Instructions for Contributors to the Journal of Food Science and Technology (Iran)
Preface
The Journal of Food Science and Technology (Iran) welcomes original research articles from around the world across diverse areas of food science and technology. Submissions must be original and must not be under consideration for publication elsewhere. Manuscripts should be submitted via the journal's online submission system. Please ensure that your manuscript does not exceed 20 A4 pages, formatted in a single column with double-spaced lines (12-point font), which roughly equates to 5,000–5,500 words. This page limit includes all text, graphs, and tables. Prior to submission, authors must ensure there are no conflicts of interest or disputes among the co-authors regarding the manuscript.
All submitted manuscripts undergo a rigorous peer-review process to ensure they meet the high scientific standards expected by our readership. This process often results in valuable revisions that enhance the quality of the final publication. The review process is conducted in a double-blind manner, meaning the identities of both the authors and the reviewers remain concealed.
Manuscript Outline
Non-native English speakers are strongly advised to have their manuscripts professionally edited for English language proficiency prior to submission. Manuscripts that do not meet the required standard of English will be rejected prior to scientific evaluation.
Manuscripts prepared for the journal should be organized in the following order:
1. Title and Author Name(s)
2. Author Affiliations and Corresponding Author Information (as a footnote on the first page)
3. Abstract
4. Keywords
5. Introduction (including a literature review)
6. Materials and Methods / Methodology
7. Results (may be combined with the Discussion section)
8. Discussion (may be combined with the Conclusion section)
9. Acknowledgments
10. References
Title and Author Name(s)
The title should accurately reflect the content of the article and facilitate retrieval in indexing services. An effective title (i) briefly identifies the subject, (ii) indicates the purpose of the study, and (iii) incorporates high-impact keywords early on. Titles should be concise; it is recommended that they do not exceed 12 words, except in exceptional circumstances. Titles with fewer than five words should generally be expanded.
Avoid starting titles with low-impact phrases such as "Effect of" or "Influence of." Instead, focus directly on the subject and key findings. The title must serve as an effective standalone label. Avoid abbreviations, chemical formulas, proprietary names, and outdated or unusual terminology. Use common names for chemicals and crops where possible; if a crop or microorganism lacks a common name, use its scientific name (genus and species).
A running title of no more than 50 characters (including spaces) must be provided.
Author affiliations and documentation should be provided as a footnote on the first page. This footnote must include the complete institutional address(es) for all authors. The corresponding author must provide their institutional affiliation and a valid email address. Professional titles (e.g., Dr., Prof.) should not be included. Funding information may be included in this footnote or in the Acknowledgments section.
The journal accepts only one corresponding author—the individual who submits the manuscript. This designation may be changed upon formal request to the journal office prior to the issuance of the acceptance letter. Detailed comments regarding the specific percentage of contribution for each author will not be included in the published article.
Abstract
The abstract should allow readers to quickly ascertain the value and main findings of the report. As the abstract is often read independently of the full text, it must be completely self-explanatory and intelligible on its own. It should be written after the manuscript is completed and must be consistent with the main text.
The abstract must include:
1. The rationale or justification for the research.
2. The objectives and topics covered.
3. A brief description of the methods used. (If the paper focuses on methodology, outline the basic principles, range, and accuracy of the new methods).
4. The main results.
5. The primary conclusions.
The abstract should highlight new observations and numerical data. It must be informative; avoid phrases like "is discussed" or "is described." Use specific rather than general statements, particularly in the methods and results sections (e.g., state "rates of 40 and 80 kg P ha⁻¹" rather than "two rates of P").
The abstract must not exceed 300 words for full-length research articles and 150 words for short communications. It should be formatted as a single, unstructured paragraph without line breaks. Do not include bibliographic citations, figure/table references, equations, formulas, or obscure abbreviations. Scientific names of organisms and soil classifications (if relevant to the interpretation of results) must be included when common names are first mentioned.
Authors are encouraged to provide a Persian translation of the abstract, which will appear at the beginning of the article. For non-Iranian authors, this translation will be provided by the journal's editorial team.
Keywords
A list of three to five keywords must be provided. Keywords should encompass the primary topic investigated and any specialized techniques utilized. They must be informative and understandable without reference to the main text.
Introduction
The introduction should clearly identify the subject of the study, state the hypothesis or define the problem the research aims to address, and orient the reader through brief references to prior concepts and research. Literature citations should be limited to essential background information. The purpose of the introduction is to provide sufficient context for the reader to understand and evaluate the results without needing to consult previous publications.
The introduction should be concise and include:
1. A brief statement of the problem justifying the work, or the underlying hypothesis.
2. Relevant findings from previous studies that will be challenged or expanded upon.
3. An explanation of the general approach and objectives, potentially indicating the methodology used, especially if it is novel.
Materials and Methods
The journal publishes manuscripts based on experimental data, surveys, and theoretical analyses, provided they yield robust and acceptable results. This section must provide sufficient procedural detail to allow a competent researcher to replicate the experiments.
For materials, provide appropriate technical specifications, quantities, and sources or preparation methods. If a commercially available product is used, include the manufacturer's name and location in parentheses upon first mention. Chemical names are preferred over trade names. Any organisms or soils not mentioned in the abstract must be accurately identified by genus, species, cultivar, or soil classification.
