Submissions

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Submission Preparation Checklist

As part of the submission process, authors are required to check off their submission's compliance with all of the following items, and submissions may be returned to authors that do not adhere to these guidelines.
  • The submission has not been previously published, nor is it before another journal for consideration (or an explanation has been provided in Comments to the Editor).
  • The submission file is in Microsoft Word file format.
  • Where available, DOIs for the references have been provided.
  • The text is single-spaced; uses Times New Roman 12-point font; employs italics, rather than underlining (except with URL addresses); and all illustrations, figures, and tables are placed within the text at the appropriate points, rather than at the end.
  • The text adheres to the stylistic and bibliographic requirements outlined in the Author Guidelines.

Author Guidelines

Article types

Full papers should include unique research, analytical reviews, or descriptive manuscripts. The journal also features technical advancements, data notes, and letters to the editor.

Research article: Original research articles should present new findings that improve understanding of a research topic. For example, studies on genotyping, gene expression, GWAS, and gene family analysis should provide functional insights, such as biological hypotheses and validation or characterization of gene functions, rather than just descriptive results. Original research summarizing trial results from field, growth cabinet, or other settings, depending on the nature of the trials, should ideally be repeated across multiple seasons, locations, or both, as relevant. The minimum degrees of freedom should exceed 12.

Research note: Research findings from a single season or location may be accepted as a Research note if the results are of exceptional significance.

Review article: Comprehensive papers should interpret data mainly from previously published research, supplemented by new experimental observations.

Resources and infographics: It features infographics and posters documenting registered or notified biodiversity, spanning crops, wild species, microbes, and more within defined agroclimatic zones. Authors are required to deposit materials in the National Gene Bank of Nepal and obtain accession numbers. The publication also provides a standardized system for naming, describing, and promoting the availability of genotypes.

Survey article: A survey article provides a comprehensive overview of a specific topic or field, summarizing and synthesizing existing research. It highlights trends, challenges, and future directions, making it useful for researchers new to the area.

Germplasm and registration This type of manuscript documents the development, identification, and registration of new germplasm, crop varieties, or genetic resources in Nepal and beyond. 

Advertisements: Advertisements are non-scientific content submitted by companies, institutions, or individuals to promote products, services, events, or announcements relevant to the journal’s audience.

Perspective (Opinion/ vision article): Papers should provide a broad, personal viewpoint on a specific topic, often based on interpreting previously published data related to plant breeding and genetics.

Software and AI, and other technical advances: Papers should focus on software, AI tools, and apps, experimental techniques, method enhancements, new investigative tools and equipment, inventions or experimental improvements that greatly improve genomic data, and understanding in plant breeding and seed science. They can present novel findings without requiring extensive background or discussion.

Invited review: The journal may request review articles that are comprehensive and interpret previously published data on plant breeding and genetics.

Letters to the Editor: These offer an opportunity for discussing particular themes and are subject to editorial review. Letters should be no longer than 300 words.

Publication review: A brief description of books or publications related to plant breeding, genetics, and seed science.

Language of the manuscript

Manuscripts must be written in clear, high-quality English, using either British or American style consistently throughout. Authors are responsible for ensuring correct grammar, spelling, and overall language quality. Submissions to the Germplasm and Registration section may be in Nepali; however, an English version of the title and abstract is required.

Sections

The journal will organize all submitted manuscripts under the following sections. The Editorial Board may select from these categories and update them as needed. The code in parentheses is the discipline code and will be used to assign a number to each paper upon receipt.

  • Agriculture Policy and Socio-economics (PS)
  • Agro Biodiversity (AB)
  • Agronomy (AN)
  • Applications and Innovations (AI)
  • Biotechnology (BT)
  • Biostatistics (BS)
  • Climate and Environment Science (CE)
  • Genetics and Plant Breeding (GP)
  • Germplasm and Registration (GR)
  • Horticultural Production (HP)
  • Natural Resource Management (NR)
  • Pasture and Fodder (PF)
  • Fruit Science and Technology (FT)
  • Seed Production (SP)
  • Seed Science and Technology (ST)
  • Vegetable Research (VR)
  • Others (OT)
  • Special Sections

Special Sections: The journal includes special sections that spotlight emerging research in plant breeding and genetics, encouraging scientific exchange from symposia, collaborations, and conferences. These peer-reviewed sections offer expert-driven updates on current advancements. To propose a section, authors must submit a one-page proposal to the Managing Editor, including the title, abstract, sample topics, contributor list, and suggested guest editors as a year-long project. Proposals must align with a thematic area of the journal.

