Authors’ guidelines

Submission Guidelines Download

Submission Guidelines


Before submitting any of the following content types, please review the formatting requirements and follow the submission guidelines.

*The journal encourages manuscripts to actively address the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Prior to submission, authors are advised to review their work to assess its alignment with specific Goals.


Publication Format

English is the official publication language of the journal, and all articles are published in full-text English. Depending on the submission language and authors’ preferences, articles may be published in one of the following formats:


Format 1 (Recommended)

Full English Article + Chinese Title Page Includes:

  • Full English article

  • Chinese title page (volume and issue information, title, author information, abstract, keywords, highlights, research funds, etc.)


Format 2

Full English Article + Chinese Main Text Includes:

  • Full English article

  • Chinese main text (figures and references are not presented repeatedly)

This format is optional for manuscripts submitted in Chinese to the Papers and Innovative Perspectives columns.


Format 3

Full English Article

This format is available only for manuscripts submitted to the Pioneering Practices column.


Submission Language Requirements

To facilitate peer review and avoid unnecessary duplication of effort during the revision process, authors are only required to submit one language version of the manuscript (Chinese or English) in submission. Upon acceptance, authors of Chinese manuscripts will be asked to provide the corresponding English version, along with any additional publication materials required by the journal. Detailed instructions and formatting requirements will be provided after acceptance.


Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted in English

If you are uncertain about any specific requirements, we recommend referring to previously published articles in the journal for guidance.


  1. General Submission Materials


    The following materials are required for all submissions. Please prepare and upload them to the appropriate locations in the submission system. These materials will NOT be sent for peer review.


    2. Title Page

    Please provide the following information on the title page:

    1. Article title

    2. Full author names (Given name SURNAME)

    3. Corresponding author information

    4. Funding information—Please disclose all funding sources, including the full names of funding agencies and grant numbers.

    5. Acknowledgements (optional)—Individuals who contributed to the work but do not meet the criteria for authorship may be acknowledged here.


    Example of author information: Author A1, Author B2, Author C3,*

    1 Affiliation A, City and Postal Code, Country
    2 Affiliation B, City and Postal Code, Country
    3 Affiliation C, City and Postal Code, Country


    *Corresponding Author Address:

    Email:


    Publishing Agreement

    Please submit the completed Article Copyright Statement together with your manuscript.


  2. Materials Required for Specific Article Types


    3. Please prepare and upload the materials required for the article type to which your manuscript is submitted.


    1. Papers

      This column invites rigorous research contributions, including theoretical studies, empirical research, and review articles on critical issues of urban, rural, or natural landscapes. We encourage action-oriented, interdisciplinary studies, particularly those focusing on water-driven, land-based climate resilience, public health, and sustainability.


      Format:

      • Title—Up to 20 words

      • Abstract—150–250 words

      • Keywords—5–7 keywords

      • Graphical Abstract—Up to 100 words in total; highlight the essential innovativeness of the research, especially the practical implications of the main research findings, rather than summarizing the entire study; avoid equations and use explicit wording; aspect ratio of 2.6:1, with a minimum resolution of 300 dpi; acceptable formats include JPG, PNG, TIFF, EPS, and PDF.

      • Highlights—3 to 5 bullets, up to 100 characters for each; extract the core argument of the article and present it succinctly in short sentences.

      • Main Body—Review papers should not exceed 8,000 words (excluding references); theoretical studies and empirical research are limited to 6,000 words (excluding references).

      • Reference(s)—No more than 80 references are recommended; in-text citations should be numbered sequentially (e.g., [1], [2–3], [4,6]); the reference list should be arranged in the order of citation and formatted according to APA Style.

      • Supplementary Materials—Include any content (e.g., figures, tables) not central to the main findings but necessary for understanding or replicating the study.


      Examples:

      https://doi.org/10.15302/J-LAF-0-020038

      https://doi.org/10.15302/J-LAF-0-020041


      1. Structure: Use numbered headings; acknowledgements, references, and appendices should remain unnumbered.

      2. Tables: Number tables in the order of appearance and reference them in the text. Titles should be concise; footnotes should be placed below each table.

      3. Figures/Diagrams: Number and reference them in sequence. Submit editable or text-free versions if they contain embedded text. Ensure all visuals are properly licensed and include captions and copyright information.

      4. Notes: If used, number them sequentially and place them at the end of the main text.

    2. Innovative Perspectives

      This column invites perspectives for theoretical, educational, and professional innovations. This column focuses on sharing ideas that have not been implemented or constructed but hold great potential to promote or change the future development of landscape research or practice.


      Format:

      • Title—Up to 15 words

      • Abstract—100–200 words

      • Keywords—5–7 keywords


      • Highlights—3–5 bullets, up to 100 characters for each; extract the core argument of the article and present it succinctly in short sentences.

      • Main Body—1,000–3,000 words preferred; for significant contributions, up to 8,000 words may be considered.

      • Reference(s)—No more than 40 references are recommended; in-text citations should be numbered sequentially (e.g., [1], [2–3], [4,6]); the reference list should be arranged in the order of citation and formatted according to APA Style.


      Examples:

      https://doi.org/10.15302/J-LAF-1-030054

      https://doi.org/10.15302/J-LAF-0-050006


      1. Structure: Use numbered headings; do not number acknowledgements, references, or appendices.

      2. Tables: Number tables in order of appearance and cite them in the text. Titles should be concise; place footnotes below each table.

      3. Figures/Diagrams: Number and reference them in sequence. For visuals with embedded text, submit editable or text-free versions. All images must be authorized for publication and include captions and copyright information.

      4. Notes: If used, number them sequentially and list them at the end of the main text.

    3. Pioneering Practices

      This column features innovative and impactful educational or professional projects. We welcome work that critically examines the application of theory and empirical research in practice, with particular interest in exploratory and experimental design. Submissions should address design challenges, ecological and social issues, and humanistic concerns, and may include reviews of similar projects that distill transferable design concepts.


      Format:

      • Title—Up to 15 words

      • Features—5–7 keywords

      • Practice Reflections—Please respond to three or four questions from the following, up to 70 words in total:

      1. What key issues does this project address?

      2. What were the most urgent challenges and how were they resolved?

      3. What ideas were excluded and why?

      4. What valuable experience was gained?

      5. How can this project benefit future designers?

      6. What research could inform similar practices?

    • Main Body—Around 1,000 words, including project background (context, problems, case studies, and relevant precedents), design process (research, analysis, and evidence-based design strategies), and project review (key innovations, lessons learned, and honest reflections on limitations).

    • Images and Diagrams—10–20 high-resolution images/diagrams (≥ 300 dpi); provide editable or text-free versions if explanatory text is embedded; include at least one master/site plan with a clear legend; all must be publication-approved, with captions and copyright information.

    • Project Information—Project name, location, area (size), client, landscape planning/design, project team, collaborator(s), design period, completion time, award(s), fund(s).

    • Reference(s)—No more than 10 references; in-text citations should be numbered sequentially (e.g., [1], [2–3], [4,6]); the reference list should be arranged in the order of citation and formatted according to APA Style.


    Examples:

    https://doi.org/10.15302/J-LAF-1-040037

    https://doi.org/10.15302/J-LAF-1-040036




    Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.

    Thank you!

     

    Official website:

    https://journal.hep.com.cn/laf/EN/2096-336X/home.shtml

    Manuscript submission:

    https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/lafrontiers

    Email: lafrontiers@foxmail.com

    Tel: 0086-010-6275-0535




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