1. Scope of Contributions

The Journal of Tropical Biology focuses on the field of tropical biological sciences in China, dedicated to publishing new achievements, technologies, and methods in basic theory and applied research. The journal primarily accepts original academic papers, while also welcoming research reports, experimental summaries, thematic reviews, and academic discussions with theoretical depth and practical value, aiming to comprehensively reflect the cutting-edge progress in tropical biology and related interdisciplinary fields. The journal covers multidisciplinary directions with distinct tropical characteristics, with a focus on reporting the latest research advances and achievements in scientific fields such as tropical agricultural and forestry sciences, marine and aquatic biology, ecology and environment, and interdisciplinary areas.

Based on research directions and content types, the journal features the following special columns: Tropical Crops, Plant Protection, Tropical Marine Biology and Aquaculture, Biodiversity and Ecological Culture, Horticulture, Tropical Environmental Protection, Invasive Species Control, Holistic Health, Research Reports, and Reviews.

2. Submission Checklist

Before submission, please ensure the manuscript theme complies with the journal's "Call for Papers" and the requirements of the specified sections.The content of the manuscript complies with academic and publishing ethical standards. It is recommended to review the 'Publishing Ethics Statement' and 'Research Integrity and Academic Misconduct Policy' on the official website of this journal before submission.All authors were informed and consented to the submission, and there was no dispute regarding the order of authorship.

Prepare the following materials:

Essential materials:

the full manuscript (prepared according to the journal's formatting requirements).

Complete author information (name, organization, contact details, etc.).

The Copyright Transfer Agreement signed by all authors.

Suggested or alternative materials:

Letter of submission.

Graphical abstract and cover image candidate.

Online first publication application.

Data availability statement, funding statement, and conflict of interest disclosure statement.

Ethical approval documents for human or animal experiments, and patient informed consent forms.

ORCID (encouraging all authors to provide their ORCID, free registration available at https://orcid.org).

Other (e.g., posts on WeChat Official Accounts after article publication). 

Formats and file size guidelines:

Manuscript documents (.docx, .doc, .wps) should not exceed 30 MB.

Please upload the original image file in high resolution (300 dpi or higher) and upload them separately if needed.

3. Online submission

Please submit your manuscript through the journal's official submission system at https://rdswxb.hainanu.edu.cn/. Scan the QR code, register, and log in. Then click [New Submission] in [Author Center]. Please read the submission guidelines, submission instructions, and copyright transfer agreement (PDF and signed version) carefully. Follow the system instructions to complete the manuscript information and file upload in six steps, and submit after careful verification in the final step.

File format requirements

Manuscript documents: Supported .docx, .doc, and .wps formats, up to 30 MB.

Images and attachments: Supports .jpg, .png, .tif, .eps, .pdf, and other formats, up to 400 MB.

Important Notice

Submission constitutes the author's commitment to the authenticity of the manuscript, with no instances of multiple submissions, plagiarism, or other academic misconduct.

Student submissions must be approved by the supervisor and clearly stated when submitted.

If the author does not receive the review comments within two months from the submission date, authors may withdraw the manuscript and submit it elsewhere.

Ensure the email address registered in the submission system matches the contact information in the manuscript, and remind all authors to confirm the submission email promptly to ensure smooth process initiation.

We recommend authors to scan the QR code and follow the WeChat service account of this journal (Journal of Tropical Biology) during registration to receive timely notifications on manuscript processing progress.

4. Submission Guidelines

Please strictly follow the latest formatting template "Layout Standards and Manuscript Requirements" available on the journal's official website [Submission Center]. Key requirements include:

4.1 Basic formatting

Use Word or WPS Office on A4 paper.

The main text is in 5-point Song typeface, with Times New Roman for English and numbers; 1.5 line spacing.

Word count recommendation: Research papers should be 4,000 to 6,000 words (including abstract, main text, figures, and references); review articles should be approximately 8,000 words. These are suggested word counts before formatting, and the final length is determined by the number of pages.

4.2 Figures and tables Processing Guidelines

Figures and tables shall be numbered sequentially according to their order of appearance in the text, with bilingual Chinese-English captions provided for each figure/table.

Illustrations shall be clear and standardized, with complete labeling of text, symbols, and coordinate markers. The width of a single illustration shall not exceed 7.5 cm, and that of a full-column illustration shall not exceed 15 cm.