Process of manuscript submission

The submission system is fully online and automated. Before initiating the submission process, prepare the documents like a cover letter, the main text of the manuscript, and supplementary files. First, you need to identify the type of article, then select the suitable section of your manuscript. Manuscripts should not have been published in full previously or submitted to other journals for consideration at the same time. Authors must declare any prior publication or submission, or originality, and the entirety of their manuscript. Copyright transfer is a must to prepare and submit during the initial submission.

In the main text, you need to provide a statement of generative AI, data availability commitment, conflict of interest declaration, and authors’ responsibility. Other documents like study highlights/graphical abstract, plain language summary, etc., are optional. Authors should have their manuscripts reviewed by colleagues before submission. Typos, spelling errors, and grammatical mistakes can result in immediate rejection, so ensure your manuscript is thoroughly checked for punctuation and spelling. Consulting additional experts to verify the manuscript's scientific value and clarity is recommended.

Page limit and formatting

  • Font: Times New Roman everywhere except special words other than English language, 12-point size, font size 10 for table heading, content, and figure captions, 9 for footer
  • Line spacing: Single-spaced throughout
  • Alignment: Justified
  • Page numbering: Bottom right corner, font size 9
  • Margins: Normal (2.54 cm on all sides), portrait orientation (can use landscape for the table and figure when required), A4 ( 21 cm × 29.7 cm) size
  • Page numbers limit: Max. 20 pages, references do not count
  • Document format: Manuscripts as an MS Word document or a LaTeX format
  • Numbering of headings and subheadings is NOT required
  • Bold headings and bold italics for subheadings to clearly distinguish them

Review and revision process

Submitted manuscripts are subjected to a single-blind peer review process. Each paper is handled by the Managing Editor, who will contact a suitable Editor for the review, ensuring at least two evaluations. Authors are encouraged to propose at least five potential reviewers, ensuring there are no conflicts of interest with the authors or the manuscript. The editorial board reserves the right to disregard any suggested reviewers. Authors are responsible for implementing all revisions during the review phase. Revised manuscripts will maintain the same identifier, with an additional “R” number (eg, GPBSS-24-04-ST-R1), and each revision may be reviewed again. Authors have four weeks to address the reviewer and associate editor's comments and return their revised manuscript. If revisions are not submitted within this timeframe, the manuscript may be released and will need to be resubmitted as a new paper. On average, it takes about 15 weeks from submission to the final decision, including the entire peer review process and revisions. Here’s the typical timeline:

  • Submission to initial evaluation by Managing Editor: 2 weeks
  • Review process: 4 – 6 weeks (depending on reviewer availability)
  • Re-submission of revised manuscript: 4 weeks
  • Revision evaluation by reviewers: 2 weeks
  • Re-submission of further revised manuscript (if needed): 2 weeks
  • Decision on revised manuscript for publication: 1 week

ORCID and email: We recommend that all authors include their Open Researcher and Contributor ID (ORCiD) and institutional emails (preferably) in their manuscripts.

Plagiarism screening

All papers submitted to the journal undergo a plagiarism check before the review process. If significant overlap with other sources is detected, the editor will assess the extent of the similarity and follow appropriate measures. Every manuscript submitted to our journal for publication consideration undergoes a plagiarism check with iThenticate®. Generally, a ≤10% similarity index is acceptable.

Manuscript requirements

Authors are required to follow the guidelines while formatting their manuscripts. They are requested to submit their manuscript as a Word document, including the title, abstract, text, figures, tables, and references. The submission must include the following components:

  • Cover letter to the Editor confirming the transfer of copyright and that the manuscript has not been submitted elsewhere for publication
  • Title
  • Authors, address and affiliation, email, and ORCID
  • Abstract
  • Keywords
  • Main text (Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results, Discussion, Conclusion)
  • Acknowledgments
  • Author responsibility
  • Conflict of interest declaration
  • Data availability commitment
  • Declaration of the use of generative AI tools
  • References (PBaGSoN-Style)
  • Supplementary information (conditional)
  • Tables (if not embedded in the main text)
  • Figures (if not embedded in the main text)

Tables and figures, along with their captions, should be incorporated into the text document at their initial reference. If your manuscript is approved for publication, you will also need to submit the figures separately as high-resolution image files in one of these formats: PDF, EPS, TIF, or JPEG.

