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JOURNAL DESCRIPTION
Transdisciplinary Journal of Ecology and Humanities is an international, peer-reviewed, open access academic journal dedicated to advancing interdisciplinary scholarship at the intersection of ecological sciences and the humanities. The journal provides a forum for critical inquiry into the complex relationships between human societies and ecological systems, bringing together perspectives from ecology, environmental science, philosophy, anthropology, cultural studies, history, arts, ethics, and related fields.
SUBMIT TO SHMIRAH
Transdisciplinary Journal of Ecology and Humanities welcomes original scholarly submissions that engage critically with ecological questions through humanistic, transdisciplinary, or integrative approaches. The journal publishes research articles, theoretical and philosophical essays, case studies, field reports, and critical reviews that contribute to advancing understanding at the intersection of ecology and the humanities.
All manuscripts should be submitted by email to the editorial office at [editor@journalshmirah.org]. Submissions are handled through a manual editorial process to ensure careful review, clear communication, and adherence to the journal’s scholarly and ethical standards.
To support a double-blind peer review process, authors are required to submit two separate files:
(1) an anonymized manuscript, containing no identifying information, and
(2) a separate title page, listing author name(s), institutional affiliation(s), contact details, and other information listed in here.
Upon receipt, submissions undergo an initial editorial screening for relevance, completeness, and compliance with journal policies. Manuscripts that pass this screening are then evaluated through double-blind peer review by at least two independent reviewers. Editorial decisions are communicated to authors by email, along with anonymized reviewer feedback.
Authors are encouraged to consult the Submission Preparation Checklist and Focus and Scope prior to submission to ensure a smooth review process. Questions regarding submissions may be directed to the editorial office at the same email address.
Editorial Office
Dr. Danqiong Zhu
Email: editor@journalshmirah.org
Phone: US(1)940-220-9915
TYPES OF SUBMISSION
Transdisciplinary Journal of Ecology and Humanities welcomes a range of scholarly contributions that advance tannsdisciplinary and interdisciplinary understanding of ecological issues through humanistic, cultural, ethical, historical, and scientific perspectives. All submissions are subject to editorial screening and peer review in accordance with the journal’s policies.
The review process varies by submission type. When submitting manuscripts, the following maximum word counts must be adhered to. The word count excludes the Title Page, Abstract, References, Tables, and Figure Legends. The word, table, figure, and reference counts for an article are provided to keep manuscripts at a length that will maintain the interest of our reviewers and readership.
Manuscript type | Description | Word Count | Review Type |
Research Articles | Research Articles present original scholarly research and make a substantial contribution to interdisciplinary knowledge at the intersection of ecology and the humanities. Submissions may employ empirical, theoretical, interpretive, or mixed methodologies and should demonstrate conceptual rigor and scholarly engagement. |
| Double-blind peer review |
Theoretical and Philosophical Essays | These essays develop or critically examine conceptual, ethical, or philosophical frameworks relevant to ecological thought, environmental humanities, and human–environment relations. Submissions should demonstrate originality, coherence, and critical depth. |
| Double-blind peer review |
Case Studies | Case Studies offer in-depth analyses of specific ecological, cultural, or socio-environmental contexts. Contributions may focus on particular communities, landscapes, conservation initiatives, or policy frameworks and should situate the case within broader analytical or comparative perspectives. |
| Double-blind peer review |
Field Reports | Field Reports document observations, practices, or experiences emerging from ecological research, conservation work, community engagement, or field-based inquiry. Submissions should provide contextual analysis and reflective insight, situating field experiences within relevant ecological or humanistic frameworks. |
| Editorial Review |
Place-Based Initiatives | This category features analyses or reflective accounts of place-based ecological, cultural, or community initiatives, including conservation projects, participatory research, restoration efforts, or local knowledge practices. Submissions should demonstrate relevance beyond the immediate site through conceptual reflection or comparative insight. | 2000-5000 | Editorial Review |
Interspecies Communications | Interspecies Communications explore forms of interaction, representation, or relational engagement between humans and other-than-human species. Submissions may include ethnographic, philosophical, narrative, or experimental approaches and should be accompanied by critical reflection situating the work within scholarly discourse. | 2000-5000 | Editorial Review |
Experimental Arts and Creative Practices | This section welcomes experimental, artistic, and creative works that engage ecological themes, including essays, sound-based work, performative documentation, or hybrid text–media contributions. Submissions must include an artist’s or author’s statement articulating the conceptual and socio-ecological significance of the work. | 1000-5000 | Editorial Review |
Book Reviews | Book Reviews should not have tables or figures, and no more than 5 references, and provide critical engagement with recent publications relevant to ecology and the humanities. Submissions should move beyond summary to offer analytical insight and contextual relevance. | 1000-2000 | Editorial Review |
Editorials and Special Contributions | Editorials, invited commentaries, and special contributions are published at the discretion of the editorial team and may address emerging themes, methodological reflections, or directions in interdisciplinary ecological scholarship. | By invitation | Editorial Review |
FOR EARLY CAREER SCHOLARS
Transdisciplinary Journal of Ecology and Humanities encourages submissions from graduate students, research fellows, and other types of early career scholars and practitioners. These submissions undergo the same peer-review process as all other submissions.
