Submissions

Author Guidelines

Before submitting an article, please read the details on the journal’s focus and scope, publication frequency, privacy statement, history, peer-review process, open-access policy, duties of participants, and publication ethics. See also the latest version of the author guidelines online. All the materials are available at https://ags.zrc-sazu.si.

1 Article structure
Research articles must be prepared using the journal’s template (available at https://ags.zrc-sazu.si) and contain the following elements:
– Title: this should be clear, short, and simple.
– Information about author(s): submit names (without academic titles), affiliations, ORCiDs, and e-mail addresses through the online submission system (available at https://ags.zrc-sazu.si).
– Highlights: authors must provide 3–5 highlights in the form of bullets. This section must not exceed 400 characters, including spaces.
– Abstract: introduce the topic clearly so that readers can relate it to other work by presenting the background, why the topic was selected, how it was studied, and what was discovered. It should contain one or two sentences about each section (introduction, methods, results, discussion, and conclusions). The maximum length is 800 characters including spaces.
– Keywords: include up to seven informative keywords. Start with the research field and end with the place and country.
– Main text: the main text must not exceed 30,000 characters, including spaces (without the title, affiliation, abstract, keywords, highlights, reference list, and tables). Do not use footnotes or endnotes. Divide the article into sections with short, clear titles marked with numbers without final dots: 1 Section title. Use only one level of subsections: 1.1 Subsection title.
Research articles should have the following structure:

• Introduction: present the background of the research problem (trends and new perspectives), state of the art (current international discussion in the field), research gap, motivation, aim, and research questions.
• Methods: describe the study area, equipment, tools, models, programs, data collection, and analysis, define the variables, and justify the methods.
• Results: follow the research questions as presented in the introduction and briefly present the results.
• Discussion: interpret the results, generalize from them, and present related broader principles and relationships between the study and previous research. Critically assess the methods and their limitations, and discuss important implications of the results. Clarify unexpected results or lacking correlations.
• Conclusion: present the main implications of the findings, your interpretations, and unresolved questions, offering a short take-home message.

Review articles (narratives, best-practice examples, systematic approaches, etc.) should have the following structure:

• Introduction: include 1) the background; 2) the problem: trends, new perspectives, gaps, and conflicts; and 3) the motivation/justification.
• Material and methods: provide information, such as data sources (e.g., bibliographic databases), search terms and search strategies, selection criteria (inclusion/exclusion of studies), the number of studies screened and included, and the statistical methods of meta-analysis.
• Literature review: use subheadings to indicate the content of the various subsections. Possible structure: methodological approaches, models or theories, the extent of support for a given thesis, studies that agree with one another versus studies that disagree, chronological order, and geographical location.
• Conclusions: provide the implications of the findings and your interpretations (separate from facts), identify unresolved questions, summarize, and draw conclusions.

– Acknowledgments: use when relevant. In this section, authors can specify the contribution of each author.
– Reference list: see the guidelines below.

2 Article submission

2.1 Open journal system
Author(s) must submit their contributions through the Acta geographica Slovenica Open Journal System (OJS; available at https://ags.zrc.sazu.si) using the Word document template (available at https://ags.zrc.sazu.si).
Enter all necessary information into the OJS. Any later addition, deletion, or rearrangement of names and affiliations of the author(s) in the authorship list should be made and confirmed by all co-authors before the manuscript has been accepted, and is only possible if approved by the journal editor.
To make anonymous peer review possible, the article text and figures should not include names of the author(s).
Do not use contractions or excessive abbreviations. Use plain text, with sparing use of bold and italics (e.g., for non-English words). Do not use auto-formatting, such as section or list numbering and bullets.
If a text is unsatisfactory, the editorial board may return it to the author(s) for proofreading or reject the article. See the section on the peer-review process (available at https//ags.zrc-sazu.si) for details. Author(s) may suggest reviewers when submitting an article.

