Article submission
The Journal of Sustainable Technology in Agriculture (JOSTA) publishes high-quality articles that contribute to the advancement of sustainable practices and technologies in agriculture. The journal welcomes original research, reviews, short communications, case studies, software and policies.
Guidelines
Manuscript types and word limits
JOSTA encourages concise and focused writing. The preferred word limits (excluding references, tables, and figure captions) for each article type are:
Research Article: up to 4,000 words
Review Article: up to 5,000 words
Short Communication: up to 2,000 words
Case Study: up to 2,500 words
Software: up to 2,000 words
Policy: up to 2,500 words
Manuscripts exceeding these limits should include justification in the cover letter to the editor.
Manuscript preparation
File format: Manuscripts must be submitted in .docx (Word) or .qmd (Quarto) format. PDF files are not accepted.
Structure: Manuscripts should generally include: Title, Abstract, Keywords, Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results, Discussion, Conclusion, References.
Abstract: Max 150 words. Avoid citations and excessive abbreviations.
Keywords: 4–6, comma-separated, avoiding words already in the title.
Figures: May be embedded in the manuscript or uploaded separately as high-resolution .png, .jpg, or .tiff files.
Tables: Should be uploaded separately as .csv or .xlsx files if not included in editable format within the manuscript.
Supplementary Material: Optional files such as datasets, appendices, or multimedia can be submitted.
Submission procedure
Authors must complete the online [submission form] (submit.qmd), providing:
Author and co-author details
Manuscript metadata (title, abstract, keywords, article type, etc.)
Manuscript and supporting file uploads
Ethical declarations and cover letter to editor
Ethical requirements
Plagiarism: All submissions must be original
Conflict of Interest: Must be declared clearly. If none, write “None.”
Ethical Approval: Required for studies involving humans, animals, or sensitive data. Upload certificate if applicable.
Article categories
JOSTA accepts articles under the following editorial sections, see in [detail] (editorialsections.qmd)
Crop and Plant Science
Soil Science and Agroecology
Animal Science and Fisheries
Biotechnology & Molecular Biology
Agricultural Engineering and Technology
Data Science and Statistics in Agriculture
Agricultural Economics and Rural Development
Agricultural Extension and Education
Post-Harvest Technology and Food Science
Climate Change and Sustainable Agriculture
Plant Pathology and Pest Management
Forestry and Agroforestry
Authors must select one or more relevant sections during submission. See editorial sections for full descriptions.
Review process
All submissions undergo initial editorial screening followed by double-blind peer review. Authors may be asked to revise their manuscripts based on reviewer feedback.
Referencing style
JOSTA follows a referencing style closely aligned with that used by established journals in applied statistics and agricultural research. However, authors are not required to manually format references during submission.
All references must include complete and accurate bibliographic details. JOSTA’s article processing system will handle reference formatting. Authors must ensure that each reference contains the following minimum required fields:
For Journal Articles:
Author(s)
Title
Journal name
Year
Volume and issue (if applicable)
Page numbers
DOI (if available)
For Books:
Author or Editor
Title
Publisher
Year
Place of publication
For Book Chapters:
Author
Chapter title
Book title
Editor(s)
Publisher
Year
Pages
For Theses:
Author
Title
Degree type (e.g., MSc, PhD)
Institution
Year
For Conference Proceedings:
Author
Title
Conference title
Year
Pages
Publisher or Organizer
For Web Sources:
Author or Organization
Title
URL
Accessed date
Year (if available)
Improper or incomplete references may delay processing.