientific names may be abbreviated. Follow the U.S. Government Printing Office Style Manual (1984 ed.) and the CBE Style Manual (5th ed.) for editorial style, and the most current issue of the American Fisheries Society’s Common and Scientific Names of Fishes from the United States and Canada for fish nomenclature. Only journal titles, scientific names (genera and species), and vessel names should be italicized. Dates should be written as follows: 11 Nov. 2009. Measurements should be expressed in metric units, e.g. metric tons as t; other equivalent units may also be listed in parenthesis. Common abbreviations and symbols such as mm, m, g, ml, mg, and oC (without periods) may be used with numerals. The numeral one (1) should be typed as a one, not as a lowercase el (l). Write out the numbers zero through nine unless they form part of measurement units (e.g. nine fish but 9 mm).

Footnotes

Footnotes should not be embedded within the text document. They must be numbered with Arabic numerals and typed on a separate sheet of paper. Footnote all personal communications, listing the name, affiliation, and address of the communicator and date of communication. Unpublished data and unpublished manuscripts should include the title, author, pagination of the manuscript or report, and the address where it is on file. Authors are advised to avoid references to nonstandard (gray) literature, such as internal, project, processed, or administrative reports, wherever possible. Where these references are used, please include whether they are available from NTIS (National Technical Information Service) or from some other public depository.

Literature Cited

Title the list of references “Literature Cited” and include only published works or those actually in press. Citations must contain the complete title of the work, inclusive pagination, full journal title, and the year, month, volume, and issue numbers of the publication. Unpublished reports or manuscripts and personal communications must be footnoted. Citations should be double-spaced and listed alphabetically by the senior author’s surname and initials. Coauthors should be listed by initials and surname. Where two or more citations have the same author(s), list them chronologically; where both author and year match on two or more, use lowercase alphabet to distinguish them (2005a, 2005b, 2005c, etc.). Authors must double-check all literature cited; they alone are responsible for its accuracy.

Tables

Tables should be printed separately and double-spaced. Tables should not be excessive in size and must be cited in numerical order in the text. Headings should be short but sufficent to allow the table to be intelligible on its own. All unusual symbols must be explained in the table heading. Other incidental comments may be footnoted with Arabic numerals. Because tables are typeset, they need only be submitted typed and formatted, with double-spaced legends. Zeros should precede all decimal points for values less than one. Table headings and format should be consistent; do not use vertical rules.

Figures

Figures include line illustrations and photographs (or slides) and must be cited in numerical order in the text. Figures are to be labeled with author’s name and number of figure. Use Times Roman font (upper and lowercase letters) to label within figures. Avoid vertical lettering except for y-axis labels. Zeros should precede all decimal points for values less than one. Figures should be submitted as both laser- printed copies and computer software files. Figure legends should explain all symbols and abbreviations and should be double-spaced on a separate page at the end of the manuscript. Consider column and page sizes when designing figures. Color is allowed in figures to show morphological differences among species (for species identification), to show stain reactions, and to show gradations in temperature contours within maps. Color is discouraged in graphs, and for the few instances where color may be allowed, the use of color will be determined by the Managing Editor.

Finally

First-rate, professional papers are neat, accurate, and complete. Authors should proofread the manuscript for typographical errors and double-check its contents and appearance before submission. Manuscripts may be submitted via email or postal mail. 

Submit via email to the Editor, Willis Hobart, at Willis.Hobart@noaa.gov, with a cc: to the Managing Editor, Jacki Strader, at Jacki.Strader@noaa.gov.

Submit via postal mail to:

Editor, Marine Fisheries Review
Scientific Publications Office
National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA
7600 Sand Point Way N.E.
Seattle, WA 98115