Author Guidelines

“Geography and Natural Resources” is an open-access, peer-reviewed academic journal that publishes high-quality scientific articles in the fields of geography, natural resources, environmental sciences, soil science, agricultural sciences, geospatial analytics, socio-economic geography, and related multidisciplinary areas. All manuscripts submitted to the journal are evaluated in terms of scientific novelty, methodological rigor, academic language, structural integrity, ethical compliance, and conformity with technical requirements. Authors are kindly requested to familiarize themselves fully with the guidelines below and prepare their manuscripts accordingly before submission.

1. General Principles

Manuscripts submitted to the journal must present the results of original scientific research, must not have been published elsewhere previously, and must not simultaneously be under review by another journal or publication. All ideas, results, tables, graphs, maps, images, statistical indicators, references, and authorial positions presented in the manuscript must be prepared within the framework of full academic responsibility.

The journal gives preference to manuscripts submitted in English. However, manuscripts prepared in Azerbaijani may also be considered, provided that they demonstrate a high scientific standard, clear academic style, and strong methodological grounding. In both cases, the language of the manuscript must be academically edited, terminologically consistent, and grammatically correct.

The following criteria are taken as the main basis for manuscript evaluation:

the relevance and scientific significance of the topic;
the novelty and originality of the research;
methodological soundness and the correctness of the scientific approach;
the depth of analysis and justification of the results;
the completeness and clarity of the manuscript structure;
compliance with the APA 7 citation style;
adherence to ethical standards.

2. File Preparation and Technical Requirements

The manuscript must be prepared only in Microsoft Word 2016 or a newer version. Files prepared in older, outdated, or potentially incompatible formats may be returned during the technical screening stage.

The manuscript must be formatted according to the following technical parameters:

file format: .doc or .docx;
page size: A4 (21 x 29.7 cm);
page margins: 2 cm on the left, 2 cm on the right, 2 cm at the top, and 2 cm at the bottom;
main text font: Times New Roman;
main text font size: 12 pt;
line spacing: 1.5;
first-line indentation of paragraphs: 1 cm;
text alignment: justified;
pages must be numbered;
unnecessary spaces, manually inserted spacing adjustments, and non-standard formatting should not be used in the text.

Headings should not be presented in excessively large sizes. In order to maintain visual consistency with the journal and website style, section headings within the manuscript should also remain simple and academic. It is recommended that main section headings be formatted in 12 pt or 12 pt bold, while subsections should be presented in the same font family but in a more compact manner.

3. Length of the Manuscript

The manuscript submitted to the journal must be no fewer than 5000 words. Articles below 5000 words may be considered insufficient in terms of scientific depth and analytical maturity and may therefore not be accepted for review by the editorial office.

The word count generally includes the main text, introduction, methodology, results, discussion, and conclusion sections. Although the abstract, keywords, and reference list are not usually counted separately, authors should maintain a balanced overall structure of the manuscript. Excessive expansion of the text, repetition, unnecessary prolongation of factual information, and text passages lacking analytical value are not recommended.

4. Language Policy

In order to ensure international visibility and integration into the global academic circulation, the journal gives preference to manuscripts submitted in English. Nevertheless, manuscripts written in Azerbaijani that meet a high scientific standard may also be accepted.

Manuscripts submitted in English must demonstrate academic language, terminological consistency, and grammatical accuracy.
Manuscripts submitted in Azerbaijani must likewise maintain academic style and terminological precision.
In both cases, authors are required to complete language editing before submission.
Manuscripts that are unclear, written in colloquial style, overloaded with repetition, or otherwise inconsistent with academic standards may be returned at the technical screening or initial editorial review stage.

5. Authorship and Author Responsibility

Each person listed as an author in the manuscript must have made a genuine scientific contribution to the preparation of the research. Formal authorship, symbolic addition of names, or listing individuals who have made no real contribution to the study is unacceptable.

If the manuscript has two or more authors, one of them must be identified as the corresponding author. The corresponding author is responsible for the following:

ensuring that the final version of the manuscript is approved by all co-authors;
obtaining the joint consent of all authors for submission to the journal;
conducting official correspondence with the editorial office;
coordinating revisions and responses to reviewer comments.

After the manuscript has been submitted, any change in the order of authors, addition of an author, or removal of an author is possible only on the basis of a justified formal request and with the approval of the editorial office.

Self-citation policy: Each author may cite only a maximum of 2 of their own works. This requirement is intended to maintain the balance of references, prevent artificial citation inflation, and ensure the objectivity of the reference base. Self-citation should be used only where it is directly relevant to the topic, necessary, and scientifically justified.

6. Ethical Requirements

By submitting a manuscript, authors confirm that they comply with the following principles:

the submitted work is original;
there is no plagiarism, falsification, fabrication of data, or manipulation;
all sources used have been properly cited;
the manuscript has not been published in another journal and has not been submitted simultaneously to another publication;
all authors agree to the submission of the manuscript;
any financial support, project framework, or possible conflicts of interest have been clearly disclosed.