Manuscript structure

Manuscripts should be submitted as a Microsoft Word document or in LaTeX format for evaluation. Ensure the document is typed with double spacing, includes plain page numbers at the bottom right corner of the page.

Title: Should be brief and informative, providing the reader with a clear understanding of the article's content. Preferably length is of 12 to 15 words excluding conjunctions and prepositions.

Authors: Beneath the title, include the names of all authors. Add an integer after each author's name and an asterisk next to the corresponding author’s name (i.e., the individual working as contact person on behalf of coauthors). The author who played the primary supervisory role should be listed last.

Affiliations: In the second paragraph, list all authors with their affiliation, email, and ORCID. The first sentence should include the authors' names (without any professional titles) along with their full and current addresses. The second sentence indicates the current address of the author(s) (who have moved from the original address) if different from the previously mentioned address.

ORCID and email: Authors are encouraged to provide their ORCIDs and institutional emails (if not available, personal email IDs) on the author page.

Research highlights/graphical abstract (OPTIONAL): The major findings of the study should be summarized either as a clear take-home message in 2 – 3 sentences or presented in a graphical abstract that highlights the key steps and results. This visual should summarize the study's main outcomes, methods, and key insights, allowing readers to quickly grasp the essential takeaways. Each point should consist of 15-20 words, highlighting the key findings of the current submission. These concise, bullet-pointed texts should showcase the most important outcomes and capture the significance of the study, along with its consequences for readers. Study highlights from the accepted manuscript can be utilized for spreading the research findings.

Plain language summary (OPTIONAL): This plain language summary (PLS) is intended for scientists in other fields, researchers across disciplines, undergraduate and graduate students, and readers who may not be fluent in English. Authors should write the PLS in simple terms that a layperson can understand. The PLS should be understandable, brief, engaging, and free from jargon. Focus on your results, what you discovered, and its significance rather than on methods. The goal is to attract readers to the journal and your research. Avoid using abbreviations. The summary should consist of five to six sentences, starting with one or two sentences explaining the issue or problem, followed by a description of your discoveries, key findings, or conclusions, and the implications of the results. PLS for the journal are limited to 150 words.

Main text

The main text begins with the manuscript title. Structure the main text of the manuscript as follows:

