Notice to referees

Editorial practices

To allow objective and standardised revision of manuscripts Abc Taxa has developed an ‘instruction for referees' document that can here Worddoc be downloaded. Each referee is asked to conscientiously fill in all the sections on the instructions for referees form. At the same time we encourage peers to annotate the manuscript under review with more detailed comments. The latter is preferentially done electronically. Comments on the manuscript may also be added on the hard copy of the manuscript, preferably in red ink.

To avoid unneeded delay in the publication of appropriate manuscripts, we ask the referees to send their peer review back to the responsible series editor within one month, preferentially by email. If the files are too large for email, use freeware such as available here.

The responsible editor will then transfer the referee's criticism to the author(s) who may accept or refute the peers' comments. In the latter case, the author(s) must provide argumentation to the responsible editor who will take the final decision (eventually after discussion with the peer).

Upon acceptance for publication, the full coordinates of the peer referee will be listed on the Abc Taxa website.

Peer referees will be invited to write 15 to 20 lines of text that stress the importance of the volume of Abc Taxa that they refereed. This text, signed by the peer referee will figure on the back cover of the particular volume of Abc Taxa. If the peer referee does not respond to this invitation the responsible editor will either write this explicative text himself or search for another expert.

Peer referees will receive two free copies of the volume they have refereed as soon as the volume is released.

At no time will peers be financially rewarded for their work.

Transferring of large files over the Internet can be done via freeware such as YouSendIt

Past referees

Each volume of the series receives an in depth peer review by a ‘state of the art' colleague. For the volumes that have appeared so far, the peers are:

