Submissions

Author Guidelines

The cover letter and authorization required by the Journal to submit a document for review can be downloaded here.

Definition of the Journal

 

The journal is published biannually with the aim of disseminating the research work at national and international level on topics of zootechnical interest. Its content includes research articles, technical notes, brief communications, literature reviews on a specific topic and comments and opinions on relevant topics or activities related to animal nutrition and the agricultural sector.

 Submissions can be made in Spanish and English.

 

FORMAT GUIDE FOR THE ACADEMIC JOURNAL

TROPICAL ANIMAL NUTRITION

 

TYPES OF PUBLICATIONS

1. Letters to the editor

This type of publication allows readers to share observations, comments, or reflections on articles previously published in journals, as well as discuss topics of general interest related to agri-food research. Letters should be a maximum of one page in length and will be evaluated by the editor, who may request adjustments before publication. If the letter critically refers to a previously published article, the author of the original document will be invited to respond; both contributions may be published jointly.

2. Research articles

These are manuscripts that present original findings derived from scientific research projects. They must have a clear structure (introduction, methodology, results, discussion, conclusions, and references) and be based on verifiable data and rigorous analysis. They represent the main means of disseminating new knowledge within the field of animal nutrition and related sciences.

3. Technical notes

These are brief publications that communicate preliminary, partial, or complementary research results. They can also refer to methodological improvements, technological applications, field trials, or relevant innovations. Their objective is to quickly share useful information with the scientific and technical community, even if they don't constitute complete studies.

4. Literature review articles

These manuscripts compile, analyze, and synthesize the most relevant and updated scientific information on a specific topic within the agri-food sector. This type of article must be based on a rigorous, critical, and selective bibliographic review, allowing for the identification of trends, relevant findings, knowledge gaps, and future projections.

5. Analysis and comments

These texts present reflections, well-founded opinions, or analyses on current topics, public policies, trends, academic activities, or relevant experiences in the field of animal nutrition or the agricultural sector. Their purpose is to foster informed discussion and the exchange of ideas among professionals in the area.

These types of posts must meet these requirements:

TITLE: The title should be clear and concise, and it shouldn't exceed 14 words. Avoid using scientific names in the title when the common name is well-known (e.g., soybean, corn, banana). The scientific name should only be indicated when the common name is less known or varies between countries. Do not use the following phrases: "Studies on," "Research in," "Observations about," and other similar generic terms. For example: "Studies of feeding regimens for replacement sows" is incorrect.

AUTHORS: Provide your first name(s) and last name(s) as you have identified them in previous publications. If this is your first time publishing, indicate your name as you wish to be recognized and your first last name; or your two last names joined by a hyphen (e.g., Pacheco-Ruiz). At the bottom of the page, using asterisks, indicate your current affiliation (the institution you work for), and include the postal address, email address of all authors, specifying to whom correspondence should be addressed, and the ORCID number for each author.

Keywords: Include 5-7 keywords, which in a search, allow the reader to locate the article. The use of the Agrovoc thesaurus available at http://aims.fao.org/standards/agrovoc/functionalities/search is recommended.

Palabras clave: Spanish translation of keywords.

Abstract: Single paragraph with a maximum of 300 words that indicates the objective of the work. Indicate the site of the event, execution period, the procedure followed, the main results, a basic discussion, and conclusions. Try to include numbers. Do not include bibliographic references or citations, figures, or tables.

Resumen: Spanish translation of the ABSTRACT must be exact to it in English and must include the title in Spanish at the beginning in bold type.

INTRODUCTION: This section should include the justification, the most relevant background information, and the general objective of the article. Discuss the importance of the problem within the study framework and any research limitations. All information must be supported by bibliographic citations. Bibliographic references should follow the ASA (American Society of Agronomy) format, which is primarily based on APA 7th Edition. When writing the article generally, do not use the first person (use impersonal language: "It was carried out," "It was evaluated," etc.), and in the introduction, use the present tense.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: This section should include as much detail as possible to allow the experiment to be replicated. Describe the basic elements of the research and those that generate the results. Materials (diets, animals, additives, etc.) must be clearly described (nutritional composition of the diet, age and physiological state of the animals, breeds or genetic lines used, etc.). Methods should indicate the treatments evaluated, the variables measured, the experimental design, experimental unit, sampling method, and type of statistical analysis. If relevant to the results, climatic conditions or other variables that could have affected the results can be included. When writing the article generally, do not use the first person, and in the materials and methods section, use the past tense.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: This section can be presented together or separately, depending on the document's style. Here, the obtained results are presented and analyzed considering previously published information, existing theories, or similar studies. The objective is to interpret the findings and explain their relevance within the context of the investigated topic.