  1. Title
    • Title: Concise and descriptive, maximum of 15 words.
    • Authors: Put authors' names, addresses, emails, and ORCiD of ALL authors.
  2. Abstract
    • Length: 250 – 300 words.
    • Content: A summary of the background, objectives, methods, results, and conclusions.
  3. Keywords: Provide 4–6 keywords that describe the main topics of the paper, listed in alphabetical order, separated by commas, with only the first word of the first keyword capitalized.
  4. Introduction
    • Content: Background information, research gaps, research questions, and objectives of the study.
    • Abbreviations: Explain every abbreviation used in the text at its first mention. Do not need to define abbreviations of SI units, chemical abbreviations, and other self-defined, well-known abbreviations.
  5. Materials and Methods
    • Content: Detailed description of the experimental design, procedures, and analytical methods.
    • Describe each measurement process and quote the equipment used, including the manufacturer, where applicable.
  6. Results
    • Content: Presentation of findings with appropriate use of tables and figures without duplication in text and tabulated/graphed information.
    • No justification of the achieved results, this is NOT a discussion section, please note this.
    • Tables and figures: This should be included in the main document after the first mention. Each table title and figure caption should be clear and standalone.
    • Number limit of tables and figures: Max. 3 tables and 5 figures in the main text. Extra tables and figures go to the supplementary information.
    • More about tables and figures:
      1. Tables
        • Each entry in the tables should be placed in an individual cell. Refrain from using tabs, spaces, or graphics. Cite each table sequentially in the text and avoid designating parts (eg, Table 1a, 1b).
        • Citations: Cite each table in the main text.
        • Put after their first mention in the main text without breaking it apart.
        • Heads: Table headings should be clear, short, and stand alone.
        • Define the variables and spell out the abbreviations used in the table, if any.
        • Notes: Use "Notes" for general comments that apply to the entire table. For specific notes, utilize symbols in the following order: †, ‡, §, ¶, #, ††, ‡‡, etc. A single asterisk (*) indicates significance at the 5% level, while a double asterisk (**) signifies significance at the 1% level.
        • Presentation: Place the table after its first mention in the main text without breaking it apart. Avoid repeating information from charts or graphs in the text.
        • Font and size: Use Open Sans font, size 11 for the title and 10 for the table content.
        • Authors are encouraged to use a maximum of 2 tables.
      2. Figures
        • At submission, include review-quality figures, a maximum of 6 figures, with captions in the main text document after their first mention.
        • Submit high-resolution image files of the figures (300 – 600 dpi preferred) separately in the JPEG format.
        • Figures prepared using MS PowerPoint are also acceptable.
        • Ensure that all parts of the figures are labeled, and submit multi-panel figures as a single image.
        • Biplots should feature equally scaled axes with tick marks.
        • Figures can be submitted in both color and black and white, without borders.
        • Font size: Font size 10 for figure captions placed below the figure.
        • In figure captions, spell out abbreviations upon their first mention, even if they have been defined in the main text or previous figures. Define any symbols used either within the caption or in a legend included in the figure.
        • Use Times New Roman while labelling the figures, and use a font size large enough to read the figure’s label.
  7. Discussion
    • Content: Interpretation of results, comparison with previous studies, methodological limitations, and implications.
    • This section can be presented together with Results in the case of Review and Invited Review.
  8. Conclusion
    • Content: Summary of key findings and their significance.
    • Recommendations for future research, if applicable.
  9. Acknowledgments
    • Content: Recognition of individuals or organizations that contributed to the research but did not qualify as authors.
  10. Author responsibility
    The first author is responsible for providing a list of co-authors who have made genuine, direct contributions to the manuscript. Authors are encouraged to limit the number of co-authors to no more than seven. Inclusion of unverified authors may result in immediate rejection of the manuscript. Clearly state each author's specific contributions to the work. Note that this section cannot be modified after acceptance, so please ensure all information is accurate before final approval.
    Example:
    AB and BC were the primary architects of the study's design.
    AB established the theoretical framework and conducted the experiments, while CD and DE assisted with the data analysis.
    BC oversaw the entire project.
    All authors engaged in discussions regarding the results and contributed to the final manuscript.
  11. Conflict of interest declaration: Authors must include a conflict of interest statement before the References section. If no conflicts exist, this should be clearly stated. For single-author papers, this section is not required.
  12. Data availability commitment: You are required to provide a data availability announcement inviting researchers to access the study data. If the manuscript does not include data (eg, review or perspective articles), authors should explicitly state this. Authors must make any underlying data necessary to understand, evaluate, and build upon the research available upon submission. Data should be provided as supplementary material or deposited in a public repository.
    For GWAS studies, authors must provide the raw phenotypic and genotypic data either as a supplemental table or as a link to a data repository to enable subsequent meta-analyses by other researchers. The metadata should fully describe the experimental conditions. Additionally, for GWAS studies, a supplemental table (or link) should include: (i) the SNP allele scored, (ii) its position relative to a reference sequence (or provide adjacent context sequence), and (iii) the p-value for each trait and each SNP.
  13. Declaration on the use of generative AI tools: Authors are required to disclose the use of generative AI in the submitted manuscript. The journal accepts the use of Generative AI and AI-assisted tools solely to enhance the manuscript's readability and language improvement. However, authors remain fully responsible and accountable for the content of the manuscript. Use of spell and grammar checkers, referencing tools like Mendeley, statistical software, etc, do not fall under this condition.
    Example of statements:
    • We, all authors, declared that we have used [NAME OF AI TOOLS or SERVICE] to [REASON]. After utilizing this tool/service, the author(s) reviewed and modified the content as necessary and take(s) full responsibility for the published article's content.
    • Nothing to declare.

