Special issue Guidelines :
Manuscript Preparation
The language of this special issue is English. The journal is an open access double-blind peer reviewed Scopus indexed journal. Please read the guide for authors before submitting.
All submitted manuscripts are subject to initial appraisal by the Editor, and, if found suitable for further consideration, will be forwarded to get peer reviewed by independent, anonymous expert referees.
Submission of an article implies that the work described has not been published previously (except in the form of a preprint, an abstract, a published lecture, academic thesis or registered report), that it is not under consideration for publication elsewhere, that its publication is approved by all authors and tacitly or explicitly by the responsible authorities where the work was carried out, and that, if accepted, it will not be published elsewhere in the same form, in English or any other language, including electronically without the written consent of the copyright holder.
The manuscripts must be uploaded via the online system. All submitted manuscripts must include the following items:
Title
Abstract
Keywords
Introduction
Methods and Materials
Results and discussion
Conclusions
Acknowledgments
Author Contributions
Authors' Conflicts of interest
Data Availability Statement
References
Title - Make sure that the title is specific and concise (contains a maximum of 20 words). Titles should be presented in title case - all words except the first word should be in lower case letters.
Abstract - The abstract should be written in one paragraph and include a concise summary of the manuscript with emphasis on the objectives, methods, important research findings and conclusions. The abstract should be between 200 and 350 words and written in Times New Roman 11 font. No citations, Tables, and figures should be included in the abstract. Abbreviations should be defined at first mention and used consistently thereafter.
Keywords – Between 4 and 6 keywords or phrases should be included and must be separated by commas to distinguish them. Note that the keywords should not be included in the title of the manuscript.
Note: In choosing keywords, it is preferable to use the words that are available in the agricultural thesaurus (https://agrovoc.fao.org/browse/agrovoc/en/).
Text – The manuscript should be prepared using MS Word software version 2007 or higher in DOCX format. The Times New Roman font, size 10 with single line spacing is used to write the text of the manuscript. Authors are requested to use automatic continuous line numbering. The page size is A4 and the margins on both sides, top and bottom of the page is 2.5 cm. About 5 mm indent at the beginning of each paragraph is considered. The number of pages of the manuscript with figures and tables should be between 10 and 18 pages. Paragraphs of less than three sentences should be added to the previous or next paragraph. Footnote numbers should start at number one on each page.
Introduction - State the objectives of the work and provide an adequate background, avoiding a detailed literature survey or a summary of the results. The research background should be concise and clear, stating the goal and results of the research work and written in chronological order from old to new. After summarizing the research background, the objectives of the present research should be mentioned. Given that this publication mainly discusses modeling, be careful when using the English words "Accuracy" and "Precision" because the discussion of model validation and verification is different from model accuracy. Scientific names of plants or other organisms such as Fusarium oxysporum should be typed in Italic throughout the text. The first letter of the genus (such as Fusarium) should be capitalized and the first letter of the species (such as oxysporum) should be lowercase. Special nouns should be capitalized throughout the text in the usual standard way, such as ArcGIS not ARCGIS, or Aquacrop not AquaCrop.
Methods and Materials - the main body part should include a brief description of the study area and main proposed and applied methods. All formula is numbered and referred to within the text. When referring to relations in the text of the manuscript, their numbers should not be included in parentheses. formula should be typed in Word using the formula writing tool and placed inside the Table, and the Table lines should be uncolored. The reference of the formula should also be written, such as: The intensity of the runoff volume concentration is obtained based on equation 1 (Brooks et al., 2012).
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Results and Discussion - All qualitative and quantitative results obtained, including Tables, figures, graphs, relevant scientific explanations, and discussion are presented. The discussion includes analyzing the data obtained from the experiment and study, mentioning the causes and effects. In addition, it is necessary to use the findings of other researchers in analyzing the results and enriching the discussion. However, for a reasoned discussion, it is not enough to mention phrases such as "the agreement or disagreement of the findings with the results of others." For example, the results of the present study are in accordance with the findings of Habibi (1997) that ......., and a comment should be made on the reasons for these similarities and differences.
