Guidelines for Authors

AIM AND TYPES OF ARTICLES

The Bollettino del Museo Regionale di Scienze Naturali di Torino publishes full articles, short notes, reviews, obituaries, and opinions covering all fields of natural history, as outlined above.

Taxonomic articles are especially welcomed, including: (1) descriptions of new taxa; (2) taxonomic revisions and monographs; (3) phylogenetic and systematic studies with nomenclatural implications; (4) faunal and floristic surveys with taxonomic relevance.

Regional-scale studies receive special attention, particularly those that: (1) integrate local findings within global scientific frameworks; (2) address biogeographic patterns at regional scales; (3) document biodiversity in specific geographic areas (e.g., Piedmont, Alpine regions, Mediterranean areas); (4) apply global methodologies to local conservation challenges.

Research from emerging countries receives dedicated consideration, with support for: (1) studies documenting biodiversity in under-represented regions; (2) collaborations between local and international researchers; (3) articles addressing conservation priorities in developing nations.

Opinions are particularly encouraged when they offer: (1) personal, qualitative reflections based on extensive field or curatorial experience; (2) perspectives on major themes in natural history; (3) insights into conservation practices (both curatorial and ecological); (4) narrative accounts of scientific discovery or collection-based work; (5) reflections on conducting research in emerging country contexts; (6) submitted manuscripts must be original and not simultaneously submitted elsewhere.

 

2. LANGUAGE AND FORMAT

2.1. Article language

• The Bollettino accepts articles written in Italian or English;

• Manuscripts written in French, Spanish, or German may be considered for publication at the discretion of the editorial team;

 

2.2. Abstract requirements

• Articles in Italian or English must include an Abstract in English and a Riassunto in Italian;

• Articles in other languages (e.g., French, Spanish, German) must include: (1) an abstract in the article’s original language; (2) an Abstract in English; (3) a Riassunto in Italian;

• For particularly significant articles, authors may optionally provide an “Extended Summary” (500–800 words) that provides more detailed contextualization of the research. This should be placed after the standard abstracts;

 

2.3. Technical format

• Text must be prepared using standard word processing software, preferably Microsoft Word or a compatible format;

• Manuscripts must be written in Times New Roman font;

 

3. ARTICLE CATEGORIES AND LENGTH

3.1. Full articles

• Articles exceeding five printed pages (30 lines per page, 60 characters per line including spaces, double-spaced) are considered Full Articles and must include the appropriate abstracts, plus Keywords in both required languages;

• Structure: TITLE, ABSTRACT/RIASSUNTO, KEYWORDS, INTRODUCTION, MATERIAL AND METHODS, RESULTS, DISCUSSION, ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS, REFERENCES, APPENDICES;

 

3.2. Short notes

• Articles of five pages or less are considered Short notes;

• Follow the main structure of Full articles, except text is not divided into chapters and paragraphs, and does not include titles or subtitles;

• Must include the appropriate Abstracts plus Keywords in both languages;

 

3.3. Reviews, obituaries, opinions

• Variable length; publication must be agreed upon with the editorial team;

• Follow a structure similar to Short Notes, except they do not include abstracts or keywords;

• Deviations from this structure must be agreed upon with the editorial team.

 

4. ORIGINALITY AND ETHICAL DECLARATIONS

• Articles must be original, not previously published (in whole or in part), and not under simultaneous consideration by another journal;

• The following mandatory declarations must be included in the manuscript: (1) availability of data and materials; (2) competing interests; (3) funding sources; (4) authors’ contributions; (5) acknowledgements.

• Permissions must be obtained for: (1) use of copyrighted material (text, figures, tables); (2) collection, capture, sacrifice/euthanasia, and export of biological material; (3) collection of paleontological, mineralogical, and geological material; (4) written permission from copyright holders must be provided before publication.