SAMYN Y., VANDENSPIEGEL D., MASSIN C. (2006). Taxonomie des holothuries des Comores. Abc Taxa, vol 1, i-iii, 130 pp. - Volume refereed by Dr F.W.E. ROWE - pro Australian museum, Sydney, Australia.
DE PRINS, R., ROUR. E. (traduction) (2007). Détérioration des collections de coquilles. Abc Taxa, vol 2, i-iii, 60 pp. - Volume refereed by Dr J.L. VAN GOETHEM- Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Brussels, Belgium.
DE MORAES, P.L.R. (2007). Taxonomy of Cryptocarya species of Brazil. Abc Taxa, vol 3, i-v, 191 pp. - Volume refereed by Dr H. VAN DER WERFF - Missouri Botanical Garden, USA.
DIAZ, L.M., CADIZ, A. (2008). Guia taxonomica de los anfibios de Cuba. Abc Taxa, vol 4, i-vi, 294 pp. (with audio CD) - Volume refereed by Prof Dr A. AMEZQUITA - University of Los Andes, Bogota, Colombia.
KOK, P.J.R., KALAMANDEEN, M. (2008). Introduction to the taxonomy of the amphibians of Kaieteur National Park, Guyana. Abc Taxa, vol 5, i-ix, 278 pp. - Volume refereed by Dr R. HEYER - National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institute, USA.
COPPEJANS, E., LELIAERT, F., DARGENT, O., GUNASEKARA, R., DE CLERCK, O. (2009). Sri Lankan Seaweeds - Methodologies and field guide to the dominant species. Abc Taxa, vol 6, i-viii, 265 pp. - Volume refereed by Dr W.F PRUD'HOMME VAN REINE - Nationaal Herbarium Nederland, Leiden, The Netherlands.
EARDLEY, C., KUHLMANN, M., PAULY, A. 2010. The Bee Genera and Subgenera of sub-Saharan Africa. Abc Taxa, vol 7, i-vi, 138 pp. - Volume refereed by Prof. Dr. M.S. ENGEL, FLS - University of Kansas Natural History Museum, USAEYMANN, J., DEGREEF, J., HÄUSER, Ch., MONJE, J.C., SAMYN, Y., VANDENSPIEGEL, D. (Eds). 2010. Manual on field recording techniques and protocols for All Taxa Biodiversity Inventories and Monitoring. Abc Taxa, vol 8, i-iv, 330 pp (part 1); i-iv, 333 pp. - Volume refereed by over twenty different anonymous referees. Overall review effectuated by Dr P. BRIDGEWATER, Chair of the UK Joint Nature Conservation Committee, UK.
EARDLEY, C., KUHLMANN, M., PAULY, A. 2010. Les genres et sous-genres d'abeilles de l'Afrique subsaharienne. Abc Taxa, vol 9, i-vii, 144 pp. - Volume refereed by Prof. Dr. M.S. ENGEL, FLS - University of Kansas Natural History Museum, USA
NDONG, H.E., DEGREEF, J., DE KESEL, A. 2011. Champignons comestibles des forêts denses d'Afrique centrale ) Taxonomie et identification. Abc Taxa, vol 10, i-viii: 254 pp. - Volume refereed by Prof. B. BUYCK - Muséum National d'Histoire naturelle, France.
WALTERS, M. et al. 2011. Naturalised and invasive succulents of southern Africa. Abc Taxa 11: i-x, 360 pp. - Volume refereed by DrUrs Eggli - Sukkulenten-Samling, Zurich, Switzerland and Dr N. TAYLOR - Royal Botanical Garden, Kew, UK.
MARTIN, p. & BOUGHROUS, A.A. 2012. Guide taxonomique des oligochètes dulçaquicoles du Mahreb. Abc Taxa 12: i-viii, 186 pp. - Volume refereed by Prof. E. MARTINEZ ANSEMIL - Universidade de Coruna, A Coruna, Spain.
ANDRE, H.M. & DRI, J.K. 2012. Brévaire de taxonomie des acariens. Abc Taxa 13: i-xiv, 186 pp. - Volume refreed by Dr. M. MADDER - Institute of Tropical Medcine, Belgium & University of Pretoria, South Africa.
FISCHER, E. 2014. Liverworths and Hornworts of Rwanda. Abc Taxa 14: 5552 pp. - Volume refereed by Dr M.J. WIGGINTO (UK) and Prof. Em. T. POCS - Eszerhazy College, Eger Hungary.
KOCH F., GOERGEN G. & van NOORT S. 2015. The sawflies of Namibia and western South Africa (Symphyta, Hymenoptera). Abc Taxa Vol 15: i-viii, 262 pp. - Volume refereed by Dr D. R. SMITH - Systematic Entomology Laboratory, Smithsonian Institution, U.S.A.
TAYLOR, J. C., COCQUYT C. 2016. Diatoms from the Congo and Zambezi Basins. Abc Taxa 16: 355 pp. - Volume refereed by Dr. K MURPHY- Institute of Biodiversity, animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Scotland.
DE KESEL, A., KASONGO, B., DEGREEF. J. 2017. Champignons comestibles du Haut-Katanga (R.D. Congo). Abc Taxa 17: i-vi, 1-290. - Volume refereed by Prof. F. MALAISSE - Université de Liège, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, Belgique.
SCHOLZ T., VANHOVE M.P.M., SMIT N., JAYSUNDERA Z., GELNAR M. 2018. A Guide to the Parasites of African Freshwater Fishes. Abc Taxa 18: 1-425. - Volume refereed by Dr. A. JONES - Former International institute of Parasitology, UK.
OLBERS, J.M., GRIFFITHS, C.L., O'HARA, T.D., SAMYN, Y. 2019. Field guide to the brittle and basket stars of South Africa. Abc Taxa 19: 1-346. - Volume refereed by Dr. S. STÖHR - Swedish Museum of Natural History.
TAEDOUMG, H.E. 2020. Taxonomie du genre Craterispermum Benth. (Genianales - Rubiaceae) en Afrique continentale. Abc Taxa 20: 1-169. - Volume refereed by Prof. S. RAZAFIMANDIMBISON, Swedish Museum of National History.
WILLIAMS, P.H. 2022. The Bumblebees of the Himalaya - An Identification Guide. Abc Taxa 21:1-198. - Volume refereed by Asst. Prof Michael ORR, Institute of Zoology, CAS (Beijing, China).
WILLENZ, Ph, HAJDU, E. 2022. Marine and Freshwater Sponges of Peru - Identification Guide. Abc Taxa 22: 1-347, 2 pls. - Volume refereed by Dr. Jean VACELET, Aix Marseille Université & CNRS (Marseille, France).