FINAL CONSIDERATIONS: Statements derived from the results and that are directly related to the objective of the research or review must be included. They should not be a repetition of the results unless they respond directly to one of the objectives.

Acknowledgments: It is optional, it only includes those people who made a very significant contribution to the work.

 

NORMS FOR PUBLICATION

Authors are required to submit papers based on the following standards:

1. Articles can be written in Spanish and English. They must follow the rules of structure and writing indicated in this document.
2. The work must come in its entirety written on a computer, preferably, in an updated version of Word for Windows (Microsoft® Word) or Open Office with Arial font, size 11, spaced and a half, spaced between paragraphs, and with subsequent spacing after of a title, normal margins (top and bottom 2.5cm (1 ") left and right 3cm (1.2"). No indentation at the beginning of each paragraph. Research articles must be at least 10 pages long and a maximum of 30 pages, while technical notes and comments and opinions on activities must have a maximum of 10 pages.
3. Tables and figures: Tables should be submitted in an editable format (Word or Open Office), not as images. Figures (like graphs) must be sent in Excel or Open Office format. Both tables and figures should be presented in separate files, in good quality, and properly identified to facilitate their review and editing. Other figures and photographs should be submitted in separate files in JPG or TIF format with a minimum of 240-300 dpi. They must have a title (tables above, figures below) that explains the content without needing to read the main text, and the data source should be indicated. The information presented must be clear and legible. "Figure" refers to images, photos, drawings, diagrams, and maps. Do not repeat information in tables and figures; you should choose the format that best communicates the desired information. The numbering of tables is independent of figures.
4. For units of measurement, the norms of the International System of Units must be followed.
5. Arabic numerals will be used for units of measure or two or more digits within the text. They will be written in words if it is the first word in a sentence, or if it is less than 10 and does not indicate a measure.
6. The reference thesaurus will be the Agrovoc for keywords.
7. Technical notes differ from scientific articles mainly in their scope and purpose. They usually focus on describing methods, procedures, technological developments, or preliminary results, which, although valuable, don't necessarily allow for the experiment to be replicated under the same conditions or with the same results. For this reason, their structure varies depending on the type of test or development being documented.
8. You must submit the work in digital format through the official website of the journal (you must register).
9. The article is required to contain original information and have the express authorization of all authors, as well as the institution where the research was carried out, for its publication. Previously published works or those currently being evaluated by other journals will not be accepted. Each manuscript must be accompanied by a letter addressed to the editor, declaring the above, and it must be signed by at least the corresponding author.
10. Before submitting your work, make sure it complies with all the rules established in these instructions. The journal evaluates manuscripts according to the order of reception, and only those that adhere to the author guidelines will be considered. Once the Editorial Board determines that the manuscript has technical or scientific merit, it will be sent for review by two external evaluators. Reviewers have up to three weeks to issue their opinion and suggestions. However, this time may be extended in exceptional cases, depending on the availability of reviewers or the complexity of the manuscript. Once approved, the author will receive the respective observations and can proceed with the correction and editing process.
11. The author's review process includes different deadlines depending on the stage of the editorial process:

• For preliminary corrections (made by the editorial team), 10 business days are granted.
• For corrections requested by peer reviewers, the author will have a maximum of 15 business days.
• In case additional modifications are required by the author and/or final adjustments requested by the journal, an additional period of one to two weeks will be granted, depending on the level of corrections needed.
• Finally, once the article has been laid out, the final version will be sent to the author, who will have one week to approve it or make minor observations.

Failure to meet any of these deadlines may result in the suspension or cancellation of the editing process by the Editorial Committee.

 

NORMS FOR CITATION OF LITERATURE

The following guide is a summary that is based on the regulations implemented by the ASA (American Society of Agronomy) for structuring the list of bibliographic references (they are based on the APA 6th edition style). 

GENERAL ASPECTS

 

1. The Journal will not accept references to unpublished data, as they are not available to readers who wish to access these sources.
2. Bibliographic references that are more than ten years old are not accepted, unless it is essential, or they are classic works that remain valid over time.
3. In-text citations are mentioned by separating the last name of the first author of the year with a comma; if there are two authors, the last name of each author is separated by "and", finally when it comes to references with more than two authors, the last name of the first author is mentioned followed by "et al.,".

