AUTHOR INSTRUCTIONS

Submit an article

Author instructions: [PDF]

Authors must complete and submit the Checklist for preparation of Manuscripts and Illustrations: [PDF] before publication.

Please sign and send this form to: lankesteriana@ucr.ac.cr

  • About the journal

Journal history
LANKESTERIANA, the International Journal on Orchidology, has been dedicated to publishing articles focused mainly (today exclusively) on orchid science, spanning a wide variety of topics, including anatomy, ecology, evolution, history, physiology, phylogenetics, and systematics. Founded in 2001, LANKESTERIANA is hosted by the University of Costa Rica. The first issue published on the 15th of May, 2001, with the support of Jorge Warner, former Director of Lankester Botanical Garden, and Franco Pupulin, its inaugural Editor in Chief, was funded by Brian Holley from Cleveland Botanical Garden. The journal's early years were marked by enthusiasm and rapid growth despite initial challenges in distinguishing itself from other botanical journals. However, it quickly gained recognition within the scientific community, largely due to contributions from prominent figures in orchid science, including James Ackerman, Germán Carnevali, Phillip Cribb, Stig Dälstrom, Mark Chase, Calaway H. Dodson, Robert L. Dressler, Eric Hágsater, Günter Gerlach, Alec Pridgeon, Gerardo Salazar, and Norris H. Williams.
Initially not exclusively focused on orchids, LANKESTERIANA shifted its scope to solely cover orchid-related research in 2007, filling a gap in orchidology left by the discontinuation of other recognized journals in the field, such as Lindleyana, Orquídea, Orquideología, and Selbyana. With the continuous support of the Vice Rectorate for Research at the University of Costa Rica, and the incorporation of Diego Bogarín, Adam P. Karremans, and Melissa Díaz as Associate and Managing Editors and Noelia Belfort-Oconitrillo as Technical Editor, the journal maintained a steady flow of high-quality publications. Today, LANKESTERIANA is the only scientific journal dedicated exclusively to publishing original research articles on orchid science, along with correspondence, comments, corrigendum, opinions, obituaries, special issue contributions, conference proceedings, checklists, and reviews.
The journal continues to assert its influence within the field of orchidology, evidenced by its high citation in orchid-related literature worldwide and its inclusion in well-recognized indexes such as Scimago and Scopus. LANKESTERIANA is a peer-reviewed, electronic, open-access journal that still distributes printed copies to over 50 institutions worldwide.

Aims and scope
LANKESTERIANA, the International Journal on Orchidology, is an international scientific journal published by the Lankester Botanical Garden Research Center – University of Costa Rica. The journal is globally recognized for its specialization and contributions to the knowledge of the orchid family. In addition to research articles, LANKESTERIANA is dedicated to facilitating scholarly communication and exchange by publishing a comprehensive array of content, including book reviews, checklists, comments, conference proceedings, correspondence, corrigendum, obituaries, opinions, reviews, and special issue contributions.

LANKESTERIANA maintains rigorous academic standards as a peer-reviewed journal, ensuring that only the highest quality research articles are published. Through this rigorous review process, the journal upholds its reputation for excellence and reliability, providing readers with access to credible and authoritative scientific information on orchids.

Furthermore, LANKESTERIANA values the contributions of authors worldwide, with English being the official language of the journal.

Mission statement
The mission of LANKESTERIANA, the International Journal on Orchidology, is multi-faceted, reflecting its dedication to advancing knowledge within all fields of orchidology. As a global platform, LANKESTERIANA disseminates high-quality, authoritative research articles covering a broad spectrum of topics related to orchids, thus contributing significantly to the scientific understanding of the orchid family.
Research areas of LANKESTERIANA include, but are not limited to:

  • Anatomy and Morphology
  • Climate Change and Plant Responses
  • Conservation
  • Ecology
  • Ethnobotany and Medicinal Botany
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Floral Biology and Reproductive Strategies
  • Floristics, Taxonomy and Systematics
  • Genetics
  • Genomics and Phylogenetics
  • History of Orchidology
  • Micropropagation and Conservation Biotechnology
  • Molecular and Cell Biology
  • Nomenclature
  • Physiology

Timeframe

At LANKESTERIANA, editorial decisions for new submissions are typically reached within two weeks. Following this, the review process usually takes about one month. Once a manuscript is accepted, it will be published within an additional two weeks. Authors can conveniently check the status of their submissions via the LANKESTERIANA website under 'Submission Status' or by contacting us via email at lankesteriana@ucr.ac.cr

Keywords

Anatomy, Biodiversity, Biogeography, Botany, Conservation, Ecology, Endangered species, Ethnobotany, Evolution, Floral biology, Floristics, Genomics, History of orchids, International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants, Medicinal botany, Micropropagation, Mycorrhizal associations, New species, Orchids, Orchidaceae, Physiology, Phylogenetics, Pollination, Reproductive biology, Seed dispersal, Seed germination, Systematics, Taxonomy, Tropical plants, Typification.

Open access policy
This journal follows the principle of open access, providing free and immediate access to its content to encourage global knowledge exchange. All articles published in LANKESTERIANA are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivs 3.0 Costa Rica license unless indicated otherwise. Authors are not charged for page fees, and their articles are available as open access at no cost. Before publication in LANKESTERIANA, authors assign the distribution rights of their materials to the Lankester Botanical Garden, University of Costa Rica.

Digital preservation policy
The LANKESTERIANA collection is available online through the Portal of the Scientific Journals of the University of Costa Rica and on LANKESTERIANA ’s website. The printed journal is preserved in over 50 institutions and libraries worldwide. Furthermore, the Journal's computer system ensures the safety of published articles, editable files, and unpublished documents backed up on various external hardware and through OneDrive to ensure redundancy and continuity.

Publishing Entity
University of Costa Rica
"Rodrigo Facio Brenes" Campus, Montes de Oca, San José, Costa Rica
Zip code: 11501-2060 San José.
Contact: (506) 2511-4000 Fax: (506) 2224-8214
Email address: jardinbotanico.lankester@ucr.ac.cr

Source of funding
Vice Rectorate for Research, University of Costa Rica, Costa Rica.
Lankester Botanical Garden Research Center, University of Costa Rica, Costa Rica.

