Author Guidelines
RBCIAMB (Brazilian Journal of Environmental Sciences) is a Diamond Open Access journal — no article processing charges (APCs) for authors. Indexed in Web of Science and Scopus. First editorial decision within 19 days on average. Manuscripts accepted in English or Portuguese; the final version of accepted articles must be provided in English.
→ Submit your manuscript
Manuscript Preparation
Before submission, authors must carefully prepare the manuscript following the guidelines below.
Language
Manuscripts may be submitted in English or Portuguese. For accepted articles, authors must provide the final version in English. Texts written in Portuguese must also include the title, abstract, and keywords in English. Texts written in English must also include the title, abstract, and keywords in Portuguese.
Scope Compliance
The manuscript must fit within the scope of RBCIAMB, have an interdisciplinary approach, and demonstrate an interface with other areas or convergence of different knowledge fields.
Scientific Relevance
The manuscript must address one of the themes covered within the scope of RBCIAMB and demonstrate scientific rigor in its construction (research gap, method, literature review, and coherence between results and conclusions).
Guiding Topics for Text Preparation
Title
The title must be concise, representative of the article's content, and able to attract the reader's attention.
Abstract
The abstract must summarize the context, the problem addressed, the objective, the methodology, the results, and the conclusions.
Keywords
Keywords must be relevant and must not repeat terms already used in the title.
Introduction
The introduction must adequately contextualize, problematize, and justify the research objectives.
Literature Review
The literature review must present the national and international state of the art on the topic and define the main concepts that guide the research.
Methodological Procedures
The conceptual model must be presented consistently, including methodological advances and innovations. The procedures for data collection and analysis must be described in sufficient detail to allow replication in other studies.
Results and Discussion
Results must be presented in detail and consistent with the methodological procedures. The discussion must address the supporting literature and compare findings with other studies presented in the state of the art.
Graphic Elements (Figures, Charts, Tables, Images, Photos)
Graphic elements must be clear, communicative, illustrative, and presented with good resolution.
Conclusions
Conclusions must be clearly established and supported by the study data, representing an advancement in knowledge within the addressed topic.
References
At least 50% of references must be from articles published in international scientific journals. At least 50% of references must be from articles published in the last five years.
Structure and Formatting
The abstract must be no more than 250 words.
Formatting: Page size: A4; Orientation: portrait; Layout: single column; Margins: 3 cm (left and top) and 2 cm (right and bottom); Font: Times New Roman; Font size: 12; Line spacing: 1.5; Pages must be numbered. Maximum length: 7,000 words including tables and references. The submission file must be editable (.doc or .docx).
Tables must be editable text (not images).
Figures must have a minimum resolution of 300 DPI and a width of at least 2,500 pixels. Images that do not meet these technical requirements will be rejected by the editorial system. Figures should be inserted into the manuscript immediately after their mention in the text. If the article is approved, the figures must be provided in separate files.
Acknowledgments, if any, should only be included in the final version approved for publication, in order to preserve the double-blind review system.
Reference Formatting
References must appear at the end of the manuscript in alphabetical order according to the surname of the first author. RBCIAMB adopts Chicago style standards with adaptations.
All publications cited in the text must appear in the reference list. The manuscript must be carefully checked so that author names and dates match between the text and the reference list.
Undergraduate final papers are not considered valid scientific references. Avoid preprints. When available, DOI must be included.
In the text, references should include the author's name (without initials) and the year of publication. For references with more than two authors in the text, use the first author followed by "et al." In the reference list, all authors must be listed.
In-text citations
One author: Schultz (2020) or (Schultz, 2020)
Two authors: Schultz and Luz (2020) or (Schultz and Luz, 2020)
Three or more authors: Mello et al. (2020) or (Mello et al., 2020)
Same author, same year: Brazil (2020a, 2020b) or (Brazil, 2020a, 2020b)
With page numbers: Schultz and Luz (2020, p. 201) or (Schultz and Luz, 2020, pp. 201-210)
Sort by year (ascending): (Schultz, 2020; Mello et al., 2022; Brazil, 2025)
List of References — Examples
Article in journal:
Soares, R.; Silva, S.; Souza Filho, F.; Studart, T.; Frota, R., 2020. Groundwater vulnerability to agrochemical contamination. Revista Brasileira de Ciências Ambientais, v. 55 (4), 440-455. https://doi.org/10.5327/10.5327/Z2176-947820200531.
Book:
Gaugh, Jr., H.G., 1992. Statistical Analysis of Regional Field Trials. Elsevier, Amsterdam, 278 p.
Book Chapter:
Cox, G.; Lowe, P.; Winter, M., 1990. The political management of the dairy sector in England and Wales. In: Marsden, T.; Little, J. (Eds.), Political, Social and Economic Perspectives on the International Food System. Avebury, Aldershot, pp. 82-111.
