Author
Guidelines

TPMR is a searchable, citable platform dedicated to applied turfgrass pest management research. Reports should present practical field trial data that is relevant to the management of turfgrass diseases, weeds, insects, and nematodes in professionally managed settings such as golf courses, athletic fields, sod farms, and commercial lawn care operations.

The platform is designed to preserve and disseminate high-quality applied management data that may not meet the novelty thresholds or formatting expectations of traditional research journals. TPMR fills that gap — giving well-conducted, replicated field trials a permanent, citable home.

Future categories may include agronomic management, cultural practices, and turfgrass technology evaluations as the platform grows.

TPMR is built on the premise that well-executed applied research deserves a permanent, searchable record — regardless of whether it produced a novel finding or confirmed existing knowledge. Replicated, methodologically sound field trials have real value to practitioners, and that value shouldn't be lost because the work doesn't fit the scope of a traditional journal.

Reports should be concise and data-focused. Extensive literature reviews, broad theoretical framing, and lengthy discussion sections are not expected. The goal is efficient communication of trial objectives, methods, results, and practical takeaways — in a format readable by both researchers and the practitioners who apply this science every day.

Authors are responsible for the accuracy and completeness of all submitted data. Reports containing serious errors, incomplete methodology, ambiguous data presentation, or improper formatting may be returned without review or rejected following editorial assessment.

General Requirements

• All data are accurate, complete, and originate from the submitted trial
• The research was conducted on turfgrass in a managed setting
• Data have not been previously published in another outlet
• Statistical analysis is appropriate for the data collected and replication structure
• All authors have reviewed and approved the submission
• Conflicts of interest and funding sources are fully disclosed
• All pesticide applications complied with registered label requirements at the time of the trial

Required Report Information

Every submitted report must include the following elements. Category-specific reports may require additional information as noted during submission.

All reports must include appropriate statistical analyses or, where formal analysis is not feasible, suitable measures of variability. The choice of statistical method should match the nature of the data collected, the experimental design, and the scale of measurement used.

Statistical Reporting Requirements

• Clearly identify the statistical method used for each response variable
• Specify the mean separation procedure and significance level (e.g., Fisher's LSD, Tukey's HSD, p ≤ 0.05)
• Report significance levels or p-values as appropriate
• Document any transformations applied to the data and the back-transformation used for presentation
• Include standard errors, confidence intervals, or LSD values in tables and figures as applicable
• Do not apply parametric analyses to ordinal data without explicit justification

Tables and figures are the core of any applied management report. They should be publication-ready, self-explanatory, and formatted for a mixed audience of researchers and practitioners. Readers should be able to understand the key results from the tables and figures alone without needing to parse the methods section.

Consistent use of units, product names, and pesticide terminology is important for clarity and long-term usability of the archived record.

Authors are strongly encouraged — though not required — to upload supplemental materials alongside their report. Supplemental files improve the transparency, reproducibility, and long-term value of the archived work.

Types of supplemental materials welcomed:

• Raw data spreadsheets in standard formats (.xlsx, .csv)
• Detailed weather data collected during the trial period
• Additional photographs documenting trial conditions or outcomes
• Supplemental figures not included in the main report
• Application logs and spray records
• Soil, tissue, or other analytical data supporting the trial

All submitted reports undergo editorial review to assess the clarity of objectives, completeness of methods, appropriateness of statistical analysis, data quality, and practical relevance to the turfgrass management community. The review process is designed to maintain scientific rigor while preserving the concise, applied nature that makes these reports useful.

Accepted reports are published within the TPMR searchable archive and assigned a permanent citation. The platform is built to make published reports easy to find, reference, and share across professional and academic contexts.

Transparency about funding and potential conflicts of interest is essential to maintaining confidence in applied management research. TPMR requires disclosure as part of every submission. Disclosures are published alongside accepted reports.

Authors must disclose:

• All funding sources that supported the trial or manuscript preparation
• Sponsorship by commercial entities, trade groups, or government agencies
• In-kind product donations or support from manufacturers
• Any consulting or advisory relationships with companies whose products were evaluated
• Any financial relationships that could be perceived as influencing the results

Disclosure of a potential conflict does not automatically disqualify a report from publication. Industry-sponsored and university-funded trials both have legitimate places in the applied research record. What matters is transparency, not the source of funding itself.