Submissions

Author Guidelines

LAJAM is a fully online journal as of 2012. Please follow  Author Guidelines that appear in this section to submit your work.

Also, please note that we no longer require a cover letter as the "Submission Preparation Checklist" below is intended to replace it. However, authors who wish to communicate to the Editor any relevant detail about their submission may provide this information in the "Comments for the Editor" text box at the end of Step 1.

Finally, authors may upload "Supplemental Files". These can be appendices, computer code/scripts, or data sets. In the final submission (after acceptance) authors should use this feature to upload the individual files for graphics and tables, which must be submitted separately from the manuscript's text file.

Ready to submit? Please follow this link to begin the five-step submission process.

Latin American Journal of Aquatic Mammals Author Guidelines

Revised Nov 2023

Scope of LAJAM

The Latin American Journal of Aquatic Mammals (LAJAM) publishes articles on the research, management and conservation biology of aquatic mammals in Latin America. Articles on theory or techniques broadly applicable to aquatic mammals will also be considered, even when the research has taken place outside Latin America. 

Submission of manuscripts

• Manuscripts should be submitted online at https://lajamjournal.org/index.php/lajam/submission/wizard using the OJS/PKP platform. 
• Upon submission, authors are highly encouraged to provide names and contact details of potential referees which may or may not be contacted at the Editor’s discretion. 

LANGUAGE 

• Manuscripts must be written in either American or British English; however, authors must be consistent throughout the manuscript. 

TYPES OF SUBMISSIONS

LAJAM publishes the following types of manuscript: Articles, Notes, Protocols, Reviews, Book Reviews, Comments and Opinions.

• Articles report results of original research. Manuscripts should be organized in a logical sequence with sections corresponding to Title page, Abstract and Keywords, Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results, Discussion, Acknowledgments and References. Articles should normally not exceed 7,500 words of text, not including references, figures and tables. 
• Notes are brief reports of original research. They should normally not exceed 3,500 words in the body text, not including references, figures and tables. Notes do not have formal sections or headings (except for Acknowledgments and References) and they do not have an Abstract or Keywords. 
• Protocols are technical short papers of recommended standardized methods for collecting data of aquatic mammals (i.e. on morphology, behavior, genetics, etc.). Protocols should be well illustrated and should normally not exceed 4000 words in the body of the text, not including references, figures and tables.
• Reviews address topics of general interest to the Latin American aquatic mammal community. They should be concise (i.e. summarize the topic), rather than present detailed information. Reviews will be considered for publication only after invitation by, or agreement with, LAJAM Editors.
• Book Reviews are short reviews of recently published books dealing with aquatic mammals in Latin America. Authors should inquire with the Editor-in-Chief prior to preparing a book review to ensure that there is no duplication of effort.
• Comments are short critiques of papers previously published in LAJAM. Authors of the original paper being discussed will be invited to reply to these critiques. Comments on papers published elsewhere but of relevance to aquatic mammal research in Latin America will also be considered. 
• Opinions are invited contributions on selected topics of relevance to Latin American aquatic mammals. Non-invited opinions will be considered after agreement with LAJAM Editors.  
•  

Publication format

• Manuscripts should be prepared in Microsoft Word or a similar program (.doc, .docx and .rtf formats accepted).
• Manuscripts should have line numbers inserted continuously starting with the title page.
• All parts of the manuscript, including tables, and figure captions, should be typewritten, double-spaced with margins at least 2.5 cm (1in) wide. 
• Number all pages of the manuscript beginning with the title page and include continuous line numbers on each page. 
• All text should be typed using Times New Roman font size 12. Headings (e.g., Introduction) should be in bold. If additional sub-headings are required, these should appear in italics (e.g., Data analysis). 
• The Latin abbreviation such as ‘et al.’ should not italicized, however ‘e.g.’ and ‘i.e.’ should be italicized and should be followed by a comma. 

TITLE PAGE

• Should contain a concise and informative title, and a list of authors’ names. Author affiliations and addresses should be numbered. 
• The Corresponding author should be identified with an asterisk (*) and provide their email address. 

ABSTRACT

• The abstract should be in English and should summarize the objective of the study, the methods used, the main results, the conclusions and their significance, and not exceed 350 words. 
• Up to six Keywords (in English), that are not used in the title, should be provided. 

BODY OF THE MANUSCRIPT

• Should contain the Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results, Discussion, Acknowledgments, and References.
• Measurement units should conform to the Système International d’Unités (SI). Abbreviations must be defined the first time they appear in the text. Acknowledgements must be brief and should include permit and/or grant number(s) under which the work was conducted. Tables and figures should be placed after References. 