Conclusions - A conclusion is where you summarize the paper's findings and generalize their importance, discuss ambiguous data, and recommend further research. In addition, the limitations and strengths of the research methods are mentioned.
Acknowledgments - The authors should include acknowledgments. Usually, the acknowledgments section includes the names of people (or universities and organizations) who in some way contributed to the work, but do not fit the criteria to be listed as the authors. This section of your manuscript can also include information about funding sources.
Author Contributions - This section describes the authors' participation in the research. The following method can be used to include this section, which can include parts of the work that are common to all contributors.
First author: Conceptualization, software/statistical analysis, writing the initial version of the article
Second author: Guidance, editing and reviewing the article, controlling the results
Third author: Conceptualization, consulting, reviewing the text of the article, statistical analysis
Authors' Conflicts of interest - The authors declare no conflict of interest regarding the authorship or publication of this manuscript. If there is a conflict of interest, please state it in this section.
Data Availability Statement - This section states how to access the data and codes used, or the maps and results produced in the research. If the data and information are provided in the text of the article, state that "All information and results are provided in the text of the article." If information other than these can be provided, include the following statement: The datasets are available upon a reasonable request to the corresponding author. Otherwise, include the following statement: We have no permission to release data and codes.
Tables –
All tables are to be numbered using Arabic numerals.
Tables should always be cited in text in consecutive numerical order.
For each table, please supply a table caption (title) above it explaining the components of the table.
Please avoid placing Tables and text inside the Text box.
Tables should be drawn without using vertical lines and horizontal lines should be used only to separate titles or units.
References to tables should be made in the text of the manuscript without inserting parentheses (such as Table 1).
decimal numbers should be written to two decimal places everywhere in Tables, except in special cases where more than two decimal places are needed.
When writing large numbers (more than 999) in Tables, be sure to separate the numbers into three-digit numbers with a small comma for ease of reading (such as 234ˏ126ˏ98), except for numbers related to page numbers, serial numbers, binary numbers, and temperature numbers (such as page number 1203, serial number 353637, binary number 11011, and temperature 4089˚ F).
In tables, the units should be based on the International System (SI) and written next to the numbers (such as 2 h, 3 mm/hr, 35 m, 1.5 L, etc.). A space should be left between the numbers and their units unless the unit is an angle (such as 45˚ or 45́ or 45″).
Tables and Figures should not contain the same information.
A blank line must be maintained before and after Tables.
When referring to tables in the text of the manuscript, their numbers should not be included in parentheses.
Maps –
The maps prepared should have high a guide, a linear scale, north direction, and graduated longitude and latitude (Figure 1).
The word "Legend" should not be mentioned at the top of the map guide.
The map coordinate system should be based on degrees, minutes, and seconds, not metric or metric-degree.
Please show the coordinate system on just both sides of the map.
The coordinate system should be written horizontally on the horizontal axis and vertically on the vertical axis.
The map scale numbers should also be selected as positive integers.
If multiple maps are prepared in the manuscript, in order to better compare these maps, reduce the number of pages, and also reduce the size of the manuscript file, it is recommended that all maps be presented within one figure with one guide, one linear scale, and one north direction. Each map should be identified with lowercase letters such as a, b, c, and ... respectively, on the top and left side of the maps (Figure 2).
The maps should be prepared with a resolution of 300 dpi. A resolution lower than this value reduces the clarity; and more than this value increases the size of the map file, which is not recommended at all. Please make sure that the maps are in an acceptable format (TIFF or JPEG).
The map title should be written clearly below each figure.
Please use Times New Roman font with a readable size for the information on the map.
Please use a white background for all maps.
Please use decimal numbers up to two places in the map guide, if necessary.
A blank line must be maintained before and after maps.
Figure 1- Location of the meteorological stations in seven states in Australia (Ghorbani et al., 2018)
Figure 2- General state of watershed (a), connectivity (b), riverbank conditions (c), and hydraulic risk reduction (d)
Figures –
References to figures should be made in the text of the manuscript without inserting parentheses (such as Figure 1).
The figure should be presented in high quality and an acceptable format (TIFF or JPEG).