Interoperability protocols
LANKESTERIANA uses the Open Archives Initiative Protocol for Metadata Harvesting protocol (OAI-PMH), which can be accessed at the following link: https://revistas.ucr.ac.cr/index.php/lankesteriana/oai
Abstracting, Metrics, and Indexing Information
LANKESTERIANA is indexed by:

  • Biblat
  • CiteFactor
  • DOAJ
  • Latindex
  • Periódica
  • Redalyc
  • SciELO
  • Scopus
  • UCRIndex

LANKESTERIANA is also included in the following digital databases, catalogues, and repositories:

  • Core Electronic Journals Library
  • E-journals
  • Electronic resources of the Columbia University
  • Hollis, Harvard Library catalog 
  • Scirus
  • Smithsonian Institution
  • University of Florida
  • WorldCat
  • WZB

LANKESTERIANA has officially endorsed the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA), reinforcing its commitment to reducing the overemphasis on journal impact factors in research evaluation. DORA advocates for a broader range of indicators, including the two-year median citation score, immediacy index, eigenfactor score, and article-influence score, to gauge researchers' contributions accurately. Despite recognizing impact factors' limitations, they remain significant for some institutions and researchers.
Journal Metrics (2024)
Subject area: Plant Science
SJR: 0.430
SNIP: 0.950 
CiteScore: 1.4 
CiteScore percentile: 29%
CiteScore rank: 342 out of 487
H-Index: 19
Quartile: 
Plant Science        2020    Q3
Plant Science        2021    Q2
Plant Science        2022    Q2
Plant Science        2023    Q2
Plant Science        2024    Q2
Permissions

Requests to reproduce materials published in Lankesteriana are welcome and free of charge. However, authors wishing to reproduce iconographic material published in LANKESTERIANA in other sources must contact the journal directly (lankesteriana@ucr.ac.cr) for permission. Proper acknowledgment of the original LANKESTERIANA publication and the journal is required in such instances.

  • Manuscript categories and requirements

Our scientific journal is open to submissions across various categories, each subject to specific guidelines to ensure thorough review and appropriate publication. These categories include:
Original Articles (Research Papers): These papers cover original research and comprise taxonomic monographs, floristic treatments, or findings from research projects. These papers are expected to adhere to the following format:

  • Title Page
  • Abstract (about 250 words)
  • Introduction
  • Materials and Methods
  • Results
  • Discussion
  • Acknowledgements
  • References
  • Data Accessibility
  • Author Contributions
  • Tables and Figures and figure captions

Short communication: This section covers articles shorter than original articles, such as brief taxonomic or nomenclatural notes and pollination observations. These articles should not exceed four printed pages and should not contain more than 15 references.
Comments: These are short and concise comments on articles published in Lankesteriana. A rebuttal from the original author may be published along with the comment.
Corrigendum: These are corrections to articles published in Lankesteriana. They must be submitted by the same author(s).
Opinions: These present relevant points of view that can generate constructive debate. They are subject to peer review and must be less than 5,000 words, excluding references.
Obituaries: These are notes that announce the passing of a relevant person in orchid science.
Special Issue Contributions: These articles contribute to special issues on relevant or interesting topics in the journal's scope, selected by the Editor or Associate Editors.
Conference Proceedings: These are articles associated with presentations at relevant orchidology congresses. They are subject to normal journal peer review and should not provide new data.
Checklists: These should cover a group or geographical area. The species listed must be supported by herbarium vouchers of the specimens examined. Also, at least 80% of the species should be illustrated (with high-resolution photographs, color plates or ink illustrations). Prospective authors are encouraged to contact the Editor before submission of checklists for more details.
Reviews:  A review entails critically analyzing existing literature on a specific topic. Its aim is to summarize and synthesize current knowledge, identify gaps and inconsistencies, and propose future research directions. Typically authored by experts, reviews in orchidology can range from general overviews to detailed analyses of specific subtopics. They play a vital role in scientific discourse by offering comprehensive and authoritative knowledge summaries within a field. Consequently, they are valuable resources for researchers, students, and practitioners.
Other specific requirements for manuscripts
Range extensions: Range extensions will only be considered for publication if the taxon is documented in a new country, distinct from its previously known distribution, and is fully illustrated, vouchered, and described. We do not currently accept regional extensions within the same country or range extensions of widely distributed species for publication. Nevertheless, exceptions can be made in certain circumstances, such as when a species has a limited distribution, is critically endangered, exhibits relevant biogeographical disjunctions, or is an invasive or exotic species with rapid expansion. In such cases, authors should submit a cover letter explaining the significance of the range extension for publication to the Editors for consideration before formal submission. These papers will primarily be published in the Correspondence section.
Floristic treatments and monographs: should include illustrations for a minimum of 90% of the featured species, presented in high-resolution photographs, color plates, or ink illustrations. In the case of floristic treatments, the illustrations must be based on specimens collected at the study site.
New species proposals: To ensure the validity of newly proposed taxa, it is essential to adhere to the rules outlined in the current version of The International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants. New species must be thoroughly illustrated, including comparative elements with related species. Descriptions should encompass precise locality information and proper citations of materials obtained through appropriate permits, such as local collecting permits and CITES permits (when applicable). Manuscripts lacking these essential details will not be considered for publication, and the editorial board retains the right to reject such submissions. Furthermore, the accompanying photographs and illustrations must distinctly present diagnostic features stated in the comparative diagnosis.

  • Author Guidelines (Preparing the submission)

Cover Letters
When submitting your manuscript, please include a Cover Letter with the corresponding author's contact details, paper title, authorship details, and a brief abstract aligning with the journal's scope. Please include the following declaration: “We declare that this manuscript is original, has not been published and is not under consideration for publication elsewhere and there are no conflicts of interest to disclose”. Feel free to suggest potential reviewers for consideration by the Editors, and if necessary, indicate any reviewers to be ruled out due to conflicts of interest or other pertinent factors. The Cover Letter is an initial communication tool, introducing authors and their work while aiding a streamlined and informed review process. 
General Instructions and Formatting
Authors must confirm that their submission complies with the following guidelines as part of the manuscript submission process. Submissions that do not adhere to these guidelines may be returned to authors.
General Instructions

  • Type the manuscript in Word (or a Word-compatible word processor) on an 8.5” by 11” document with at least a 1” (2.5 cm) margin on all sides.
  • Use Times New Roman 12-point typed, double-spaced throughout, including tables, figure legends, and literature cited. Do not justify the right margin. Authors are responsible for diacritical marks.
  • Assemble the document in the following order:

Title, Author(s), and Affiliation(s) on one page.

