Submissions

1. Scope of the journal

Zoology Notes invites original research articles, short communications, reviews and well-documented natural history observations in all fields of zoology. Contributions may address:

• Taxonomy and systematics.
• Species distributions and natural history.
• Animal behaviour and ecology.
• Conservation and other aspects of zoology.

We particularly welcome observations and studies that bring attention to poorly documented species, habitats and regions. Contributions should be original, make a clear contribution to knowledge and be supported by verifiable evidence.

2. Length and article structure

Accepted articles must not exceed six printed A4 pages in the final journal layout. This limit includes the title, author details, main text, acknowledgements, references, figure captions, tables and photographs. Authors should therefore write concisely and use only essential illustrations and references.

No abstract, keywords, running title, supplementary material or formal section headings are required. The manuscript should contain only the following elements, in this order:

1. Title
2. Author name(s) and affiliation(s)
3. Body of the note
4. Acknowledgements (if any)
5. References
6. Figure captions and/or table(s), if applicable

3. Preparing the manuscript

3.1 General format

Submit the manuscript as a Microsoft Word (.docx) file and a matching PDF. Use A4 page size, 2.5 cm margins, Times New Roman, 12 pt font and 1.5 line spacing. Number all pages consecutively. Use italics only for scientific names and standard emphasis. Avoid coloured text, text boxes, automatic field codes, track changes, excessive formatting and embedded low-resolution images.

Manuscripts must be written in clear English. Authors are responsible for grammar, accuracy, citations, permits and scientific identification. Use metric units and the International System of Units (SI).

3.2 Title, authors and affiliations

The title should be concise, informative and identify the principal taxon, observation or record, and geographic area where useful. Include higher taxonomic placement in parentheses when it improves clarity, for example: “First record of [species] from [area] (Reptilia: Family)”.

Write author names in UPPER CASE in the submitted manuscript. Give each affiliation on a separate line, followed by the email address of the corresponding author. Use superscript numerals to link authors with affiliations when necessary. State the corresponding author clearly.

3.3 Body of the note

For short communications and natural history observations, the body should normally be presented as a continuous, logically organised note rather than a full IMRAD paper. It should state why the observation or record matters; provide exact locality, date, observer(s), habitat and methods of documentation; present the evidence; and briefly explain its significance. Subheadings may be used sparingly when they improve readability.

For distribution records, provide locality name, administrative unit, country, coordinates (decimal degrees, WGS 84), elevation where available, date and basis of identification. Cite a specimen voucher, photographic voucher, sound recording, tissue sample or other verifiable evidence, together with repository/accession details whenever possible (example: https://zenodo.org/).

3.4 Scientific names, nomenclature and terminology

Use current scientific names consistently. On first mention, give the complete binomen in italics; include the authority only where taxonomically relevant or required for clarity. Thereafter, the genus may be abbreviated only when no ambiguity is possible. Zoological nomenclature must conform to the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN).

Common names may be used after the scientific name has been introduced, but they should not replace scientific names in a technical record. Use “sp. nov.” only in manuscripts intended to establish a new taxon; such manuscripts are outside the normal scope of this journal.

4. References and citations

Cite references in the text as Smith (2024), Smith & Das (2024), or Smith et al. (2024) for three or more authors. Multiple citations should be arranged chronologically, separated by semicolons: (Das 2019; Smith & Roy 2022; Ali et al. 2025). List only references cited in the text, in alphabetical order by first author and then chronologically.

Write journal titles in full. Use an en dash for page ranges (e.g., 12–18). Include a DOI as a full link when one is available. Examples follow:

Journal article: Das, A. Dutta. S & Roy, S. (2024) Title of article. Journal Title, 18 (2), 123–130. https://doi.org/xx.xxxx/xxxxx

Book: Smith, J.A. (2022) Title of Book. Publisher, City, 250 pp.

Book chapter: Ali, R. (2023) Title of chapter. In: Das, A. & Roy, S. (Eds.), Title of Book. Publisher, City, pp. 45–58.

Online resource: Author or Organisation (2025) Title of resource. Available from: https://example.org (accessed 15 August 2026).

5. Figures, photographs and tables

Figures are encouraged only when they are necessary to document the record or explain the observation. A maximum of four figure panels is normally permitted. Combine related photographs into a single labelled figure wherever possible. Photographs must be sharp, correctly exposed and free of distracting edits. Do not add watermarks, decorative borders or excessive labels.

For review, figures may be inserted at the end of the manuscript PDF or supplied as a single figure PDF. After acceptance, submit each figure at publication quality: TIFF or high-quality JPEG, minimum 300 dpi at final printed size; maps, drawings and graphs should preferably be supplied as PDF, EPS or other editable vector formats. Authors must own the copyright or have written permission for all images.