IN-TEXT CITATIONS

• Reference to papers containing more than two authors should appear as: Di Beneditto et al. (2001). 
• References should appear in chronological order (e.g., DeMaster et al., 1992; Palacios & Mate, 1996; Dalla Rosa et al., 1999; Van Bressem et al., 2006; 2007). 
• References from the same year should be cited followed by letters as: Vaz-Ferreira (1975a, b).

REFERENCES

• References should be double-spaced and listed alphabetically in the APA 7th Edition format, with full journal titles and each author’s last name starting with a full capital followed by lowercase for the rest of the name. 
• For users of bibliographic software, the APA 7th Edition template can be downloaded from https://endnote.com/style_download/apa-7th-american-psychological-association-7th-edition/ 
• Include a DOI for works that have a DOI whenever possible. Country of publication should be spelled out. 

Journal Articles

General Format: Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year). Article title. Journal Title, volume(issue), page numbers. DOI or URL 

Gerpe, M. S., Rodriguez, D. H., Moreno, V. J., Bastida, R. O., & Aizpun, J. E. (2002). Accumulation of heavy metals in the franciscana (Pontoporia blainvillei) from Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. Latin American Journal of Aquatic Mammals, 1(1), 95-106. https://doi.org/10.5597/lajam00013

Palacios, D. M., & Mate, B. R. (1996). Attack by false killer whales (Pseudorca crassidens) on sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) in the Galapagos Islands. Marine Mammal Science, 12(4), 582-587. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1748-7692.1996.tb00070.x

Books

General Format: Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Date). Title in sentence case: Subtitle (edition, if not the first). Publisher. URL or DOI (if electronic)

Lord, R. D. (2007). Mammals of South America. Johns Hopkins University Press.

Edited Books

Miller, J., & Smith, T. (Eds.). (1996). Cape Cod stories: Tales from Cape Cod, Nantucket, and Martha's Vineyard. Chronicle Books.

Würsig, B., Thewissen, J. G. M., & Kovacs, K. M. (Eds.). (2017). Encyclopedia of marine mammals (3rd ed.). Academic Press. https://doi.org/10.1016/C2015-0-00820-6 

Book chapters

Ponnampalam, L. S., Keith-Diagne, L., Marmontel, M., Marshall, C. D., Reep, R. L., Powell, J., & Marsh, H. (2022). Historical and current interactions with humans. In H. Marsh (Ed.), Ethology and behavioral ecology of Sirenia (Vol. 6, pp. 299-350). Springer Nature Switzerland. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-90742-6_7

Aragones, L. V., LaCommare, K. S., Kendall, S., Castelblanco-Martinez, N., & Gonzalez-Socoloske, D. (2012). Boat- and land­-based surveys for sirenians. In E. M. Hines, J. E. Reynolds III, L. V. Aragones, A. A. Mignucci-Giannoni, & M. Marmontel (Eds.), Sirenian conservation: Issues and strategies in developing countries (pp. 179-185). University Press of Florida. 

Theses

General Format: Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year). Title of dissertation/thesis (Publication No.) [Doctoral dissertation/Master's thesis, University]. Database. URL

Silva, K. G. (2004). Os pinípedes no Brasil: ocorrências, estimativas populacionais e conservação [Doctoral dissertation, Fundação Universidade Federal do Rio Grande].

Gonzalez-Socoloske, D. (2013). Aspects of the feeding ecology of the Antillean manatee (Trichechus manatus manatus) in the wetlands of Tabasco, Mexico [Doctoral dissertation, Duke University]. DukeSpace. https://hdl.handle.net/10161/7100

Technical & Research Reports 

Citations of non peer-reviewed reports from known international or national institutions (e.g. UNEP, IUCN, IWC, CMS, NOAA) and publications not available in the public domain (e.g. working documents, contract reports) should also be included in the list of References. Citation of such reports should be as follows: 

General Format: Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Date). Title of report (Publication No.). Publisher. DOI or URL

Nelson, M., Garron, M., Merrick, R. L., Pace, R. M., & Cole, T. V. (2007). Mortality and serious injury determinations for baleen whale stocks along the United States eastern seaboard and adjacent Canadian Maritimes, 2001-2005 (Document No. 07-05). U.S. Department of Commerce, Northeast Fisheries Science Center. http://www.nefsc.noaa.gov/nefsc/publications

Conference abstracts

Citation of conference abstracts are allowed but should be avoided if possible. It may be permitted if there are no peer review sources available on the topic. Citation of conference abstracts (if applicable) should also be included in the References. Full conference dates (including days) is preferable if available. The format should be as follows: 

General Format: Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Date). Title of contribution [Paper presentation]. Conference Name, Location. DOI or URL

Gonzalez-Socoloske, D., Carvalho, C. C., & Marmontel, M. (2019, December 9-12). Characterization of side scan-sonar images produced by Amazonian River dolphins (Inia geoffrensis) to reduce potential confusion during surveys of Amazonian manatees (Trichechus inunguis) [Paper Presentation]. World Marine Mammal Conference, Barcelona, Spain.

