ISSN 0185-3309 versión impresa
ISSN 2007-8080 on-line

INFORMATION FOR CONTRIBUTORS

• General aspects

Below is the detailed guide to be followed by authors to organize the content of their manuscripts according to the editorial standards of the Mexican Journal of Phytopathology (MJP), a bilingual, international magazine published by the Mexican Phytopathology Society (MPS).

NOTICES:

• Editors will communicate exclusively with the first author.

• Thous manuscripts accepted for publication will become property of the Mexican Phytopathology Society (MPS).

• The Mexican Journal of Phytopathology is in the process of adopting the Open Journal System, OJS (http://www.rmf.smf.org.mx/ojs/index.php/RMF) as an editorial manager. Once the system is adopted at 100%, the editorial stardards could change. In the meantime, all manuscripts must be sent via email to revmexfitopatologia@gmail.com in Microsoft Word.

• From march 16th of 2016, the "Description of variearities" will be replaced by a new section entitled "Phytopathological Report". The specifications will be detailed on the General Considerations section of this Guide.

• The Editorial Committee of the MJP reserves the right to reject any manuscript submitted, considered by the journal to fail to meet structure, quality, consistency, and originality requirements.

• In case your manuscript is accepted, the author must repay the MPS an amount for the translation and editing, which will depend on the number of pages submitted.

GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS

In order to submit your manuscript to the Mexican Journal of Pytopathology, consider the following points:

1. The work must be original on some basic or applied aspect of phytopathology, not yet published as an arbitrated article or submitted to consideration in another scientific or dissemination magazine.

2. Present the manuscript in the corresponding format, depending on whether it is a Scientific Article, Revision Article, Phytopathological Note, or Phytopathological Report, as specified in this Guide for Authors and in the Manuscript Verification Form (See form RMF/F01-2015). Consider the following specificies:

• Scientific Article: Must detail a concluded study (repeated in time and space).

• Revision Article: Must contain a hypothesis, theory, or other phytopathology topics. The MJP Editorial Commitee could request literature revisions or contributions on specific subjects from specialized investigators.

• Phytopathological notes includes originals on techniques, observations and historical aspects of phytopathological data, described in no more than 10 pages (including References). They do not contain sections such as Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results and Discussion.

• Phytopathological Reports. It is based on reports of disease outbreaks, significant changes in regional distribution of pathogens, new hosts and new detections of pathogens at specie or intrapecie level, as well as new resistant varieties to phytopathogens and resistance of phytopathogens to quimical and biological products, as long as you provide evidence of reporting its detection to CNRF, DGSV-SENASICA for a validation procedure concerning official interest in the possible economic and social implications for the country. The material in vivo, in vitro or preserved from the study should be deposited in an official herbarium collection such as CNRF, DGSV-SENASICA or institutional (INIFAP, COLPOS, etc.)

3. The Manuscript Verification Form must be completed and signed by the correspondence author (See form RMF/F01-2016).

4. The letter to the Editor-in-Chief (See form RMF/F02-2016), must be signed and sent by the correspondence author, in which the following will be notified:

• Correspondence author,
• Type of contribution ot is refered to,
• Consent from co-authors to submit their contribution to the MJP.
• That the content is original and has not been published previously nor is under consideration by any other journal.
• Conformance clause to follow the recommendations of the review committee, even though the same rule on the manuscript in another category.
• Emails of co-authors.
• Optional: Concise opinions on phytopathology work, principles, book reviews, or critiques.

The structure of the manuscripts must follow the journal's editorial norms, Before sending your paper to the editor, please verify it follows the norms established in this Guide, othrwise it will be returned to the author.

GUIDE FOR THE FORM

1. Writing and syntax. Write clearly and concisely. Use words precisely, with clarity and economy. Each sentence must be exact and simple. Describe the observations and experiments in past tense, and use the present for generalizations. Use direct sentences and avoid using the passive voice; compare: "Bacteria produce antibiotics" and "antibiotics are produced by bacteria." Avoid superlatives and words such as: "very," "a lot," "more," "plenty," etc. Also prevent the use of gerunds. Utilize words when numbers are lower than 10 without being related to measurements. Use technical words with their precise meanings; use the specialized dictionary when in doubt (See list of Specialized Dictionaries). Scientific names and latin expressions are written in italics, such as in situ, per se, in vivo, in vitro, in planta, et al., etc. Scientific names of plants or plant pathogens will not include descriptor(s).

2. Text format. Texts are to be written using the font Times New Roman, size 12, with 1.5 line spacing and justified. All pages must be numbered and margins will be 2.5 cm on four sides of the page. The beginning of each paragraph will have an indentation of 1 cm (except for the introdcutory paragraph).

3. Specifications according to type of publication: for Scientific and Revision Articles, the manuscript will be no longer than 20 pages, including charts and figures. Phytopathology Notes and the description of varieties must be no longer than ten pages of text, including charts and figures. The Phytopathological Reports must not exceed over 3000 words including literature (5 maximum) and the content must include statistic analisis, Koch´s postulates or other that supports the report in only a table and/or a figure.

