Manuscript Structure
A well-organized manuscript helps editors, reviewers, and readers understand your research clearly. Authors should arrange their manuscripts in the following order unless otherwise instructed for a specific article type.
1. Title Page
The Title Page should be submitted as a separate file.
It should contain the following information:
Article Title
The title should:
· Clearly describe the main focus of the study.
· Be concise and informative.
· Avoid abbreviations whenever possible.
· Avoid overly general or promotional language.
· Reflect the content of the manuscript accurately.
A well-written title improves discoverability in search engines and indexing databases.
Author Names
Provide the full name of each author in the order agreed upon by all authors.
Example:
Mohd Kamran Khan¹, Rajan Yadav², John Smith³
Author Affiliations
For each author, provide:
· Department
· Institution
· City
· State/Province (if applicable)
· Country
Use superscript numbers to link authors with their affiliations.
Corresponding Author
Clearly identify one corresponding author.
Provide:
· Full name
· Institutional affiliation
· Email address
A telephone number is optional.
The corresponding author will be responsible for all communication with the Editorial Office during submission, peer review, and publication.
ORCID iD (Recommended)
Authors are encouraged to provide their ORCID iD to improve researcher identification and ensure accurate attribution of their work.
Authors who do not already have an ORCID iD may register free of charge through:
2. Abstract
Every manuscript must include an abstract.
The abstract should provide a clear and concise summary of the study without requiring readers to consult the full article.
The abstract should not exceed 250 words for Research Articles unless otherwise specified.
The abstract should briefly describe:
· Background
· Objective
· Methods
· Main Results
· Conclusion
Do not include:
· References
· Tables
· Figures
· Undefined abbreviations
· Detailed statistical values unless essential
Structured Abstract (Recommended)
For Original Research Articles, authors are encouraged to organize the abstract using the following headings:
Background
Briefly explain why the study was conducted.
Objective
State the main aim or hypothesis.
Methods
Describe the study design, materials, and key analytical methods.
Results
Summarize the most important findings.
Conclusion
Present the major conclusion and scientific significance.
3. Keywords
Provide 4 to 6 keywords immediately after the abstract.
Keywords should:
· Represent the main topics of the manuscript.
· Not simply repeat words already used in the title.
· Improve indexing and online discoverability.
Arrange keywords alphabetically where possible.
Example:
Abiotic stress; Crop improvement; Drought tolerance; Plant physiology; Wheat
4. Introduction
The Introduction should provide sufficient background information without becoming an extensive literature review.
It should answer the following questions:
· What is already known?
· What is currently unknown?
· Why is this study important?
· What research gap does this work address?
· What are the objectives of the study?
The final paragraph of the Introduction should clearly state the objectives or hypothesis of the research.
Avoid presenting results or conclusions in this section.
5. Materials and Methods
The Materials and Methods section should provide enough detail to allow other researchers to understand and reproduce the study.
Organize this section using appropriate subheadings whenever necessary.
Common subheadings may include:
· Experimental Materials
· Study Area
· Plant Materials
· Experimental Design
· Treatments
· Sampling Procedure
· Laboratory Analysis
· Molecular Analysis
· Statistical Analysis
Not all subheadings are required. Use only those relevant to your study.
Experimental Materials
Clearly describe the biological materials, chemicals, instruments, software, or datasets used in the study.
Provide the scientific name for all organisms at their first mention.
Include the manufacturer and country for specialized equipment where appropriate.
Example:
"Leaf chlorophyll content was measured using a SPAD-502 chlorophyll meter (Konica Minolta, Japan)."
Experimental Design
Describe:
· Experimental layout
· Number of treatments
· Replications
· Experimental conditions
· Sampling strategy
This information should allow readers to understand how the experiment was conducted.
Statistical Analysis
Describe all statistical methods used.
Include information such as:
· Statistical software
· Tests performed
· Significance level (e.g., P < 0.05)
· Number of biological and technical replicates where applicable
Statistical methods should be appropriate for the study design.
Previously Published Methods
Previously published methods should not be described in unnecessary detail.
Instead, provide an appropriate reference and describe only important modifications made during the study.
6. Results
The Results section should present the findings clearly and objectively.
Present results in a logical sequence that follows the objectives of the study.
Use tables and figures where appropriate to improve clarity.
Avoid repeating the same numerical information in both the text and tables.
The Results section should focus on observations rather than interpretation.
Reporting Results
When reporting results:
· Present the most important findings first.
· Report statistical significance where appropriate.
· Refer to tables and figures in numerical order.
· Avoid discussing the implications of the findings in this section.
Example:
"As shown in Figure 2, drought stress significantly reduced shoot biomass compared with the control treatment (P < 0.05)."