Olivera-Gómez, L. D., Jiménez-Domínguez, D., & Morales-Vela, B. (2021, May 2-6). Seguimiento satelital de manatíes en sistemas fluviolagunares del sur del Golfo de México [Paper Presentation]. XXXVII Reunión Internacional para el Estudio de los Mamíferos Marinos, Sociedad Mexicana de Mastozoología Marina, La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico. 

Websites

Internet citations should be presented in the Reference list and should include the full URL as well as the date the site was visited, according to the following example:

General Format: Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Date). Title of page. Host site. URL

IUCN. (2022). IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. https://www.iucnredlist.org

Marmontel, M., de Souza, D. A., & Kendall, D. (2016). Trichechus inunguis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016, e.T22102A43793736. https://doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-2.RLTS.T22102A43793736.en 

PERSONAL COMMUNICATIONS, PERSONAL OBSERVATIONS AND UNPUBLISHED DATA

Citation of personal communications, either oral or written, is permitted but should be used with discretion. Reference to personal observations or unpublished data should be cited in the text as follows: (E. Secchi, U. of Rio Grande, pers. comm., 15 August 2018), if one of the authors you can use (R. Ramos, pers. obs.), or (M.C.O. Santos, unpub. data). 

TABLES

• Tables should be included as part of the main manuscript and placed after the References. 
• Each table should be presented in a separate page, with table captions at the top of the page. 
• Tables should be numbered sequentially and cited in the text as Table 1, Table 2, etc. The maximum permitted width of any table is 17.5 cm. 

FIGURES

• For initial submission, figures should be included as part of the main manuscript after the Tables. 
• Each figure and caption should be placed in a separate page. Figures should be numbered sequentially and cited in the text as Fig. 1, Fig. 2, etc.
• If multiple images/panels are used in one figure, they should be labeled as A, B, etc. in the upper left hand corner of each panel. The intext citation can specify the panel as Fig. 1A,  Fig. 3C, etc.
• After acceptance, authors need to provide high-quality files in a format suitable for publication (i.e., .tif for raster images and .eps for vector graphics). 
• Maps should be prepared using appropriate mapping software and should have a coordinate system (see instructions below on how to report geographic coordinates) with readable labels along the longitude and latitude axes. Maps generated with Google Maps, Google Earth, MapQuest, etc. are not acceptable for publication in LAJAM. Maps should include appropriate scale bars (not more than ⅓ the length of the map, with logical scale increments such as multiples of 5, 10, 15 or 50) and a north arrow. 
• Images should be sized to single-column width (width 8.5 cm) and the maximum allowable width is 17.5 cm. Resolution should be 300 dpi or higher. Axes should be labeled and should include appropriate measurement units. Lettering should be in Arial, Helvetica or a similar sans serif font with a minimum size of 10 pt. Figures composed of multiple parts should be labeled (e.g., A, B, C, D). 
• All figures, tables, and their captions should be self-explanatory. For table footnotes use superscript lowercase letters; asterisks can be used to indicate statistical significance. 

EQUATIONS

• Should be prepared using the Equation Editor included with Microsoft Word. Ensure that superscripts and subscripts are easily discernible.
• Use italics for letters indicating parameters (e.g. y = a + bx).
• Results of statistical tests should be given as follows: (ANOVA, F(3,2) = 5.67, p = 0.03); (t-test, t(3) = 2.43, p = 0.09). 

COMMON AND SCIENTIFIC NAMES

• The full scientific name must be given (in parentheses, after the common name) the first time a species is mentioned (e.g., The blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus)...). After that, unless the paper deals directly with taxonomy, common names should be used instead of the scientific name.
• Genus name should be abbreviated in subsequent references to the scientific name (e.g., Three sightings of B. musculus…). When a sentence begins with a scientific name, the genus name should be spelled out (e.g., Balaenoptera musculus sightings occurred far offshore).
• Scientific and common names used should follow the Society for Marine Mammalogy List of Marine Mammal Species and Subspecies (https://marinemammalscience.org/science-and-publications/list-marine-mammal-species-subspecies/). Regional common names may be used if the internationally recognized common name is referred to at least once. For example, boto for the Amazonian River dolphin. The geographical location should not be used as part of the common name of the species unless it is an accepted common name. For example, “Guiana dolphins” is acceptable, but not “Uruguayan seal lions”.