The journal screens all submitted manuscripts for plagiarism. In cases where significant plagiarism, improper paraphrasing, use of sources without citation, data manipulation, or other ethical violations are detected, the manuscript will be rejected. If necessary, authors may be asked to provide additional clarification or original data.

The manuscript must be written in an inclusive, respectful, and non-discriminatory academic language. Expressions that imply superiority or discrimination based on race, gender, ethnicity, social status, religion, or other personal characteristics are not acceptable.

7. Structure of the Manuscript

The manuscript must be presented in a clear, logical, and well-structured scientific format. The recommended structure is as follows:

Title of the article
Name(s) and surname(s) of the author(s)
Affiliation(s), including institution, city, and country
Email address of the corresponding author
ORCID identifier(s) of the author(s)
Abstract
Keywords
Introduction
Literature review (if presented as a separate section)
Materials and Methods
Results
Discussion
Conclusion
Acknowledgements and funding information (if applicable)
Conflict of interest statement (if applicable)
References

Sections may be numbered (e.g., 1., 1.1., 1.2., 2., etc.), which is especially useful for large analytical manuscripts to ensure clarity and systematic presentation.

8. Title, Author Information, and Institutional Affiliation

The title of the article should be concise, precise, informative, and reflective of the content of the research. It should not be overly general, emotional, or non-scientific in nature.

Author information should be presented in the following order:

name and surname;
academic degree or position (optional);
institution and department;
city and country;
email address of the corresponding author;
ORCID identifier(s).

If multiple authors represent different institutions, affiliations may be indicated using numerical superscripts.

9. Abstract and Keywords

The abstract must be between 150–250 words. It should briefly but clearly present the purpose of the study, research problem, methodology, main results, and key conclusions.

The following should not be included in the abstract:

references;
table or figure numbers;
formulas;
overly general or non-informative statements.

The abstract should be informative and capable of providing a clear understanding of the main scientific direction of the article when read independently.

Keywords should consist of 5–7 terms. They must be carefully selected to ensure proper indexing and visibility in search systems. Avoid overly general terms or repetition of words already used in the title.

10. Introduction, Methodology, Results, and Discussion

The Introduction should briefly present the relevance of the topic, research problem, objectives, and the scientific context. It should not be excessively long but must clearly explain the importance of the study.

The Literature Review may be presented either as a separate section or integrated within the introduction. It should analyze previous approaches, theoretical frameworks, and existing research gaps. Merely listing sources is not sufficient; authors must present a comparative and analytical evaluation of the literature.

Materials and Methods should clearly describe the data sources, selection criteria, methodological approaches, statistical or analytical techniques, mapping procedures, or fieldwork methods used in the study. The description should be detailed enough to allow replication by other researchers.

Results should present the main findings in a clear and systematic manner. This section focuses on presenting the results themselves.

Discussion should interpret the results, explain their scientific significance, compare them with previous studies, and outline implications and limitations.

Conclusion should provide a concise and clear summary of the overall scientific findings of the study. It should not repeat the introduction.

11. Figures, Tables, Graphs, Maps, and Other Visual Materials

All visual materials used in the manuscript must be scientifically relevant, technically of high quality, and clearly related to the text. These include images, graphs, diagrams, maps, schemes, tables, and other illustrative materials.

Requirements for visual materials:

each figure, graph, map, and table must be numbered consecutively;
titles of figures, graphs, and maps must be placed below them;
titles of tables must be placed above them;
each visual element must be referenced in the text (e.g., “as shown in Figure 2…”);
all visuals must be clearly legible and of high quality, not blurred or low resolution;
dimensions must fit within the page layout and not exceed page margins.

Very important: The source of every figure, graph, table, map, or other material used in the manuscript must be clearly indicated. If prepared by the author, it may be stated as “Source: compiled by the author.” If taken from another source, it must be cited according to APA 7 standards, and necessary permissions should be considered where applicable.

Tables and graphs should not be merely decorative; they must support the analysis and present new information. The use of visual materials that simply repeat the text without analytical contribution is not recommended.

12. Citation and Reference System: APA 7

All in-text citations and the reference list must be prepared according to the APA 7 (American Psychological Association, 7th edition) style. Authors are required to ensure consistency and accuracy in both in-text citations and the reference list.

The main principle of APA 7 is that the author’s surname and year of publication are given in the text, while full bibliographic details are provided in the reference list at the end of the manuscript.

12.1. In-text Citations

In-text citations can be presented in two forms:

parenthetical citation;
narrative citation (author’s name is included in the sentence).

