F.A.Q

Frequently Asked Questions (F.A.Q.)


1. What is the scope of MAB Journal?

MAB considers all fields of biology and applied biology.

2. Is MAB Journal indexed? Does MAB Journal have an impact factor?

MAB is indexed in Scopus, Myjurnal, Biosis, Zoological Records, EBSCO, CNKI and Elsevier. MAB is listed in Clarivate Master Journal List. The journal does not have an impact factor yet.

3. Is MAB Journal a peer reviewed journal?

Yes. All manuscripts will be evaluated by two reviewers within the field of expertise as appointed by the editor/s.

4. What are the types of articles published in MAB Journal?

There are basically two types of articles: Full research articles and research note. A research note is a short communication that doesn’t contain abstract and section subheadings. The reviewers can also suggest that a manuscript be published as a research note if they feel that the research is not adequate for a full paper. We occasionally publish review articles by invitation and research articles from MSAB Symposium.


Submission

1. How to submit a new manuscript?

The new manuscript should be prepared according to the Instructions for Authors (https://jms.mabjournal.com/index.php/mab/instructions_to_author) in Microsoft Word Documents format (PDF format not accepted) and submit together with cover letter. Authors are advised to use the templates (Manuscript Template and Title Page Template). Our journal admin will reply within seven working days.

2. What is the turnover time?

Our goal is to inform the authors of the decision on their manuscript(s) within two months after submission. However, it depends largely on the quality of the manuscript and the response of authors and reviewers. It will take longer time due to the following reasons: 1) The editor needs to seek a third opinion due to conflicting reviewer reports; 2) The reviewer/s requested a resubmission if the reviewer/s thinks that the manuscript can be further improved; 3) The author/s did not make all of the suggested changes within in the given timeframe.

3. What is the publication fee? What about colour printing charges?

All articles except MSAB Symposium are subjected to a publication fee of RM400.00 (MSAB Members), RM600.00 (Non MSAB Members) or USD300.00 (overseas). Authors will be invoiced after final revised manuscript was received and payment is expected to be made immediately. Regardless of the types of articles, colour printing will be charged separately and the rate will be determined by the printing company. It costs about RM200-400 per page depending on the colours. Therefore, authors are advised not to use colour figures unnecessarily.

4. What are the common mistakes made by authors?

  • References are not written according to the format set by MAB
  • No cover letter for new submission.
  • No suggestion of reviewers
  • Extensive use of commas and semicolons.
  • Very old references. Any reference more than 10 years old is considered old.
  • Missing references. References in text are not found in references list and vice versa.
  • Fuzzy map with no labels, i.e. direction and scale . Authors are not recommended to use sources from Google Map.
  • Vertical lines in tables not removed .
  • No abstract and section headings are allowed in Research Note .
  • No cover letter during submission of revised manuscript to address the changes and provide a detailed response to reviewers’ comments.
  • Most of the changes suggested by reviewers not made.
  • Figures and tables should be in the same file as the manuscript but in separate pages.

 

Others

1. Can I request for a published article?

Yes. All PDF files of articles from Volume 34(2) December 2005 to the current volume are freely available on MABJ archive website. If you have problem downloading the file or the file is damaged, please contact the Journal Admin (msabjournal@gmail.com). Please contact the Chief Editor (wicki@ukm.edu.my) for articles from older volumes.

2. I would like to be a reviewer.

Please send your CV to the Chief Editor (wicki@ukm.edu.my) for consideration.

3. I would like to join MABJ mailing list.

Please contact the Managing Editor (msabjournal@gmail.com).