  • Abstract [+ optional abstract in the second language], keywords, and running title on separate page(s).
  • Text.
  • Acknowledgments.
  • Literature cited.
  • Tables.
  • Appendices.
  • Figure legends.
  • Figures.
  • Check the English carefully for correct language use before submission. Use either British or American English spelling consistently.
  • Ensure the manuscript follows the latest International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants.
  • If the paper includes newly described taxa, they must be illustrated, preferably by ink line drawings or color composite plates. Grey-scale drawings are difficult to reproduce accurately and may be challenging to understand; therefore, they are generally not accepted for publication.
  • Ideally, the author(s) should comply with national and international legislation concerning collecting and exportation permits for wild specimens, including the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Convention on the Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

Title, Running title, Addresses, Abstract [+ optional Abstract in second language] & Keywords

  • Title: Flush left, in upper and lower case letters.
  • Author(s) Name(s): Below the title, on one-line, flush left, in upper and lower case letters. The order is First Name (complete spelling), Second Name (initial), Surname. Indicate by superscript number after the author’s name or any current address. Addresses include Institution, Street, City, State, Postal Code, and Country. Indicate ORCID iD with a superscript number after addresses. Use an asterisk (*) to indicate the corresponding author's name and include their email address after the addresses.
  • Abstract: Begins on a new page, flush left, in upper and lower case letters. It must be one paragraph without indentation, citations, or abbreviations. The abstract should concisely understand the article's content and include brief but complete references to the paper's results. Diagnostic characters for newly described taxa should be briefly stated. An optional abstract in a second language should follow in a separate paragraph in the same format.
  • Keywords: Give up to 6 keywords arranged alphabetically, preceding the text as follows: "Key Words: ..." They should reflect the manuscript's main content, avoiding repetition of words already in the title.
  • Spanish Abstract (Optional): Spanish-speaking authors must include a second abstract in Spanish. The editorial staff does not provide translation services.
  • Running Title: On one line below the keywords, flush left, in upper- and lower-case letters. It includes the author(s), surname(s), and a short title. The total character count should not exceed 50.

Text

  • Begin each section on a new page.
  • Main headings should be flush-left in upper and lower case letters and boldface on a separate line.
  • Secondary headings should be flush-left in upper and lower case letters and in italics, followed by a period, dash, and paragraph text.
  • Tertiary headings should be flush-left in upper and lower case letters and underlined, followed by a period, dash, and paragraph text.
  • Ensure that all figures and tables are cited in the text and appear consecutively in numerical order.
  • Each reference cited in the text must be included in the Literature Cited section, and vice versa.
  • Follow the APA 6th edition guidelines for citations.
  • List citations in the order they appear in the reference list, alphabetically and then chronologically. Use a, b, c, etc., for two or more papers by the same author(s) in one year.
  • Cite authors of all names at the rank of genus and below when first used in the text, without repeating citations after the first name's use. Refer to the International Plant Names Index (IPNI) for correct abbreviations (https://www.ipni.org).
  • Italicize all scientific names at the generic level or below.
  • Spell out the genus and species the first time used in a paragraph and abbreviate the generic name by the first initial thereafter in that paragraph. Do not abbreviate the genus name at the beginning of a sentence.
  • Use Index Herbariorum abbreviations to designate herbaria. The citation of the publication is unnecessary.
  • Avoid footnotes, except in historical manuscripts that are useful for clarifying or providing readers context.
  • Numbers: Write numbers from one through nine, except in measurements or descriptions. Use a comma for numbers with more than four digits (e.g., 10,000) and use 0.5 instead of .5. Always use the "%" symbol instead of "percent." Write ranges with decimal points (e.g., 8.0–8.5) instead of dashes alone (e.g., 8–8.5).
  • Units of Measurement: Abbreviate units of measurement without periods, such as km, mm, ft, mi, etc. Use the degree symbol for temperatures (e.g., 20°C).
  • Abbreviations: Write out abbreviations the first time they are used in the text and abbreviate thereafter. For example, "Trichome morphology was examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM)."
  • Keys: If keys are included, ensure they are dichotomous and indented. Couples should be numbered with periods. Authors of taxa are omitted, and species are not numbered in the key.
  • Specimen Citation: Include locality, latitude, and longitude when available, along with elevation, collection date, collector (using "et al." when more than two), collector’s number, and herbarium of deposit (using abbreviations from Index Herbariorum). Countries should be cited from north to south, with political subdivisions in alphabetical order within countries and collectors listed alphabetically within subdivisions.
  • Acknowledgments: Keep acknowledgments brief and focused, crediting those who contributed to the study and explaining the reasons for acknowledgment. List all grant numbers or funding sources.

Literature Cited
Lankesteriana uses APA Reference Style 6th edition. See the style manual for guidance on using this Reference Style. Consider using citation management tools like Zotero, Mendeley, or EndNote for efficient referencing.

  • Use hanging indentation.
  • Continue page number sequence.
  • “In press” citations must have been accepted for publication; give the journal's name (and volume number if known) or the publisher.
  • Insert a space after each initial of an author’s name.
  • Insert the year of the publication in parentheses.
  • Do not abbreviate journal names.
  • Titles of books are written in lowercase except for the first word and proper nouns and as required in the original language of titles.
  • Italicize the title of the journal and book titles.
  • Italicize scientific names in the title of articles.
  • Cite literature as follows:
  • One author: Nobody, A. B. (1991).
  • Two authors: Nobody, A. B. & Somebody, C. D. (1991).
  • More than two authors: Nobody, A. B., Somebody, C. D. & Someother, E. F. (1991).
  • Book chapter: Nobody, A. B. (1991). The effect of light on growth. In: C. D. Somebody (Ed.), Light and growth (pp. 209–291). London: Light Press. – or – Nobody, A. B. (1991). The effect of light on growth. In: C. D. Somebody & E. F. Someother (Eds.), Light and growth (pp. 209–291). London: Light Press.
  • Journal article: Nobody, A. B. (1991). The effect of light on growth. Title of Journal, 3(1), 15–20. doi: insert DOI when it is available.
  • Manuscripts accepted for publication but not yet published: Nobody, A. B. (In press). Name of the journal or publisher. The journal's name where the paper was accepted must be indicated, the volume number should be included if known.
  • Please refer to recently published manuscripts for more examples of cited literature.