 Ejemplo:

“In addition, hydatodes, sites of guttation, can serve as an entry route for some pathogens (Robeson et al., 1989), and the moistening of plant surfaces favors the dissemination and germination of spores, and favors the development of bacterial and fungal diseases, among others, before and after harvest (Aylor and Taylor, 1982). Root pressure can interact with other types of stress such as excess light and high temperatures, aggravating some problems such as sunburn and fruit cracking (Peet, 1992)”.

4.  The literature should be arranged in alphabetical order according to the last name and initials of the first author's name. When there are several citations from a single author, they are ordered chronologically by year of publication. If the citations have the same year, they are ordered alphabetically by adding the letters a, b, c, etc., after the year of publication. If it is more than one citation where the first author is the same, the priorities when ordering the references is the following:

- Last name and initials of the first author's name.

- If the first two authors are repeated in several citations, the last name and initials of the third author's name are used, so on.

Example taken from the American Society of Agronomy:

• Shotwell, C. A., y Smith, G. W. (2001).
• Shotwell, O. L. (1998a).
• Shotwell, O. L. (1998b).
• Shotwell, O. L., Goulden, M. L., y Hesseltine, C. W. (1994).
• Shotwell, O. L., Hesseltine, C. W., y Goulden, M. L. (1993).
• Shotwell, O. L., Hesseltine, C.W., y Goulden, M. L. (1997).
• Shotwell, O. L., Hesseltine, C. W., Vandegraft, E. E., y Goulden, M. L. (1993).
• Shotwell, O. L., Kwolek, W. F., Golden, I. I., Jade, L. M., y Hesseltine, C. W. (1991).
• Shotwell, O. L., y Zweig, D. W. (1994).

5. In the case of a verbatim citation of an edited book, the page number is required in the citation of the text. If possible, the exact page number is preferred.

Example:

 

• Arauz (1998, p. 24), defines parasitism as a relationship between two species in which one, called parasite, feeds on the other, called the host, through absorption for prolonged periods or the direct use of substances made by is.

6. When it comes to personal communications, these are included only in the text in parentheses. Do not use footnotes.

Example:

• 20 microliters (Rojas, personal communication, 2011) of a bacteria solution of 0.5x108 CFU / ml (test 1) and 1.5x108 CFU / ml (test 2) were used, which contained 1.0x106 and 3, 0x106 CFU / shrimp respectively.

7. All institutional authors must be cited in text with their respective acronym or abbreviation; While in the list of references the acronyms are followed by the full name of the corporate author, in parentheses, except for the acronyms used for the centers of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) (www.cgiar.org). CIAT, CIFOR, CIMMYT, CIP, ICARDA, ICLARM, ICRAI, ICRISAT, IFPRI, IITA, IRRI, ILRI, IPGRI, ISNAR, IWMI, WARDA, IBPGR.
8. When printing or publishing houses in the United States are mentioned, only the name of the city and the abbreviation of the state where the publisher is located are included.

 Example:

• Bramley, A. 1992. Milking hygiene and mastitis control. p. 457-463. En: H. Van Horn, C. Wilcox (eds). Large dairy herd management. Management Services. American Dairy Science Association, Champaign, IL.

9. The names of journals are not abbreviated; they must be written in full.
10. Each work mentioned in the consulted literature must include the last name of the first author, followed by the initials of the name, separated by a period (Smith, J.R.). For works by more than one author, only the last name of the first author is written before the initials of the name (Smith, J.R., M. Jones, and C. Rosen). Authors are separated by a comma and the letter "y" must be used before citing the last author.

NORMS FOR THE FORMAT OF PUBLICATIONS AS BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCES

 

1. Journal / Serial Articles

Each reference that comes from a periodical publication must include, in order, the following format:

Author (s) / Year of publication / Full title of the article / Publication in which it appears (abbreviated journal name) / Volume / Page numbers for publications without consecutive pagination (that is, each number within the volume begins with the page 1), the issue number should be included (eg 11 (2): 5-11.).

Examples:

a) Amador, A.L., and C. Boschini. (2000). Calidad nutricional de la planta de sorgo negro forrajero (Sorghum almum) para alimentación animal. Agronomía Mesoamericana, 11: 79-84.

b) Whalen, J.K., C. Chang, G.W. Clayton, and J.P. Carefoot. (2000). Cattle manure amendments can increase the pH of acid soils. Soil Science Society of America Journal, 64: 962-966.

  

2. Newspaper articles

The format to use when citing magazine or newspaper articles is:

  Author (s) / Year of publication / Title: subtitle / Magazine or newspaper / Date of publication / Page number.

