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 OpenOffice, Microsoft Word, or RTF document file format.
  • Where available, URLs for the references have been provided.
  • All URL addresses in the text (e.g., http://pkp.sfu.ca) are activated and ready to click.
  • The text is double-spaced; uses a 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.
  • Include numbered and titled figures and tables in the main text.
  • All journal submissions use APA 7th edition referencing. Authors must guarantee:
    1) in-text citations for direct quotes should include author’s last name, publication year, and page number(s) (e.g., Smith, 2020, p. 45); 2) for short quotations (40 words or less), use double quotation marks. For longer quotations (40+ words), format them as block quotes, indented without quotation marks, and include the page number; 3) the reference list at the end of the manuscript is alphabetized by author surname and formatted in APA style. Complete bibliographic details should include author, publication year, title, and source.
  • The text adheres to the stylistic and bibliographic requirements outlined in the Author Guidelines, which is found in About the Journal.
  • The text, if submitted to a peer-reviewed section (e.g., Articles), has had the authors' names removed. If an author is cited, "Author" and year are used in the bibliography and footnotes, instead of author's name, paper title, etc. The author's name has also been removed from the document's Properties, which in Microsoft Word is found in the File menu.
  • Author Warranty and Representation: I, the author, represent and warrant that the material I am submitting for publication (the Work): a) does not contain any libelous or unlawful statements; b) does not infringe on any copyright, privacy rights or any other proprietary rights; c) has not been previously published elsewhere in its entirety. In the event, the Work contains material that has been previously published, such excerpted material has been attributed to the proper author(s) and identifies where it has been previously published; and d) is my sole, original work, or in the case the Work is prepared jointly by more than one author, I warrant that I have been authorized by all co-authors to submit the Work on their behalf.
  • Responsibility for Claims: I agree to protect and not hold the journal publishers, its employees, contractors, and agents responsible for any losses, damages, expenses, claims, or legal actions (including legal fees) that arise from any violation of the warranties mentioned above.
  • Distribution and Copyright: By submitting the Work, I agree that the right to reproduce and distribute the Work has been given to the journal and its publishers and that they may authorize third parties to republish, index or share the Work in alternate formats. Author permission will be obtained for any publication outside of Future Earth: A Student Journal on Sustainability and Environment. However, I understand that I as author will retain copyright of the Work and may reuse and redistribute the Work, as long as I credit the journal.
  • Machine Learning and AI Use Disclosure: Authors must disclose any use of AI or ML tools in manuscript preparation, such as writing assistance, data analysis, or figure generation. This statement should describe AI or ML tool usage, including the tool name, version, and tasks. Authors are accountable for submission accuracy, integrity, and originality, regardless of AI involvement. The author(s) should check all AI-generated content for ethical compliance with the journal. Submissions may be rejected if AI or ML tools are not disclosed.
  • Copyright Notice: Authors grant the journal first publication rights and retain copyright. All articles will be published under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA) License, which allows others to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format for noncommercial purposes only, and only so long as attribution is given to the creator and the Future Earth journal. If others remix, adapt, or build upon the material, they must license the modified material under identical terms.
    Authors can enter non-exclusive distribution agreements (e.g., institutional repositories) with initial publication.

Author Guidelines

Note: Student authors submitting their manuscripts to Future Earth: A Student Journal on Sustainability and Environment must be current undergraduate or graduate students enrolled at Thompson Rivers University. However, in line with institutional guidelines, students who have recently graduated are eligible to submit articles up to 4 months after their graduation.

Peer Review Process

Submission: The student, often advised by a faculty member from a course, submits the manuscript via email to the Chief editor following the guidelines provided on the journal website. In addition, a review report from the instructor about the manuscript is necessary if the paper originated from a course. The student author’s name will be removed from the paper to ensure anonymity during the review process.

Initial Evaluation and Review: The chief editor sends the paper to the relevant editor who evaluates the manuscript, and the instructor’s report if available, to determine whom to assign the review. They also check if the manuscript meets the author’s guidelines and uses similarity software to check for academic integrity. The co-editor then sends the paper to two associate editors, experts in the relevant field of study who assess the manuscript. If the instructor has reviewed the paper submitted, then the editor sends it to only one only one associate editor to give the student more feedback to strengthen the manuscript.

Review Report: The associate editor(s) evaluate the manuscript based on improving its originality, clarity, rigor, and relevance to society taking into consideration the feedback from the instructor if available. The associate editor(s) provide a written report that includes constructive feedback, suggestions for improvement, and recommendations for acceptance, and revisions to the editor.

Author Revision: For manuscripts recommended for revision, the student has a specified timeframe to revise the manuscript based on the feedback provided by the reviewer(s) and resubmit.

Final Decision: The editors make a recommendation to the chief editor regarding the acceptance, or revision of the manuscript, taking into account the feedback provided by the instructor’s feedback if submitted by the instructor, associate editors’ comments, and the author’s revisions. The student is informed of the decision. If the manuscript is accepted for publication a DOI is assigned to the article when published.

This peer review process ensures that the published articles meet the highest standards of quality, rigor, and relevance to the field. The process is rigorous and impartial and aims to provide constructive feedback to authors while maintaining the integrity and credibility of the journal.