MANUSCRIPT PREPARATION
Transdisciplinary Journal of Ecology and Humanities requires that all manuscripts be prepared in accordance with the following guidelines to ensure transparency, ethical integrity, accessibility, and consistency with international open-access publishing standards, including those of the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) and Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).
The journal follows general guidelines and recommendations for the conduct, reporting, editing, and publication of scholarly works in transdisciplinary and interdisciplinary journals, which can be found via, for example, Preparing to write for an interdisciplinary journal (ELSEVIER), How to successfully publish interdisciplinary research: learning from an Ecology and Society Special
Feature (Pohl et al), etc.
General Format
Write the body of the manuscript as concisely as possible, adhering to the word limits specified for the above given manuscript category.
For section and subsection headings, please use the heading styles built into your word processing template. Headings are numbered, to a maximum of three levels:
1. LEVEL ONE HEADING
2.1 Level Two Heading
2.1.1 Level Three Heading
References and Citations
The journal follows the Chicago Manual of Style, 17th edition, Author–Date system. Authors are responsible for ensuring that all citations and references conform to this style and are complete, accurate, and consistent.
All sources cited in the text must appear in the reference list, and all entries in the reference list must be cited in the text.
In-Text Citations
In-text citations should include the author’s surname, year of publication, and page number(s) where applicable, enclosed in parentheses.
Examples:
- Single author: (Taylor 1986, 45)
- Two authors: (Berkes and Folke 1998, 112–14)
- Three or more authors: (Latour et al. 2018)
- Multiple works: (Rolston 1988; Plumwood 2002)
- Institutional author: (United Nations 2019)
When the author’s name appears in the sentence, only the year (and page number, if relevant) should be placed in parentheses.
References
A complete References section must appear at the end of the manuscript.
References should be:
- Listed alphabetically by author’s surname
- Single-spaced
- Formatted with a hanging indent
- Written in sentence case for titles (except journal titles)
- Inclusive of DOIs or stable URLs where available
Journal titles should be written in full and not abbreviated.
Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs) and URLs
- DOIs must be included for all sources where available.
- URLs should be provided for online materials that do not have a DOI.
- Access dates should be included for web-based materials, reports, and non-archival sources.
Examples of Common Reference Types
Journal Article
Taylor, Paul W. 1986. “The Ethics of Respect for Nature.” Environmental Ethics 8 (3): 197–218. https://doi.org/xx.xxxx/xxxxx
Book
Rolston, Holmes III. 1988. Environmental Ethics: Duties to and Values in the Natural World. Philadelphia: Temple University Press.
Edited Book Chapter
Berkes, Fikret. 2012. “Sacred Ecology.” In Traditional Ecological Knowledge, edited by Julian T. Inglis, 87–98. New York: Routledge.
Report
United Nations. 2019. Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services. New York: United Nations. https://xxxxx (accessed March 10, 2025).
Online Resource
Plumwood, Val. 2002. “Decolonizing Relationships with Nature.” https://xxxxx (accessed January 15, 2025).
Non-Traditional and Place-Based Sources
The journal recognizes diverse knowledge systems and accepts citations to:
- Field reports and community-based research
- Oral histories and interviews
- Indigenous and local knowledge sources
- Artistic, experimental, and multimedia works
Such sources should be cited as clearly and transparently as possible, identifying the creator(s), title or description, location or community where relevant, date, and access information.
Example (Interview):
Kimmerer, Robin Wall. 2017. Interview by author. Syracuse, NY, May 12.
Example (Field Report):
Zhang, Joy. 2023. Wetland Restoration Practices in the Lower Yangtze Basin. Unpublished field report.
