Instructions for authors of refereed submissions
Refereed papers should describe significant, original research on topics that are relevant to horticulture in Florida. The work should not have been published previously in another journal, and submission implies that the work has not been submitted elsewhere. There will be no bias against basic research. However, if basic research is reported, a clear case must be made for its bearing on applied aspects of Florida horticulture.
When appropriate, the significance of experimental results must be statistically evaluated, and conclusions that are made in the paper must agree with and rely on these findings. In addition, repeatability of the findings must be demonstrated; in most cases, results from a single experiment will not be considered sufficient to warrant publication. Repeatability of results may be demonstrated via repetition of experiments, continuity with previously reported results, or experiments that are conducted in more than a single year.
Authors should consult with the Editor-in-Chief before submitting a manuscript. Submissions must be made by June 12 to the Editor-in-Chief. Authors who submit manuscripts are automatically obliged to present the paper at the annual meeting, regardless of its ultimate acceptance or rejection as a refereed paper. It is also understood that authors will have already submitted by the March 9 deadline a title and abstract for the paper to the appropriate Sectional Vice President. Manuscripts that are not received by June 12 will not be considered for publication in the Proceedings for that year. In the latter case, authors may either resubmit the manuscript as a refereed contribution the following year, or may submit the paper for consideration as a non-refereed paper by the annual meeting deadline.
Manuscripts will be peer-reviewed by at least two reviewers chosen by the Subject Editor that are familiar with the paper's topic. Subject Editors will make decisions of acceptance based on their own evaluations and the reviews of the referees. In the case of controversial decisions, a final determination will be made by the Managing Editor.
Authors will be advised of the paper's acceptability by mid-summer. Authors of manuscripts that have been accepted have two weeks after acceptance notification to submit the revised paper to the Editor-in-Chief. Manuscripts received after this deadline will automatically be published in the Proceedings the following year. If the revision is not accepted, the authors may either withdraw the paper or, after additional revisions are made, resubmit it by the time of the annual meeting of the following year.
Authors of rejected manuscripts have three options. They may publish the paper as a non-refereed contribution for the current year's Proceedings, if it accepted by the Section Vice-President or, after its deficiencies have been addressed, they may resubmit the paper as a refereed contribution the following year. Alternatively, the authors may withdraw the paper.
Manuscript style and format will be the same as for both refereed and non-refereed submissions with the following exceptions:
Instructions for authors of non-refereed submissions
Non-refereed papers should describe important information or significant, original research on topics that are relevant to horticulture in Florida. Manuscripts must be submitted to the Editor-in-Chief at the time of the Annual Meeting. After the Annual Meeting, the Editor-in-Chief will forward your manuscript to the Associate Editor for your section for review. The Section Editor may require revisions to your manuscript before it is submitted to the Editor-in-Chief for publishing. Please consult with the manuscript style and format link for specific information on preparing your manuscript for publication.