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Submission Guidelines

AJVS Submission Guide for Authors

1. Manuscript Types

Review Article

Reviews provide expert summaries of current knowledge in a particular field of veterinary science. Rather than merely summarizing literature, articles must offer comprehensive depth and a balanced perspective, focusing on fundamental concepts, current research gaps, potential developments, and controversies. The Editorial Committee actively invites experts to prepare reviews on specific topics, which are subject to full peer review and editing.

Max Length:15,000 words.
Figures / Tables:Maximum of 4 in total.
Required Structure Format Notes
1. Abstract & Keywords Max 300 words. 3 to 5 keywords.
2. Introduction Brief contextual setup and objectives.
3. Main Body Flexible format; authors may adapt subheadings to the topic's structure.
4. Conclusions Summary of perspectives and future developments.
5. Declarations & Refs. Follow standard AJVS policies and APA 7th Edition.

Original Article

Presents the results of original research that address a clearly defined research question and contribute to the body of academic knowledge.

Max Length:12,000 words (includes Introduction, Material & Methods, Results, and Discussion).
Figures / Tables:Maximum of 10 in total.
Required Structure Format Notes
1. Abstract & Keywords Max 300 words. 3 to 5 keywords.
2. Introduction Must end with a clear hypothesis and objectives.
3. Materials & Methods Sufficient details for full replication. Include ethics statement.
4. Results Must be strictly separated from the Discussion section.
5. Discussion Interpretation of data without repeating results.
6. Declarations & Refs. Follow standard AJVS policies and APA 7th Edition.

Short Communication

Briefly informs of a critical advance, experimental result, or new methodology. Short Communications encourage the submission of negative results and reports exploring the non-reproducibility of previously published work.

Max Length:4,000 words (comprehensive total including Abstract, Text body, Declarations, and References).
Figures / Tables:Maximum of 4 figures and/or tables. Supplementary material is welcome.
Required Structure Format Notes
1. Abstract & Keywords Max 300 words. 3 to 5 keywords.
2. Introduction Brief contextual setup.
3. Material & Methods Condensed methodology.
4. Results & Discussion Combined into a single, unified section.
5. Declarations & Refs. Follow standard AJVS policies and APA 7th Edition.

Case Report (or Case Series)

A brief note describing preliminary clinical or pathological findings that contribute significantly to the broader understanding of veterinary science. Acknowledgements can be appended when pertinent.

Max Length:1,500 words (includes main body text and in-text citations).
Figures / Tables:Maximum of 4 tables and/or figures.
Required Structure Format Notes
1. Abstract Maximum of 50 words. 3 to 5 keywords.
2. Introduction Brief opening highlighting the clinical significance and novelty of the case.
3. Case Presentation
  • May be divided by subheadings based on the specific characteristics of the report.
  • Examples: Clinical history, Clinical examination, Diagnostic tests, Differential diagnosis, Treatment, Outcome/Evolution, Post-mortem findings.
4. Discussion & Conclusion Interpretation of findings, justification of the clinical approach, and a brief take-away message.
5. Declarations Follow standard AJVS policies.
6. References Maximum of 15 references.

Letters to the Editor

Provides a specialized forum for scientific exchange relating directly to articles recently published in AJVS. The Editorial Committee evaluates each entry; if a letter is approved, the original article's authors will be formally invited to submit a response letter to be published concurrently.

Required Structure Format Notes
1. Main Text Body
  • Should not exceed 500 words.
  • Must address scientific matters published in AJVS within the last year.
  • Must provide robust evidence; claims based on conjecture will be rejected.
  • No new data may be presented within a letter.
2. References Maximum of 5 citations.

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2. Submission & Presentation

Manuscripts must be submitted via www.ajvs.cl. The submission package requires these individual files: Main text (.doc/.docx), Table (Word format), Charts (Excel format), Figures/Photos (TIFF, min. 300 dpi, uploaded individually), and separate Supplementary material.

Article Processing Charges (APC) All manuscripts accepted for publication in AJVS are subject to an Article Processing Charge (APC). This fee covers the costs of peer review management, copyediting, typesetting, and long-term archiving. There are no submission fees. Visit Fee Structure and Discount Categories for detailed information.

Cover Letter Checklist

  • Statement of scientific novelty, contribution, and type of manuscript.
  • Compliance statement with Editorial Policies and explicit Competing Interests declaration.
  • Confirmation of final approval by all authors (including email addresses).
  • Exclusivity statement (not published or submitted elsewhere).
  • List of 3 potential reviewers (and/or excluded reviewers).

General Presentation Summary

Aspect Requirement Specifications
Language & File
  • Written exclusively in English (US or British regional variants must be used consistently).
  • Microsoft Word format (.doc / .docx).
  • 12 pt. Times New Roman font with 1.5 line spacing.
  • 2 cm margins on all sides.
  • Must include continuous line numbering throughout the file.
Headings
  • Main Headings: Written in UPPER CASE, left-justified on a separate line, with no full stop (.) at the end.
  • Primary Subheadings: Left-justified, regular text.
  • Secondary Subheadings: Left-justified and italicised.
  • Note: Do not use text underlining styles and do not number headings or itemised lists.
Metrics & Stats
  • All measurements must be reported in SI units (International System of Units).
  • Decimals must always be preceded by a digit (e.g., 0.5 and not .5). Use up to 3 decimals.
  • Use the 24-hour clock convention for times of day (e.g., 13:00 h).
  • Dates must be formatted as 07 September 2021 in the body text (abbreviations allowed only inside tables/figures).
  • Probability values presented as P < 0.05 or P < 0.01. Standard abbreviations: SD, SEM, and CI.
Nomenclature
  • Chemical nomenclature must follow the Biochemical Society Standards.
  • Use generic names (lower case) for all medications. Commercial brands and precise sources must be declared cleanly as a footnote.
  • Enzymes must be identified at first mention according to the IUB Enzyme Commission.
  • Common Latin terms (e.g., in vitro, in vivo, ad libitum) must be italicised.
  • Animal Species: Full scientific names inside brackets once at first mention; employ common or abbreviated names thereafter.