Notes and Bibliography (Limited Use)
While the Author–Date system is the journal standard, submissions employing arts-based, experimental, or Indigenous methodologies may use limited explanatory notes where necessary to provide contextual or ethical clarification. Such use must be consistent and justified by the nature of the work.
Reference Management Software
Authors are encouraged to use reference management software such as Zotero, EndNote, or Mendeley and to ensure that exported references are manually checked for accuracy and style compliance.
Responsibility for Accuracy
Authors bear full responsibility for the accuracy and completeness of citations and references. Manuscripts with incomplete or inconsistent references may be returned for revision prior to peer review.
Author could prepare their manuscript according to this sample.
Tables
Authors are asked to keep each table to a reasonable size. Tables are to be numbered using Arabic numerals in the order in which they are cited in the article text. Tables must be formatted using the table tool in a word processing program to ensure that columns of data remain aligned when the file is sent electronically for review. Tables must not be embedded as figures or spreadsheet files. All tables will be placed close to their text citations during article layout. All tables must be cited in the article text.
Figures
Illustrations, pictures, and graphs should be supplied in the highest quality and in an electronic format that helps us to publish your article in the best way possible. All images MUST be at or above intended display size. The following resolutions are optimal:
- Line drawings, minimum 800 dpi
- Combination (Line Art + Halftone), 600 dpi
- Illustrations and photographs, 300 dpi
Authors should supply electronic versions of the figure files in JPEG format.
Authors are asked to save each figure in a separate file without its title or legend and use simple file-naming conventions (for example, Figure 1, Figure 2A).
When submitting the manuscript, all figures must be embedded within the document and the high-resolution files must also be submitted separately.
Figures are to be numbered using Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3, and so on) in the order in which they are cited in the article text. If a figure has several panels, each panel should be identified using an uppercase alphabetic character (A, B, C, and so on). Each figure should have a title and an explanatory legend that clearly identifies the meaning of any symbols, arrows, numbers, or abbreviations used in the illustration. The legend should permit the figure to be understood without reference to the text.
All figures will be placed close to their text citations during article layout. Make sure that each figure is cited in the article text.
Appendices
Appendices appear at the end of the paper and allows an author to include more detailed information that would otherwise interrupt the flow of the main body of the article (e.g. survey/questionnaire sample, large data sets). Appendices are reviewed, edited, typeset and part of the published version of record. This material must be important to the understanding and interpretation of the article.
LICENSING AND PERMISSIONS
Please note that authors are responsible for obtaining permission from copyright holders before reproducing charts, tables, figures, or excerpted text that have been published elsewhere. Authors are responsible for any fees that may be incurred by securing permission to reproduce or adapt material from other published sources. Permission should be obtained prior to submission, and evidence of permission should be supplied by the author at the time of submission. Any material received without such evidence will be assumed to originate from the authors.
EDITORIAL POLICIES FOR AUTHORS
Authorship
Authorship must be limited to individuals who have made substantial scholarly contributions to the work, including the conception or design of the study; acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data or materials; and/or drafting the manuscript or critically revising it for important intellectual content. All authors must have approved the final version of the manuscript and must agree to be accountable for the accuracy and integrity of the work. Contributors who do not meet authorship criteria must be acknowledged but not listed as authors. The journal supports transparent attribution of contributions in accordance with best-practice publishing standards and encourages authors to clearly describe individual or collective contributions where appropriate. Any addition, removal, or reordering of authors after submission requires the written consent of all listed authors and the corresponding author, together with a justification acceptable to the editors. In cases of authorship disputes, the journal will follow COPE guidelines and flowcharts and may suspend editorial consideration until the matter is resolved by the authors’ institutions or other appropriate authorities.
Corresponding Author
One author must be designated as the corresponding author at the time of submission. The corresponding author is responsible for managing communication with the journal throughout the submission, peer review, and publication process, and for ensuring that all listed authors meet the journal’s authorship criteria. The corresponding author must confirm that all authors have reviewed and approved the submitted manuscript, agree with the order of authorship, and consent to publication. The corresponding author acts on behalf of all co-authors in communications with the journal and is responsible for relaying editorial decisions, reviewer comments, and requests for revision in a timely and transparent manner.
Author Order
The order of authorship should reflect the relative scholarly contributions of each author, as determined collectively by the authors prior to submission. The journal does not prescribe a particular convention for author order and recognizes that disciplinary norms may vary, including equal, alphabetical, or collective authorship practices. Authors are encouraged to clearly explain author order or shared contributions where appropriate. Any disputes regarding author order, or any proposed changes to author order after submission, must be resolved by the authors themselves and submitted in writing with the agreement of all authors.