The titles of figures should be complete and contain the necessary information.
The decimal numbers should be written up to two decimal places, except in special cases where more than two decimal places are needed.
Separate large numbers (more than 999), into three-digit numbers with a small comma for ease of reading (such as 234ˏ126ˏ98), except for numbers related to page numbers, serial numbers, binary numbers, and temperature numbers.
The units should be based on the International System (SI) and written next to the numbers (such as 2 h, 3 mm/hr, 35 m, 1.5 L, etc.). A space should be left between the numbers and their units unless the unit is an angle (such as 45˚ or 45́ or 45″).
Figures and Tables should not contain the same information.
If the figures have multiple parts, only one title should be written for all the parts and each part of the figure should be identified with lowercase letters such as a, b, c, etc. (Figure 2).
It is necessary that both vertical and horizontal axes be drawn as black lines and no dotted lines or other colors such as gray are used.
The inner frame of the graphs should be black (Figure 3).
The figures should have no outer frame and a colored background.
The titles of the horizontal and vertical axes of the figures should be written in Excel and the Text box should not be used to write the axis titles.
If the axis titles have units, the units must be included.
Avoid including the title of the graph (for example, rainfall changes) on the graph.
The title should be written clearly below each figure.
Avoid including unnecessary information on the graphs.
If there is a regression relationship or necessary information related to it, make sure that they do not overlap with the columns, fitting lines, and other parts of the chart.
Please be sure that all information on the figures is legible.
Please use decimal numbers up to two decimal places, if necessary.
A blank line must be maintained before and after figures.
When referring to figures in the text of the manuscript, their numbers should not be included in parentheses.
Figure 3- Absolute ranks of sub-watersheds
Flow charts –
All text and numbers should be legible and written in Times New Roman font, size 10.
Please avoid including unnecessary information and colors.
Please use a white background for all boxes.
Please maintain order in drawing the boxes and presenting their information. (Figure 4).
A blank line must be maintained before and after flow charts.
Figure 4 - Flowchart of …
References- Use APA style for references and citations. Cite references in the text by name and year in parentheses. Some examples:
Any geomorphological event that has an adverse social or economic impact on the human life system can be called a geomorphic hazard (Habibi, 1997). Among the types of slope movements, landslides are among the most common natural hazards that cause the most human and environmental damage (Haukaas, 2003; Rasoulzadeh et al., 2019). Nosratabadi et al. (2011) evaluated the impact of land use change on the hydrological response of a watershed and concluded that the distribution pattern of natural land uses and their location affect the flood hydrograph.
The list of references should only include works that are cited in the text and that have been published for publication. Reference list entries should be alphabetized by the last names of the first author of each work. If available, please always include doi as full doi links in your reference list (e.g. “doi: 10.5751/ES-07778-200320”). Ideally, the names of all authors should be provided, but the usage of “et al” in long author lists (more than 20) will also be accepted. If two or more references have the same authors, these references should be arranged from the oldest to newest according to the year of publication. If the year of publication is the same, the references should be distinguished by placing the letters a, b, c, etc. in front of the year. Citing online documents is not valid. Do not use a textbook as a reference.
Journal article
Cabello, V., Willaarts, B., Aguilar, M., & Del Moral, L. (2015). River basins as socialecological systems: linking levels of societal and ecosystem water metabolism in a semiarid watershed. Ecology and Society, 20(3), 1-20. doi: 10.5751/ES-07778-200320
Jahandari, J., Hejazi, R., Jozi, S.A., & Moradi, A. (2022). Impacts of urban expansion on spatio-temporal patterns of carbon storage ecosystem services in Bandar Abbas Watershed using InVEST software. Water and Soil Management and Modeling, 2(4), 91-106 [In Persian]. doi: 10.22098/mmws.2022.11069.1097
Book
Brooks, K.N., Ffolliott, P.F., & Magner, J.A. (2012). Hydrology and the Management of Watersheds. 4th Edition: Wiley-Blackwell, 522 pages.
Book chapter
Knuiman, M.W., & Laird, N.M. (1990). Parameter estimation in variance component models for binary response data. Pp. 177-189, In: Gianola D and Hammond K (eds), Advances in Statistical Methods for Genetic Improvement of Livestock, Springer- Verlag.