 

5. MANUSCRIPT STRUCTURE AND FORMATTING

5.1. General format

• File format: .DOCX or .RTF (Microsoft Word or compatible);

• Font: Times New Roman;

• Line and page numbering: consecutive through all the manuscript;

 

5.2. First page (title page)

• Title in the article’s language and Italian (Times New Roman 16, bold);

• Authors’ names and surnames;

• Full affiliation(s) of each author;

• Corresponding author details: full postal address, email, telephone, fax (only one corresponding author permitted);

• Keywords (3–8, in the article’s language and in Italian)

 

5.3. Second page (abstracts)

• ABSTRACT headings (centred, uppercase, size 12);

• For articles in other languages, include: [Language] abstract, English ABSTRACT and Italian RIASSUNTO;

• Abstracts: max 250 words each, single paragraph, no abbreviations, references, or citations of figures/tables;

• EXTENDED SUMMARY (if applicable): 500–800 words, placed after standard abstract;

• KEYWORDS listed after each abstract (alphabetical order, separated by commas);

 

5.4. Main text structure

• Full articles must be structured as: (1) INTRODUCTION; (2) MATERIAL AND METHODS; (3) RESULTS; (4) DISCUSSION; (5) ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS; (6) REFERENCES; (7) APPENDICES (if applicable);

• Subheadings: left-justified, italicized, only the first word capitalized;

• Font: Times New Roman 12, double-spaced;

• Paragraphs: first paragraph of each section left-justified with no indentation; subsequent paragraphs indented;

 

5.5. Text formatting

• Italics: used only for genus and species names, and for “et al.” in citations;

• Foreign terms: in quotation marks, except common scientific terms;

• Numbers: 1–9: spelled out (except before units, e.g., 5 mm); 10 and above: numerals;

• Time: 24-hour format (e.g., 14:00 h);

• Dates: day month year (e.g., 15 March 2023);

• Decimals: comma for Italian texts (0,5); point for English texts (0.5)

 

5.6. Special requirements for taxonomic, field-based, collection-based, and molecular studies

• New taxa descriptions: The repository of the holotype (and paratypes, if applicable) must be indicated;

• Specimens must be deposited in a recognized public scientific collection, with collection numbers provided (e.g., holotype deposited at the Museo Regionale di Scienze Naturali, Torino (MRSN), collection number MRSN A1099);

• Field collection information: for taxonomic studies and field-based research, authors must include: (1) field numbers assigned to specimens at the time of their collection; (2) collection permits (numbers and issuing authorities); (3) export permits (where applicable); (4) ethical approval documentation (for studies involving protected species or sensitive habitats);

• Studies based on collections: when research utilizes specimens from natural history collections (scientific or educational, public or private), the collection and accession numbers must be cited;

• Molecular data: novel DNA/RNA sequences must be deposited in an international database (e.g., GenBank, EMBL, DDBJ). Accession numbers must be provided in the manuscript (preferably in Material and Methods or in a data availability statement) (e.g., sequences are available in GenBank under accession numbers OP123456–OP123459).

 

6. REFERENCES

6.1. Formatting

• Heading: References (centered, size 12);

• List: alphabetically by first author’s surname and chronologically within same author;

• Journal titles must be written in full (not abbreviated);

• All references must correspond to explicit citations in the text (author and date);

 

6.2. In-text citation format

• Two authors: (Rossi & Verdi, 1995);

• Three or more authors: (Rossi et al., 1980);

• Multiple references: (Blackman et al., 1994; Rossi & Verdi, 1995; Bianchi et al., 1998);

• Same author, same year: (Rossi & Verdi, 1993a, b);

• Personal communications: (V. Rossi, pers. comm.) - not included in reference list;

 

6.3. Reference list examples

• Journal article (one author)

• Blommers-Schlösser R.M.A., 1979. Biosystematics of the Malagasy frogs. I. Mantellidae. - Beaufortia, 29 (352): 1-77.

• Journal article (two authors)

Andrén C., Nilson G., 1983. Reproductive tactics in an island population of adders, Vipera berus (L.), with a fluctuating food resource. - Amphibia-Reptilia, 4: 63-79.

• Journal article (three or more authors)

Orecchia P., Bianchini M., Catalini N., Cataudella S., Paggi L., 1987. Parasitological study of a population of Tiber River eels (Anguilla anguilla). - Parasitologia, 29: 37-47.