CAPITALIZATION

• Capital letters should be used when referring to recognized geographic names (e.g., Antarctic, South Atlantic Ocean, Northern Hemisphere), and to institutions or people’s names (e.g., IWC Scientific Committee, Chairman, Vice-Chairman) or where named after a person (e.g., Blainville’s beaked whale, Commerson’s dolphin).
• Capital letters should not be used for generic names (e.g., western South Atlantic, sub-Antarctic, humpback whale). 

NUMBERS, DATES AND MAP REFERENCES

• Numbers under 10 should be spelled out (e.g., three humpback whales). 
• Decimal points should be indicated by full stops, not commas. 
• Zeros should be included: e.g., 0.86. 
• There should be a space between numbers and abbreviated units: e.g., 114 cm, 16 kg. But, percentages should be used as follows:  3% of humpback whales, with no space. 
• Dates should be as follows: 15 January 2020. 
• Time should be cited in the international standard notation (hh:mm:ss or hh:mm, e.g., 09:00h or 17:27:33h). 
• Geographic coordinates should be in the form: 32º05’ S, 52º08’ W or 32º05’03" S, 52º08’55" W. 

HYPHENS

• Should be used in compound adjectives preceding a noun (e.g., age-specific survival rates, length-specific model), but not when part of the compound adjective consists of a numeral (e.g., 8cm long testis). 

ABBREVIATIONS

• Capital abbreviations do not require full stops (e.g., IWC, FMA, MSYR, 25°S, CV, SD, SE, etc.). 
• Metric units are required, however, widespread nautical units (i.e., knots and nautical miles) are allowed.
• Commonly used abbreviations for quantities have no full stop (e.g., 10 cm, 15 m, 3 nmi, 15 kt, 25°C, etc.). 

ITALICS

• Should be used for references to titles of books and periodicals (e.g., Moby Dick, Marine Ecology Progress Series); names of vessels (e.g., Ary Rongel, Atlântico Sul); scientific names of organisms (e.g., Coprosma foetidissima); foreign words or abbreviations not part of everyday English (e.g., i.e.); local names for habitats or other descriptions (e.g., várzea, igapó); and trade names (e.g., Garmin). 

QUOTATIONS

• Single quotation marks should be used.
• The style and punctuation of the original quotation should be used.
• Omitted sections should be indicated by three full stops ‘…’. Spelling or other obvious errors may be followed by [sic] as to indicate the error is authentic. 

Policies

Manuscripts submitted for publication in LAJAM must: 

(1) not have been previously published or submitted simultaneously to any other publication outlet; 

(2) be original; 

(3) have been approved by all authors and institutions involved; 

(4) meet animal ethics guidelines; and 

(5) have obtained permits for research and sample collection as required by institutional, national, or international regulations. 

• Papers describing experiments on animals need to certify that no animals were harmed in conducting the research. 
• Authors need to indicate whether institutional, national or international guidelines for animal experiments were followed. 
• These statements should be included at the beginning of the Acknowledgments section.
• Whenever permits are required to carry out scientific research, the corresponding permit numbers (including any CITES permits for sample export) should be mentioned in the Acknowledgments.

EDITORIAL PROCESS

• The Editorial Board recognizes that English is not the first language for most authors. 
• Although a manuscript written in poor English may not be rejected, authors are strongly encouraged to have their manuscript checked by a native English speaker before submitting. 

PEER REVIEW

• All submitted manuscripts will be reviewed by at least two anonymous referees. Referees would normally return their reviews within four to six weeks.
• Depending on the outcome of the reviews, a manuscript may be rejected or it may be considered conditionally acceptable after minor or major revision.

REVISION AND RESPONSE LETTER

• Authors are asked to prepare a revised version of the manuscript addressing the reviewers’ comments in three to five weeks. 
• Authors should also prepare a response letter containing a point-by-point description of how comments were addressed. 
• Authors are encouraged to highlight their changes in order to facilitate the assessment of revised manuscripts. 

EDITORIAL DECISION

• After assessing the revised version, the Editor might make a final decision on acceptance, or might return the manuscript for reviewers for additional checks. The Editor may also make additional editorial suggestions to the authors to ensure that formatting and style conform to LAJAM’s guidelines. 
• Upon acceptance, the author will be asked to provide a final version of the manuscript, with separate files for manuscript body and figures (as stand-alone, high quality files) within two weeks. 

PRODUCTION OF PAGE PROOFS

• Proofs will be returned to authors within three weeks. Authors should revise the PDF proofs very carefully and return any corrections within three days. 
• No other alterations to the content of the manuscript will be allowed. 
• A second set of proofs might be produced if necessary for the author’s final approval. 

PUBLICATION

• Accepted manuscripts will be available online prior to their incorporation into an issue. 
• When the issue is published online, manuscripts receive page numbers but the DOIs remain the same. 
• There are no page charges for articles published in LAJAM.