2.2 Language
Articles are published in English. All articles have English and Slovenian abstracts.
Articles can be submitted in English or Slovenian.
Authors must take care to produce a high-quality English text. In the case of poor language, the article must be proofread/translated. In such a case, the translation or copyediting costs are borne by the author(s) and must be paid before layout editing. If authors are not Slovene native speakers, Slovenian abstracts are prepared by the editorial board.

2.3 Graphic file submission
Graphic files (figures) need to be submitted to the OJS packed in a single zip file not exceeding 50 MB. Multiple zip files can be uploaded if needed. See chapter 6 for details on how to prepare figures.

3 In-text citation
In-text citations should include the last name of the author(s) or the name of the publisher and the year of publication. Arrange citations by year of publication; for example: (Melik 1955; Melik et al. 1963; Gams 1982a; Gams 1982b; United Nations 1987; Royal Australian … 1988; Ford and Williams 2007). For references with more than two authors, cite only the first, followed by et al.: (Melik et al. 1956). Give page numbers only for direct quotations, for example: Perko (2016, p. 25) states: “Hotspots are ...”. For indirect citations, use this format: (Gunn 2002, cited in Matei et al. 2014).
When presenting publicly archived data, such as statistical and spatial data, describe the name of the dataset, the time frame, and the data provider in the main text only (without citation), for example: “The 2000–2020 population data used in the analysis were provided by Eurostat”. If the statistical data were published as a report, cite the document, for example: (European Commission … 2023).

When citing legal sources such as legislative acts, white papers, etc., provide the short formal title and the year, for example: “The European Commission’s White paper on transport published in 2011 sets out ten strategic goals for a competitive and resource-efficient transport system.“

4 References
All references in the reference list must be cited in the text. Arrange references alphabetically and then chronologically if necessary. Identify more than one reference by the same author(s) in the same year with the letters a, b, c, etc., added to the year of publication: (1999a, 1999b). In case there are more than seven authors, list the first seven followed by et al.
Examples of references are given below. The use of “gray literature” is strongly discouraged.
Authors can use the Zotero and Endnote AGS Style templates, which are available in the Article submission section on the https://ags.zrc-sazu.si.

4.1 Articles
Last Name1, A. B., Last Name2, C. D. Year: Title. Journal Name Volume-Issue. https://doi.org/...

• Breg Valjavec, M., Janža, M., Smrekar, A. 2018: Environmental risk resulting from historical land degradation in alluvial plains considered for dam planning. Land Degradation & Development 29-11. https://doi.org/10.1002/ldr.3168
• Kladnik, D., Kruse, A., Komac, B. 2017a: Terraced landscapes: An increasingly prominent cultural landscape type. Acta geographica Slovenica 57-2. https://doi.org/10.3986/AGS.4770
• Kladnik, D., Šmid Hribar, M., Geršič, M. 2017b: Terraced landscapes as protected cultural heritage sites. Acta geographica Slovenica 57-2. https://doi.org/10.3986/AGS.4628
• Ni, J., Jin, J., Wang, Y., Li, B., Wu, Q., Chen, Y., Du, S. et al. 2024: Surface ozone in global cities: A synthesis of basic features, exposure risk, and leading meteorological driving factors. Geography and Sustainability 5-1. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geosus.2023.09.008
• Unangst, M. 2023: (De)Colonial historical geography and historical GIS. Journal of Historical Geography 79. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhg.2022.12.003
• Van de Kerk, G., Manuel, A. R. 2008: A comprehensive index for a sustainable society: The SSI – The Sustainable Society Index. Ecological Economics 66-2,3. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2008.01.029
• Yang, D.-H., Goerge, R., Mullner, R. 2006: Comparing GIS-based methods of measuring spatial accessibility to health services. Journal of Medical Systems 30-1. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10916-006-7400-5

4.2 Books
Last Name1, A. B., Last Name2, C. D. Year: Book title. Book Series Title with Number. Publisher. https://doi.org/…
If the book is edited by editors, add ‘(eds.)’ before the year of publication.