• Book chapter

Iaccarino S., 1985. Mediterranean Miocene and Pliocene Planktic Foraminifera. In: Bolli H., Saunders J.B., Perch-Nielsen K. (eds.), Plankton Stratigraphy (pp. 283-314). - University Press, Cambridge.

• Book

Verity R., 1945. Le farfalle diurne d’Italia. Vol. II. - Marzocco, Firenze.

• Website / Online resource

Thiers B., 2014 [continuously updated]. Index herbariorum: a global directory of public herbaria and associated staff. New York Botanical Garden. http://sweetgum.nybg.org/ih/ (accessed December 2014).

• In press (accepted but not yet printed)

Bianchi M., Neri L., in press. New data on the distribution of Rana italica in Piedmont. – Bollettino del Museo Regionale di Scienze Naturali, Torino.

 

7. TABLES AND FIGURES

7.1. Tables

• Placed on separate sheets, one per page;

• Numbered consecutively in Roman numerals (Tab. I, Tab. II, Tabs. IV-V, etc.);

• No vertical lines;

• Caption placed below table (e.g., Table I - Measurements of Passer montanus specimens);

• Footnotes indicated with symbols (*, †, ‡) or superscript numbers;

 

7.2. Figures

• Formats: TIFF or JPG;

• Numbered consecutively in Arabic numerals (Fig. 1, Fig. 2, Figs. 4-5, etc.);

• Resolution: min. 600 dpi for line drawings; 300 dpi for colour images (CMYK);

• Size: max width 18 cm, min width 8.5 cm;

• Composite figures labelled with uppercase letters (A, B, C, etc.);

• Captions placed in a separate section entitled FIGURE CAPTIONS after the References;

 

7.3. Colour figures

• Colour figures may be published free of charge, but the editorial team reserves the right to charge authors for colour printing if necessary.

 

8. APPENDICES

• Supplementary information may be included as Appendices after the References;

• Numbered with Roman numerals (APPENDIX I, APPENDIX II, etc.);

• Include a descriptive caption;

 

 

9. SUBMISSION AND REVIEW PROCESS

9.1. Submission

• Electronic submission to: https://www.bollettinomrsn.it/site/about/submissions

 

9.2. Review process

• Full articles, Short notes and Opinions undergo peer review by scientific referees;

• Possible decisions: (1) Accepted without changes; (2) Accepted with minor revisions; (3) Accepted with major revisions; (4) Rejected;

• Authors must submit a final version with a cover letter explaining how referee comments were addressed;

 

9.3. Post-acceptance

• Authors receive proofs for final minor corrections only;

• Upon publication, each author/group receives a PDF file of their article;

• Early Access is available for accepted articles before issue assignment

 

10. SPECIAL POLICIES

10.1. Authorship

• Authors must meet ICMJE criteria (https://www.icmje.org/recommendations/browse/roles-and-responsibilities/defining-the-role-of-authors-and-contributors.html);

• AI-assisted tools (e.g., ChatGPT, DeepSeek) may be used but must be declared in Material and Methods or Acknowledgements;

• Authorship changes require written approval from all authors and the Editor-in-Chief before acceptance;

 

10.2. Research ethics

• Studies involving animals must comply with institutional and national guidelines;

• Research involving non-native species must respect biodiversity preservation guidelines;

• Suspected misconduct (plagiarism, data manipulation) leads to rejection and reporting to relevant authorities;

 

10.3. Publication priority

• The Editor-in-Chief reserves the right to prioritize submissions from MRSN staff or based on MRSN collections;

 

11. FINAL CHECKLIST BEFORE SUBMISSION

• Manuscript in .DOCX or .RTF format;

• Figures in .TIFF or .JPG, high resolution;

• Tables on separate sheets;

• Appropriate abstracts included according to article language;

• Keywords in all required languages;

• All declarations included;

• References formatted correctly;

• Permissions obtained for copyrighted material;

• Taxonomic/collection/molecular data deposition statements included;

• Author contributions specified;

• Suggested reviewers provided (optional);