Tables

  • Continue page number sequence.
  • Each table must start on a separate page and must be double-spaced. Tables can be printed landscape or portrait. Do not reduce the type size of tables. If necessary, continue the table on additional pages.
  • Portrait tables can be prepared to be printed 1- or 2-column width; plan accordingly.
  • The table's title should be flushed left, preceded on the same line by the word “Table” and an Arabic numeral.
  • Items on each row must be separated by a single tab.
  • Superscripts referring to footnotes should be lowercase letters, not numbers.
  • Footnotes should be placed as separate paragraphs at the end of the table.
  • References cited in tables must be included in the Literature Cited.

Figure Legends

  • Begin each new page for figures and tables, continuing the page number sequence.
  • All figures (including maps, photos, and line illustrations) should be in a single sequence, consecutively numbered. Tables should be in a separate, consecutively numbered sequence.
  • Double-space the legends and group them according to figure arrangements. Avoid using a separate page for each group of legends.
  • Number figures consecutively with Arabic numerals.
  • Format legends in paragraph style and label plant illustrations according to the order of their taxonomic description. For example, Figure 1. Pleurothallis inedita. A. Habitat. B. Flower. C. Flower dissection. D. Outer floral bract. E. Inner floral bract. F. Petal. G. Column, profile view (left) and 3/4 dorsal view (right). H. Pollinarium. (Drawn from the holotype). Illustration by Who Nobody. Figure 2. Luisia inedita. A. Habit. B. Fruit (Somebody 567, CR). Illustration by Who Nobody. Note that labels on the figure (“A”) should be in upper case and match that on the legend. Italicize the collector’s name and number.
  • The specimen(s) on which the illustrations are based must be noted.
  • The author(s) of the iconographic material must be credited in the figure legend, e.g.: Figure 1. Pleurothallis inedita. A. Habitat. B. Flower. C. Flower dissection. D. Outer floral bract. E. Inner floral bract. F. Petal. G. Column, profile view (left) and 3/4 dorsal view (right). H. Pollinarium. (Drawn from the holotype). Illustrations by Who Nobody (A, C), Other Nobody (B), and Other Who (D–H).
  • Do not include non-alphanumeric symbols (lines, dots, stars, etc.) in legends; label them on the figure itself or refer to them by name in the legend.

Preparation and submission of illustrations
When preparing and submitting illustrations for publication, please follow these guidelines:

  • Image files and format: Ensure all illustrations meet the required image dimensions, resolution, and format specifications. Common formats include JPEG, PNG, TIFF, for raster images and EPS, SVG, or PDF for vector images. Kindly refrain from submitting original artwork; file formats specific to certain applications (e.g., PageMaker, Quark, Excel, Word, WordPerfect, etc.) will not be accepted.
  • Resolution and Standard Length: The standard published length of an illustration or plate is 8” (205 mm). Two published widths are provided: 1 column (2.8” or 71 mm) and a full page (5.75” or 146 mm). For optimal quality, photographs should be scanned at a resolution of 600 dpi, while line art should be scanned at 600 to 1200 dpi. Alternatively, ensure a final resolution of at least 300 dpi for all images with the specified dimensions.
  • Print Size: For all illustrations, including halftones and black-and-white photographs, it's crucial to ensure that the electronic files' print size closely matches the final published size. Although print size reduction is possible without compromising quality, small files cannot be enlarged to fit larger dimensions without losing quality.
  • Comprehensiveness: Ensure all digital illustrations are comprehensive, including labels, scale bars, and necessary annotations. Use press-on letters, symbols, or mechanical lettering processes for labeling; avoid typewriter, dot matrix, or inkjet-produced labels.
  • Labeling: Label parts of a plate as A, B, C, etc., without dots and with uniform size. Letters should appear in black on a white or light background and white on a dark background. Avoid placing letters on a contrasting rectangular or circular background. Utilize Helvetica, Arial, or other sans-serif fonts for letters, aligning them vertically and horizontally.
  • Credits and signature: Sign all original artwork from which digital illustrations are derived. Unsigned digital illustrations will not be accepted. Provide proper credit to the authors or creators of the illustrations in the figure legends. Include any necessary permissions or acknowledgments for previously published or copyrighted material.
  • Combination of Illustrations: Do not combine photographs and line art within a single illustration.
  • Composite Illustrations: When preparing composite illustrations, eliminate empty spaces between components. Place numbers or letters directly on the illustration rather than in the margins. Ensure consistent labeling placement on the left side of the represented element at equal distances.
  • Scale bars and Magnifications: Indicate magnifications using only horizontal scale bars directly on the illustrations; vertical scale bars or a combination of horizontal and vertical bars are not acceptable. Ensure the scale bars maintain a uniform width and feature consistent spacing between the line and measurement. Above the scale bar, include a measurement value such as 1, 2, 3, 5, or 10, avoiding using decimals, fractions, or arbitrary numbers (e.g., 7, 9, 11, 13). Do not use italics for measurements, and ensure that scale bars are centrally positioned beneath the element with equal distance on each side.
  • Maps: Maps should include a border, latitude and longitude indicators, a scale, and a compass rose. Avoid excessive unused areas. Use different symbols to display distributions of multiple species with non-overlapping ranges and a corresponding legend.
  • Illustrations of New Species: Illustrations of new species should highlight diagnostic features distinguishing them from other species.