References

Citation style
Authors must follow the PBaGSoN-Style of referencing and citation. The author-year citation system is required; please do not use numbered references. Authors are strongly encouraged to use the Mendeley Reference Manager and a version of Microsoft Word 2016 or later. Consider the following guidelines when formatting your references.

Example of in-line citation:
The germplasms conserved at the National Genebank of Nepal represent valuable future assets for the country (Paudel and Joshi 2018). Among them, Akabare chili is a landrace that holds significant socio-cultural value and is economically profitable (Poudyal 2024, Poudyal et al. 2023a, 2023b). According to the field study by Poudyal et al. (2024), farmers in Nepal can achieve up to 50% net profit from Akabare chili cultivation.

Example of bibliography:

Journal article:
Poudyal D, BK Joshi and KC Dahal. 2024. Insights into the responses of Akabare chili landraces to drought, heat, and their combined stress during pre-flowering and fruiting stages. Heliyon 10(16):e36239. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e36239

Poudyal D, BK Joshi, R Zhou, C-O Ottosen and KC Dahal. 2023b. Evaluating the physiological responses and identifying stress tolerance of Akabare chili landraces to individual and combined drought and heat stresses. AoB PLANTS 15(6):1–14. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/aobpla/plad083

Book:
Borges JL. 1999. Selected non-fictions. Viking, New York.

Shakya SM, D Baral, GK Shrestha and DM Gautam. 2019. Fundamentals of Horticulture (2nd ed.). Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science, Tribhuvan University, Rampur; pp.50-67.

Pun U. 2017. Flower production in Nepal. Jagadamba Books, Kathmandu.

Discussion paper:
Ahlquist JS and C Breunig. 2009. Country clustering in comparative political economy (MPIfG Discussion Paper No. 09–5). Max-Planck Institute for the Study of Societies, Cologne.

Edited book:
Dahal KC (ed). 2020. Horticulture in Nepal. Laligurans Press, Kathmandu.

Poudel PR, KC Dahal, and SM Shakya (eds). 2019. Horticulture in Nepal: Prospects and problems. Nepal Books.

Dunnett N and N Kingsbury. 2008. Planting green roofs and living walls, 2nd ed. Timber Press, Portland, OR.

Hancké B, M Rhodes and M Thatcher (eds). 2007. Beyond varieties of capitalism: conflict, contradiction, and complementarities in the European economy. Oxford University Press, Oxford and New York.

Conference proceedings:
Poudyal D, BK Joshi, KP Singh, SM Shakya and KC Dahal. 2023. Akabare chili amplifies the household income of farmers in the mid-hills of Nepal. In: Proceedings of 2nd International Conference on Horticulture: Advancing Horticulture in Changing Climate and Biodiversity. Nepal Horticulture Society, 3-4 April 2023, Godavari, Lalitpur; pp.1–26.

Mares I. 2001. Firms and the welfare state: When, why, and how does social policy matter to employers? In: PA Hall and D Soskice (eds). Varieties of Capitalism. The Institutional Foundations of Comparative Advantage. Oxford University Press, New York; pp.184–213.

Dissertation:
Poudyal D. 2024. Physiological Responses of Akabare Chili Landraces to Drought and Heat Stress Conditions. Tribhuvan University. DOI: https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.13763.82727

McInnis MD and LP Nelson. 2011. Shaping the body politic: Art and political formation in early America. University of Virginia Press, Charlottesville, VA.

Pandey B. 2020. Morphological characterization and genetic diversity mapping of local mango genotypes using microsatellite (SSR) markers in the far western hills of Nepal [Unpublished master thesis]. Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science, Tribhuvan University.

Website citation:
CSL search by example (WWW Document). n.d. Citation Style Editor. URL: http://editor.citationstyles.org/searchByExample/. Accessed: 15 Dec. 2012.

Yo-yo has a modifiable string gap. 2011. WO2011US30214.

Personal communication:
In general, we discourage citing the information as personal communication. However, if it is needed, give the first and family name of the information provider along with the date of communication (Madan Rai, personal communication, Mar 2, 2025). Personal communication should not be included in the reference list.