4. Tables. In open format (Word). Do not send as image (.jpg, .gif, or others).

5. Graphs: In open format (Word, Excel or other). Do not send as image (.jpg, .gif, or other).

6. Photographs: Original images with good quality with a minimum resolution of 300 dpi if the images are in B/W or 500 dpi if in color.

ORGANIZATION OF THE MANUSCRIPT

Title. The title must identify the content of the topic. Write clear, concise, and specific titles of no more than 15 words; in capitals and lowercase, in bold and centered. Avoid starting with: "Investigation on...," "Studies on...," etc. Titles indicating a series of related papers will not be accepted, unless they are sent together. Scientific names must be written in italics and must not include descriptor(s). The title must be immediately followed by its faitfull translation either English or spanish. For phytopathological reports, the title must include the name of the disease, the pathogen (scientific name), host and its localization.

Author-institution. Below the title, write the full dename of the authors, capitalized, and justified. After each author, write in lowercase letters and with normal letters, the name of the corresponding institution(s). Include the department, city, state, post or zip code, and indicate the correspondence author. For example:

Abstract. The heading must be written in bold, lowercase, and left-aligned. The summary must synthesize the most relevant aspects of the investigation in only one paragraph, no more than 200 words. Do not repeat the title in the text of the abstract; use scientific names and avoid abbreviations.

Additional keywords. Must be written in lowercase letter and to the left. Below the abstract, include a list of up to six key words for international compliation that are not included in the title of the paper.

Abstract. Provide an accurate translation of the abstract either English or Spanish. The title of this section must be written in bold, lowercase.

Additional keywords. Below the abstract provide an accurate translation either English or Spanish of the list of words indicated in the Additional keywords section.

The titles of the sections Materials and Methods, Resultas, Discussion, Conclusions, and References are to be written in capitals, in one line only, and to the left side of the page. Subheadings are to be written in lowercase, bold, and with a period.

INTRODUCTION. This heading must be omitted. The introduction includes the description of the problem. Justify your research with current and relevant references and explain the aims of the paper. The quotation of references in the text must be presented as follows:

• One author, Pfender (2010) or (Pfender, 2010);

• Two authors, Funnell and Pedersen (2009) or (Funnell and Pedersen, 2009);

• Three or more authors, Angulo et al. (2009) or (Angulo et al., 2009).

If the author(s) and years are identical for more than one reference, insert a lowercase letter (in aplhabetical order) after the year. For example: Ascencio et al. (2008a) or (Ascencio et al., 2008b). Use a semicolon to separate several references. For example: (Alvarado et al., 2010; Rodríguez et al., 2009; Yoshida et al., 2011). The use of brackets depends on the general structure of the sentence.

MATERIALS AND METHODS. Describe the methodology and materials used in necessary detail so that the procedure can be repeated by others. Place, date, treatment, method, experimental design, variables evaluated, how and when data was obtained, analyses perfomed, comparison of averages, and statistical program must all be included. In the case of specific methodologies, indicate the bibliographical source and the relevant modifications. Present the information in a clear, orderly, and coherent manner. Use photographs, charts, and drawings (see format specifications), only when they help clarify and document the text. Illustrations must be functional and must not repeat the material described in the text.

RESULTS. Present concise data on the main effects based on appropriate statistical methods. When differences are pointed out between two sets of results, mention the significance, avoid indicating tendencies. If the author prefers, the discussion of the results can be presented in this section with the title RESULTS AND DISCUSSION, or can be presented under a separate subheading as follows.

DISCUSSION. This section must interpret the results of the investigation and relate them to or similar work reported in the References. Include logical deductions and avoid falling into unfounded speculations; suggestions can also be added for future studies.

CONCLUSIONS. In this section, concrete contributions made to knowledge according to the results obtained in the study must be briefly noted, without numbering. Acknowledgements. The heading must be written in bold, lowercase letters, and left-aligned. In this section, thanks and acknowledgements must be expressed for people or institutions. You may mention help of a technical, economic, or any other kind, as well as if it is part of a thesis.

REFERENCES. Must contain the list of all the quotes mentioned in the text, which are to be presented in alphabetic order with the APA citation style. This section only allows the inclusion of works published or in press, in formal processes of arbitration or editing, accesible through libraries or online information systems. Do not use "anonymous" as a reference. Use the initials and the name of the institution or source that published the information. It is important to use enough recent references (i.e. 40) or others that justifies the thematic of the contribution. For phytopathological reports, must not exceed 5 references (scientific journals and books) in total.

IMPORTANT: If the document quoted (scientific article, book, chapter, etc.) is available online as well as printed, it must be quoted as published on-line and must include its DOI (Digital Object Identifier: www.doi.org) or otherwise, a link to the website where the original content can be found when DOI is not available. Examples:

Nowicki M., Foolad M.J, Nowakowska M. and Kozik E.U. 2012. Potato and tomato late blight by Phytophthora infestans: An Overview of Pathology and Resistance Breeding. Plant Disease 96:4-17. http://dx.doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-05-11-0458

Crous PW, Braun U. and Groenewald, J. Z. 2007. Mycosphaerella is polyphyletic. Studies in Mycology 58: 1-32. Available online: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18490994

For more information, please download the support manual for Doi quotes from the Publication Guides section of the journal web page (www.rmf.smf.org.mx).

