Authors Guidelines

Aims and Scope

Dandakaranya Review Journal (DAR), is a biannual publication by the Department of Geography, Pt. Ravishankar Shukla University, Raipur, India, dedicated to advancing knowledge across the scientific spectrum. The journal serves as a platform for both fundamental and applied research, encompassing a wide range of scientific disciplines including but not limited to Geography, Remote Sensing and GIS. DAR invites the submission of original research articles, comprehensive reviews, concise short communications, insightful book reviews, and reports highlighting scientific activities and developments.

Peer Review Process

Every manuscript submitted to (DAR) undergoes a rigorous two-tier evaluation. Initially, the Editorial Board performs a preliminary assessment to ensure alignment with the journal's scope and standards. Qualified submissions are then subjected to a double-blind peer review process, preserving anonymity to maintain fairness and objectivity. The journal promotes electronic submission and encourages authors to submit their manuscripts via email for swift processing and communication.

Guidelines for Contributors

Manuscripts intended for publication should be addressed to:

Submissions must be made electronically to: [email protected]

Authors are requested to submit:

• The manuscript in MS Word format
• All figures in TIFF formats (300 dpi)
• Separate files for the abstract, tables, figure captions, and references
• A PDF version of the complete manuscript along with the editable Word file

By submitting a manuscript, authors confirm that the work is:

• Original and unpublished
• Not currently under review elsewhere
• Not intended for submission to another journal during the review process

Accepted papers must not be published in any other journal or publication. Manuscripts should typically not exceed 10,000 words in total.

Manuscript Preparation Guidelines

To ensure clarity and consistency, all manuscripts must be written in clear, concise English, following the spelling conventions of the Concise Oxford Dictionary. Submissions should be typed double-spaced on high-quality white bond paper (292 x 210 mm²), with generous margins on all sides to accommodate editorial notes and typesetting requirements.

Formatting Specifications

Please adhere to the following formatting guidelines using Times New Roman font throughout the manuscript:

• Title of the Manuscript: Bold, 14 pt
• Author Name(s): Bold, 12 pt
• Affiliation(s): Regular, 9 pt
• Main Text: Regular, 10 pt
• Headings: Bold, 12 pt
• Subheadings: Bold, 10 pt
• Sub-subheadings: Regular, 10 pt
• Keywords, Tables, Figure Captions, References, and Acknowledgements: Regular, 9 pt

Title Page

The first page of the manuscript must include:

• The full title of the paper (concise and index-friendly)
• Full names and initials of all authors
• The institutional affiliation(s) where the research was conducted
• A footnote listing any current or alternative addresses for the authors, if different from the institution listed above
• A suggested running title of no more than 50 characters for page headers

Abstract and Keywords

All submissions must include an abstract of not more than 250 words, summarizing the key findings and significance of the study. Immediately following the abstract, provide five keywords for indexing purposes. These should be listed on a separate line to facilitate database searchability.

List of Symbols

Authors must supply a complete typographic list of symbols used in the manuscript. While this list will not appear in the final published version, it is crucial for ensuring consistency and minimizing errors during the proofing and typesetting stages.

Manuscript Structure

To promote readability and logical flow, the main body of the manuscript should be organized into the following standard sections:

• 1. Introduction - Present the background, rationale, and objectives of the study.
• 2. Materials and Methods - Describe the experimental design, procedures, tools, and data analysis techniques used.
• 3. Results - Clearly present the findings, supported by tables and figures where appropriate.
• 4. Discussion - Interpret the results in the context of existing literature and highlight their significance.
• 5. Conclusion - Summarize the key takeaways and potential implications for future research.

References

Citations within the text should follow the author-year format rather than numerical referencing. For example:

• Taylor (1980) reported that...
• (Taylor, 1988)
• (Taylor et al., 1988) use "et al." when citing works with more than two authors in the text.

However, in the reference list, all authors' names must be included, regardless of the number of contributors. At the end of the manuscript, references should be organized alphabetically by the surname of the first author. Each entry must follow the standard citation style and include the following:

Citation Examples

To assist authors in preparing their reference list, here are examples of properly formatted citations:

• Single-author article: Steven, D.M. (1959). Studies on the shoaling behaviour of fishes. I. Responses of two species to changes in illumination and to olfactory stimuli. Journal of Experimental Biology, 36, 261-280.
• Two-author article: Cheng, J., & Xue, C. (2014). The Sand-Damage Prevention Engineering System for The Railway in THE Desert Region of The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. J. Wind Eng. Ind. Aerodyn., 125, 30-37. (http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jweia.2013.11.016.)
• Multi-author article: Dey, N., Shukla, P. & Gole, U. (2022). A Geo-spatial Analysis of the Distribution of Sand Dunes using Digital Elevation Modeling along the Kanthi Coastal Beach, West Bengal, India. Indian Journal of Spatial Science, 13(3), 31-43.
• Book: Carter, R.W.G. (1989). Coastal Environments: An Introduction to the Physical, Ecological and Cultural Systems of Coastlines, Academic Press, London.
• Book chapter: Pitcher, T.J. & Parrish, J.K. (1993). Functions of shoaling behaviour in teleosts. In T.J. Pitcher (Ed.), The Behaviour of Teleost Fishes (2nd ed., pp. 363-440). London: Chapman and Hall.
• Thesis or Dissertation: Sharma, S.K. (1990). Photoconductivity of Some Semiconducting Compounds (Ph.D. thesis). Pt. Ravishankar Shukla University, Raipur.

Technical Elements

Mathematical Content

Equations should be presented clearly, each on a separate line, and spaced appropriately from the surrounding text. All equations must be numbered sequentially using Arabic numerals, placed in parentheses and aligned to the right margin. Please indicate clearly if any special notation is used (e.g., Greek letters, vectors, matrices, or tensors).

Units

Use SI (International System of Units) throughout the manuscript. Examples include: 15%, 75 ml, 7 g, 9 cm.

Figures and Tables

Each figure should be accompanied by a caption, typed separately on a new page. Ensure figures are of high quality and are clearly labelled. Tables should be numbered consecutively using Arabic numerals and cited in the order they appear in the text. Provide a brief but informative title for each table. Column headers must be concise. Any explanatory notes or references within tables should appear as superscript letters and be explained at the bottom of the table page.

Footnotes

Avoid using footnotes within the main body of the text wherever possible. If they are necessary, number them sequentially and list them on a separate page.

Appendices

Appendices should be numbered consecutively (Appendix 1, Appendix 2, etc.) and clearly referred to in the main text where applicable.

Proofs

Authors are strongly advised to thoroughly review and finalize their manuscripts before submission to minimize the need for corrections at the proof stage. Excessive revisions during proofreading may delay publication and increase production costs.