Plant Genetic Research

Manuscript Preparation and Submission Guidelines

Plant Genetic Research (PGR) accepts original, short, and review articles in all areas of plant geneticsو including molecular markers, genetic engineering, molecular genetics, classical genetics, population genetics, and cytogeneticsو provided that the work is original and has not been published previously. The corresponding author bears full responsibility for the scientific accuracy of all content included in the manuscript. Upon submission, the corresponding author must provide a signed Journal Commitment Form endorsed by all co-authors. Manuscripts submitted without full compliance with these guidelines will not be considered for review.

To facilitate proper formatting, the journal provides an official EndNote output style file titled “Journal of Plant Genetic Research”, available for download [here].

1. Language

The primary language of the journal is Persian. All manuscripts must include both a Persian and an English abstract.

2. Manuscript Preparation Guidelines

2.1 Formatting Requirements

• Manuscripts must be typed on A4-sized paper (21 × 29.7 cm) with 2.5 cm margins on all sides.
• Text must be double-spaced (line spacing = 2.0).
• The main body of the manuscript should use the B Lotus font, size 14.
• Scientific names and all English terms within the text, as well as the English abstract, must be formatted in Times New Roman, size 12.
• All pages—including those containing tables and figures—must follow the same layout and be numbered consecutively. The total length of the manuscript must not exceed 20 pages.

2.1.1 Tables

• Each table must include a number, title, column headers, and data.
• Vertical and horizontal lines should be avoided within tables.
• All numerical data in tables and figures must be presented in English and aligned left-to-right.
• Table titles must follow this format:
  Persian: جدول X—[Title]
  English: Table X. [Title]
• Tables and figures must not be submitted as image files.
• Table titles, column headers, and footnotes must be provided in both Persian and English, with exact correspondence between the two versions.

2.1.2 Figures

• All illustrations, graphs, and photographs must be labeled as “Figure”.
• Figure titles must appear below the figure and follow this format:
  Persian: شکل X—[Title]
  English: Figure X. [Title]
• Photographs must be high-resolution and submitted as separate JPG files attached at the end of the manuscript.
• Figure titles must be provided in both Persian and English.
• All labels and annotations within figures should preferably be in English.
• For multi-panel figures, panels must be labeled using capital Latin letters (e.g., A, B, C…).

2.2 Manuscript Structure

Each manuscript must include, in the following order:
Title page, Abstract, Keywords, Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results and Discussion, Acknowledgments, References, and English Abstract.

2.2.1 Title Page / Author Information

• A separate, unnumbered title page must be provided in both Persian and English, including:
  • Bolded article title
  • Full names of all authors
  • Academic titles
  • Institutional affiliations
  • Full postal addresses
  • Email address and telephone number of the corresponding author

2.2.2 Title

• The title must be concise, informative, and reflective of the research content.
• It must not exceed 25 words.
• Author names must not appear on the first page of the main manuscript file.

2.2.3 Abstract

• Manuscripts must include:
  • A short Persian abstract (~250 words)
  • An English translation of the Persian abstract
  • A comprehensive English abstract (minimum 700 words), placed on the first page immediately after the title
   
• Authors are strongly advised to consult recently published articles in the journal for formatting examples of both the short Persian abstract and the comprehensive English abstract, as well as the journal’s online submission system for the short English abstract format.

2.2.4 Keywords

• Up to six keywords must be listed after the abstract.
• Keywords should be selected to facilitate subject indexing and should avoid repetition of words already used in the title.

2.2.5 Introduction

• Must clearly define the research problem, provide a critical review of relevant prior studies, and explicitly state the objectives and novelty of the current work.

2.2.6 Materials and Methods

• Experimental procedures, data collection, processing, and statistical analyses must be described in full detail.
• Novel or modified methodologies must be explained comprehensively, with sufficient technical detail to allow replication.

2.2.7 Results and Discussion

• Results and discussion may be presented separately or integrated, using text, tables, figures, and graphs.
• Findings must be critically analyzed in the context of relevant, peer-reviewed scientific literature.
• New scientific insights and innovative contributions of the study must be clearly articulated with robust justification.

2.2.8 Acknowledgments

• This section should thank individuals and organizations that provided financial support, technical assistance, equipment, or other resources essential to the research.

