Author Guidelines

Author guidelines

Author Guidelines and Instructions for Manuscript Revision and Peer Review

20 Oktober 2026

 

1.        General requirements and submission

Journal of Fish Nutrition welcomes original research articles and review articles within its aims and scope, including fish nutrition, feed ingredients and formulation, natural food and live feeds, and feeding management. Submissions must be original, unpublished as journal articles, and not under consideration elsewhere.

Submit an editable Microsoft Word manuscript (.docx) through the journal’s OJS system using the current template. A PDF does not replace the Word file. Ensure that submission metadata match the manuscript, including titles, abstracts, keywords, author names and order, affiliations, and the corresponding author’s email. Provide ORCID identifiers where available. All authors must approve the submitted version and take responsibility for their contributions.

The cover letter should identify the title, article type, principal contribution, suitability for the journal, originality and exclusive submission, and relevant disclosures. Prepare editable chart sources and supporting material needed for assessment. Follow any anonymisation instructions in the system or issued by the editor under the journal’s peer review policy.

2.        Manuscript format

Use A4 paper, 2.54 cm margins on all sides, Arial 12 pt, single line spacing, and justified text. Indent the first line of each paragraph by 1 cm. Manuscripts must not exceed 12 pages, including references, tables, figures, and captions. Clearly cited supplementary material may be submitted separately.

Set the Indonesian title in Arial 14 pt, bold, uppercase, and centred; set the English title in Arial 14 pt, title case, and centred. If the manuscript is written entirely in English, an Indonesian title is not required. Retain correct taxonomic capitalisation and italicise scientific names. Set author names, complete affiliations, addresses, and corresponding author email in Arial 12 pt, centred. Use superscript numbers to link authors with affiliations and an asterisk to identify the corresponding author.

Format section and subsection headings in uppercase, bold, and centred as in the template. Include page numbers and continuous line numbers using Layout → Line Numbers → Continuous. The main language of the manuscript must follow the language specified in the journal template, either Indonesian or English. Manuscripts written in Indonesian must include the title and abstract in both Indonesian and English, whereas manuscripts written entirely in English are required to provide the title and abstract in English only.

3.        Abstracts and keywords

Provide Indonesian and English abstracts, each in a single paragraph of no more than 250 words, using Arial 12 pt and single spacing. Research abstracts should briefly state the background, objective, principal methods, main results with important numerical findings, and conclusion. Review abstracts should state the objective, search or synthesis approach, principal findings, and implications. Avoid citations, tables, figures, and undefined abbreviations.

Both abstracts must agree on objectives, treatments, replication, numerical findings, and conclusions. Provide no more than five keywords or keyword phrases in each language, alphabetised within that language. Use initial capitals as indicated in the template, except where scientific names or established abbreviations require otherwise.

4.        Structure and scientific reporting

Organise research articles as INTRODUCTION, MATERIALS AND METHODS, RESULTS AND DISCUSSION, CONCLUSION, ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS, relevant declarations, and REFERENCES, using the corresponding Indonesian headings for Indonesian manuscripts. Establish the problem, knowledge gap, objective, and hypothesis where appropriate. Present findings clearly, interpret them against the literature, and discuss limitations and applicability. Conclusions must answer the objective without exceeding the evidence.

Methods must support replication. Describe location and dates, species and animal size, material sources, design and controls, experimental units, independent replication, animals per unit, randomisation, husbandry and water quality, diet preparation, treatment doses and duration, sampling, and laboratory analyses. Identify brands/manufacturers, countries, models, or catalogue numbers where relevant to reproducibility. Distinguish formulated diet composition from analysed composition and identify wet or dry weight bases.

Type equations using Microsoft Equation or another editable equation editor. Define all symbols and units and cite the method source. Describe any mortality or uneaten-feed adjustments used in calculations.

Review articles should contain INTRODUCTION, thematically organised DISCUSSION, CONCLUSION, ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS, relevant declarations, and REFERENCES. Describe search sources, dates, keywords, literature selection, and synthesis proportionately. Systematic reviews require an explicit methods account; do not label a narrative review as systematic without supporting methods.

5.        Tables

Create tables with Word’s Insert → Table function or convert Excel tables into editable Word tables. Photographs, screenshots, scans, and image-based tables are not accepted. Do not construct columns using spaces or tabs. Use horizontal rules as needed and avoid excessive vertical lines, unnecessary merged cells, and reliance on colour alone.

Number tables in order of first citation. Place titles above tables and notes below them. Capitalise table references, for example “Table 1” in English or “Tabel 1” in Indonesian. Insert each table immediately after the paragraph containing its first citation, as close as the page layout permits. Do not collect tables at the manuscript’s end. If insufficient space remains, place the table on the next page.

Provide units in column headings and consistent decimal precision. Each table must be independently understandable: define all abbreviations, treatment codes, measures of central tendency and variability, n and the replicate unit, and any symbols or superscript letters. Notes are unnecessary for abbreviations or symbols that do not occur. Do not duplicate an entire dataset in both a table and a chart.