Conditions for publication

  • Authors are not required to cover any page charges.
  • In consideration of the publication of the article, the authors grant Lankester Botanical Garden Research Center, University of Costa Rica, all rights in the article.
  • Authors warrant that their contribution is an original work not published elsewhere in whole or in part, except in abstract form, and that the article contains no matter which invades the right of privacy or infringes any proprietary right.
  • Authors will receive no royalty or other monetary compensation for the assignment outlined in this agreement.
  • Lankester Botanical Garden, University of Costa Rica, in turn, grants authors the royalty-free right of republication in any book of which they are the authors or editors, subject to the express condition that lawful notice of the claim of copyright is given.
  • The content is the sole responsibility of the author(s)

What to submit
• To submit a manuscript to Lankesteriana, please use the online submission platform and follow the provided instructions. Submissions are exclusively accepted through this platform. If you are a new author, please create an account before submitting your manuscript.
If you have any questions about the submission process or encounter any difficulties, please do not hesitate to contact the editorial office at lankesteriana@ucr.ac.cr. Assistance and guidance are readily available to help you successfully submit your manuscript

When to submit
Manuscript submissions are welcomed and accepted online through the dedicated submission platform at any time. At LANKESTERIANA, we are committed to expediting the publication process for scientific, peer-reviewed papers, and we achieve this through the "Early View" section. Articles accepted in this section undergo the full editorial process and are swiftly published online, representing the initial view of the final version that will ultimately appear in the printed journal issue. The official publication date of each paper corresponds to its first online appearance, clearly indicated on both the online and print versions' front pages. The editorial team at Lankesteriana is dedicated to minimizing publication timelines, considering reviewers' evaluations and the necessary correspondence with authors. This commitment ensures the timely dissemination of research.
• The hard-printed issues of Lankesteriana are published three times a year in April, August, and December. These issues include papers accepted before January 1, May 1, and September 1 respectively. Printed copies are exclusively sent to scientific institutions worldwide.
For any inquiries or questions about LANKESTERIANA, please contact the editorial office at lankesteriana@ucr.ac.cr.

  • Ethical Editorial Policies

By submitting to LANKESTERIANA, authors affirm that their content:

  • is an original work, not previously published, not under consideration elsewhere, free of copyright restrictions, and devoid of plagiarism.
  • all authors have consented to publication in LANKESTERIANA.
  • proper acknowledgment has been provided for contributions to the study, including appropriate co-authorship (see Author Contributions statement).
  • all addresses, institutional affiliations, and ORCID numbers are accurate and complete.
  • authors adhere to national and international research legislation, including securing necessary permits for wild specimens and complying with the Convention on Biological Diversity and CITES.
  • adequate recognition of funding sources and disclosure of conflicts of interest are included.
  • authorization from copyright holders to publish all submission components has been obtained.

Code of Ethics and Good Scientific Practices

General Statement
This document outlines the ethical principles and best scientific practices that govern the publication process at LANKESTERIANA. We, the individuals involved in various editorial and technical roles of the journal, fully endorse these principles and practices. They are as follows:

Principles
At LANKESTERIANA, adherence to the following principles is paramount throughout the publication process:

  • Principle of Open Access: Making research publicly available at no cost promotes global knowledge exchange. Consequently, every article published in LANKESTERIANA is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 Costa Rica license.
  • Principle of Authorship: Intellectual contributions of authors and submitters of manuscripts are recognized and respected. Responsible usage of published and cited information is also upheld.
  • Principle of Quality: Rigorous academic publications are valued, adhering to principles of relevance, originality, coherence, and quality foundational to academic research and output.
  • Principle of Integrity: Maintaining the highest ethical standards in academic research and publication is deeply committed. LANKESTERIANA proactively identifies and rejects submissions containing falsified or manipulated results, misappropriation, or inadequate acknowledgment of authorship.
  • Principle of Peer-review: LANKESTERIANA is a peer-reviewed journal that sets high standards for the quality and originality of its publications. Each manuscript submitted to the journal undergoes a rigorous double-blind review process by two or more external reviewers to ensure the impartial evaluation of manuscripts. Reviewers are chosen based on their expertise and alignment with the manuscript's subject matter.

The acceptance criteria are based on originality, quality, adherence to the journal's scope, and ethical standards. The journal encourages authors to submit significant scholarly, scientifically robust research with solid methodology, discussions, and conclusions aligning with the results and ethical standards. The journal does not rely on novelty or impact criteria for selection. Every contribution meeting universal scientific standards is valuable, and the journal aims to consistently enhance articles with objective feedback and expert reviewers for publication. The rejection rate does not indicate the journal's productivity.

  • Principle of Acceptance Criteria: All submissions accepted for review at LANKESTERIANA must meet the following criteria:
  • Research Validity: Each submission must present a valid research question, motivation, and hypothesis within relevant theoretical frameworks, clearly contributing to the existing body of knowledge.
  • Methodology: The methodology must be correct, transparent, and appropriately detailed. This includes a clear presentation of the study design and materials used.
  • Presentation: The submission should be well-written and coherent. Figures and tables must adhere to scientific norms and standards.
  • Compliance with Guidelines: The submission must conform to LANKESTERIANA’ author guidelines, which cover editorial and ethical policies.
  • Literature Integration: The research should be well-supported by sufficient references and cover the relevant literature adequately, demonstrating a thorough understanding of the field.
  • Principle of Rejection Criteria: An article may be rejected at any point before publication, including pre-peer-review, during peer-review, after initial acceptance, and even post-acceptance due to various reasons:

Quality and Presentation:

  • The manuscript's language and presentation do not meet the required standards for a thorough peer review.
  • The manuscript does not adhere to LANKESTERIANA´s author guidelines.

Scholarly Context and Validity:

  • Significant errors are present in the study's methodology, including design, insufficient description, data collection, and analysis.
  • The references do not reflect the current state of knowledge in the field.
  • The study's conclusions are misleading due to biased or flawed analyses or are not supported by the data.

Compliance and Ethical Standards and Research Integrity:

  • The manuscript lacks a coherent research question or hypothesis.
  • The content lacks originality, includes plagiarized elements, or duplicates previous work.
  • The authors have violated authorship guidelines and have engaged in data fabrication, falsification, or unethical manipulation of images and figures.
  • The manuscript does not comply with the editorial and ethical policies or meet specific manuscript requirements.

Publication History and Exclusivity:

  • The manuscript has been previously published.
  • The manuscript is being considered for publication elsewhere.
  • The manuscript, focusing on taxonomy and nomenclature, was previously deposited on a preprint server or platform.