2.2.9 References

• All references cited in the text must be in English.
• Persian-language sources must be translated into English and followed by “(In Persian)”.
  • It is recommended to use the official English abstract of the Persian source when available; authors should avoid self-translations.
• The in-text citations and the reference list must be fully consistent in terms of:
  • Inclusion/exclusion in text vs. reference list
  • Spelling and formatting of author names
  • Presence/absence of co-authors
  • Year of publication

2.2.9.1 In-Text Citations

• Cite as: Author(s) (Year)—without first names.
• When the citation begins a sentence:
  • Persian: نظریان و همکاران (Nazarian et al., 2007)
  • Persian: نظریان و اسماعیلی (Nazarian and Ismaili, 2012)
• For multiple citations in one instance, list chronologically from oldest to newest, separated by semicolons (;).
• “et al.” must be italicized.
• Use “and” (not “&”) before the last author’s name.

2.2.9.2 Reference List Formatting

• References must be alphabetized by first author’s last name.
• Use hanging indent (0.5 cm).
• Font: Times New Roman, size 11.
• For in-press articles, use “(in press)” instead of the year.
• Article titles: Only the first word, proper nouns, and scientific names should be capitalized.
• Journal titles: Must be written in full (not abbreviated).

Examples:

• Journal Article
  Nazarian Firouzabadi, F., Kok-Jacon, G.A., Vincken, J.P., Ji, Q., Suurs, L.C. and Visser, R.G. (2007). Fusion proteins comprising the catalytic domain of mutansucrase and a starch-binding domain can alter the morphology of amylose-free potato starch granules during biosynthesis. Transgenic Research, 16: 645–656.
   
  Nazarian Firouzabadi, F. and Visser, R.G. (2007). Accumulation of multiple-repeat starch-binding domains (SBD2–SBD5) does not reduce amylose content of potato starch granules. Planta, 225: 919–933.
• Book
  Note: Citations of unauthorized Persian translations of books are not permitted. Always cite the original English-language edition.
  Lodge, J., Lund, P. and Minchin, S. (2007). Gene Cloning, 1st edn. Taylor & Francis, London, UK.
• Book Chapter
  Glenn, E.P., Brown, J.J. and Khan, M.J. (1997). Mechanisms of salt tolerance in higher plants. In: Basra, A.S. and Basra, R.K., Eds., Mechanisms of Environmental Stress Resistance in Plants, pp. 83–110. Harwood Academic Publishers, The Netherlands.
  (Use “Ed.” for one editor; “Eds.” for multiple editors.)
• Thesis/Dissertation
  Nazarian Firouzabadi, F. (2007). In planta modification of potato starch granule biogenesis by different granule-bound fusion proteins. Ph.D. Thesis, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
• Patent
  Patent Inventor. (Year). Title. Patent Type Patent Number. Date issued: Date.
• Conference Paper
  Author. (Year). Title. Paper presented at the Conference Name, Conference Location, City, Country.
• Online Sources
  Online citations are generally discouraged, except for authoritative scientific databases (e.g., IPNI, IPCN, NCBI). If unavoidable, include:
  • Author
  • Publication date (if available)
  • Retrieval date
  • Stable URL
   

  Example:
  Cartwright, J. (2007). Big stars have weather too. IOP Publishing Physics Web. http://physicsweb.org/articles/news/11/6/16/1. Accessed 26 June 2007.

2.2.10 English Abstract

• The English abstract must be a complete and accurate translation of the Persian abstract.
• Author names must not appear on the English abstract page.

Required Submission Files

Note: The final accepted manuscript must be resubmitted in the journal’s official template. Failure to do so will delay or prevent publication.

iThenticate Similarity Report (IranDoc Plagiarism Detection)

To obtain an official similarity report via IranDoc’s iThenticate system (https://tik.irandoc.ac.ir):

1. The corresponding author must log in to their personal account.
2. Navigate to: New Request →
   • Request Type: Scientific Article
   • Text Type: Full journal manuscript
   • Your Text: Enter the full manuscript title
   • Text for similarity check: Paste text or upload file
   • Send to: Certification (select “I wish to receive a certificate and display it in my journal account”)
   • Organizational Affiliation: Ministry of Science, Research and Technology
   • Journal Name: Plant Genetic Research
   • Payment Method: Direct payment

After receiving the similarity report (acceptable threshold: <20%), upload the official report in the “Supplementary Files” section during manuscript submission.

Plant Genetic Research (PGR) reserves the right to reject any manuscript that fails to comply with these guidelines.