Please provide the image in original high-definition files (300 dpi or higher) in .tif,.jpg, or .pdf formats.

Use three-line tables in the manuscript.

Image integrity requirements: All experimental images (e.g., electrophoresis, microscopic photographs) must be authentic and free from improper stitching, smearing, or selective cropping. When necessary, the editorial team may request authors to provide raw, unprocessed images.

Ensure Figures and tables generated with software like Excel can be edited directly in Word (i.e., with editable source data).

4.3 Citation Guidelines

References should be cited in sequence using superscript notation (e.g., [1], [2-3]).

The reference list at the end of the paper must correspond one-to-one with the references cited in the text, and the author is responsible for its accuracy.

Author listing: For no more than 3 authors, all names should be listed; for more than 3 authors, list the first 3 followed by ", et al." (for Chinese references, use "等"; for English references, use "et al."). Regardless of language (Chinese or English), names should follow the "surname-first, given-name-last" format, with given names abbreviated.

5. Peer Review Process

This journal implements a rigorous peer review system. Submissions will undergo the following procedures: "formal review → section preliminary review → external review → re-review → final review by the editor-in-chief → editorial processing," with the entire process typically completed within 6 months. Authors can check the status in real-time via the system or WeChat service account.

Submission notice for revised drafts: When returning for revision, if you use the revision mode, be sure to anonymize all author information and upload both a version with revision marks and a clean version.

Recommended reviewers: The author may nominate 2-3 potential reviewers in non-conflict-of-interest fields (not affiliated with the same institution and without collaboration in the past three years). The final decision on invitation rests with the editor.

6. Signing the "Copyright Transfer Agreement"

When submitting a manuscript, all authors must sign the "Copyright Transfer Agreement". Please scan the signed agreement, name the file as "First Author's Name + Manuscript Number + Copyright Transfer Agreement", and upload it to the system. After formal acceptance, any changes to the author's information require the consent of all authors, and the agreement must be re-signed.

7. Manuscript Proofreading

Upon acceptance, the manuscript will proceed to the typesetting proofreading phase. Authors are requested to promptly and thoroughly respond to proofreading comments in accordance with the "Manuscript Proofreading Guidelines" available in the Download Center on the official website.

8. Article Publication Fee

Upon formal acceptance of the manuscript, an Article Publication Fee (APC) will be charged.

The specific rates are as follows:

Page fee: 200 CNY/page. An additional 100 CNY/page is charged for color printing.

Review fee: 200 CNY/person for Chinese manuscripts, 300 CNY/person for English manuscripts. Typically, 2-3 reviewers are invited.

Fee Notice: The final manuscript should not exceed 20 pages (with a maximum fee of 8,000 RMB). Payment must be made within one week of receiving the acceptance notice.

Payment method:

WeChat Pay: Scan the QR code to pay and get an instant electronic invoice.

Corporate transfer:

Payee: Hainan University;

Account: 6001778300022;

Bank: Hainan Bank, Haikou Haidian Branch.

Please specify: 'Page fee for Journal of Tropical Biology (Manuscript ID-First Author)' when remitting.

Important note: Please use a company account for corporate transfers to issue invoices under the company name. Personal accounts cannot be used.

After payment, please scan or take a photo of the bank receipt or invoice, and upload it through the submission system or the editorial email.

9. Important Notes and FAQs

Manuscript Number and Query: The system will automatically assign a manuscript number upon successful submission. This number serves as the sole reference for inquiries and communication. Please keep it in mind.

Ethics and Policies: Submission constitutes acceptance of all journal policies, as detailed in the 'Journal Policies' section of the official website.

Open Science: This journal encourages authors to share research data. When submitting a manuscript, authors may submit a data availability statement simultaneously, or store the data in a trusted repository and include a link in the text.

Progress inquiry: If the review period exceeds the estimated timeline, please contact the responsible editor by phone or email for assistance.

10. Contact Us

Editorial Address: 6th Floor, Building B, Social Science Building, Hainan University, 58 Renmin Avenue, Haikou, Hainan, China

Editorial Phone: 0898-66281595

Fax: 0898-66182769

Official Website: https://rdswxb.hainanu.edu.cn

Email: rdsw2020@hainanu.edu.cn; rdswxb@163.com; rdswxb@hainanu.edu.cn