Guide for Authors


Manuscript Submission
  • The manuscript (including text, figures, and tables) and the cover letter should be submitted electronically via TPJF website under
    Publish>Submit Manuscript. Please use the manuscript and the cover letter templates provided by the journal. It is expected that authors have read our Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement.
  • The manuscript should be prepared in a Microsoft Word format (.doc or .docx) and the file name should be clearly labeled with the corresponding author’s last name and title running head (e.g. Mutia_Distribution of Sardinella tawilis larvae in Lake Taal).
Type of Manuscript
  • An original research is a full-length paper reporting new research findings with sufficient details for validation and reproducibility. It should be approximately 5000-8000 words long, including abstract, acknowledgment, and references.
  • A review article is a critical review presenting objective synthesis and assessment of topics within the scope of the Journal and carefully interpreting and critiquing said knowledge based on available literature. It is more flexible in terms of format and length but is stricter on having at least 30 literature references, preferably published over the last five (5) years. A review article may be submitted directly or by invitation.
  • A short communication is a concise but complete description of new concepts, investigations, experimental methods, models, technical operations or applied activities to inform readers of development in a particular research area. It is more flexible in terms of format, but it must include references and a detailed description of the methodology and must not exceed three (3) pages or approximately 4000 words, including the references, tables, and figures.
  • A commentary is a scholarly article which expresses a personal opinion or a new perspective about existing research on a particular topic. A commentary may be commissioned by the editor-in-chief or editorial board members, or spontaneously submitted. They are not minireviews. Commentaries do not include original data and are heavily dependent on the author’s perspective or anecdotal evidence from the author’s personal experience to support the argument. It should be approximately 1000-1500 words long. No need for abstracts or key words. However it should contain the following:
    • Background - This should explain the background to the article, its aims, a summary of a search of the existing literature and the issue under discussion.
    • Main text - This should contain the body of the article, and may also be broken into subsections with short, informative headings.
    • Conclusions - This should state clearly the main conclusions and include an explanation of their relevance or importance to the field.
  • A policy brief is a “concise summary of a particular issue, the policy options to deal with it, and some recommendations on the best option” (FAO Food Security Communications toolkit). It is aimed at government policymakers and others who are interested in formulating or influencing policy. It is more flexible in terms of format and length but is typically a single sheet, containing, around 700 words. Longer briefs can take up to 8 pages or 3,000 words.
Manuscript Preparation
  • General Guidelines
    • The manuscript should be submitted and compiled in the following order: Title page; Title; Abstract; Keywords; Main text; Acknowledgements; Supplementary Material (if applicable); Author Contributions; Conflicts of Interest; Ethics Statement; References; Tables with captions. All figures should be submitted in a separate file.
    • Figure captions should appear below each figure, flush left.
    • Figure formats should be 600 dpi in TIFF/JPG/JPEG format.
    • Measurements should adhere to the internationally accepted rules (i.e., international system of units or SI). Do not italicize the units. Kindly consult this website.
    • The manuscript text should be in Times New Roman, 12 point, double-spaced, with at least one-inch margin on each side, and justified throughout.
    • Page numbers are at the right bottom of the page.
    • All abbreviations should be spelled out the first time they are used.
  • Manuscript Structure
    • Title page shall contain the following:
      • Type of article (e.g., original research, short communication, review article, commentary, policy brief);
      • Title of the article;
      • Author/s’ full name/s, affiliations, complete mailing addresses, and e-mail addresses should be in Times New Roman, 12 point, flush left;
      • ORCID identifier of the authors (at least the corresponding author must have an ORCID identifier); and
      • Identify the corresponding author (the primary contact person of the editors).
    • Manuscript text must be separated from the Title Page with a page break. It should contain the following:
      • Title;
      • Abstract – maximum of 250 words are required for all types of manuscripts;
      • Key Words – three (3) to six (6) words to identify the most important topics covered in the paper and for indexing purposes;
      • d) The main text should be structured and numbered consecutively as (depending on the type of manuscript): 1. Introduction; 2. Materials and Methods; 3. Results; 4. Discussion; 5. Conclusion; 6. Acknowledgement; 7. Supplementary Material (if applicable); 8. Author Contributions; 9. Conflicts of Interest; and 10. References. Peer-reviewers prefer that results and discussion are separated.
    • Tables:
      • Tables should appear at the end of the text, after the References section. Do not embed tables and figures in the text.
      • They should be numbered in the order in which they appear in the text (e.g. Table 1, Table 2, etc.). Contents (including captions) must be set in Times New Roman 12 point.
      • Table captions should appear above each table, flush left. Any legend or footnotes must be clearly identified below the table. Avoid vertical lines.
    • Figures:
      • Figures should have the highest quality format possible. Photographs and scanned materials should be of a minimum resolution of 600 dpi in TIFF/JPG/JPEG format.
      • Because figures are usually large files, send them in a separate document complete with captions appearing below the figure, flush left, Times New Roman, 12 point.
      • Figures should be numbered in the order in which they appear in the text (e.g. Figure 1, Figure 2, etc).

    • Submission Checklist


    You can use this list to carry out a final check of your submission before you send it to us. Please check the relevant section in this Guide for Authors for more details.


  • Ensure that the following items are present:
    • One author has been designated as the corresponding author with contact details:
      • E-mail address
      • Contact number
      • ORCID identifier
    • All necessary files have been uploaded.
      • Manuscript:
        • Include keywords
        • All figures (include relevant captions)
        • All tables (including titles, description, footnotes)
        • Ensure all figure and table citations in the text match the files provided
      • Supplemental files (where applicable)


    • Further considerations:
      • Manuscript has been 'spell checked' and 'grammar checked'.
      • All references mentioned in the Reference List are cited in the text, and vice versa. Sources found online must be properly cited with links or DOI. Please refer to the manuscript. template or check the CSE style guide.
      • Permission has been obtained for use of copyrighted material from other sources (including the Internet).
      • A conflicts of interest statement is provided in the manuscript, even if the authors have no competing interests to declare.
      • An ethics statement is provided in the manuscript.
      • Journal policies detailed in this guide have been reviewed.
      • Referee suggestions and contact details provided, based on journal requirements
Download Submission Guidelines