Responsibilities
Responsibilities of the authors
At LANKESTERIANA, we believe that authors are responsible for ensuring that their manuscripts meet certain conditions before submission. These conditions include:

  • Declaration of Self-Intellectual Property or Co-Authorship: Authors must indicate whether the manuscript is their self-intellectual property or in co-authorship. In the case of co-authorship, the authors must indicate that the co-author(s) are aware of and in agreement with the submission.
  • Authorship: All authors must have made substantial contributions to the submitted manuscripts. We strongly encourage authors to provide a concise Author Contributions statement following their paper, outlining their individual contributions to the published work. This statement should encompass, but not be limited to, the following elements:
  • Conception and design of the research
  • Data acquisition
  • Data analysis and interpretation
  • Manuscript drafting or critical revision
  • Approval of the final version for publication

For additional details, we recommend referring to CRediT (Contributor Roles Taxonomy). Individuals who have supported or assisted the research but do not meet authorship criteria should be acknowledged.

  • Authorship Changes: LANKESTERIANA refers to COPE guidelines guidelines regarding changes in authorship. Any adjustments to the author list post-initial submission mandate unanimous agreement from all parties involved, encompassing additions, deletions, and changes in sequence of authors. Requests for alterations must originate from the corresponding author, accompanied by a comprehensive explanation and rationale for their inclusion or exclusion of authors after submission. Such requests undergo rigorous scrutiny and require LANKESTERIANA's approval, potentially involving validation of the authors' contributions by an institutional authority. LANKESTERIANA generally declines requests to modify authorship once a manuscript has obtained editorial acceptance for publication. In authorship disputes, LANKESTERIANA unequivocally refrains from arbitration, directing unresolved conflicts to authors' respective institutions in accordance with COPE guidelines and strictly adhering to institutional recommendations post-investigation. Failure to promptly resolve pre-publication authorship discrepancies may result in LANKESTERIANA withdrawing or rejecting the manuscript. Authors bear the responsibility of ensuring timely resolution of any outstanding issues, including effective communication among themselves or with pertinent institutional authorities. Following resolution, LANKESTERIANA may consider the manuscript for resubmission.
  • Corresponding Author Responsibilities: The corresponding author assumes full responsibility and represents all coauthors. The corresponding author must:

• Ensure full compliance with LANKESTERIANA's editorial and publishing policies.
• Provide the manuscript's title, authors, and affiliations, including email addresses and ORCID numbers (if available) for each coauthor.
• Ensure all authors review the final version of the manuscript submitted to the journal and agree to the author list and contributions.
• Confirm in writing to the journal that all authors consent to any proposed changes in the manuscript's authorship.
• Ensure all authors have approved the final draft of the manuscript before publication.

  • Response to reviewers: Authors must respond to editor and reviewer comments during the submission process. It is crucial to carefully consider all feedback and incorporate appropriate revisions into the manuscript before resubmitting. In instances where authors disagree with reviewers, we encourage them to respectfully acknowledge and address any disagreements within the manuscript or in the cover letter. Authors are kindly requested to include a cover letter summarizing the changes made to the manuscript and their responses to each comment from the reviewer(s) or editor. In cases of disagreement with comments, please provide a clear explanation of your reasoning. To facilitate the review process, please use "track changes" or distinguish changes with color in the revised manuscript. Furthermore, provide a version of the manuscript with all changes that have already been accepted. Your cooperation in this regard greatly enhances the efficiency and effectiveness of the review process.
  • Originality and Rights: All corresponding authors must complete, sign, and submit a letter attesting to the originality of the work and granting necessary rights. This letter should be read, understood, and signed before submission. Along with the manuscript, this signed letter should be sent to the journal's email: lankesteriana@ucr.ac.cr.
  • Format and Style Adherence: All submissions must rigorously adhere to the journal's prescribed format. Citations within the manuscript should uniformly follow APA Reference Style 6th edition. The presentation of tables, figures, or other graphical elements should be consistent with the journal's style guidelines.
  • Manuscript withdrawal: Authors may request the withdrawal of a submitted manuscript by formally stating their reasons in a signed letter addressed to the Editors of LANKESTERIANA, which must be sent to lankesteriana@ucr.ac.cr.
    The Editors will review the request and issue a formal response confirming the withdrawal. Until the authors receive this confirmation, the manuscript remains under consideration by the journal.
    If the manuscript has already undergone peer review, authors must acknowledge that reviewers and editors have invested significant time and effort in evaluating the submission. Therefore, withdrawals at this stage should be justified with valid reasons.
    Once the withdrawal is confirmed, LANKESTERIANA will remove any signed documents associated with granting rights and delete any digital or physical files related to the submission. However, authors should be aware that frequent or unjustified withdrawals may be considered in future submissions.
  • Results and Opinions: All authors are responsible for each result and opinion generated by the submitted texts. They understand and accept that the journal does not necessarily agree or share those results and opinions.
  • Ethical Standards: All contributions submitted to the journal must be free of ethical faults. If an author has not respected this provision, the Editorial Committee must reject the manuscript, regardless of when it occurs during the editorial process. If the document is already published, the Editorial Committee must withdraw the digital file from the website and attempt to include an agreement about it in the following printed issue.

Responsibilities for the editors
As members of the academy and experts in the journal ’s focus area, the editors of LANKESTERIANA commit to the following responsibilities:

  • Content quality: Editors are committed to ensuring the content meets the highest scientific standards. Each manuscript is assigned to an editor who supervises the process and decides on its publication, considering both peer reviews and its intrinsic quality.
  • Confidentiality: The editorial board protects everyone's personal data during publication. Only information authorized for publication will be disclosed.
  • Review Outcomes: The results obtained during the peer-review process will be officially announced in a decision by the publisher's committee and the journal's editor. Authors are expected to address all feedback and comments provided by reviewers. If doubts arise, a third pair of reviewers may be consulted. If post-review plagiarism is identified, the editor will promptly follow the predefined procedures for such instances.
  • Peer-review: The editor in charge of managing a manuscript is responsible for improving the manuscript's concordance with the journal's general style and overseeing the entire editorial process, from submission to final decision-making.