NOTE: Only the papers directly related to the authors' work should be cited in the text. Only literature accessible through libraries or other readily available public sources may be cited. All publications listed under “References” MUST appear in the running text with the author’s name (without initials) and year of publication (eg, Poudyal, 2023), but authors with more than two may be cited by et al. (eg, Poudyal et al. 2023) after the first author.

Supplementary information

Supplementary information that supports the main text but is too detailed for inclusion in the main sections may be worth reading for reviewers and readers.

Submission: Supplementary materials should be submitted either as a separate file or included at the end of the manuscript, following the References section.

More about supplementary information
Supplementary information must be submitted alongside the manuscript and will undergo peer review. Authors are encouraged to use this material to enhance the article's content and quality or to help shorten the manuscript text. Examples of supplementary information include experimental data, apparatus schematics, study site maps, or other content primarily of interest to specialists. If supplementary information is used to reduce the manuscript length, ensure that the Materials and Methods section contains enough detail for readers to evaluate whether the explanations are backed by the data.

Supplementary tables and figures should be referenced in the main text sequentially as Supplementary Table S1, Supplementary Figure S1, and so forth.

Prepare a cover page in the supplementary information with the title and authors. List the Tables and figures in the sequence as they appear in the main text. Submit supplementary information in a single PDF, MS Word, MS Excel, or QuickTime. FLV (Flash Video) files with a resolution of 640 x 480 or 720 x 480 (widescreen) are acceptable. However, executable files (.exe), JavaScript, TeX, and PowerPoint files are not allowed.

Math equations and formulae: Request to utilize keyboard formatting as far as possible, including italics, bold, subscripts, superscripts, simple variables, and Greek fonts. If more advanced formatting is necessary, preferably suggested to utilize MathType or the Word Equation Editor (when MathType is unavailable).

Units of measurement: Use SI units for all measurements. Alternative units of measurement may be included in parentheses after the SI unit if they enhance clarity or are essential to reproduce the results.

Data availability policy: A fundamental principle of publication is that others should be able to replicate and build upon the authors' claims. The journal mandates that the data necessary for understanding, assessing, and expanding upon the reported research be accessible during peer review and publication. Additionally, any source code for specific or custom scripts required to reproduce the results should be submitted to a public repository, such as GitHub, or included as supplemental material. Any restrictions on the availability of materials or information must be disclosed to the editors at submission. In some cases, a six-month embargo may be granted. Note that the underlying data must be accessible upon submission.

Genome sequencing guidelines

The journal supports open access and FAIR data policies. For manuscripts describing genomic sequencing data (such as genome assembly, pan-genome, whole genome resequencing, or genotyping), the respective data (including raw data, assembly data, and variation information) must be deposited in appropriate public repositories (eg, NCBI SRA, EMBL ENA) and be publicly accessible upon publication. Data must also be accessible to reviewers during the review process.

Example data availability statements

  • The datasets generated and/or analyzed during the current study are available in the [NAME] repository: [PERSISTENT WEB LINK TO DATASETS].
  • All data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this published article (and its supplementary information files).
  • There are no original data associated with this article. Referenced data are available in the literature.

Citing plant materials

When mentioning plant introductions, registered cultivars, germplasm, parental lines, accessions, and genetic stocks in the Introduction, Discussion, or Characteristics sections of the manuscript, authors are required to provide citations. This requirement also extends to genetic materials used in the development of unreleased plant populations that are central to the study, unless a more direct citation of the population's development is available.

Nomenclature

Upon their initial mention in the manuscript, authors should provide Latin binomial or trinomial (along with the authority) alongside the common name of plants, insects, pathogens, and animals studied in the work. Use the accepted common name and chemical name of pesticides at their first mention. For elements, ions, and simple compounds, use chemical symbols, except at the start of sentences or in titles and headings. For soils, specify at least the subgroup according to the US soil taxonomy system.

Changes to the author byline

Any modifications to the author list must receive approval from the Managing Editor at genetics.pbss@gmail.com. Furthermore, all coauthors must inform the Managing Editor that they are aware of and consent to the change in written form (eg, email).

Consent and approvals

The corresponding author should share a draft of the manuscript with each living coauthor for their approval on co-authorship. It is the sole responsibility of authors to obtain permissions for the use of personal photographs, graphs, figures, or other material from other publishers and must share these permissions with the editorial board upon acceptance of the manuscript. However, the editorial board retains the right to publish and republish those submissions.