Dissertations and Theses:
Dalberto, G., 2020. Coloniality and Security: discourses and practices of security sector reform in Liberia. Doctoral Thesis, Faculty of Philosophy, Letters and Human Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo. https://doi.org/10.11606/T.8.2020.tde-04112020-212829.
Laws:
Brazil. National Council for the Environment – CONAMA, 2005. CONAMA Resolution No. 357, of March 17, 2005. Official Gazette of the Union, Brasília.
Homepage:
Washington State Department of Ecology, 2020. Washington Geospatial Open Data Portal (Accessed November 15, 2019) at: http://geo.wa.gov/datasets.
Submission
Author Identification
When entering authors into the system, it is mandatory to provide: full name, email, ORCID, and institutional affiliation, including city and country. Do not include author information in the body of the article when submitting the original contribution.
Cover Letter
Each submission must be accompanied by a cover letter to the editor. The letter should explain the subject matter of the article, whether the approach is interdisciplinary, why this article falls within the scope of RBCIAMB, the importance of the research for the state of the art, and what innovations it brings. State that the manuscript is original and is not being published or evaluated by another journal.
Title Page
The Title Page file must include:
- Article title
- Author names with email, ORCID, and institution
- Corresponding author with full address
- Authors' contributions (CRediT taxonomy): Conceptualization, Data curation, Formal analysis, Funding acquisition, Research, Methodology, Project management, Resources, Programs, Supervision, Validation, Visualization, Writing – original draft, Writing – revision and editing
- Declarations:
- a) Conflict of interest
- b) Funding
- c) Ethics (approval from ethics committees)
- d) Use of generative AI (this declaration must also appear in the manuscript, before the References section)
Declaration on the Use of Generative AI
Journal Policy on the Use of AI Tools – COPE-Aligned Version
RBCIAMB follows the principles of publication ethics and transparency recommended by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) regarding the use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in academic publications.
AI tools may only be used as support instruments for language editing, grammar correction, translation, formatting, and readability improvement. Such tools do not meet authorship requirements and therefore cannot be credited as authors or co-authors.
Authors remain fully responsible for the originality, accuracy, validity, and integrity of all submitted content. The use of AI does not transfer or reduce the author's responsibility.
Any significant use of AI tools in the preparation of a manuscript must be clearly disclosed. The undisclosed or unethical use of AI for data fabrication, false references, manipulated images, plagiarism, or interference with peer review will be treated as potential misconduct.
The AI disclosure statement must appear in a dedicated section before the References. Example:
AI Use Statement
During the preparation of this manuscript, the author(s) used [NAME OF TOOL/SERVICE] for [PURPOSE]. After using this tool/service, the author(s) reviewed and edited the content as necessary and take full responsibility for the content of the published article.
Submission Fee
At the time of submission, indicate in the comments to the editor whether any of the authors are members of ABES (Brazilian Association of Sanitary and Environmental Engineering — Associação Brasileira de Engenharia Sanitária e Ambiental), specifying their membership number, or pay the submission fee of R$ 250.00 (approximately USD 45) and attach proof of payment to the system. The submission will only be effective once this procedure is completed.
To pay the submission fee, click on "Pay the submission fee here" and make the payment via PayPal.
Note: Payment of the fee does not guarantee acceptance and will not be refunded under any circumstances.
Plagiarism
Articles undergo an initial screening with plagiarism detection software. If the article has already been published in seminars or conferences, the version submitted to RBCIAMB must have significant progress, effectively constituting a new article.
Starting in 2025, RBCIAMB adopted AI detection analysis of the English version of manuscripts. The use of AI is not inherently negative; each case will be analyzed individually. As a general rule, AI can be used as an auxiliary tool, but under no circumstances should it replace the authors' intellectual work. Articles with predominantly AI-generated writing characteristics will be rejected at any stage of the review process.
Technical Notes (TNs)
Exceptionally, manuscripts may be submitted as Technical Notes (TNs), provided they meet the requirements and guidelines of RBCIAMB.
Basic requirements: A Technical Note presents innovative solutions to specific environmental problems, with a focus on practical application and solid technical-scientific grounding. Works limited to the mere application of already established techniques, without any innovative element, will not be accepted.
Specific Focus: Unlike a full article, the TN is more objective and concise, focusing on a well-defined technical aspect and clearly demonstrating the innovative nature of the application.
Structure: Introduction · Materials and methods · Results · Conclusion and recommendations
Length: 2,000 to 3,000 words, including bibliographic references.
Evaluation: Same rigor as regular article peer review, double-blind, following all RBCIAMB standards for formatting, structure, citations, and references.