Conference article
Habibi, M. (1997). Calculating sediment discharge using a developed computer package. Proceedings of the 8th International Rainwater Catchment Systems Conference, Tehran, Iran, Pp. 854-864.
Scientific report
WHO, (2011). Guidelines for Drinking Water Quality. 4th Edition World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland.
Dissertation
Haukaas, T. (2003). Finite element reliability and sensitivity methods for performance-based engineering. Ph.D. Thesis, University of California, Berkeley, US.
Patent
Gesser, H.D., Hunter, N.R., & Morton, L.A. (1986). Direct conversion of natural gas to methanol by controlled oxidation. US Patent 4618732.
Author Guidelines for Addressing AI Plagiarism in the Journal of Water and Soil Management and Modelling (JWSMM)
Introduction
The Journal of Water and Soil Management and Modelling (JWSMM) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of research integrity and originality. This guide outlines the journal's policies for the responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools and the prevention of AI-related plagiarism in all manuscript submissions.
AI plagiarism refers to the improper use of AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Copilot, …) that results in:
Text Generation without Attribution: Presenting AI-generated content as original work.
Data Fabrication or Manipulation: Using AI to generate or alter data sets without disclosure.
Uncritical Use of AI Outputs: Copying AI-generated summaries, literature reviews, or results with minimal modification.
AI tools may be used ethically in manuscript preparation for:
Language Enhancement: Improving clarity, grammar, and readability of the manuscript.
Coding Assistance: Supporting code development for hydrological or soil models, with full documentation.
Data Analysis Support: Using AI-assisted tools for statistical analysis, image processing, or remote sensing interpretation with proper disclosure.
Reference Management: Assisting with citation organization but ensuring manual verification of sources.
Prohibited Uses:
Generating entire sections such as literature reviews, methodologies, or results without human intellectual contribution.
Using AI for the generation of fabricated data or referencing non-existent studies.
If AI tools are utilized during manuscript preparation, authors must:
Disclose AI Use: Clearly state in the Methods or Acknowledgments section the tools used and how they contributed.
Example: "ChatGPT was used to refine the language of the manuscript and assist in coding soil erosion models in Python."
No Authorship for AI Tools: AI tools cannot be listed as co-authors.
JWSMM employs advanced plagiarism detection software capable of identifying AI-generated content. Authors are responsible for:
Submitting original content where the intellectual contribution is primarily human-driven.
Properly citing all external sources and ensuring AI outputs are either original or disclosed.
Consequences of Non-Compliance:
Rejection of the manuscript during peer review.
Retraction of published articles.
Notification to authors' institutions in cases of significant misconduct.
Authors working with water and soil models must ensure:
Transparency in Modelling Outputs: AI-assisted models should include comprehensive descriptions of the algorithms and training data.
Data Integrity: AI tools used in data simulation (e.g., synthetic soil profiles or hydrological datasets) must be disclosed in detail.
Human Oversight: Interpretation of results, especially from hydrological models or soil property simulations, must be conducted and verified by the authors.
Use AI Tools as Assistants, Not Creators: AI should support, not replace, scientific authorship.
Cite Human Sources, Not AI Outputs: If ideas were sourced using AI tools, trace back and cite the original references.
Paraphrase and Critically Evaluate: Avoid direct copying from AI-generated summaries.
Disclose Clearly: Err on the side of transparency when using AI for any part of the research process.
Manuscripts submitted to JWSMM will be evaluated for compliance with these guidelines. Editors and reviewers will assess:
Proper disclosure of AI use.
Evidence of original intellectual contribution.
Ethical modeling and data reporting practices.
By submitting to the Journal of Water and Soil Management and Modelling, authors affirm that they have adhered to these guidelines and take full responsibility for the originality and integrity of their work.
OpenAI. (2025). Author guidelines for addressing AI plagiarism in the Journal of Water and Soil Management and Modelling. Retrieved from https://openai.com/
Microsoft. (2025) Copilot. Retrieved from https://www.microsoft.com