6.        Figures and editable charts

Charts are treated as figures. Number photographs, diagrams, and charts in one sequence as Figure 1, Figure 2, and so forth. Use “Gambar” in Indonesian manuscripts. Capitalise Figure, Gambar, Table, or Tabel when followed by a number. Avoid unnumbered references such as “the figure below.”

Charts must be accompanied by editable source files and the underlying plotting data, such as an .xlsx file with charts and data, an Origin or GraphPad Prism project, or R/Python scripts with data and reproduction instructions. Excel charts may be embedded in Word using Paste Special → Microsoft Excel Chart Object; ensure that data are embedded rather than linked only to the author’s computer. Upload the sources as supporting files. PNG/JPEG exports alone do not satisfy the editable-source requirement; vector PDF/SVG files do not necessarily preserve data or analysis settings.

Insert figures immediately after the paragraph containing the first citation, as close as layout permits. Place titles and captions below figures. Explain panels, abbreviations, treatment codes, sample sizes and units, error bars, symbols, and statistical comparisons where shown. Identify error bars as SD, SE, or confidence intervals. Label axes and units clearly, use readable lettering, and use two-dimensional charts for two-dimensional data.

Photographs and micrographs are inherently raster images and need not be converted into editable objects. Supply original files with adequate resolution, generally at least 300 dpi at final size for photographs, and include scale bars in micrographs. Prefer editable or vector sources for diagrams. Do not alter images in ways that remove or falsify scientific information. Explain relevant processing and obtain permission for third-party material.

7.        Abbreviations scientific names numbers and units

At first use, write the full term followed by its abbreviation, for example “specific growth rate (SGR).” Define abbreviations independently in each abstract, the main text, and every table or figure caption in which they occur. Use the same abbreviation consistently and avoid abbreviations in titles unless widely established. SI unit symbols such as g, L, and mL need not be expanded as abbreviations.

Italicise genus and species names, for example Oreochromis niloticus, with an initial capital for the genus and lowercase for the species epithet. Subsequently abbreviate the genus only when unambiguous, for example O. niloticus. Use consistent SI units, such as 5 g, 10 mL, 28 °C, and 5 mg/L. Separate numbers from unit symbols with a space; the journal uses 5% for percentages.

Use a decimal point in both language versions, for example 0.05 and 2.50 ± 0.12. Match numerical precision to measurement capability. Define doses clearly, for example mg/kg dry feed, and avoid ambiguous combinations such as %/kg. Use proper subscripts and superscripts in chemical formulas, units, and symbols.

8.        Statistical reporting and p values

Describe the model or test, assumption checks, transformations, missing-data handling, post hoc tests, multiple-comparison adjustment where applicable, software and version, and the prespecified significance threshold, for example α = 0.05. Distinguish independent biological replication from technical measurements. In feeding experiments where diets are assigned to tanks, the tank is generally the experimental unit and individual fish are subsamples unless the design supports another unit.

Use a lowercase italic p with spaces around operators: p = 0.032; p > 0.05; p < 0.001. Prefer exact values, usually to three decimal places, except very small values reported as p < 0.001. Never report p = 0.000. Use additional digits near the threshold when rounding could obscure the decision; determine significance using unrounded values.

At α = 0.05, describe p < 0.05 as statistically significant and p > 0.05 as no statistically significant difference detected. Non-significance does not demonstrate identity or equivalence. Do not use “tending towards significance” to imply a significant result. Provide effect estimates and confidence intervals where appropriate, with test statistics and degrees of freedom when relevant.

Identify summaries as mean ± SD or  ± SE or  another clearly specified measure. Superscript letters indicate post hoc comparisons rather than the ANOVA output itself. State whether comparisons apply within columns, rows, or sampling times, and identify the post hoc test and α. Groups sharing no letter differ significantly; groups sharing at least one letter have no detected significant difference. Report interactions in factorial designs and interpret comparisons according to the model. Account for dependence in repeated measurements.

9.        Citations and references

Use EndNote, Mendeley, Zotero, or an equivalent reference manager to insert citations and generate the reference list automatically. Apply APA seventh edition to citations and references, then manually verify all metadata. Software does not guarantee correct authors, year, title, volume, issue, pages or article number, and DOI. Retain a working version with active citation fields. Do not convert all fields to plain text during revision unless requested by the editor.

Use the author–date system, for example “Zheng et al. (2021)” or “(Zheng et al., 2021)” for three or more authors. Cite both names for two-author works every time; use “and” in English narrative citations, “dan” in Indonesian narrative citations, and “&” in parenthetical citations and reference entries. Alphabetise the reference list, include only cited sources, and ensure that each in-text citation has a matching entry.

The template requires at least 20 references, of which at least 80% must be journal articles. Prioritise relevant sources from the past 10 years; older foundational works, original methods, or historically important sources may be retained when relevant. Never alter publication years to make sources appear recent or add citations merely to satisfy numerical requirements. Reviews require coverage adequate to the question addressed.

Use Arial 12 pt, single spacing, 6 pt paragraph spacing after each entry, and a 1 cm hanging indent. Write surnames followed by initials, separate authors with commas, and use & before the final author according to APA rules. Use sentence case for article titles; italicise journal titles and volume numbers, place issue numbers in parentheses, and provide page ranges or article numbers. Present DOIs as https://doi.org/.... Do not include unverifiable references, DOIs, or bibliographic details.