  Example:

a) Devenport, C.H. (1981). Sowing the venues. Barron`s, March 2, p.

3.  Books (includes newsletters, reports, multi-volume works, series)

The format to be used when citing books, newsletters, multi-volume works, series is:

Author (s) / Year of publication / Title: subtitle / Edition number / Publisher or publisher / Country.

Example:

a) Pastora, J., and O. Téllez. (2004). Evaluation of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) hybrids for forage. Technical Report. INTA-Pacific North, Nicaragua.

 

4. Edited books

When including a chapter or section of an edited book within the references, it should be done as follows:

Author (s) / Year of publication / Title of the chapter or section / the phrase followed by a colon / Name (s) of the Editor (s) / Title of the publication / Volume and edition (if any) / Publisher / place of post / page range.

 Example:

a) Johnson, D.W., and D.E. Todd. (1998). Effects of harvesting intensity on forest productivity and soil carbon storage. En: R. Lal et al., editors, Management of carbon sequestration in soils. Advances in Soil Science. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL. p. 351-363.

 

5. Conferences, symposiums or workshops

The way to cite the information of conferences, symposia or workshops is similar to that of a book, only two more pieces of information are added which are the place of the meeting and the date. When the proceedings of the conference, symposium or workshop have two titles (the title of the memoir and the name of the conference), the title of the memoir must be written first, followed by the significant words of the name of the conference.

How to cite:

Publisher (s) / Year of publication / Title of the book / Number and name of the conference / Date of the conference / Publisher / Place of publication.

 Example:

a) Wilkinson, D., editor. (1993). Proceedings of the 49^th Annual Corn and Sorghum Industry Research Conference, Chicago. 8–9 Dec. 1993. Am. Seed Trade Assoc., Washington, DC.

 

6. Articles published in a volume of memoirs

Articles published in a volume of memoirs are treated the same as an edited book.

 Example:

a) Lim, C., and Kleisus, P.H. (2000). The role of trace minerals in fish health. In: Civera-Cerecedo, R., Pérez-Estrada, C.J., Ricque-Marie, D., and Cruz-Suárez, L.E. editors. Advances in Aquaculture Nutrition IV. Proceedings of the IV International Aquaculture Nutrition Symposium. November 15-18, 1998. La Paz, B.C.S., Mexico. p. 270-281.

7. Resúmenes y abstracts

When including references to abstracts and abstracts of conference papers that have not been formally published and are found in the conference proceedings, the format to follow is:

 Author (s) / Year of publication / Title of publication / In / Title of the memoir / Publisher / Place of publication / Date the congress was held / page number. 

Examples:

a) Caldwell, B.A. (1997). Fatty acid esterase activity in forest soils and ectomycorrhizal mat communities. En: 1997 Agronomy abstracts. ASA, Madison, WI. p. 223.

b) Krischnamurti, G.S.R., and P.M. Huang. (1991). The role of Al in Fe (II) transformation. En: Abstracts, Annual Meeting. Clay Mineral Society, Houston, TX. 5–10 Oct. 1991. p. 96.

 

8. Presentations and poster sessions presented at meetings

This format is used when citing unpublished conference or seminar documents. When possible, avoid citing conference documents older than two years. If its subsequent publication is known, cite the publication. Format as follows:

Author (s) / Year of publication / Title of the communication / Communication or poster presented in: / Title of the conference / Number and name of the Conference / place of the conference / Date / Number of the communication.

 Example

a) Kaeppler, S., N. De Leon, R. Sekhon, C. Hansey, C. Buell, H. Lin, and K. Childs. (2011). Expression analysis supporting functional genomics research in maize. Paper presented at: Fundamental for life: Soil, crop, and environmental sciences. ASA, CSSA, and SSSA Annual Meetings, San Antonio, TX. 16–19 Oct. Paper 110-5.

 

9. Theses and Dissertations

To cite this type of document, the following format must be followed.

Author (s) / Year in which the research is presented / Thesis title / Thesis or dissertation / Academic degree / Institution in which the research was carried out / City and country.

 Example:

a) Maraqa, M.A. (1995). Transport of dissolved volatile organic compounds in the unsaturated zone. Ph.D. diss., Michigan State Univ., East Lansing, MI.

10. Software and software documentation

The way it should be cited is:

  Name of the creator / Year / Name of the software / Version / Name of the company in which it is created / City and country.

 Examples:

a) Abacus Concepts. (1991). SuperANOVA user’s guide. Release 1.11. Abacus Concepts, Berkeley, CA.

b) MINITAB 12. Minitab, State College, PA. SAS Institute. (1994). The SAS system for Windows. Release 6.10. SAS Inst., Cary, NC.

