Guide for Authors

Physical Geography Research

Prepare, submit and check your manuscript

Up to 15 pages · Double-blind peer review · No submission or initial screening fee

Manuscript template and required forms

Complete and sign both forms and upload them with your submission. Use the journal template for manuscript layout.

1. Eligibility and originality

• Submit original scientific research within the journal’s aims and scope, with a clear contribution to knowledge.
• The manuscript must not have been published in another journal or conference proceedings or be under consideration elsewhere. Work presented at a scientific meeting where only its abstract was published may be considered if the full meeting details are disclosed.
• Review articles by experienced authors with research publications in the relevant field may be considered when based on substantial, credible literature.
• The journal primarily publishes in Persian; manuscripts in English may also be considered. Write clearly and use correct grammar.
• The limit is 15 pages, including text, figures, tables and references. Follow this limit when preparing a submission.
• All authors must approve submission and the final manuscript. Authors are responsible for scientific and legal accuracy. Editorial decisions and copyediting remain the journal’s responsibility.

2. Submission files and author information

Submit only through the journal’s online system after the corresponding author registers. Use Microsoft Word (DOC or DOCX).

1. Anonymous review manuscript: remove author names, affiliations, identifying acknowledgements and identifying file metadata. Extended-abstract files supplied for review must also preserve anonymity.
2. Separate title-page file: provide the Persian and English titles, all author names, academic ranks, affiliations, corresponding author contact details, research location and submission date. Mark the corresponding author with an asterisk. Provide a running title of no more than 40 characters including spaces; the Persian article title should not exceed 20 words.
3. Persian and English extended abstracts: provide each as a separate file, following section 3.
4. Signed conflict of interest and cover letter forms: attach both, along with original figure files when required.

ORCID is required for every author. Register or retrieve each author’s genuine identifier at ORCID.

University affiliations must include Department, Faculty, University, City and Country. Non-university affiliations must identify the unit or department, institution, city and country. Complete and update author information in both languages in the system and ensure that it matches the separate title page and final manuscript.

3. Manuscript structure and abstracts

First page of the anonymous manuscript

• Full title in Persian and English.
• Persian abstract of approximately 300 words and English abstract of approximately 250 words, stating the objective, methods, principal results and conclusion.
• Up to five keywords or key phrases in each language.

Main text

Use an integrated Introduction covering the problem, significance, objectives, research questions and previous work; then theoretical background, methodology, study area, results, discussion, conclusion and references.

Explain the research design, location and dates, data and sampling, tools and analytical methods. Discuss the findings in relation to previous research, limitations, scientific applications and future research.

Extended abstracts

Provide separate Persian and English extended-abstract files of 750–1,000 words each.

Structure in each language: Introduction; Methodology; Results and discussion; Conclusion; Keywords.

The titles, keywords and abstracts in both languages must agree on methods, numbers, units, findings and conclusions. The English abstract must be readable, accurate and explicit about the scientific contribution.

4. Layout and writing

Use the journal’s Word template, with 3 cm margins on all sides. Preserve the line-spacing settings in that template.

In Persian manuscripts, explain foreign terms using accurate Persian equivalents and provide the full form of abbreviations in footnotes. Use consistent symbols, numbers and units throughout.

5. Tables, figures, maps and charts

• Number tables and figures separately in the order cited, starting at 1. Centre table captions above tables and figure captions below figures.
• Embed each item after its first citation in the text, with one blank line before and after it. Cite every table and figure in the text.
• Right-align Persian table text and left-align Latin text. In Persian tables, use centred Persian numerals and a consistent decimal separator. State measurement units.
• Identify the source of adapted tables or figures using author–date citations and obtain permission where required.
• Maps must show geographic coordinates, a linear scale and a north arrow. Explain symbols and abbreviations in the legend.
• Figures must remain understandable in colour and greyscale. Labels and legends must remain legible after reduction. Publication widths are approximately 8 cm for one column and 14 cm for a full page.
• Supply high-quality original figure files in Excel, Word or PDF; the existing guide specifies 600 dpi. Editable charts are preferable to low-quality images.

6. Citations and reference list

Use the author–date system in APA Style, seventh edition. Every in-text citation must have a corresponding reference, and every listed reference must be cited. Arrange entries alphabetically by the first author’s surname. Include a page number for a direct quotation.

• One author: (Author, 2024); direct quotation: (Author, 2024, p. 22).
• Two authors: (Author & Author, 2024); use “and” in narrative citations.
• Three or more authors, from the first citation: (Author et al., 2024).

Reference patterns

Journal article: Surname, Initials. (Year). Article title. Journal Title, Volume(Issue), pages. DOI link, when available.

Book: Surname, Initials. (Year). Book title (edition, if applicable). Publisher. Include translator and translation details where relevant.

Thesis or dissertation: Author. (Year). Title [Thesis type and field, University]. Repository and URL, if available. Also disclose supervisor and adviser details as required by the journal.

Conference contribution: Author. (Year, date). Title [Presentation type]. Conference name and location. For a proceedings paper, include proceedings details, pages and DOI or URL.

Check names, publication years, volumes, issues, page ranges and DOIs against the original source. Present DOIs as https://doi.org/… links. Identify cited data and code with persistent identifiers where available. Personal communications and unpublished data are not listed as references; describe them in the text where needed.

Official APA citation guidanceOfficial reference examples

Zotero, EndNote or Word’s reference tools may be used, but authors must check the accuracy and format of the final output.

7. Required declarations and publication ethics

Include the following in the title-page file and final version. Review-stage declarations must preserve author anonymity.

• Each author’s contribution.
• Funding and the funder’s role, or a statement of no funding.
• Conflicts of interest, or a statement of no conflicts.
• Data and code availability, repository links, or reasons for restricted access.
• Ethics approvals, informed consent or field permits, where relevant.
• Substantive use of generative AI, in accordance with the journal’s ethics policy.

Authorship must comply with the contribution and accountability criteria in the journal’s ethics policy. For work derived from a thesis, disclose its origin and the contributions of the student, supervisor and advisers in the title-page file; do not reveal their identity in the review manuscript.

Submissions undergo similarity screening using Samim Noor at submission and acceptance. Reuse of published material and third-party content requires appropriate attribution and permissions. The journal’s content license is CC BY-NC 4.0.

Peer-review processPublication ethics and malpractice statement

8. Publication fee and final proofs

The existing payment information identifies Central Bank account 4001070103006825, in the name of the University of Tehran. Check the details against the payment letter before paying and submit the receipt as instructed. The journal office email is jphgr@ut.ac.ir.

Check proofs for names, affiliations, text, data, tables, figures and references. Return corrections within 72 hours of receipt. Report errors affecting scientific meaning or authorship to the editor; substantive changes require editorial assessment. Under the existing procedure, if no reply is received, production proceeds without author corrections.

Under the existing journal procedure, rejected or withdrawn manuscripts are removed from the relevant archive after three months. Authors should retain their own files and correspondence.

9. Before you submit

• Originality and approval by all authors are confirmed.
• The page limit, template, abstracts and keywords meet the guide.
• Review files and file metadata do not identify authors.
• The separate title page, ORCIDs and bilingual affiliations are complete.
• Extended abstracts and signed forms are attached.
• Tables, figures, units, references and DOIs have been checked.
• Contribution, funding, conflict, data and code, and relevant approval statements are included.

Submit your manuscriptContact the journal office