Formatting

Language: Future Earth publishes articles in English. Frequently manuscripts are returned to the author for English language and formatting issues. We strongly advise all authors to have their manuscripts reviewed.

Manuscript Sections: A publishable paper should contain the following: 1. Abstract (150-250 words); 2. Keywords; 3. Introduction (what is the problem?); 4. Literature review including relevant theory/framework; 5. Research design and methods; 6. Findings/results; 7. Discussion, implications, and limitations; 8. Conclusions; 8. References

Format: All documents must be submitted in Word format. Articles are not to exceed 7000 words excluding graphics. Reports and Dialogues are not to exceed 3500 words. Use standard font and double-space throughout, including block quotations, and references. Provide an abstract of approximately 200 words that summarizes the main points of the article. Submit a biographical note for each author of not more than 50 words using the Online Journal System. Future Earth's editorial style conforms to the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.).

Referencing: Sources cited appear in parentheses after each reference (direct or otherwise), giving author's name (unless mentioned in text), year of publication, and page number(s) in the case of direct quotes. Enclose quotes of 40 or fewer words in double quotation marks in the text; indent quotes longer than 40 words in block format; page numbers must be given. List all sources alphabetically at the end of the manuscript under the heading References using APA style. For sample citation information please refer to: https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/

Graphics and Illustrations: All illustrations, figures, and tables should be placed within the text at the appropriate points, rather than at the end. Number tables and figures with Arabic numerals and provide titles that reflect the content. 

Please provide figures in the highest resolution possible, whether this means they are embedded or provided separately.

Note: If the manuscript, figures, or tables are difficult for you to read, they will also be difficult for the editors and reviewers, and the editorial office will send them back for revision.

Supplementary files: Supplementary materials are the additional parts to a manuscript, such as audio files, video clips, or datasets that might be of interest to readers. A section titled supplementary material should be included before the references list with a concise description for each supplementary material file. Supplementary materials are not modified by our production team. Authors are responsible for providing the final supplementary material files that will be published along with the article.

Acknowledgments

All acknowledgments (if any) should be included at the very end of the manuscript before the references. Anyone who made a contribution to the research or manuscript, but who is not a listed author, should be acknowledged (with their permission).

Ethical Guidelines 

For research involving human participants, all studies must follow the ethical principles outlined in the Tri-Council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans (TCPS 2). Manuscripts describing research that presents any risk to human participants must include a statement confirming that the research was conducted with the participants' understanding and written informed consent, along with a declaration that the responsible ethics board approved the study.

For research involving animals, authors must provide a detailed description of any anesthetic or surgical procedures used and demonstrate that all necessary measures were taken to minimize animal suffering at every stage of the experiment. Approval must be obtained from the appropriate Animal Care Committee in accordance with the Canadian Council on Animal Care (CCAC) guidelines, where applicable.

Appeals

If you believe your submission was rejected due to: 1) a significant misunderstanding of a technical aspect of your manuscript, or 2) a failure to recognize the contribution of your work, you may submit an appeal. Appeals that simply request a second opinion without clear justification will not be considered. To file an appeal, please email the journal, including your manuscript number. Appeals will only be accepted from the original submitting author.

Book Reviews

A book review provides readers with an informed and critical evaluation of a published book. Book reviews should be between 1000 and 1500 words, excluding references.

Case Studies

Case studies should describe a specific sustainability scenario, problem, or issue, and provide analysis and recommendations based on relevant theories or frameworks. The case should be presented in a clear and concise manner, with appropriate data and visual aids for support. Discussions should provide insights into the implications of the case study and offer recommendations for future action. Case studies should be between 1,000 and 3,000 words in length, excluding references and appendices.

Commentaries and Opinions

Commentaries, viewpoints, or opinion pieces should be brief and provide a unique and well-supported perspective on a current issue or trend in the field. The commentary should be clear, concise, and engaging, with a compelling argument and evidence to support the author’s position. Discussions should provide insights into the implications of the issue or trend and offer recommendations for future action. Commentaries, viewpoints, or opinion pieces should be between 500 and 1,000 words, excluding references and appendices.

Research Articles

Research articles should present original research that contributes to the knowledge and understanding of sustainability and other relevant fields of study. The research should be supported by a literature review. The methodology should include data collection and analysis methods. Results should be presented in a clear and concise manner, with appropriate visual aids such as tables and graphs. The discussion section should interpret the results and provide important insights and policy implications. Research articles should be between 2,000 and 4,000 words, excluding references and appendices.

Review Articles

Review articles should provide a critical and comprehensive analysis of the existing literature on a specific topic or issue in the field. The review should be well-organized, with clear sections and subheadings that guide the reader through the analysis. Discussions should provide insights into the current state of the literature, identify gaps or inconsistencies, and offer recommendations for future research. Review articles should be between 3,000 and 6,000 words in length, excluding references and appendices.

Copyright Notice

Authors grant the journal first publication rights and retain copyright. The work is simultaneously licenced under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License which allows others to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format for noncommercial purposes only, and only so long as attribution is given to the creator and the Future Earth journal. If others remix, adapt, or build upon the material, they must license the modified material under identical terms.
Authors can enter non-exclusive distribution agreements (e.g., institutional repositories) with initial publication. In fact, authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).

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