For one author:

Parenthetical: (Aliyev, 2021)
Narrative: Aliyev (2021) states that …

For two authors:

Parenthetical: (Aliyev & Hasanov, 2022)
Narrative: Aliyev and Hasanov (2022) show that …

For three or more authors:

Use abbreviated form from the first citation:
Parenthetical: (Aliyev et al., 2023)
Narrative: Aliyev et al. (2023) conclude that …

Multiple works by the same author:

(Aliyev, 2019, 2021)
or in the same year: (Aliyev, 2021a, 2021b)

Multiple sources cited together:

(Aliyev, 2020; Brown, 2019; Smith & Green, 2021)

Page numbers should be included only for direct quotations or specific references:

(Aliyev, 2021, p. 45)
(Aliyev, 2021, pp. 45–47)

Corporate or institutional authors:

(World Bank, 2022)
(United Nations Environment Programme [UNEP], 2021) — first citation
(UNEP, 2021) — subsequent citations

No date sources:

(Ministry of Agriculture, n.d.)

12.2. Rules for In-text Citations

Use a comma between the author’s surname and the year.
Use “&” in parenthetical citations for two authors: (Aliyev & Karimov, 2020).
In narrative form, use appropriate conjunctions: Aliyev and Karimov (2020).
Use “et al.” for three or more authors.
Place a period after “et al.” as it is an abbreviation.
Sources cited together should generally be listed in alphabetical order.

12.3. Direct Quotation and Paraphrasing

Direct quotation involves reproducing the author’s words exactly. In this case, the page number must be provided.

Example: “The impact of regional climate change on water resources is multidimensional” (Aliyev, 2021, p. 45).

Paraphrasing involves expressing the author’s idea in your own words. Citation is still required, although page numbers are optional.

Example: The impact of regional climate change on water resources is complex and multidimensional (Aliyev, 2021).

Excessive use of direct quotations is not recommended. Analytical use and paraphrasing are preferred in scientific writing.

12.4. Reference List

The reference list must be prepared according to APA 7 guidelines. Only sources cited in the text should be included. Every cited source must appear in the reference list, and every listed source must be cited in the text.

Main rules for the reference list:

arranged alphabetically;
sorted by author surname;
multiple works by the same author ordered by year;
same-year publications distinguished as 2022a, 2022b;
DOI should be provided where available;
URLs should be included only when necessary.

12.5. Examples of APA 7 Sources

Journal article (1 author):
Aliyev, R. (2021). Climate variability and water resource pressure in arid regions. Journal of Environmental Geography, 14(2), 45–62. https://doi.org/10.xxxx/xxxx

Journal article (2 authors):
Aliyev, R., & Hasanov, E. (2022). Land-use change and agricultural sustainability in semi-arid landscapes. Geographical Research, 18(1), 77–95. https://doi.org/10.xxxx/xxxx

Journal article (3+ authors):
Aliyev, R., Mammadov, T., Karimov, S., & Brown, J. (2023). Spatial dynamics of soil degradation in mountain-agricultural zones. Environmental Monitoring Studies, 9(3), 101–123. https://doi.org/10.xxxx/xxxx

Book:
Brown, A. (2018). Environmental geography. Springer.

Book chapter:
Karimov, N. (2020). Sustainable irrigation systems in dryland agriculture. In T. Hasanov & M. Aliyeva (Eds.), Advances in agricultural geography (pp. 55–78). Routledge.

Web source:
World Bank. (2022). Climate and development overview. https://www.worldbank.org/

No date source:
Ministry of Agriculture. (n.d.). Soil resources and land use priorities. https://www.example.org/

Conference paper:
Mammadov, F. (2021, June 14–16). Spatial analysis of land degradation in the Kura-Aras lowland [Conference presentation]. International Conference on Regional Geography, Baku, Azerbaijan.

Thesis/Dissertation:
Hasanli, L. (2020). Geographical assessment of mountain ecosystem vulnerability [Doctoral dissertation, Baku State University]. Institutional Repository Name.

12.6. Important APA 7 Notes

Journal titles and volume numbers are italicized.
Issue numbers are placed in parentheses and are not italicized.
Article titles follow sentence case (only the first word and proper nouns capitalized).
DOI should be presented as https://doi.org/…
A period should not be placed at the end of URLs.
All citations must follow a consistent system; numbered or bracket styles should not be used.

13. Funding, Acknowledgements, and Conflict of Interest

If the research has been funded by any grant, project, foundation, or institution, this information must be clearly stated at the end of the manuscript. Similarly, an acknowledgement section may be included to recognize individuals who have provided technical or intellectual support.

In the case of a conflict of interest, the author must explicitly declare it. If no conflict of interest exists, this should also be stated, for example: “The author declares that there is no conflict of interest.”

14. Peer Review and Editorial Process

All manuscripts submitted to the journal undergo an initial technical and editorial screening. At this stage, the manuscript is evaluated for its relevance to the journal’s scope, language quality, structural completeness, and compliance with technical requirements.

Manuscripts that pass the initial screening are sent for double-blind peer review. In this process, both the authors and reviewers remain anonymous to each other.

Each manuscript is typically evaluated by at least two independent reviewers. Based on the reviewers’ reports, one of the following decisions may be made: