Economic Relevance of Marine Biotechnology
Marine biotechnology has become a fast-growing field with significant economic potential across various industries, including pharmaceuticals, agr... Read More →
Information For Authors
AUTHOR GUIDELINES
1 Scope and focus
The journal welcomes interdisciplinary contributions integrating:
- Marine and coastal science
- Ocean engineering and offshore systems
- Environmental sustainability and climate change
- Fisheries and aquaculture systems
- Blue economy governance and policy
- Marine renewable energy systems
- Environmental economics and valuation
2 Manuscript Preparation
Authors must ensure:
- Manuscripts are original and unpublished
- Written in clear UK English
- Proper formatting according to article type
3 JBESED accepts the following article types:
|
Article Type |
Word Count Range |
Indexing-Standard Definition |
Required Core Components |
|
Original Research Articles |
5,000–8,000 |
Peer-reviewed studies presenting original, rigorously validated research on marine, coastal, offshore, or blue economy systems, integrating environmental, technological, economic, or governance perspectives using empirical, computational, or analytical methods. |
|
|
Review Articles |
6,000–10,000 |
Comprehensive and systematic synthesis of literature across marine, coastal, offshore, and blue economy domains, integrating scientific, policy, economic, and sustainability perspectives. |
|
|
Case Studies (Applied / Socio-Technical) |
3,500–6,000 |
Real-world or validated simulation-based studies of marine, coastal, offshore, or blue economy systems, integrating technical performance, environmental impact, and/or socio-economic or governance implications. |
|
|
Technical Notes / Short Communications |
2,000–3,500 |
Concise contributions reporting novel methods, preliminary findings, or innovative applications in marine, coastal, offshore, or blue economy systems. |
|
|
Data Papers |
3,000–6,000 |
Descriptions of high-quality, well-documented datasets relevant to marine, coastal, offshore, or blue economy systems, ensuring transparency, reproducibility, and reuse. |
|
|
Methodology Papers |
4,000–7,000 |
Papers introducing or significantly improving analytical, computational, experimental, or modelling methods applicable to marine and blue economy systems. |
|
|
Policy Briefs / Perspectives |
1,500–3,000 |
Evidence-based analyses addressing emerging issues, governance challenges, or policy directions in the blue economy and marine sustainability sectors. |
|
|
Editorials / Thematic Introductions |
1,000–2,000 |
Short invited or editorial pieces outlining journal direction, thematic issues, or emerging priorities in blue economy research. |
|
|
Rapid Communications / Letters |
1,500–3,000 |
Fast-track peer-reviewed reports presenting urgent or high-impact findings in marine, coastal, offshore, or blue economy systems. |
|
4 Formatting Requirements
- Manuscripts must be in Microsoft Word (.docx) format
- Font: Times New Roman (12 pt)
- Line spacing: 1.5
- Margins: 1 inch (all sides)
- Page numbering: bottom centre
- Headings: numbered (1, 1.1, 1.1.1)
5 Manuscript Structure
Required structure:
- Title page (authors, affiliations, ORCID, funding)
- Abstract (150–250 words, structured)
- Keywords (4–6 terms)
- Introduction
- Methodology
- Results
- Discussion
- Conclusion
- References (APA style)
- Data availability statement
6 Abstract and Keywords
- Abstract must be unstructured or structured (as applicable)
- Must clearly state:
- Purpose
- Methodology
- Key findings
- Implications
Keywords must reflect:
- marine systems
- blue economy
- sustainability
- energy systems
7 Figures and Tables
- Must be high resolution (≥300 dpi)
- Properly numbered and captioned
- Must be referenced in the text
8 Submission Requirements
Authors must provide:
- Manuscript file (Word or LaTeX)
- Figures and tables
- Supplementary data (if applicable)
- Cover letter explaining novelty and relevance
9 Ethical Compliance Checklist
Before submission, authors must confirm:
- Ethical approval obtained (if applicable)
- No plagiarism or duplication
- All authors approve submission
- Funding and conflicts disclosed
- ORCID provided for all authors
10 Data and Supplementary Materials
- Data must follow FAIR principles
- Code and datasets should be accessible when possible
- Supplementary materials must be clearly labelled
11 Authorship Policy
JBESED is committed to maintaining transparency, accountability, and ethical integrity in authorship attribution. All submitted manuscripts must comply with the following requirements:
11.1 Authorship Eligibility
All listed authors must meet the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) authorship criteria. An author must satisfy all four conditions:
- Substantial contribution to the conception, design, data acquisition, or analysis/interpretation of data
- Drafting the manuscript or critically revising it for important intellectual content
- Final approval of the version to be published
- Agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work
Individuals who do not meet all four criteria should not be listed as authors.
11.2 Contributor Roles (CRediT Taxonomy)
All manuscripts must include a Contributor Roles Taxonomy (CRediT) statement specifying each author’s role.
Typical roles include (but are not limited to):
- Conceptualisation
- Methodology
- Data curation
- Formal analysis
- Investigation
- Writing – original draft
- Writing – review & editing
- Supervision
- Funding acquisition
Each author must have at least one defined role, and all listed roles must be transparent and verifiable.
12 Funding and Conflict of Interest (COI) Disclosure
12.1 Funding Statement
All manuscripts submitted to JBESED must include a clear Funding Statement to ensure transparency regarding financial support for the research. Authors are required to disclose all sources of financial support that contributed to the design, execution, analysis, or publication of the study.
Funding information should be stated clearly in a separate section titled “Funding” and placed before the Conflict of Interest declaration in the manuscript.
Authors must include:
- The name(s) of funding agencies or organizations
- The grant number(s), where applicable
- A brief description of the role of the funder(s) in the study (if any)
Where no funding was received, authors must explicitly state:
“This research received no external funding.”
If funders had no role in the research process, authors should state:
“The funders had no role in the design of the study, data collection, analysis, interpretation, writing of the manuscript, or decision to publish the results.”
This requirement aligns with international publication ethics standards to ensure transparency and accountability in research reporting.
12.2 Conflict of Interest (COI) Disclosure
JBESED requires all authors to disclose any actual or potential conflicts of interest that may influence, or be perceived to influence, the interpretation or presentation of research findings.
A Conflict of Interest includes but is not limited to:
- Financial relationships (e.g., employment, consultancy, honoraria, stock ownership, paid expert testimony, or patents)
- Institutional affiliations that may create bias
- Personal or professional relationships relevant to the research
- Non-financial interests, including ideological or academic competition
Authors must include a section titled “Conflict of Interest” in their manuscript, placed immediately before the references.
Required Statements:
- If conflicts exist:
“Author(s) declare the following conflicts of interest: [provide details].”
- If no conflicts exist:
“The authors declare no conflict of interest.”
Authors must disclose all relevant interests even if they believe these do not influence the research outcome, as full transparency is essential to maintaining publication integrity.
12.3 Author Responsibility and Transparency
JBESED adheres to international best practices in scholarly publishing, which emphasise that all listed authors must:
- Have made substantial contributions to the research
- Approve the final version of the manuscript
- Accept responsibility for the accuracy and integrity of the work
Authors are also expected to ensure that all funding and COI disclosures are complete, accurate, and updated at the time of submission.
12.4 Editorial Compliance
Manuscripts submitted without proper Funding and COI statements may be returned to authors for revision prior to peer review. JBESED reserves the right to reject submissions that fail to meet ethical disclosure requirements.
13 AI Use Disclosure
Any use of AI in writing, analysis, or visualisation must be disclosed, and authors remain fully responsible for the content.