Each manuscript undergoes a double-blind review process by two or more external reviewers. An Editor in charge is assigned to each manuscript to ensure it aligns with the general style of the journal and oversees the editorial process from submission to final decision-making. Based on the quality of the work carried out by the reviewers and their comments. The Editor makes the final decision on manuscript acceptance, considering reviewers' comments, the review process's rigor, and the work's quality. If the manuscript receives at least one rejection from a reviewer, the Editor may accept this decision or, after careful consideration, opt to send the manuscript to a third reviewer or recommend resubmission. If any reviewer suggests resubmission, it implies a second round of reviews to determine acceptance.
For manuscripts submitted by members of the Editorial Board, at least three external reviewers evaluate and make the final decision. Reviewers are selected from different academic institutions worldwide based on their expertise in the fields required for the rigorous evaluation of manuscripts for scientific content and compliance with high standards. Manuscripts are usually evaluated within six weeks of formal acceptance by the journal.

  • Efficient publication: LANKESTERIANA strives to maintain an efficient and effective publication process. Through Early View, we aim to reduce the time required for the effective publication of reviewed scientific articles, benefiting both authors and readers of the journal.

Responsibilities of the external reviewers
Reviewers, as external peers, play an instrumental role in upholding the quality and impartiality of scientific articles. Consequently, they are bound by the following responsibilities

  • Expertise and Objectivity: Reviewers should possess domain expertise in the subject matter under review. Their evaluations should be detailed, impartial, and conform to the journal's guidelines while fostering mutual respect amongst peers.
  • Conflict of interest: Should a conflict of interest emerge during the review, reviewers must promptly notify the journal.
  • Confidentiality: Reviewers are entrusted with upholding the confidentiality of the manuscript throughout the review and publication stages.
  • Feedback: Feedback from reviewers should be objective, honest, and respectful. While authors are encouraged to make revisions based on this feedback, refusal to accommodate crucial changes can lead to the manuscript's removal.
  • Adherence to Review Guidelines: Both reviewers and authors must comply with the journal's established peer-review process, ensuring the publication's integrity and quality.

Responsibilities of Lankesteriana's Editorial Board:
The editorial board of LANKESTERIANA is entrusted with upholding the journal's academic reputation in its area of focus, consistent with its aims and target readership. Accordingly, the board undertakes the following responsibilities:

  • Competence: The editorial board is dedicated to enhancing the quality, quantity, reach, and academic impact of articles published in LANKESTERIANA. Furthermore, it ensures that the journal preserves its distinct scientific identity.
  • Academic integrity: The board guarantees that all manuscripts undergo rigorous academic evaluation. Acceptance is solely based on intellectual merit, ensuring no bias or favor towards any author.
  • Dissemination and Outreach: Committed to knowledge dissemination, the board recognizes LANKESTERIANA as a crucial tool for nationally and internationally advocating research.
  • Continuous Improvement: The board is unwavering in its commitment to refining every aspect of the publishing process and ascertaining that the journal aligns with its scientific focus areas.
  • Upholding the Editorial Seal of Universidad de Costa Rica: The board acknowledges the DIEDIN at the Vice Rectorate for Research at the University of Costa Rica as the foremost authority on publications bearing an editorial seal in compliance with the university's guidelines. Therefore, LANKESTERIANA adheres to directives from this body concerning editorial affairs, especially when symbolizing the University of Costa Rica as a product of its editorial division.

Confidentiality
Editors, authors, and reviewers must uphold strict confidentiality during the editorial and peer review processes. Peer review is conducted anonymously, with reviewer identities kept confidential. Reviewers who need external input must consult the editor to ensure confidentiality. Any manuscript details, correspondence, or confidential materials must not be disclosed without written consent.

Data Accessibility and Benefit-Sharing Section
Data and supporting materials should be publicly available in a trusted archive or repository, such as NCBI for molecular and sequencing data, Dryad, Mendeley, FigShare, or TreeBase for datasets. Software, scripts, and documentation should be deposited in a public code repository like GitHub or CRAN.

ORCID
LANKESTERIANA strongly encourages all authors to provide their ORCID iD during manuscript submission. ORCID offers a persistent digital identifier that uniquely identifies authors, connects them to their research, and guarantees accurate attribution of publications and citations. For further information, please visit: www.orcid.org.

Preprints
The policy of LANKESTERIANA states that preprints made available online before being submitted to the journal will not be accepted for publication in papers dealing with taxonomy and nomenclature because they may conflict with some rules of the current International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants.

Conflict of Interest
Authors must disclose any potential conflicts of interest that could reasonably be perceived as impacting the research or its interpretation. These conflicts of interest may encompass financial, personal, or professional relationships that could introduce bias into the work. In cases where no conflicts of interest exist, please explicitly state that there are none. This practice promotes transparency and maintains the integrity of the research and its interpretation.

Compliance with local country regulations, International Conventions and Regulations on Biological Diversity and Endangered Species (CITES).
Authors must adhere to local country regulations and international conventions and regulations concerning biological diversity and endangered species, including those outlined by the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). For studies involving the collection of biological specimens, authors should reference the appropriate collecting permits for the study site and permits for importing and exporting specimens under CITES guidelines. Authors are also encouraged to observe Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) guidelines, ensuring due credit and equitable access to benefits for countries, communities, academic institutions, and scientists involved in the research study.

Originality and detection of plagiarism
LANKESTERIANA accepts only original and previously unpublished contributions, including research articles, reviews, brief communications, comments, and taxonomic or nomenclatural rank extensions that are clearly labeled as such. To ensure originality and prevent plagiarism, the journal uses Turnitin (https://www.turnitin.com) software to check for similarities with previously published works in all submitted manuscripts. Authors are encouraged to check their manuscript for originality and to avoid improper citation or use of others' ideas or words.
Plagiarism involves unacknowledged copying or misattribution of original authorship, whether of ideas, text, or results. This includes substantial unattributed textual copying or text reuse without appropriate citation. Self-plagiarism, such as text recycling from previous publications, requires caution and proper attribution. Duplicate publication might occur when authors reuse substantial parts of their own work without proper referencing.
In the event of identifying any errors, citation manipulation, piracy, plagiarism, duplicate submissions, republications, data fabrication, falsification, authorship disputes, image manipulation, undisclosed conflicts of interest, or any other form of academic misconduct, whether brought to attention by reviewers, staff, or readers, it is essential to report these instances to the Editorial Board promptly.
Lankesteriana editors and Editorial Board thoroughly evaluate such cases and may take corrective actions such as corrections, retractions, or amendments post-publication, issuance of an erratum, or other corrective actions deemed appropriate by the Editorial Board depending on the severity and impact on the study's integrity.