• Achino, K. F., Velušček, A. 2022: The lake-dwelling phenomenon. E-Monographiae Instituti Archaeologici Sloveniae 13. Založba ZRC. https://doi.org/10.3986/9789610506560
• Gams, I. 2004: Kras v Sloveniji v prostoru in času. Založba ZRC.
• Hall, T., Barrett, H. 2018: Urban geography. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315652597
• Knox, P., Marston, S. 2015: Human geography: Places and regions in global context. Pearson. 
• Luc, M., Somorowska, U., Szmańda, J. B. (eds.) 2015: Landscape analysis and planning. Springer Geography. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-13527-4
• Marshall, T. 2016: Prisoners of geography: Ten maps that explain everything about the World. Politics of Place. Scribner.
• Mihelič Pulsipher, L., Pulsipher, A., Johansson, O. 2019: World regional geography: Global patterns, local lives. W. H. Freeman.

4.3 Chapters of books or proceedings
Last Name1, A. B., Last Name2, C. D. Year: Chapter title. In: Book Title. Book Series Title with Number. Publisher. https://doi.org/…

• Griffin, A. L. 2018: Cartography, visual perception and cognitive psychology. In: The Routledge Handbook of Mapping and Cartography. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315736822
• Solem, M., Boehm, R. 2015: A research coordination network for geography education. In: EUGEO Budapest 2015: Congress programme and abstracts. Hungarian Geographical Society.
• Stethem, C. 2013: Avalanches. In: Encyclopedia of Natural Hazards. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-4399-4_7
• Zorn, M., Ferk, M., Lipar, M., Komac, B., Tičar, J., Hrvatin, M. 2020: Landforms of Slovenia. In: The Geography of Slovenia: Small But Diverse. World Regional Geography Book Series. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-14066-3_3

4.4 Reports, theses, dissertations, and other materials with authors
Last Name1, A. B., Last Name2, C. D. Year: Title. Type of document. Publisher. https://doi.org/…

• Davies, G. 2017: The place of data papers: Producing data for geography and the geography of data production. Blog post. Geo: Geography and Environment.
• Easterbrook, D. J. 1976: Geologic map of western Whatcom County, Washington (1-854-B). 1:62,500 map. United States Geological Survey.
• Fležar, U., Hočevar, L., Sindičić, M., Gomerčić, T., Konec, M., Slijepčević, V., Bartol, M. et al. 2022: Surveillance of the reinforcement process of the Dinaric - SE Alpine lynx population in the lynx-monitoring year 2020–2021. Technical report. LIFE Lynx.
• Hawking, S. 1966: Properties of expanding universes. Ph.D. thesis. University of Cambridge. https://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.11283
• Hrvatin, M. 2016: Morfometrične značilnosti površja na različnih kamninah v Sloveniji. Ph.D. thesis. Univerza na Primorskem.
• Šifrer, M. 1997: Površje v Sloveniji. Technical report. Geografski inštitut Antona Melika ZRC SAZU. 

4.5 Sources without authors
Use in-text citations only (see Chapter 3). If sources need to be listed in the references use the following style: Publisher Year: Title. Type of document. https://doi.org/…

• European Commission, Eurostat 2023: Quality report on national and regional accounts. Report. https://doi.org/10.2785/825704
• Geodetska uprava Republike Slovenije 1998: Državna topografska karta Republike Slovenije 1 : 25.000 (Brežice). 1:25,000 map.
• Royal Australian Survey Corps 1988: Australia 1:50 000 topographic survey (Tamborine, Queensland). 1:50,000 map.
• United Nations 1987: Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development: Our Common Future. Report.
• United States Geological Survey, Earth Resources Observation and Science Center 2018: Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) 1 Arc-Second Global. Dataset. https://doi.org/10.5066/F7PR7TFT

5 Tables
Number all tables in the article uniformly and provide their own titles. The number and the title text are separated by a colon, and the title ends with a period. A table title is located above the corresponding table. Examples:

• Table 1: Number of inhabitants of Ljubljana.
• Table 2: Changes in average air temperature in Ljubljana (Velkavrh 2009).

Tables must be indicated in the main text in parentheses, for example: (Table 1), or as a part of the sentence, for example “... as can be seen in Table 1.” Tables should contain no formatting and must be inserted in the article file.