7. Discussion
The discussion should explain the meaning and significance of the findings.
Authors should:
· Interpret the results.
· Compare findings with previous studies.
· Explain similarities and differences.
· Discuss possible biological mechanisms.
· Describe the practical implications of the research.
· Acknowledge important limitations of the study.
The Discussion should not simply repeat the Results.
Avoid making conclusions that are not supported by the data.
Study Limitations
Authors are encouraged to discuss important limitations of their work.
Examples include:
· Small sample size
· Limited experimental duration
· Restricted geographical coverage
· Methodological constraints
Acknowledging limitations improves scientific transparency.
8. Conclusion
The Conclusion should summarize the principal findings of the study.
It should:
· Directly address the research objectives.
· Highlight the scientific importance of the findings.
· Explain the potential applications of the work.
· Suggest future research directions where appropriate.
Do not introduce new data or references in the Conclusion.
9. Acknowledgements
Authors may acknowledge individuals, institutions, or organizations that contributed to the work but do not meet the criteria for authorship.
Examples include:
· Technical assistance
· Laboratory support
· Field assistance
· Language editing
· Administrative support
Obtain permission from acknowledged individuals before including their names.
10. Funding Information
All sources of financial support should be disclosed.
Include:
· Funding agency
· Grant number (if available)
If no funding was received, use the following statement:
The authors received no specific funding for this research.
11. Author Contributions
Authors are encouraged to describe the contribution of each author to the study.
Example:
· Conceptualization
· Methodology
· Investigation
· Data Curation
· Formal Analysis
· Writing – Original Draft
· Writing – Review & Editing
· Supervision
· Funding Acquisition
All listed authors should have made a substantial contribution to the work.
12. Conflict of Interest
Authors must disclose any financial or personal relationships that could influence the work reported in the manuscript.
If no conflicts exist, include the following statement:
The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
13. Data Availability Statement
All manuscripts submitted to ELSR should include a Data Availability Statement. The statement should accurately describe whether and how the data supporting the findings of the manuscript may be accessed.
The statement should indicate, as applicable, whether the data are included in the article or supplementary material, deposited in a repository, available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request, subject to legitimate access restrictions, obtained from a third party, or whether no new data were generated or analyzed.
Authors should consult the full ELSR Research Data Policy for detailed requirements and example statements.
Examples include:
· The data are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
· The data are included within the article and its supplementary materials.
· The data have been deposited in a publicly accessible repository (provide repository name and accession number).
14. Ethical Approval
For studies involving humans, animals, or biological materials requiring ethical oversight, authors must provide:
· Name of the approving ethics committee
· Approval or reference number (if available)
· Confirmation that the study complied with relevant ethical standards
For studies involving human participants, authors should also confirm that informed consent was obtained where applicable.
15. AI Disclosure Statement
Authors should disclose the use of AI-assisted tools when such tools have been used to generate, substantially rewrite, interpret, summarize, analyse, or otherwise make a substantive contribution to manuscript content or the research. Routine use of basic spelling checkers, basic grammar correction functions, reference-management software, or standard formatting tools does not normally require an AI Disclosure Statement.
Where disclosure is required, the statement should identify the nature of the AI assistance provided. Authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, integrity, and scientific content of the manuscript. Authors should consult the full ELSR AI and Generative AI Policy in Policy No. 6. Authors should consult the full ELSR AI and Generative AI Policy for detailed requirements.
Example: “The authors used an AI-assisted language editing tool to improve grammar and readability. All scientific content was reviewed and verified by the authors.”
16. Abbreviations
Abbreviations should be defined when first mentioned.
Example:
Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS)
After definition, use the abbreviation consistently.
Avoid excessive abbreviations.
17. Units, Nomenclature, and Scientific Names
Use the International System of Units (SI Units) throughout the manuscript.
Examples:
· kg
· g
· mg
· µg
· L
· mL
· cm
· mm
· µm
· °C
· MPa
· mol
· mmol
Avoid mixing different unit systems.
Scientific Names
Scientific names of organisms should:
· Be written in italics.
· Be written in full when first mentioned.
Example:
Triticum aestivum
Later mentions may be abbreviated:
T. aestivum
Common names should not be italicized.
Gene and Protein Names
Authors should use internationally accepted nomenclature whenever available.
Gene symbols should be italicized where appropriate.
Protein names should generally not be italicized.
Use consistent terminology throughout the manuscript.
Helpful Tip for Authors
Before submitting your manuscript, check that every section is complete and follows the journal's instructions. A clear structure, consistent formatting, and complete reporting help reviewers assess your work efficiently and may reduce delays during the editorial process.