Established methods should be cited via references; if widely known, only the method name is required. If a method has been modified, outline the modifications unless they are trivial. Provide details for any unusual experimental designs or statistical analyses. This section may be organized chronologically or by technique and may include tables and figures.
Results
Avoid repeating in prose what is already evident from the tables and figures. Well-constructed graphics should clearly convey both the results and the experimental design. Data presented in illustrations and tables should not be extensively reiterated in the text; however, significant findings must be highlighted. Isolated determinations can be described in the text, whereas repetitive data should be presented in tables or graphs.
The objective of each experiment should be clearly stated in the text, drawing attention to specific features such as comparative quantities, linear relationships, or optimum values. Finally, the results should be related to one another, which often naturally leads to combining the Results and Discussion sections.
Discussion
The discussion interprets the data presented in the results section, specifically addressing the problem or hypothesis outlined in the introduction. A strong discussion will contain:
1. Principles, relationships, and generalizations supported by the results.
2. Exceptions, lack of correlation, and identification of knowledge gaps requiring further investigation.
3. Comparisons with previous literature, highlighting agreements or discrepancies.
4. Both theoretical and practical implications of the findings.
5. Conclusions, supported by a summary of the evidence.
If separated from the Results section, the Discussion should not merely recapitulate the findings but explore their meaning and how they resolve the initial problem. Connect the current work to previous studies, explaining any differences or agreements. Limit references to the most pertinent and recent literature. Reasonable speculation is encouraged, provided it is firmly grounded in observation and testable. Controversial issues should be addressed clearly and objectively. Avoid excessive focus on non-essential details.
Conclusions may be presented as a separate section or integrated into the Discussion, depending on the complexity of the paper. Ensure that all significant conclusions are clearly worded for easy identification by the reader.
Acknowledgments
In this section, authors may acknowledge research institutions, companies, governmental bodies, or individuals who contributed to or financially supported the research.
References
The reference section lists all literature cited in the manuscript. Authors are encouraged to cite only significant, published, and up-to-date sources.
Details of Manuscript Preparation
Typing and Formatting
The manuscript must be typed and double-spaced throughout, including footnotes, references, table data, and figure captions. Manuscripts generated by word processors are acceptable provided the text is highly legible.
Length of Manuscripts
The manuscript should not exceed 20 A4 pages (approx. 5,000–5,500 words). Space required for figures can be estimated based on the original size and the expected reduction (typically 40–60%). For tables, ten lines require approximately 25 mm of column space; lines exceeding 60 characters will span two columns.
Headings and Subheadings
Main text headings (e.g., Materials and Methods) should be centered and capitalized. Secondary headings should be centered using title case, and side headings should use title case. Run-in headings should be formatted in italics. Use subheadings to guide the reader, but keep them concise and avoid excessive use.
Captions
Figure captions must be typed together on a separate page, using the abbreviation "Fig." Table headings must be typed directly with the table and do not require a separate page. The figure caption page should be numbered to follow the reference list.
Footnotes
Avoid the use of footnotes in the text. The only acceptable footnotes are government disclaimers regarding named commercial products or trade mentions.
Reference Formatting
Only literature that is publicly accessible through libraries or databases should be cited. Personal communications and unpublished data should be cited parenthetically in the text (e.g., R.D. Jackson, 1997, personal communication), including the source and date. Material submitted but not yet accepted is considered unpublished. Authors are urged to verify all bibliographic details against the original documents to ensure accuracy. Ensure that every citation in the text appears in the reference list and vice versa.
References must be numbered sequentially in the order they are cited in the text, with numbers enclosed in square brackets (e.g., Glenn et al. [1]). The reference list should be compiled in numerical order at the end of the manuscript. Do not capitalize the titles of articles, except for proper nouns and the first word.
Journal Articles:
[1] Glenn, G.M., Younce, F.L. and Pitts, M.J. 1991. Fundamental physical properties characterizing the hardness of wheat endosperm. Journal of Cereal Science 13: 179-194.
Chapters in Edited Books:
[2] Clark, A.H. 1987. The application of network theory to food systems. In: Food Structure and Behavior (J.M.V. Blanshard and P. Eillford, eds.). Academic Press, London, pp. 13-34.
Units of Measurement
The International System of Units (SI) is the standard. Any non-standard abbreviations must be explicitly defined in the text upon first use.
Tables
Tables must be mentioned sequentially in the text. The first mention of each table should be indicated in the margin of the manuscript draft.
Illustrations
Figures are categorized as line drawings or photographs. Line drawings must be created using intense black on white. Photographs must have high contrast and be in sharp focus. Complex formulas, flow diagrams, metabolic schemes, and large tables should be treated as figures. Figures must be mentioned sequentially in the text, and the first mention should be indicated in the margin. Use square brackets to indicate formula numbers.
Figures will be photographically reproduced, usually with a reduction of 40–60% to fit a single journal column (69 mm wide). All letters, numbers, and symbols in the original artwork must be large enough to remain at least 1.5 mm high after reduction. Use standard symbols.
Preparation for Publication (Proofs)
Page proofs will be sent to the corresponding author for final checking prior to publication. Alterations other than the correction of typographical or printer's errors will be permitted only at the editor's discretion. Corrected proofs must be returned to the editorial office within 15 days; otherwise, the editor reserves the right to correct the proofs and proceed with publication.
Website: www.fsct.ir