Author Guidelines
Please read these guidelines carefully before submitting. Manuscripts that do not comply may be returned for correction before review. By submitting, authors confirm that the work is original, has not been published elsewhere, and is not under consideration by another journal.
1. Before You Submit
- Confirm your manuscript is within the journal's Aims & Scope.
- Ensure the work complies with our Publication Ethics and Editorial Policies.
- Prepare an anonymized manuscript for double-anonymous peer review.
2. Article Types & Length
| Type | Typical length (excl. references) | Abstract |
|---|---|---|
| Original Research | 4,000–8,000 words | ≤ 250 words |
| Review Article | 6,000–12,000 words | ≤ 300 words |
| Short Communication | ≤ 3,000 words | ≤ 150 words |
| Perspective / Opinion | 2,000–4,000 words | ≤ 200 words |
3. Manuscript Structure
Research articles should generally follow the IMRaD structure:
- Title page (separate file) — title, all authors, affiliations, ORCID iDs, and corresponding author contact details.
- Abstract — a single, self-contained paragraph.
- Keywords — 4–6 terms.
- Introduction — background, motivation, and objectives.
- Materials & Methods — sufficient detail for reproducibility.
- Results — findings presented clearly with figures/tables.
- Discussion — interpretation, significance, and limitations.
- Conclusions — key outcomes and outlook.
- Declarations — funding, conflicts of interest, data availability, author contributions (CRediT), acknowledgements.
- References.
4. Formatting
- Submit editable text as Microsoft Word (.docx) or LaTeX; a single PDF is acceptable for initial submission.
- Use A4, 1.5 line spacing, 11–12 pt, with continuous line and page numbering.
- Use SI units throughout.
- Figures — supply at ≥ 300 dpi (photographs) or as vector files (line art); cite in numerical order.
- Tables — editable text, numbered, each with a concise caption.
- Define all abbreviations at first use.
5. References
References should be complete, accurate, and consistently formatted (numbered/Vancouver style is preferred; a recognized style such as APA is also accepted if applied consistently). Include DOIs where available. Authors are encouraged to use reference-management software.
6. Research & Reporting Standards
- Studies involving humans or animals must include an ethics-approval statement and, where relevant, informed consent (see Editorial Policies).
- Provide a data availability statement; deposition of underlying data in a recognized repository is encouraged.
- Disclose any use of AI tools in preparing the manuscript.
7. Submission Process
All manuscripts are submitted online through the journal's editorial system. Register or log in, then follow the guided five-step submission process. Corresponding authors must provide a valid institutional email and ORCID iD.
8. After Acceptance
- Accepted manuscripts are copy-edited and typeset; authors approve proofs before publication.
- Each article receives a DOI and is published open access under CC BY 4.0.
- An Article Processing Charge applies on acceptance; waivers are available.
Submission Checklist
- Manuscript is within scope and original.
- Anonymized manuscript + separate title page prepared.
- Abstract, keywords, and all required declarations included.
- Figures/tables at required quality with captions.
- References complete with DOIs where available.
- Ethics, consent, funding, conflict-of-interest, and data-availability statements provided.