Errata

Authors may submit errata to correct errors and omissions that impact the integrity of the published record. All corrections require editorial approval and must be approved by all coauthors before submission; only major corrections will be published. Direct all errata requests to the Managing Editor.

Publication charges

Genetics, Plant Breeding and Seed Science publishes all accepted manuscripts as open access, free of charge for authors of all nationalities. Printed copies can be produced, subject to the availability of sufficient publication funding.

Online publication

This journal employs an online-first publication system, where peer-reviewed and accepted articles are published with a DOI to facilitate the rapid dissemination of research and findings.

Other resources

  • Spelling and definition: Merriam-Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary
  • Plant systematic names: USDA–ARS GRIN database
  • Chemical terms: PubChem
  • Edaphic descriptions: USDA–NRCS Official Soil Series Descriptions
  • Mycological terminology: Fungi on Plants and Plant Products in the United States (APS Press)
  • Any missing in citation style: APA Style (American Psychological Association, 7th edition)

For inquiries regarding submission formatting, submission process, or the submission status with the assigned identifier, please reach out to the Managing Editor at genetics.pbss@gmail.com.

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1.3 what we do (and don’t do) with the data

  • We do not collect personal information that can be used to identify you when you browse the website.
  • We currently use Google Analytics for publication reports, and to improve the website and services through traffic analysis, but no personal identifying data is shared with Google (for example your computer’s IP is anonymised before transmission).

1.4 what to do if you want to get a copy of your data, or want your data to be removed

  • Please contact info@ubiquitypress.com to request a copy of your data, or for your data to be removed/anonymised.

2. When registering as an author, and submitting an article or book

2.1 what data we collect

  • When registering an account we ask you to log in and provide certain personal information (such as your name and email address), and there is the option to register using an ORCiD which will pre-fill the registration form.
  • As part of submitting an article for publication, you will need to provide personally identifying information which will be used for the peer review process, and will be published. This can include ‘Affiliation’, ‘Competing interests’, ‘Acknowledgements’.

2.2 why we collect the data

  • Registering an account allows you to log in, manage your profile, and participate as an author/reviewer/editor. We use cookies and session information to streamline your use of the website (for example in order for you to remain logged-in when you return to a journal). You can block or delete cookies and still be able to use the websites, although if you do you will then need to enter your username and password to login. In order to take advantage of certain features of the websites, you may also choose to provide us with other personal information, such as your ORCiD, but your decision to utilize these features and provide such data will always be voluntary.
  • Personal data submitted with the article or book is collected to allow follow good publication ethics during the review process, and will form part of the official published record in order for the provenance of the work to be established, and for the work to be correctly attributed.

2.3 what we do (and don’t do) with the data

  • We do not share your personal information with third parties, other than as part of providing the publishing service.
  • As a registered author in the system you may be contacted by the journal editor to submit another article.
  • Any books published on the platform are freely available to download from the publisher website in PDF, EPUB and MOBI formats on the publisher’s site.
  • Any personal data accompanying an article or a book (that will have been added by the submitting author) is published alongside it. The published data includes the names, affiliations and email addresses of all authors.
  • Any articles published on the platform are freely available to download from the publisher website in various formats (e.g. PDF, XML).
  • Ubiquity Press books and articles are typeset by SiliconChips and Diacritech.This process involves them receiving the book and book associated metadata and contacting the authors to finalise the layout. Ubiquity Press work with these suppliers to ensure that personal data is only used for the purposes of typesetting and proofing.
  • For physical purchases of books on the platform Ubiquity Press use print on demand services via Lightning Source who are responsible for printing and distribution via retailers. (For example; Amazon, Book Repository, Waterstones). Lightning Source’s privacy policy and details on data handling can be found on their website.

2.4 why we store the data

  • We store the account data so that you may choose to become a reviewer and be able to perform those tasks, or to become an author and submit an article and then track progress of that article.
  • Published personal data that accompanies an article or a book forms part of the official published record in order for the provenance of the work to be established, and for the work to be correctly attributed.