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3. Structure & Layout Detailing

Section Technical Specifications Limits / Notes
Title & Authors
  • Title setup: Short, specific, centered, and bold. No trade names or abbreviations are permitted.
  • Authors: Full names written sequentially and separated cleanly by commas.
  • Affiliations: Use superscript letters to map institutional addresses. The corresponding author must be indicated using an asterisk (*) with their email added to the footnote.
 Scientific names in brackets required exclusively for non-domestic species.
Abstract & Keywords
  • Must explicitly outline the study's objectives, material and methods, core results, and primary conclusions.
  • No non-standard abbreviations are allowed.
  • Keywords must be positioned directly below the abstract text. Avoid multi-word phrases or repeating terms from the main title.
 Refer to Section 1 for specific word count limits by article type.
Introduction
  • Brief and highly focused contextual setup of the study.
  • Must be written continuously with no internal subheadings.
  • The hypothesis and precise objectives must be clearly stated in the final paragraph.
 Starts on page 3.
Material & Methods
  • Provide robust technical details to ensure absolute replication of the experiments.
  • State generic names, doses, and routes for medications; specify brand, model, and manufacturer for specialized equipment.
  • Must explicitly include the appropriate Bioethical Committee Certification statement.
  • Internal subheadings are permitted to organize procedures.
 Strict replication focus.
Results
  • Concise, logical description of data trends.
  • Must be presented without internal discussion or references to outside work.
  • Data clean-up: Never duplicate table or figure datasets within the body text.
 Must remain separated from Discussion in Original Articles.
Discussion
  • Evaluate and interpret the core findings, directly linking them to other relevant published literature.
  • Must address and thoroughly discuss the potential shortcomings and limitations of the study.
  • Do not repeat result metrics and do not present new or unpublished data.
 Conclusions must be directly supported by the present data.

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4. Declarations

  • Competing Interests: Disclose all financial/non-financial interests. If none, state: "The authors declare that they have no competing interests".
  • Ethics Statement: Specify ethical approval details for animal or human subjects, owner informed consent, or questionnaires per AJVS Ethical Oversight policies.
  • Data availability statement: Presenting data repository details is highly recommended to maximize transparency and reproducibility, though it remains not mandatory. Authors must clearly state where the data can be accessed (including DOIs or repositories). If the data is not publicly available, authors must explicitly declare that datasets can be shared by the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
  • Author Contributions: Define individual actions using authors' initials (e.g., TT, DC).
  • Funding & Acknowledgements: Declare all funding bodies and their roles in the study. Briefly credit contributing peers or institutional facilities.

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5. References Style

Follow APA style (7th edition). Templates available for Mendeley/Zotero and EndNote.

Journal: Bumunang, E. W., McAllister, T. A., Zaheer, R., Polo, R. O., Stanford, K., King, R., Niu, Y. D., & Ateba, C. N. (2019). Characterization of non-O157 Escherichia coli from cattle faecal samples in the North-West Province of South Africa. Microorganisms, 7(8), 272. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms7080272
Book: Mayr, E. (1988). Toward a new philosophy of biology: Observations of an evolutionist. Harvard University Press.
In-text Parenthetical: (Jackson, 2019; Smith et al., 2020; Sapolsky & Jones, 2020)
In-text Narrative: Jackson (2019), Smith et al. (2020), Sapolsky and Jones (2020)
Same-Year Citations: Use letters (a, b, c) after the publication year only if the author group of two publications is exactly the same: (Smith & Jones, 2020a, 2020b). Otherwise, include the surname of the second, third, or fourth author to differentiate the citations: (Smith, Doe et al., 2020; Smith, Lee et al., 2020).

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6. Complementary instructions

Tables & Figures (End of Document): One table per page after References. Captions go above tables, using horizontal lines only for column headings. Significant differences marked with lowercase superscripts (a, b). Use up to 3 decimals. Figures go after tables with captions at the bottom. Submit figures as individual, vertically oriented TIFF files. Section panels labeled as (a, b, c) in the top right corner.

Changes to Authorship: Final list and author order must be definitive at submission. Post-submission additions, deletions, or rearrangements require Editor approval prior to acceptance. Authors must submit a signed letter detailing (a) reasons for change and (b) written agreement (email/letter) from all original and modifying authors. No changes permitted after acceptance.

Supplementary Files & Proofs: Submit supplementary files (Excel, PPT, media) exactly as intended for publication with 'Track Changes' turned off. Galley proofs sent in PDF format must be returned strictly within the designated timeframe to prevent the Editor from moving forward without author corrections.