Image Integrity and Ethical Standards
Maintaining the integrity of images in scientific publications is crucial. Authors submitting digital images for review should be careful in processing to preserve the accuracy of the original data and comply with ethical standards. The Editors recommend that digital images submitted should undergo minimal processing. While some processing is allowed, such as in plant composite plates, the final image or images composing a plate must faithfully represent the samples, specimens, or the original data. Editors may use software to detect manipulation and request raw image files to address concerns during peer review or after publication. It is essential to retain unprocessed data even after publication to assist in issue resolution.

Authors should ensure ethical image processing by fully disclosing the tools and software utilized for image acquisition and processing and documenting all settings and key manipulations in the Materials and Methods section. Combining images from different samples, specimens, or locations should be avoided unless explicitly stated, as it can distort results. Authors should prioritize transparency and accuracy in presenting images to maintain the highest ethical standards in scientific research.

Grant Support Details
Acknowledging funding sources is crucial to ensure the transparency and reproducibility of research. Authors should provide details of all research funding sources, including grant numbers and funding agencies. Funding acknowledgment should adhere to criteria where activities directly supported by the grant are acknowledged, emphasizing original results and financial support for publication fees, while unrelated grants supporting data generation for distinct studies should not be acknowledged. Authors must disclose relevant funding sources for all contributors and be aware of any specific acknowledgment requirements from their funders.

Acknowledgments
The acknowledgments section is dedicated to expressing gratitude to individuals who contributed to the publication but did not meet the criteria for authorship and declaring relevant funding information, cautioning against listing authors in this section. Authors are encouraged to consider equity in research collaborations, especially in multi-region collaborations, and should declare competing interests separately.

  • Licensing

Once a paper is accepted for publication in Lankesteriana, the author(s) must complete and sign the "Responsible Authorship Form". By submitting materials for publication, the author(s) assign all rights, including copyright, to the Lankester Botanical Garden, University of Costa Rica.

Copyright Notice
Lankesteriana follows the Open Access policy of the University of Costa Rica, which means that all papers published in the journal are licensed under a Creative Commons license and can be downloaded free of charge. The journal holds the copyright and publishing rights under the CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 CR license. This license allows readers to share and distribute the work but not to modify or use it for commercial purposes without permission from the journal and the author(s).

Publication Charges
There are no page charges for authors, and articles are published under an open-access model, free of cost. Before publication in LANKESTERIANA, authors assign distribution rights to the Lankester Botanical Garden. If authors wish to reproduce the iconographic material published in LANKESTERIANA in other sources, they should contact the journal directly at lankesteriana@ucr.ac.cr and provide proper acknowledgment of the original publication in LANKESTERIANA.

  • Publication process

Accepted articles

Once accepted, a paper will be published under the "Early View" section of the journal's website, typically within a few days after acceptance. The published article will be accessible in PDF and EPUB formats and assigned a Digital Object Identifier (DOI), facilitating easy citation and access to the article.

Proofs

After typesetting, the corresponding author will receive a PDF proof to review the layout. The corresponding author is responsible for checking the PDF proof carefully and sharing it with all co-authors to ensure the accuracy of the final version. Please note that proof-checking is not intended for the inclusion of new data or text or any change in style or wording. It is solely to identify discrepancies between the submitted manuscript and the journal layout's text, tables, illustrations, and captions.

Minor modifications, such as corrections of errors and omissions made by the editorial staff, can be considered. However, any significant changes in style or wording that do not alter the original text's meaning will be charged at cost.

To ensure timely publication, proof corrections must be returned within 48 hours of receiving the first proof.

Early View

Lankesteriana recognizes the importance of timely dissemination of research findings and is committed to minimizing the publication lag time for authors. The Early View section allows for the rapid publication of peer-reviewed papers online after the editorial process is completed. These papers are the final version and will be included in the printed version of the journal. The publication date is established by its first online publication, clearly indicated on the paper's front page. This allows readers to access the latest research on time, and authors receive prompt recognition for their work.

Privacy Statement

The names and email addresses submitted to this journal will be used solely for the purposes of processing and publishing manuscripts, communicating with authors and reviewers, and maintaining journal records. The journal is committed to protecting the privacy of individuals and will not disclose personal information to any third party without prior consent unless required by law. All personally identifiable information collected by the journal will be securely stored following relevant data protection regulations, ensuring the utmost privacy and security of your data.

  • Editorial Office Contacts

To submit an article to Lankesteriana, please visit the submission platform. Before submitting, please carefully review the author’s instructions.

Additionally, please complete and sign the Checklist and Copyright Form. This form ensures that you have followed all necessary guidelines and have obtained the necessary permissions for publication.

We appreciate your attention to these requirements and await your submission.

Diego Bogarín
Editor-in-Chief, LANKESTERIANA
Jardín Botánico Lankester
E-mail: diego.bogarin@ucr.ac.cr

Noelia Belfort Oconitrillo
Technical Editor, LANKESTERIANA
Jardín Botánico Lankester
E-mail: noelia.belfort@ucr.ac.cr

Franco Pupulin
Associate Editor, LANKESTERIANA
Jardín Botánico Lankester
E-mail: franco.pupulin@ucr.ac.cr

LANKESTERIANA
Jardín Botánico Lankester
P.O. Box 302-7050 Cartago, Costa Rica
E-mail: lankesteriana@ucr.ac.cr
Phone number (+506) 2511-7943

For any inquiries or questions about LANKESTERIANA, please contact us at lankesteriana@ucr.ac.cr

 


 
 
 

 

HOMEPAGE BROWSE THE JOURNAL AUTHOR INSTRUCTIONS SUBSCRIPTIONS CONTACT US HOMEPAGE CURRENT ISSUE EARLY VIEW UNIVERSIDAD DE COSTA RICA LANKESTER BOTANICAL GARDENS