Author Forms & Documents

This page provides official forms used at different stages of submission, editorial processing and publication in Plant Science Horizons (PSH). Not every form is required at initial submission; authors should complete only the document applicable to the relevant stage or editorial request.

Forms are required at different stages

PSH does not require every author to upload every form at the same time. The applicable document depends on the manuscript's status. Authors should follow the instructions in the submission system, decision letter, acceptance communication, or request from the editorial office.

Submitting unnecessary or outdated forms can create conflicting records. Always use the most recent version made available by the journal.

Which form do I need?

For accepted manuscripts before publication

This document should reflect PSH's current copyright model: authors retain copyright and grant the journal/publisher the rights necessary to publish, disseminate, preserve and maintain the version of record. Current PSH articles are published under CC BY 4.0.

Authorship, originality and ethical declarations

The Author Declaration Form may be used to document that:

• The manuscript is original and is not simultaneously under formal review by another journal.
• All listed authors approve the submission and author order.
• Authorship reflects genuine scholarly contributions and accountability.
• Competing interests and funding have been disclosed appropriately.
• Required ethics approvals, permits and biosafety requirements have been addressed where applicable.
• Data, images, references and other research content have not been knowingly fabricated, falsified or manipulated.
• Relevant preprints, related manuscripts or overlapping publications have been disclosed.

Only for changes after manuscript submission

This form is required when authors request the addition, removal or reordering of authors after submission. It is not a routine submission document.

The request should explain why the change is necessary and should document agreement from all affected authors. The journal may request additional evidence when the proposed change raises questions about contribution, accountability, gift authorship, ghost authorship, purchased authorship, or another integrity concern.

Editorial approval is required

An Author Change Request is evaluated rather than automatically approved. Editors may consider the explanation, contribution statements, agreement of affected authors, timing of the request and any relevant ethical concern.

Requests made after acceptance or during production require particularly clear justification because the author record is close to final publication.

Complete documents accurately

• Use the manuscript title and author names exactly as they appear in the current submission record.
• Include the manuscript ID when one has already been assigned.
• Complete every relevant field; use “Not applicable” where appropriate rather than leaving important sections ambiguous.
• Provide signatures or verified electronic approval where the form requires them.
• Do not alter the substantive wording of official forms without permission from the editorial office.

How completed forms should be returned

Completed forms should be uploaded through the PSH OJS submission workflow when an upload field is available. If the editorial office specifically requests a document by email, authors should send it only to the official journal address or another verified PSH editorial contact.

Authors should retain a copy of all signed documentation for their records.

Do not submit sensitive information unnecessarily

Authors should provide only information reasonably required for editorial and publication administration. Official forms should not contain passwords, government identification numbers, banking information or unrelated sensitive personal data.

Signed forms form part of the journal's administrative record and should be handled through authorized journal systems or official correspondence.

OJS library-file permissions should be checked

The current download buttons use OJS library-file API URLs. Public visitors may receive an access-permission message depending on how the OJS library files are configured.

For a public Author Forms page, PSH should ensure that each form is downloadable without editorial or administrator privileges, or publish the forms through stable public file URLs.

Use only current PSH forms

Authors should not rely on forms copied from another journal, stored in an old email chain, or obtained from an unofficial third-party website. When policies change—for example, the journal's current use of CC BY 4.0—the corresponding form should also be updated to avoid outdated licensing language.

Read the form together with the applicable journal policy

Questions about forms

If authors are uncertain which document is required, they should contact the editorial office before submitting multiple forms or modifying an official document.

Journal email: psh@phyto-sci.com

Document checklist

Clear documentation at the right stage

Plant Science Horizons uses author forms to document publication rights, essential declarations and approved authorship changes. Authors should submit only the document relevant to their manuscript's current stage, ensure that all information is accurate, and use the journal's current forms and official communication channels.