International Journal of Limnology publishes rigorous limnology research that advances understanding of freshwater ecosystems and their management.

Follow these guidelines to ensure a smooth editorial review and production process.

Ensure your manuscript aligns with limnology, freshwater ecology, hydrology, or water quality science. Articles should present clear evidence that can inform ecosystem management, conservation, or policy decisions.

We welcome original research, reviews, methods papers, modeling studies, and synthesis articles. Brief reports are considered when they deliver urgent or high impact findings.

Prepare manuscripts with clear, consistent language and defined abbreviations. Provide structured abstracts and keywords that reflect system type, geographic setting, and study design.

• Use structured abstracts with objectives, methods, results, and conclusions
• Ensure references are complete and include DOIs where available
• Describe sampling design, spatial coverage, and temporal resolution clearly
• Report permits, ethical approvals, and animal handling procedures

Use standard section headings and ensure tables and figures are referenced in the text. Avoid excessive jargon and define technical terms when first used.

If your manuscript exceeds typical lengths, explain why the additional detail is necessary for interpreting freshwater outcomes.

Titles should be specific and include key elements such as system type, location, and target variables. Abstracts should highlight primary outcomes, study design, and relevance for freshwater management.

Avoid overly broad claims and ensure that conclusions reflect the data presented.

• STROBE for observational studies
• CONSORT for randomized trials
• PRISMA for systematic reviews
• CARE for case reports
• TREND for non randomized evaluations

• Include ethics approvals, permits, and informed consent where applicable
• Provide data availability statements and repository links
• Describe environmental data governance and access permissions
• Document privacy safeguards for sensitive locations or species
• Report any biosafety or field safety oversight

If ethics approval was waived, provide the waiver rationale and the approving body. Include permits for sampling, animal handling, or protected areas where relevant.

Authorship should reflect significant intellectual contribution to study design, analysis, or writing. Provide a brief statement describing each author’s role and confirm that all authors approve the final manuscript.

List all funding sources, grant numbers, and institutional support. Disclose any conflicts of interest, including advisory roles or industry affiliations relevant to environmental work.

Acknowledge collaborators, program partners, or community stakeholders who supported the study but do not meet authorship criteria. Include acknowledgments for data access permissions or logistical support.

If figures, tables, or instruments are reproduced from other sources, obtain written permission and provide appropriate credit lines. Document permissions in the manuscript or supplementary files.

If your study is registered or part of a long term monitoring program, include the registration identifier and program name. If the study was registered after initiation, provide a justification and describe any protocol changes.

Describe the water body type, watershed context, and key drivers such as nutrient loading or hydrologic regime. For field studies, report sampling frequency, depth profiles, and quality control procedures.

• Report coordinates, site selection criteria, and sampling dates
• Specify instruments, calibration routines, and detection limits
• Define biological indicators and taxa identification methods
• Describe baseline conditions and disturbance history when relevant

Describe your study design clearly, including sampling strategy, comparison groups, and timelines. For observational studies, explain how exposure and outcome measures were defined and validated.

When evaluating management outcomes, outline the operational context, intervention steps, and any changes in watershed management during the study period.

Report chemical, physical, and biological indicators with sufficient detail to support replication, including calibration procedures and quality control thresholds. Define endpoints such as nutrient concentrations, dissolved oxygen, or biodiversity indices and provide baseline values when available.

For effectiveness studies, describe response variables, sampling windows, and analytic methods used to account for confounding or seasonal effects.

Clearly describe field safety protocols, contamination prevention, and biosecurity measures. When applicable, report procedures for handling invasive species or hazardous materials.

Include a concise summary of oversight mechanisms such as safety training or institutional review procedures.

Management studies should describe intervention models, staffing, equipment, and operational constraints that may affect outcomes. Include details on stakeholder engagement, outreach, and governance when relevant.

Report indicators for effectiveness, timelines, and equity, and explain how missing data were handled.

Provide a data availability statement and specify how deidentified datasets or code can be accessed. If data are restricted, describe the access process and governance requirements.

For models or analytic pipelines, report software versions and key parameters to facilitate reproducibility.

Cite datasets and code repositories using persistent identifiers whenever possible. Clear data citations help readers locate supporting materials and strengthen confidence in freshwater evidence.

Use consistent terminology for limnology variables, units, and ecosystem indicators. Avoid ambiguous abbreviations and define all acronyms at first use.

Plain language summaries are helpful for broad audiences when available.

Clarity reduces reviewer queries.

Supplementary files should include detailed methods, extended data tables, or additional figures that support the main text. Label files clearly and reference them in the manuscript to guide readers.

Use the cover letter to summarize novelty, freshwater relevance, and any dataset restrictions. Highlight why the findings matter for water quality management or conservation policy.

Include any prior dissemination or preprint details for transparency.

State the intended article type to assist routing.

Note any ethical approvals or waivers briefly.

Mention key datasets or registries used.

When revisions are requested, provide a clear response letter addressing each reviewer comment. Indicate where changes were made in the manuscript to support efficient re review.

• Title page with author affiliations and corresponding author details
• Abstract and keywords
• Introduction describing system context and research gap
• Methods including sampling design and site description
• Results with tables, figures, and statistical analysis
• Discussion highlighting policy or practice implications

If the manuscript has been posted as a preprint or presented at a conference, disclose this during submission. Prior dissemination does not preclude consideration, but transparency is required.

Provide high resolution figures and editable tables. Ensure all units and abbreviations are defined. Figures should be cited in order and include descriptive captions.

If figures include maps or monitoring charts, include data source notes and time periods for clarity.

Discuss study limitations transparently and explain how they affect interpretation. Highlight strengths that reinforce the relevance of findings for freshwater policy or practice.

Balanced discussion improves credibility with reviewers and readers.

IJLI is committed to rigorous, transparent publishing in limnology and freshwater science. We emphasize reproducible field and laboratory methods, clear reporting of water quality and ecological outcomes, and ethical compliance across all article types.

The editorial office supports authors, editors, and reviewers with clear guidance and responsive communication. For questions about scope or workflow, contact [email protected].

We encourage continuous improvement in reporting practices and share updates that help the community maintain high standards in freshwater ecology, hydrology, and environmental stewardship.