Place figure captions after the references. Captions should be brief but self-contained, identify panels as A, B, C, etc., and state locality and photographer when appropriate. Tables should be created with the table function in Word, not with tabs or spaces. Keep tables simple and use them only when a figure or short sentence cannot present the information more clearly.

6. Ethics, permits and data integrity

Authors must comply with applicable laws, collection permits, animal-care requirements and protected-area regulations. Where animals were captured, handled, collected or sampled, state the permit authority and number in the body of the note or acknowledgements. Do not disclose precise locations of highly threatened, commercially targeted or otherwise sensitive species when publication could increase risk; provide a justified generalised locality instead.

Identification must be defensible. A record based on an image should show diagnostic characters sufficiently clearly, or the authors should explain how identification was independently verified. Records involving unusual range extensions, rare species or difficult identifications may be asked to provide additional photographs, voucher details, genetic evidence or expert confirmation.

The submission must be original, must not have been published previously, and must not be under consideration elsewhere. All authors must approve submission and accept responsibility for the accuracy and integrity of the work. Plagiarism, fabricated records, manipulated images and undisclosed conflicts of interest are unacceptable.

7. Use of AI-assisted tools

AI-assisted tools must not be used to generate or alter observations, locality information, specimen data, figures, analyses, identifications or scientific conclusions. Limited use for language improvement or basic technical image adjustment (for example, cropping, brightness or contrast) is permitted, provided that the adjustment does not alter scientific content. Any material use of such tools must be disclosed to the editor at submission. Authors remain fully responsible for the manuscript.

8. Submission procedure

Submit the following by email or through the journal submission portal:

• A cover letter;
• One editable manuscript file (.docx);
• One complete PDF containing the text, references, captions, tables and low-resolution figures in their intended order;
• Separate high-resolution figure files only when requested or after acceptance; and
• Names, affiliations and email addresses of two suggested reviewers who have no conflict of interest with the authors (optional but encouraged).

The cover letter must confirm that: (1) all authors have approved the submission; (2) the work is original and is not under review elsewhere; (3) the necessary permits and permissions have been obtained; (4) all images and data may be published; and (5) any competing interests or relevant AI-assisted use have been declared.

Submissions that exceed the journal scope or page limit, lack verifiable evidence, omit essential locality information, or do not follow these instructions may be returned without review.

9. Review, revision and publication

Each submission is first assessed by an editor for scope, format, evidence and scientific relevance. Suitable notes are sent for peer review, normally to one or two reviewers with relevant expertise. Editorial decisions are accept, minor revision, major revision or reject.

When submitting a revised manuscript, provide: (i) a clean revised version; (ii) a tracked-changes version if requested; and (iii) a point-by-point response to all editorial and reviewer comments. After acceptance, authors will receive page proofs. Proof corrections must be limited to typographical and factual errors; substantial rewriting at proof stage may delay publication.

10. Pre-submission checklist

• The contribution is a concise zoological note within the journal scope.
• The final published article can be accommodated within six printed A4 pages, including images and references.
• The manuscript contains only title, author details, body, acknowledgements and references, with captions/tables where applicable.
• Scientific names, locality, dates, evidence and citations have been checked.
• All required permits, permissions and ethical obligations have been met.
• All figures are original or used with permission, and captions are complete.
• Every in-text citation appears in the reference list and every listed reference is cited.
• All authors have approved the final submission and the cover-letter declarations are correct.

11. Publication

The Editorial Team will endeavour to ensure the timely publication of all accepted manuscripts without compromising scientific quality. The peer-review process will normally be completed within approximately two months; however, this period may be longer depending on the availability of suitable reviewers and the time required for reviewers to provide a thorough evaluation. Once a manuscript has been accepted and the final corrected files have been received, the Editorial Team will aim to publish it online within 15 days. All articles will be published online in open-access format, ensuring that they are freely available to readers worldwide.

12. Article Processing Charge

Currently, no article processing charge (APC) will be levied on authors for submission, review, publication, or open-access availability of their articles.

13. Copyright and Open-Access Policy

Authors retain copyright in their published work. Upon acceptance, authors grant Zoology Notes the non-exclusive right of first publication and the right to publish, reproduce, distribute, archive and display the article in print and electronic formats.

All articles are published open access under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence (CC BY 4.0). This permits readers to read, download, copy, share, adapt and reuse the published material for any lawful purpose, provided that appropriate credit is given to the author(s) and the original publication in Zoology Notes is cited.

Authors are responsible for obtaining permission to reproduce any copyrighted text, photographs, illustrations, tables or other material included in their submission. The views and conclusions expressed in published articles are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the Editorial Team or Publisher.

14. Privacy Statement

The names, affiliations and email addresses entered on this journal’s website or provided during submission will be used solely for editorial communication, peer review, publication and other purposes directly related to the operation of the journal. Such information will not be sold, shared or made available to third parties for unrelated purposes.