Submissions

Author guidelines

Manuscript Submission Guidelines for the Journal

Manuscripts that do not comply with the following guidelines will be returned to the authors.
We recommend using the journal's style sheet to prepare your manuscript.

EDITORIAL CONTENT

Disclaimer

The journal provides clear and accessible scientific and technical information of high quality, aimed at supporting decision-making and action processes for various public and private stakeholders in the fields of territorial development and the environment.

We recommend using simple, commonly understood language. If a scientific term is essential, include a footnote with its definition. The IMRAD structure (Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion), commonly used in scientific articles, should be avoided. Instead, organize content by themes or ideas, clearly presenting the context at the beginning of the article.

The editorial team places particular emphasis on clarity and readability for a broad audience, including non-specialists. Before submission to the editorial board, articles undergo a formal review for grammar, spelling, sentence structure, and syntax. The editorial team reserves the right to reject any article that does not meet these minimum standards.

The editorial team is available to provide guidance.

What Types of Submissions Are Accepted?

You may submit either an individual article proposal or a proposal for a thematic issue.

Article Proposals
Manuscripts submitted by authors are published progressively upon final acceptance by the review committee and included in the current issue of the year.

Thematic Issue Proposals
These are proposed by a scientific coordinator or a subject expert, who is responsible for identifying 8 to 15 topics that illustrate diverse perspectives and approaches on the chosen theme. The proposed table of contents will be submitted to the editorial board, which may request additions or offer recommendations. Articles should, where possible, take various formats. In addition to traditional articles, the following formats are encouraged:

• Foreword
• Introductory article explaining key concepts for non-specialists
• State-of-the-art article, including a literature review
• Context article written by an external contributor
• Opinion piece presenting critical perspectives on the topic

One or two articles referring to research or experiences outside France are welcome. Non-French-speaking authors may submit texts in English. The journal, in consultation with the editorial board, will determine whether translation into French is necessary.

TEXT FORMATS

Article Format

Articles present study results or research findings, provide state-of-the-art insights in a specific field, or offer valuable perspectives for updating readers' knowledge.

• Title: In both French and English (for indexing purposes); it should be concise, representative of the content, and clear for the reader.
• Abstract: In both French and English (for indexing purposes), summarizing the article’s issue, the techniques presented, and potential follow-ups. The French abstract should not exceed 200 words. The English abstract, used in international databases and on the journal’s English pages, may be more detailed.
• Introduction: Define the context, issues, and key questions addressed. Essential specialized terms should be explained, and all acronyms should be expanded upon first use.
• Main Text: May include one or two sidebars to clarify methodological aspects without overcomplicating the text. Results should be presented and discussed concisely, relating them to the intended objectives.
• Conclusion: Summarizes the article’s content and contextualizes the results, emphasizing future perspectives and potential applications.
• "Further Reading" Box: Placed at the end of the article, listing up to five easily accessible references (specialized websites, key articles or books, online reports, informative videos).
• References: The bibliography should include only primary sources and essential works accessible to most readers, limited to 20 references. Self-citations should be avoided.
• Additional Sidebars: Limited to two.
• Visual Elements: Up to four figures, tables, or photos. Additional visuals may be included upon request.

The body of the article (excluding the title, abstract, captions, "Further Reading" section, and references) should be approximately 8 pages, or about 3,000 words, plus 4 visual elements.

Note Format

Notes are short articles of various types:

• Explanatory Notes: Summarizing a technical or scientific topic, a state-of-the-art review, or research perspectives to help readers clarify a concept or issue.
• Method and Tool Notes: Presenting specific methodologies, their limitations, implementation requirements, and dissemination conditions. May include case studies.
• Informational Notes: Describing a thematic field or domain, providing useful knowledge for local actors and government agencies.

The body of a note (excluding the title, captions, and references) should be approximately 4 pages, or about 1,500 words, plus 2 visual elements.

Other Text Formats

Additional text formats include contributions for thematic issues, such as opinion pieces, cross-disciplinary perspectives, interviews, or literature reviews. These may range from 1,000 to 5,000 words, with varying numbers of illustrations depending on the submission type.

For format and layout guidance, contact the journal’s editorial team: valerie.pagneux@inrae.fr

ARTICLE ELEMENT PRESENTATION

File Submission
Texts should be submitted as Word documents (.doc or .docx) using the journal’s style sheet.

Visual Elements

Illustrations, Photos, and Tables

• Numbered sequentially (using Arabic numerals) with captions and references to them within the text.
• Captions must include the source of the image (e.g., photographer’s name, data source).
• Authors must ensure they hold reproduction rights for any images used. If they are not the creators, they must obtain permission and original high-quality files.

Illustration Guidelines

• Provide native source files (e.g., Adobe Illustrator .ai, CorelDraw .cdr).
• Vector files are preferred, but Word, Excel, and PowerPoint figures are accepted.
• If native files are unavailable, supply high-resolution images (300 dpi, as large as possible).

Photo Guidelines

• Submit original digital photo files.
• Acceptable formats: .jpg or .tiff.
• High-quality resolution: 300 dpi, at least 2,400 x 1,600 pixels.

Table Guidelines

• Must be formatted in Word or Excel and embedded in the Word document.
• Should not be included as images.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

References in scientific and technical articles serve a different purpose than in purely academic papers. Avoid excessive or unavailable sources (e.g., theses, student dissertations, confidential reports) and focus on essential references relevant to the journal’s readership. These may include online resources, legal documents, or technical standards.

The journal follows the APA 7th edition style, compatible with citation management tools like EndNote, Zotero, and Mendeley.

Citation Format in Text

• One author: (Le Renard, 2022)
• Two authors: (Bouleau & Chauvin, 2021)
• Three or more authors: (Valette et al., 2021)
• Multiple references: Ordered chronologically, then alphabetically (e.g., Duquennoi, 2015; Bouleau & Chauvin, 2019; Debord et al., 2019; Thiriel & Riboust, 2021).
• Multiple publications by the same author in one year: (Aubry et al., 2022a; Aubry et al., 2022b).

Reference List Format

• Journal Article:
  Author, Initial. (Year). Title of the article. Journal Name, Volume(Issue), page range. DOI or URL

• Book or Report:
  Author, Initial. (Year). Title of the book (Edition, Volume). Publisher. DOI or URL

• Book Chapter:
  Author, Initial. (Year). Title of the chapter. In Initial. Author & Initial. Author (Eds.), Title of the book (pp. page range). Publisher. DOI or URL

• Conference Paper:
  Author, Initial. (Year). Title of the presentation [Conference]. Conference Name, Location. URL

• Webpage:
  Author, Initial. (Year). Document title. Website Name. Retrieved Date from URL

For additional information, please contact the editorial team.