Publication Ethics
RBCIAMB follows the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Read the full Publication Ethics Statement →
→ Submit your manuscript
Publication Ethics Statement
The Brazilian Journal of Environmental Sciences – RBCIAMB – works together with its Editorial Team (Editors and Editorial Board), authors, and reviewers to ensure the quality and ethical standards of manuscripts from submission to publication.
By submitting a manuscript, authors automatically agree to all items of this ethics and best practices statement for publication in this journal.
This Ethics and Best Practices Statement is based on the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).
1 - Authorship
Authors must identify each contributor’s role in the work according to the CRediT (Contributor Roles Taxonomy) parameters.
All authors must approve the content of the manuscript and agree to its submission.
Authors retain copyright of their work while granting RBCIAMB the right of first publication.
2 - Conflicts of Interest
Editor and Editorial Team
In the event of any conflict of interest related to competition, collaboration, or other relationships or connections with any author, editors or reviewers must disclose it and transfer responsibility for the manuscript to another member of the Editorial Team.
By accepting to review any manuscript, reviewers declare that they have no conflict of interest.
Even under double-blind peer review, the assignment of reviewers considers any academic or institutional relationships inappropriate.
Authors
When submitting a manuscript, authors must declare the absence of any conflict of interest in the manuscript, and this information is published on the article’s first page.
3 - Complaints and Appeals
Editor
The Editor is responsible for investigating any allegation of error or misconduct, whether concerning submitted or published articles. All complaints are investigated regardless of when the article was published.
RBCIAMB adopts COPE procedures and guidance, giving all parties involved a full opportunity to respond and ensuring the right of manifestation to everyone concerned.
If necessary, other appropriate measures may be taken, such as the publication of a retraction or editorial note.
4 - Publication
Editor
The Editor is responsible for decisions regarding articles to be published, based on the guidelines established by the Editorial Board and in compliance with applicable legislation.
Provided that no ethical violations exist, editorial decisions must be technical and based on the relevance of the scientific contribution, considering originality, methodological rigor, and dialogue with the scientific community in the field.
The Editor may share decision-making with other editors and shall seek to meet the needs of readers and authors in order to: ensure the quality of published material; publish corrections, clarifications, retractions, and apologies when necessary; improve the journal; and preserve the integrity and memory of the journal archive.
The journal homepage provides instructions for authors detailing expectations for manuscript submissions. These instructions are regularly updated and explain the stages of the review process.
Authors
Authors declare that the submitted work is original and is not under consideration elsewhere. They also declare that all parts derived from other works and authors have been properly cited according to editorial standards and good publishing practices.
Authors acknowledge that total or partial reproduction of other works (phrases, data, methods, results, conclusions), whether direct or indirect (including paraphrasing), without proper citation constitutes plagiarism and is inconsistent with ethical scientific publishing practices.
Papers previously presented at conferences must contain substantial modifications for journal submission, with at least 50% different content.
5 - Use of Humans or Animals in Research
Manuscripts resulting from research involving human participants or animals must comply with all applicable institutional protocols in their respective jurisdictions.
In Brazil, research involving humans must comply with current legislation under the responsibility of the National Research Ethics Commission (CONEP) and its respective Research Ethics Committees (CEPs).
Research involving animals must comply with the rules of the National Council for the Control of Animal Experimentation (CONCEA) and its respective Ethics Committees on the Use of Animals (CEUAs).
In both cases, authors must inform the registration number and approval opinion number issued by the CEP or CEUA. The editorial team may request submission of the approval document.
Research conducted in other countries must include a declaration confirming full compliance with ethical principles and applicable legislation, including the relevant approval protocols.
6 - Funding
All sources of financial support for the project must be disclosed and will be published on the first page of the article.
7 - Confidentiality
Information regarding submitted manuscripts will only be disclosed to authors, reviewers (without author identification), and the editorial team, as appropriate.
Disclosure of unpublished materials contained in a submitted manuscript may only occur with the author’s prior written authorization.
Privileged information or ideas obtained through peer review must remain confidential and may not be used for personal gain or shared with third parties.
Names and email addresses entered on this journal site will be used exclusively for the stated purposes of this journal and will not be made available for any other purpose or to any other party.
8 - Transparency
The editorial team of the Brazilian Journal of Environmental Sciences (RBCIAMB) considers transparency in the evaluation process and journal-related information a core value.
Authors may track the status of their manuscripts through the OJS system and may contact the editorial office at any time.
Since 2021, RBCIAMB has published on its website information regarding the number of authors and institutions, article evaluation times at different stages, and citation report badges.
Privacy Statement
Names and addresses provided to this journal will be used exclusively for the services of this publication and will not be made available for any other purpose or to third parties.
