Get your Conservation Science and Practice paper right the first time: a ready-made structure with the right abstract and citations, so editors see your science, not formatting slips.
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Authored by Sumalatha Gangadhar | Published on 7 August, 2026
Submitting to Conservation Science and Practice goes smoothly when your draft already matches the journal's own rules. Editors screen new manuscripts against the Conservation Science and Practice guide for authors before peer review, so formatting, structure, and required statements should be right on the first draft rather than repaired during upload. This template sets that structure up for you.
It is a manuscript shell aligned to Conservation Science and Practice. It covers front matter, the abstract the journal expects, a body organized to the journal's article types, and a reference list in the journal's required style. Confirm current scope and article types on the Conservation Science and Practice journal page before you draft.
Prepare the title, authors, affiliations, and ORCID iDs. Write the abstract to the journal's rule and word limit, organize the body to the article type, and apply the required reference style from the first citation. Complete every declaration (ethics, competing interests, funding, data availability) the Conservation Science and Practice guide for authors lists, and cite figures and tables in order.
The common failure modes are formatting or reference style that does not match the guide for authors, missing required statements, and an incomplete portal checklist. Clear all three against the Conservation Science and Practice guide for authors before you submit.
The shell mirrors what editorial staff check first: article-type fit, the abstract rules, required declarations, and the journal's reference style. For more detail see the author resources. When your draft is ready, upload it through ScholarOne (Manuscript Central).
| Element | Conservation Sci Pract requirement |
|---|---|
| Abstract | Reviews and Contributed Papers: unstructured, not exceeding 200 words. Perspectives and Research Notes: unstructured, should not exceed 150 words. Short format manuscripts (Letters, Correspondence, Innovations in Practice, Scientific Impact, In Memoriam): no abstracts required. Subheadings in abstracts are optional; no mandatory headings specified in the guidelines |
| Main text | Word counts include text from Abstract to Acknowledgments, excluding title page, References, table captions and figure legends, and Supporting Information. Review: 5000-8000 words; Contributed Paper: 3000-7000 words; Perspective: 3000-5000 words; Research Note: 3000 words; Comment, Letter, Innovations in Practice, Scientific Impact Paper, In Memoriam: 1000 words each. Contributed papers should include no more than 6 figures and/or tables in the main text |
| Declarations | Ethics approval/consent as applicable; competing interests; funding; data availability |
| Figures/tables | Publication-ready; cited in order |
| Supplemental | Upload separately when used |
| Keywords | Up to 10 keywords, listed alphabetically for indexing purposes. Required for manuscripts with abstracts. It is essential that keywords be chosen carefully to assist in the choice of appropriate editors and referees |
| References | Any style or format is acceptable at initial submission, as long as it is consistent throughout the manuscript. However, numbered references are discouraged as many reviewers find this format more time-consuming. No specific style (e.g., Vancouver, APA) is required at revision stage |
| Peer review | Double-blind / double-anonymous peer review. The guidelines explicitly state: 'CSP uses a double-anonymous peer review system, in which neither authors nor reviewers know each other's identities.' Authors and reviewers should strive to keep their identity concealed |
| Submission | mc.manuscriptcentral.com/csp2 |
Read the Conservation Science and Practice guide for authors once before drafting and once before upload. Draft the abstract after results are stable. Set the reference style before adding citations. Keep a cover letter that states your contribution and fit to Conservation Science and Practice in under a page.
Skim two or three recent Conservation Sci Pract papers to calibrate depth and figure style. Make the novelty clear in the first two pages. Deposit data and code when the policy on the Conservation Science and Practice journal page requires it. Disclose any preprint or conference version with identifiers in the cover letter.
Do one focused pass against the Conservation Science and Practice guide for authors: scope, length, reference style, required declarations, and figure quality. Then submit through ScholarOne (Manuscript Central).