6 Figures
Figures encompass different graphic presentations used in the article: photography, graphs, illustrations, maps, etc.
Number all figures in the article uniformly and provide their own titles. The number and the title text are separated by a colon, and the title ends with a period. A figure title is located below the corresponding figure. Example:

• Figure 1: Location of measurement points along the glacier.

Figures must be indicated in the main text in parentheses, for example: (Figure 1), or as a part of the sentence, for example “... as can be seen in Figure 1.”
Figures should be exactly 134 mm wide (one page) or 64 mm wide (half page, one column), and up to 200 mm high.
Titles should appear in a caption only. Save colors in CMYK. Use Times New Roman font with a minimum size of 6.
Figures must be submitted as separate files. Multiple graphic files should be uploaded in one zip file. Figures should also be inserted in the main text file in order to ease the review process.
Regardless of the graphic/cartographic software used, save or export figures to the following formats:

• jpg or tiff file for regular photos (use a minimum of 300 dpi),
• xlsx file for graphs made with MS Office Excel,
• pdf or similar common files for maps and illustrations with vector drawings and/or text (embed the font if possible). See chapter 6.3 for details.

If the graphic files cannot be uploaded according to the guidelines, consult the editorial board (ags@zrc-sazu.si) in advance.
To make anonymous peer review possible, the authorship of figures can be added by authors at a later (copyediting) stage, after the review has been completed.

6.1 Photos
Photos must be in raster format with a resolution of at least 300 dpi, preferably in jpg or tiff format.
Figures containing a screenshot should be prepared at the highest possible screen resolution. A figure can be made using Print Screen, and the captured screen is pasted to the selected graphic program (e.g., Paint) and saved as a tiff or jpg file. The size of the image or its resolution must not be changed.

6.2 Graphs
Graphs should be made using MS Excel on separate sheets and accompanied by data.

6.3 Maps and illustrations
Maps should be informative and prepared according to the journal size limitations (see general guidelines defined in chapter 6). Use Times New Roman for the legend (size 8) and colophon (size 6). List scale, source, and copyright in the colophon. List the authors of the content and authors of the maps if needed. Write the colophon in English. Use a graphic scale if possible.

Example of the colophon structure:
Content by: Name Surname
Map by: Name Surname
Source: Institution Year
© Year, Copyright holder

Maps should be submitted in an editable form if possible so that minor errors can be corrected even in the final stages of article production. The preferred submission file is pdf. As an exception, maps can be produced in digital raster form with at least 300 dpi resolution, preferably in jpg or tiff format.
Please, pay attention when exporting maps from these software packages:

• if using QGIS, ESRI ArcGIS Pro or similar, maps should be exported as a pdf file,
• if using Gimp, Inkscape, CorelDraw, Adobe Illustrator or similar, two separate files should be prepared: the original software file (e.g. cdr if using CorelDraw) and a pdf file,
• if using ESRI ArcGIS Desktop (ArcMap) with raster layers and vector layers (e.g., a geotiff file for shaded relief and a shp file for roads), three files should be exported and submitted: a pdf or an ai file with all the vector content without transparency (polygons, lines, points, legend, colophon, labels, etc.), a tiff file with a raster background, and a jpg file with all of the content (vector and raster elements) together showing the final version of the map; see an example of the correct file structure for submitting a map created with ESRI ArcGIS Desktop.

Illustrations should be prepared according to the journal size limitations (see general guidelines defined in chapter 8). Use Times New Roman font size 8. The preferred submission file is pdf. As an exception, illustrations can be produced in digital raster form with at least 300 dpi resolution, preferably in jpg or tiff format.

7 Supplementary materials
Authors are encouraged to make the data (input data, results, maps, spatial data, tabular data, etc.) used or generated in the preparation of the article published in Acta geographica Slovenica publicly available in a recognized online repository and to provide the editorial board with a link.
The publication of the data in the repository must indicate that the data are part of the published article. The article must be properly cited when using the data.