The journal adheres to the principles of transparency, accountability, and ethical authorship as outlined by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ).
Use of Artificial Intelligence-Assisted Technologies
The journal recognizes that authors may use artificial intelligence–assisted technologies (AI tools) to support research and writing processes. Such tools may be used only as aids and must not replace human scholarly judgment, responsibility, or accountability.
AI-assisted technologies must not be listed as authors, as they do not meet authorship criteria and cannot take responsibility for the integrity, originality, or ethical conduct of the work. Authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, interpretation, and integrity of all content in the manuscript, including any material generated or assisted by AI tools.
Authors are required to disclose the use of AI-assisted technologies when such tools have been used in a substantive way (e.g., for text generation, translation, summarization, coding, image generation, or data analysis). Disclosure should specify the tool used and the purpose of its use and should be included in a dedicated statement within the manuscript or submission materials, as required by the journal. Disclosure Statement will be signed by the corresponding author once the manuscript is accepted by the journal.
AI-assisted technologies must not be used to fabricate data, falsify results, manipulate images, generate citations that do not exist, or misrepresent sources. The use of AI tools in ways that violate research integrity, publication ethics, copyright, confidentiality, or privacy standards is strictly prohibited.
Peer reviewers and editors must not upload manuscripts or confidential review materials into AI systems that do not guarantee data protection and confidentiality. Any suspected misuse or undisclosed use of AI-assisted technologies will be handled in accordance with COPE guidelines, and may result in editorial action, including rejection or retraction.
Plagiarism, Self-Plagiarism, and Screening
Transdisciplinary Journal of Ecology and Humanities is committed to upholding the highest standards of academic integrity and publication ethics. All submitted manuscripts must represent original work and must not contain plagiarized material, including unattributed text, ideas, data, images, or other content taken from previously published or unpublished sources.
Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to, direct copying, close paraphrasing, or the appropriation of ideas or materials without proper citation or acknowledgment. Self-plagiarism (also referred to as redundant or duplicate publication) occurs when authors reuse substantial portions of their own previously published work without appropriate citation, transparency, or editorial justification. Submissions must not be under consideration by another journal, nor previously published in substantially similar form.
Authors are responsible for ensuring that any reused material, including text, figures, tables, or datasets, is clearly cited, appropriately quoted or labeled, and compliant with copyright and licensing requirements. Where prior publications are closely related, authors must disclose this relationship at submission and explain how the current manuscript offers a distinct and original contribution.
Allegations or suspicions of plagiarism or self-plagiarism will be handled in accordance with COPE guidelines. Depending on the severity and nature of the overlap, editorial actions may include requests for clarification or revision, rejection of the manuscript, notification of authors’ institutions, or post-publication corrections or retractions.
Acknowledgements
The Acknowledgements section should be used to recognize individuals, communities, institutions, or organizations that contributed to the research or manuscript but do not meet the criteria for authorship. This may include technical assistance, editorial support, administrative help, community participation, access to sites or materials, and informal intellectual contributions. Sources of financial or material support should be clearly identified, including grant numbers where applicable.
Authors must ensure that all individuals or groups named in the Acknowledgements have consented to being acknowledged. Contributions acknowledged in this section do not imply endorsement of the content or conclusions of the manuscript. The Acknowledgements section should not be used to disguise authorship, nor to list individuals who have not made a genuine contribution to the work.
Funding
Authors must disclose all sources of financial or material support received for the research, writing, or publication of the manuscript. Funding information should include the name of the funding body, grant number(s) where applicable, and a brief description of the funder’s role in the study design, data collection, analysis, interpretation, or decision to publish. If the research received no external funding, authors should explicitly state this.
Conflicts of Interest
Authors must disclose any financial, professional, institutional, or personal relationships that could be perceived to influence the research or interpretation of the manuscript. This includes, but is not limited to, employment, consultancies, honoraria, equity interests, paid expert testimony, intellectual property rights, or affiliations that may present a conflict of interest.
If no conflicts of interest exist, authors should include a statement declaring that there are none. All disclosed conflicts will be reviewed by the editors and, where appropriate, published alongside the article in the interest of transparency. Undisclosed or unresolved conflicts may lead to editorial action consistent with COPE guidance.