 

11. Maps

Maps are cited separately only if it is a separate publication. If the map does not have an author, do not use "Anonymous"; in such cases, the name of the map replaces that of the author.

  Author (s) / Year / Map title (type of map) / Map number (if included) / Publisher / Publisher location / Notes (eg scale).

 Example

a) Tosi, J.A. (1969). Mapa ecológico de Costa Rica, Según la clasificación de zonas de vida del mundo de Holdrige. Centro Científico Tropical, San José, Costa Rica. Escal 1:750 000.

 

12. Normative

The format to be followed by citations with a corporate author is:

 Institution / Year of publication / Standard number / Title / Editor (s) / Place of publication. 

Example:

a) COMIECO (Central American Economic Integration Council of Ministers). (2010). RTA 65.05.53:10: Central American Technical Regulation Agricultural Inputs. Requirements for the production and commercialization of certified basic grain and soybean seeds. MINECO, CONACYT, MIFIC, SIC, MEIC. San Salvador, El Salvador. http://www.sic.gob.hn/dgiepc//files/Res-259-2010.pdf

13. Electronic resources

Citations from electronic sources should be cited in the same way as printed material is cited. Due to the nature of electronic publications, if a publication exists in both print and electronic versions, the printed version must be cited. 

14. Online periodicals

For electronic journals, the format is similar to that of printed journal articles. The DOI (digital object identifier) must be provided at the end of the citation, in case it is not available the URL must be incorporated, which may change over time.

 Example:

a) Kwapata, K., T. Nguyen, and M. Sticklen. (2012). Genetic transformation of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris ) with the Gus color marker, the Bar herbicide resistance, and the barley (Hordeum vulgare) HVA1 drought tolerance genes. International Journal of Agronomy.2012: 8. doi:10.1155/2012/198960.

b) Kato, C., T. Nishimura, H. Imoto, and T. Miyazaki. (2011). Predicting soil moisture and temperature of Andisols under a monsoon climate in Japan. Vadose Zone Journal, 10: 541–551. doi:10.2136/vzj2010.0054.

 

15. Online books

DOI should be used in place of a URL, if available.

 Example:

a) Boverhof, D.R., and B.B. Gollapudi, editors. (2011). Applications of toxicogenomics in safety evaluation and risk assessment. John Wiley & Sons, NY. doi:10.1002/9781118001042

 

16. Other documents with Web Content

To cite an online document that does not have a specific publication date, use the year the web page was visited.

Author (s) / Year / Title or description of the page / Owner of the site (if it can be determined) / URL / Date the material was accessed.

 Example:

a) Environmental Protection Agency. (2002). National Water Quality Inventory: 2000 report. EPA-841-R-02-001. USEPA. http://www.epa.gov/305b/2000report/ (accessed 10 Jun. 2012).

 

The author authorizes the Revista Nutrición Animal Tropical to make adjustments to the article's wording in order to align it with established editorial criteria and improve text fluency. Furthermore, the author authorizes the journal to publish the article in PDF format, as well as in other digital versions, on its website and/or associated platforms.

 

 

Plagiarism detection policy

The Revista Nutrición Animal Tropical will monitor the inappropriate use of ideas and content already published by other authors using Turnitin software. Turnitin is a tool used for comparing and reviewing documents to verify their originality. Authors who submit documents for publication in the journal must adhere to the rules for citing literature and bibliographic references stipulated in the Guidelines for Authors. Furthermore, claiming authorship of documents when the owner is another person is considered plagiarism.

The text review is carried out by the journal's editor after the document has undergone the peer review process. The journal reserves the right to reject documents identified as possible plagiarism. Similarly, the author of the document will be allowed to amend with bibliographic citations.

In addition, due to the increasing use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools for text generation, the journal is attentive to the proper declaration and ethical use of these technologies. Authors must explicitly state if any part of the manuscript has been generated or assisted by AI, ensuring that all content is original, properly referenced, and complies with ethical publication standards. Inappropriate use of AI to submit non-original work or without proper attribution will be considered an ethical breach and may result in the rejection of the manuscript.

 

 

For more information:

Email: revistanat.ez@ucr.ac.cr

Phone: (506) 2511-4529

Specify in subject: MANUSCRIPT REVIEW or INFORMATION

Research Center in Animal Nutrition (CINA) City of Research

Costa Rica university. 150 meters east and 25 south of the UNED highway to Sabanilla de Montes de Oca, San José, Costa Rica.