2.5 what to do if you want to get a copy of your data, or want your data to be removed

  • You are able to view, change and remove your data associated with your profile. Should you choose to completely delete your account, please contact us at support@ubiquitypress.com and we will follow up with your request as soon as possible.
  • To conform to publication ethics and best practice any personal data that is published alongside an article or book cannot be removed. If you have a query about a publication to which you are attributed please contact info@ubiquitypress.com

3. When registering as a reviewer

3.1 what data we collect

  • To become a reviewer you must first register as a user on the website, and set your preference that you would like to be considered as a reviewer. No new personal data is collected when a registered user elects to become a reviewer.
  • When registering an account we ask you to log in and provide certain personal information (such as your name and email address), and there is the option to register using an ORCiD which will pre-fill the registration form.
  • Reviewers can also be registered by editors who invite them to review a specific article. This requires the editor to provide the reviewer’s First Name, Last Name, and Email address. Normally this will be done as part of the process of inviting you to review the article or book.
  • On submitting a review, the reviewer includes a competing interest statement, they may answer questions about the quality of the article, and they will submit their recommendation.

3.2 why we collect the data

  • The data entered is used to invite the reviewer to peer review the article or book, and to contact the reviewer during and the review process.
  • If you submit a review then the details of your review, including your recommendation, your responses to any review form, your free-form responses, your competing interests statement, and any cover letter are recorded.

3.3 what we do (and don’t do) with the data

  • This data is not shared publicly and is only accessible by the Editor and system administrators of that journal or press.
  • The data will only be used in connection with that journal or press.
  • Data that is retained post final decision is kept to conform to publication ethics and best practice, to provide evidence of peer review, and to resolve any disputes relating to the peer review of the article or book.
  • For journals or presses that publish the peer reviews, you will be asked to give consent to your review being published, and a subset of the data you have submitted will become part of the published record.

3.4 what to do if you want to get a copy of your data, or want your data to be removed

  • If you would no longer like to be registered as a reviewer you can edit your profile and tick the box ‘stop being a reviewer’. This will remove you from the reviewer database, however any existing reviews you may have carried out will remain.
  • If you have been contacted by an editor to peer review an article this means that you have been registered in the system. If you would not like to be contacted for peer review you can reply to the email requesting that your data be deleted.

4. When being registered as a co-author

4.1 what data we collect

  • Co-author data is entered by the submitting author. The submitting author will already have a user account. According to standard publishing practice, the submitting author is responsible for obtaining the consent of their co-authors to be included (including having their personal data included) in the article/book being submitted to the journal/press.
  • The requested personal data for co-authors are at the bare minimum; first name, last name, institution, country, email address. This can also include; ORCID ID, Title, Middle Name, Biographical Statement, Department, Twitter Handle, Linkedin Profile Name or ImpactStory ID.

4.2 why we collect the data

  • Assuming that it is accepted for publication, this data forms part of the official published record in order for the provenance of the work to be established, and for the work to be correctly attributed.
  • Author names, affiliations and emails are required for publication and will become part of the permanent cited record.

4.3 what we do (and don’t do) with the data

  • The co-author’s personal data is stored in the author database. This personal data is only used in relation to the publication of the associated article.
  • Any co-author data collected is added to the author database and is only used in association with the article the user is co-author on.

4.5 what to do if you want to get a copy of your data, or want your data to be removed

  • To receive a copy of your data, please contact info@ubiquitypress.com
  • To conform to publication ethics and best practice any personal data that is published alongside an article or book cannot be removed. If you have a query about a publication to which you are attributed please contact info@ubiquitypress.com

5. When signing-up to receive newsletters

5.1 what data we collect

  • We require you to include your name and email address

5.2 why we collect and store the data, and for how long

  • This data would be collected to keep you updated with any news about the platform or specific journal

5.3 what we do (and don’t do) with the data

  • We use mailchimp to provide our mailing list services. Their privacy policy can be found here

5.4 what to do if you want to get a copy of your data or want your data to be removed

  • All emails sent via our newsletter client will include a link that will allow you to unsubscribe from the mailing list

Notification about change of ownership or of control of data

We may choose to buy or sell assets. In the case that control of data changes to or from Ubiquity Press and a third party, or in the case of change of ownership of Ubiquity Press or of part of the business where the control of personal data is transferred, we will do our best to inform all affected users and present the options.

(Updated: 30 October 2025)