10.    Ethics transparency and declarations

After the conclusion, include Acknowledgements as required by the template, Funding and grant identifiers where applicable, Author Contributions, Conflicts of Interest, Data Availability, and relevant ethics and AI-use statements. Explicitly state when there was no specific funding or conflict of interest.

Disclose relevant AI assistance in writing or analysis, including the tool and its purpose; authors must verify all content and references. AI tools cannot be authors. Fabricated data, references, ethics approvals, or analyses are unacceptable. Request authorship changes through the editor with reasons and the agreement of all affected parties. Consult the journal’s separate policies on plagiarism, copyright, licensing, fees, and peer review; this guide does not establish their detailed terms.

11.    Responding to reviewers and editorial decisions

Read the decision letter and all comments before revising. Work on the latest file supplied by the editor, retain line numbers, and do not restart from an outdated version. Prepare a single Response to Reviewers document grouped under Editor, Reviewer 1, Reviewer 2, and subsequent reviewers. Reproduce each comment in full, preserve the order, and address every point, including minor comments. Divide lengthy comments into subpoints where helpful.

For each comment, explain the action taken, quote a short revised passage when useful, and identify the section, page, and line numbers in the revised manuscript. Recheck line numbers after all revisions are complete. Do not respond only with “corrected” without explaining the change. When disagreeing, provide a respectful, specific scientific justification and relevant supporting evidence. Never claim analyses or experiments that were not performed.

Enable Word’s Review → Track Changes and mark revisions as instructed by the editor. Follow any requested colour or highlighting consistently. Do not accept or reject all tracked changes, delete comments, or remove the revision history without instructions. Supply a clean copy when requested without replacing the marked version. Reply within comment balloons if requested; this does not replace a separate response document when required.

Upload the marked manuscript, response document, and any changed tables, chart sources, or supplementary material under the revision stage of the same OJS submission rather than creating a new submission. Revision does not guarantee acceptance. The corresponding author coordinates all authors’ approval and meets the deadline stated in the decision letter. Request extensions before the deadline, providing the manuscript ID, reason, and a realistic completion date.

12.    Copyediting and proof correction

At copyediting, use the file supplied by the editor because it may contain the latest editorial changes. Review each change and comment, answer queries, and correct comparable errors throughout the manuscript. If instructed to accept or reject changes, review them individually and explain rejections. If instructed to preserve tracked changes, do not accept or reject them; record agreement or objections in comments and let the editor resolve the revision history.

Keep Track Changes enabled for new edits. At final proof, check author names and affiliations, email addresses, titles, numbers, units, equations, tables, figures, superscripts, and references. Proofs are for correcting production or typographical errors, not adding new results or changing conclusions without editorial approval. Respond through the channel and by the deadline specified by the editor.

13.    Examples of table notes and figure captions

The following examples illustrate formatting only; numerical values are not research findings.

Table 1. Example presentation of specific growth rate

Treatment	SGR (%/day)
Control	1.20 ± 0.10a
Diet B	1.50 ± 0.12b
Diet C	1.35 ± 0.11ab

Note: Values are mean ± SD from three independent tanks per treatment (n = 3). SGR = specific growth rate; SD = standard deviation. Means within the same column sharing no superscript letter differ significantly according to Tukey’s HSD following one-way ANOVA (α = 0.05). Diet C shares a letter with both the control and Diet B; no significant difference is detected between Diet C and either group.

 

This is a caption example without a figure or research results.

 

14.    Example response to a reviewer

Illustrative example; replace line references with actual revised locations.

Reviewer 1 Comment 1: Please clarify the number of replicates and the meaning of the error bars in Figure 1.

Author response: Thank you for this comment. We have added the experimental unit, number of independent replicates, and error-bar definition to the Figure 1 caption. The revision appears in Results and Discussion, page [x], lines [xx–xx] of the revised manuscript. Revised text: “Values are mean ± SD from three independent tanks per treatment (n = 3).”

Example when disagreeing: Thank you for the suggestion. We have not applied the proposed analysis because [specific reason based on the design and data]. We retained [the analysis actually used] and clarified the justification in Methods, page [x], lines [xx–xx]. We also added the relevant limitation to the Discussion. Provide verified methodological support where needed.

15.    Submission checklist

ü  The manuscript fits the scope, all authors approve, and there is no simultaneous submission elsewhere.

ü  Template formatting, page limit, bilingual abstracts, keywords, page numbers, and line numbers are complete.

ü  Tables are editable, figures are legible, and chart sources and plotting data are available.

ü  Every table and figure is cited and placed near its first citation; abbreviations, n, error bars, and superscripts are explained.

ü  Analyses use the appropriate experimental unit, and p values agree with the conclusions.

ü  Citations match references, metadata and DOIs are verified, and reference-management software is used.

ü  Ethics, funding, contributions, conflicts, and data availability accurately reflect the study.

ü  For revisions, every comment is answered, revision locations are checked, and files are uploaded under the same submission.