Research Ethics and Informed Consent
Research involving human participants, communities, animals, or sensitive ecological or cultural contexts must be conducted in accordance with recognized ethical standards and applicable laws and regulations. Where required, authors must indicate that the research received approval from an appropriate ethics review body (e.g., Institutional Review Board or equivalent), including the name of the approving body and reference number.
For research involving human participants, authors must confirm that informed consent was obtained and that participant privacy, confidentiality, and data protection were appropriately safeguarded. For community-based, Indigenous, or place-based research, authors are expected to demonstrate respectful engagement, including culturally appropriate consent processes and acknowledgment of community protocols where applicable.
In cases where formal ethics approval was not required, authors must provide a clear justification. Any ethical concerns identified during editorial assessment will be handled in accordance with COPE guidelines, and manuscripts may be rejected or subject to further review if ethical standards are not adequately addressed.
ARTICLES PROCESSING FEES (APFs)
All articles published are open access and made freely available online immediately upon publication. There are no submission fees, but article processing fees (APFs) apply to all manuscripts accepted for publication except for editorials, Letters to the Editor, and invited Commentaries.
In the Editor Decision email for accepted manuscripts, authors will be requested to pay the APF through the journal’s storefront. The APF must be paid prior to assigning an article to an issue and starting production. If authors encounter technical difficulties with payment or require an alternate payment method, they may contact the secretariat (Email: jshmirah@journalshmirah.org).
If an author is unable to financially support the APF, it is their responsibility to inform the Editor by requesting a fee waiver, after their manuscript has been accepted for publication. The author is to submit this request through email to Dr. , Editor-in-Chief, at . In your request, please include the title of manuscript, corresponding author name, and reason for the request. The Editor will contact the requesting author by email to approve or deny the request. Given the number of high-quality submissions and the associated production costs, we are only able to grant a limited number of author fee waivers with priority given to PhD students and early career scholars.
COPYRIGHT ASSIGNMENT
Authors retain the copyright to their work published in the journal. Upon acceptance for publication, authors grant the journal a non-exclusive, perpetual, worldwide license to publish, reproduce, distribute, display, and archive the work in all formats and media, including for indexing, preservation, and dissemination purposes.
All articles are published under the Creative Commons Attribution–NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) license. This license permits others to copy, distribute, display, perform, and adapt the work for non-commercial purposes only, provided that appropriate credit is given to the author(s) and the journal, a link to the license is provided, and any changes are clearly indicated.
Authors are responsible for ensuring that they have obtained all necessary permissions for the use of third-party copyrighted material included in their work and that such material is clearly credited and compatible with the CC BY-NC 4.0 license or otherwise legally permitted.
By submitting a manuscript, authors confirm that the work is original, has not been previously published in substantially similar form, and does not infringe upon the copyright, moral rights, or intellectual property rights of others. Authors also confirm compliance with the journal’s policies on authorship, plagiarism, research ethics, conflicts of interest, and the use of artificial intelligence–assisted technologies.
The journal will identify itself as the original publisher of the Version of Record and may distribute the article through open-access platforms, indexing services, and digital preservation systems. Any reuse or redistribution of the work must include proper attribution to the author(s) and the journal in accordance with the CC BY-NC 4.0 license terms.
SELF-ARCHIVING POLICY
The journal supports the self-archiving (green open access) of scholarly work in order to promote broad dissemination, accessibility, and long-term preservation of research.
Authors are permitted to deposit the following versions of their manuscripts in institutional repositories, subject repositories, personal websites, or non-commercial scholarly sharing platforms:
- Preprint (the version prior to peer review)
- Accepted Manuscript (the peer-reviewed, author-accepted version prior to copyediting and typesetting)
- Version of Record (the final published version)
Self-archived versions may be made publicly available without embargo, provided that proper attribution to the journal is maintained.
All self-archived versions must:
- Clearly identify the article title, author(s), and journal name
- Include a citation to the published Version of Record, including DOI or persistent identifier where available
- State the publication status and version (e.g., “preprint,” “accepted manuscript,” or “published version”)
Authors must ensure that self-archiving complies with the journal’s copyright and licensing terms, including the applicable Creative Commons license. The content of self-archived versions must not be altered in a manner that misrepresents the peer-reviewed and published work.
The journal encourages authors to use self-archiving as part of responsible scholarly communication and discovery. Any disputes or questions related to self-archiving will be handled in accordance with COPE guidelines and applicable open-access standards.