Quotes are to be structured as per the following sequence:

• Scientific journals

Author(s). Father's surname followed by mother's surname and name(s). Separate the last initial of the first author with a comma and continue with the surname and initial of the coauthors. Year published. Title of the paper (only the first name of the first word of a lowercase title, unless proper nouns are included). Full name of the journal in which it was published. Volume and pages. DOI or línk. Examples:

Segarra G, Casanova E, Avilés M and Trillas I. 2010. Trichoderma asperellum strain T34 controls Fusarium wilt disease in tomato plants in soilless culture through competition for iron. Microbial Ecology 59:141-149.

• Books

Author(s), year, title (in capitals and lowercase letters), edition, publishing house, place of publication, and number of pages. DOI or link. Examples:

Agrios GN. 2005. Plant Pathology. Fifth Edition. Academic Press. New York, USA. 922p.

Rueda PJ. 2009. Bacterias Promotoras del Crecimiento Vegetal. Plaza y Valdés. México. 141p.

• Chapter of a book

Author(s), year, title (capital letter on first letter only), pages, editor(s), In: book title (capitals and lowercase letters), volume, publishing house, place of publication, and total number of pages. DOI or link (if available online). Examples:

Ferrera CR y Alarcón A. 2008. Biotecnología de los hongos micorrízicos arbusculares. Pp:25-38. In: Díaz FA y Mayek PN (eds.). Biofertilización como Tecnología Sostenible. Plaza y Valdés. México. 255p.

Reddy BBS, Ramesh S and Reddy PS. 2006. Sorghum genetic resources, cytogenetics and improvement. Pp:309-363. In: Singh RJ and Jauhar PP (eds.). Genetics Resources, Chromosome Engineering, and Crop Improvement. Vol. 2. Cereals. CRC Press. Boca Raton, FL., USA. 366p.

• Brochures

Velásquez VR, Mena CJ, Amador RM y Reveles HM. 2009. El virus de la marchitez manchada del jitomate afectando chile y jitomate en Zacatecas. Campo Experimental Zacatecas, INIFAP. Folleto Técnico No. 20. Calera, Zac., México. 24p.

Funderburk J, Reitz S, Stansly P, Schuster D, Nuessly G and Leppla N. 2009. Managing thrips in pepper and eggplant. University of Florida, IFAS. Publ. 658. USA. 10p.

• Web consultation

Koenning S, Mueller J, Kemerait R and Phipps P. 2008. Soybean rust. North Carolina State University. Information Note 8. www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/pp/notes/soybean/soy008/ (consulta, junio 2010).

SAGARPA, Secretaría de Agricultura, Ganadería, Desarrollo Rural, Pesca y Alimentación. 2010. Servicio de información agroalimentaria y pesquera. www.siap.gob.mx/index (consulta, septiembre 2011).

Tables. Must contain readily comprehensible titles that need no reference to the text. Tables must document but not duplicate the data presented in the text. Include them numerically, according to the text, in separate pages and after the References. The legend must be written in lowercase letters. Identify footnotes of the tables with lowercase letters of the end of the alphabet (in sequence: x, y, z). To identify levels of statistical significance, use asterisks (*= p≤0.05, **= p≤0.01). In numbers, use only one decimal place, e. g. 3.2%, not 3.195%.

Figures. Number each figure (graphs, drawings, photographs, etc.) so they match the reference in the text. Legends are to be written in lowercase letters, on a separate page, and attached after the tables. Photographs must be original and can be either in color or black and white. Bad quality photographs will not be accepted. Do not write or stick arrows on the original photos. Abbreviations and symbols used in figures must correspond with the same style used in the text. When a set of figures are presented with only one legend, components will be identified with capital letters of the same type and size.

Specialize References and Units of measure.

1. Fertilizers. Describe the doses of fertilizers in terms of elements (example: N, P, K, etc.). If necessary, you may mention the source of the fertilizer.

2. Pesticides. Use the technical name (active ingredient) and concentration of the pesticides. The commercial name may be included in brackets. Manuscripts on the use of agrochemicals will be considered if their use provides new scientific and technical knowledge.

3. Measures. This journal uses the metric system. Only and always will be used abbreviations in singular and not followed by a period. Maintain the same format of measure units throughout the manuscript. The most common are:

Some useful references for writing scientific acrticles in the MJP:

Alvarado L. 2000. Redacción y Preparación del Artículo Científico. Segunda edición. Sociedad Mexicana de la Ciencia del Suelo y Colegio de Posgraduados. Texcoco, edo. México. 241p.

Mari M. 2004. Manual de redacción científica. Caribbean Journal of Science. Publicación Especial No. 3. www.caribjusci.org/epub1/.