For Authors

Author Guidelines & Submission

Interested in submitting to this journal? We recommend that you review the About the Journal page for the journal's section policies, as well as the Author Guidelines . Authors need to register with the journal...

Double-Blind Peer Review
Fast Review Process
Open Access
No Submission Fee
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Step by Step

Submission Process

All manuscripts must be submitted through our online system.

STEP 01

Prepare Your Manuscript

Format your manuscript according to the Author Guidelines. Ensure all figures, tables, and supplementary files are prepared separately.

Before submission
STEP 02

Editorial Desk Check

The editorial office reviews your manuscript for scope relevance, completeness, and formatting compliance within 3–5 business days.

3–5 business days
STEP 03

Peer Review Assignment

Manuscripts passing the desk check are assigned to a handling editor who invites a minimum of two independent peer reviewers.

5–7 days to assign
STEP 04

Double-Blind Peer Review Process

Reviewers evaluate the manuscript on scientific rigor, novelty, methodology, and clarity under a strict double-blind process.

2-9 Weeks
STEP 05

Author Revision

Authors receive a consolidated decision letter with reviewer comments. Major revisions are typically due within 60 days.

14–60 days
STEP 06

Publication

Accepted manuscripts are copy-edited and typeset. Articles appear online within 7–14 days of final acceptance.

7–14 days post-acceptance
Manuscript Preparation

Author Guidelines

Authors are invited to make a submission to this journal. All submissions will be assessed by an editor to determine whether they meet the aims and scope of this journal. Those considered to be a good fit will be sent for peer review before determining whether they will be accepted or rejected....

File Format & Length

  • Submit main manuscript as .docx (Word) or .tex (LaTeX)
  • Research Articles: max 8,000 words (excl. references)
  • Reviews: max 10,000 words; Short Comms: max 3,500 words
  • Figures must be submitted as separate high-res files (300 dpi min)

Reference Style

  • APA 7th Edition for all in-text citations and reference list
  • DOIs required for all references where available
  • References must be numbered consecutively in order of appearance
  • A minimum of 80% of references must come from the past eight years and should consist of journal articles.

Figures & Tables

  • Maximum 8 display items per Research Article
  • All figures must be readable at single-column width
  • Tables must be editable text, not images
  • Figure legends must be self-contained and placed after references

Ethics & Declarations Required

  • IRB/Ethics committee approval for human subjects research
  • Data availability statement mandatory for all articles
  • Competing interests declaration required from all authors
  • AI tool use must be disclosed in the Methods section

Authorship

  • All authors must meet ICMJE criteria for authorship
  • CRediT author contribution statements required
  • Corresponding author must be clearly designated
  • Changes to authorship after submission require editor approval

Abstract & Keywords

  • Structured abstract required: Background, Methods, Results, Conclusions
  • Research Articles: 250 words; Reviews: 300 words
  • 3-5 keywords using MeSH terminology where applicable
  • No citations permitted in the abstract

Manuscript Structure

Section
Description
Required
Title Page
Title, all author names, affiliations, ORCID IDs, corresponding author contact
Required
Abstract
Structured abstract (Background / Methods / Results / Conclusions), 250 words max
Required
Keywords
3-5 keywords, preferably MeSH terms, placed below abstract
Required
Introduction
Background, literature context, and clear statement of study aims
Required
Methods
Sufficient detail for reproducibility; include ethics statements and statistical approach
Required
Results
Data presented objectively without interpretation; figures and tables referenced here
Required
Discussion
Interpretation, comparison with existing literature, limitations, future directions
Required
Declarations
Ethics approval, competing interests, funding, author contributions, AI disclosure
Required
References
APA 7th Ed., numbered consecutively, DOIs included where available
Required
Supplementary
Additional data, methods, or figures uploaded as a separate file
Optional
Download

Journal Template

To ensure your manuscript meets our formatting requirements, please use the official journal template. Using the template from the start will significantly reduce the chance of desk rejection due to formatting issues.

Official Manuscript Template
Google Docs Format Updated 2026 APA 7th Edition
Includes all required sections, correct margins, font specifications, heading styles, reference formatting, and declaration blocks. Compatible with Microsoft Word and Google Docs.
Open Template
Opens in Google Docs — use File → Make a copy to edit
Typography & Layout

Pre-set fonts, line spacing, and margins matching our production requirements

Section Structure

All required headings pre-formatted: Abstract, Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion, Declarations

APA 7th Reference Block

Reference list section pre-formatted with APA 7th Edition style examples included

Declaration Blocks

Ethics, competing interests, author contributions, and AI disclosure sections ready to fill in

How to use this template
1Click Open Template to open the document in Google Docs
2Go to File → Make a copy to save it to your own Google Drive
3Replace placeholder text with your manuscript content — do not alter the formatting styles
4To submit as Word: go to File → Download → Microsoft Word (.docx)
Pre-Submission

Submission Preparation Checklist

Use this checklist to verify your manuscript is ready. Items marked Mandatory must be completed — missing items will result in desk rejection.

All submissions must meet the following requirements.

  • This submission meets the requirements outlined in the Author Guidelines.
  • This submission has not been previously published, nor is it before another journal for consideration.
  • All references have been checked for accuracy and completeness.
  • All tables and figures have been numbered and labeled.
  • Permission has been obtained to publish all photos, datasets and other material provided with this submission.
Mandatory

Manuscript Files

Core document requirements

Main manuscript file (.docx or .tex)Anonymised — no author names or affiliations in the main text body
Mandatory
Separate title page with author detailsFull names, affiliations, ORCID IDs, corresponding author email
Mandatory
Structured abstract (250 words max)Background, Methods, Results, Conclusions — no citations
Mandatory
3-5 keywords listed below abstractPreferably MeSH-controlled vocabulary terms
Mandatory
References in APA 7th Edition formatDOIs included for all references where available
Mandatory
Figures uploaded as separate high-res filesTIFF or EPS, minimum 300 dpi
Mandatory
Progress
0 / 6

Declarations & Ethics

Required statements and approvals

Ethics committee / IRB approvalFor all studies involving human subjects or human-derived data
Mandatory
Competing interests declarationAll authors must declare conflicts of interest or state "none"
Mandatory
Data availability statementLink to repository or explanation of data access restrictions
Mandatory
Author contributions (CRediT taxonomy)Individual roles: Conceptualization, Methodology, Writing, etc.
Mandatory
AI tool disclosure (if applicable)Any use of generative AI in writing or figure preparation must be declared
Mandatory
Progress
0 / 6

Final Quality Check

Before clicking "Submit"

Manuscript has been spell-checked and proofreadAmerican or British English applied consistently throughout
Mandatory
Word count verified within limitsExcluding title, abstract, references, and figure legends
Mandatory
Main text is fully anonymisedNo author names, institutions, or identifying acknowledgements
Mandatory
All statistical methods describedSoftware, version, and test selection justification included
Mandatory
Plagiarism self-check completedSimilarity index should be below 20% (excluding references)
Mandatory
All co-authors have approved final submissionWritten confirmation obtained from each author prior to submitting
Mandatory
Progress
0 / 6
Peer Review

For Reviewers

We depend on the expertise and time of volunteer peer reviewers worldwide. We are committed to making the review experience as clear, efficient, and rewarding as possible.

Join Our Reviewer Community
Become a Reviewer
We are continuously seeking domain experts to join our reviewer database. Serving as a reviewer offers CPD recognition and acknowledgement in our annual Reviewer Honour Roll.
Register as Reviewer

Review Scope

Reviewers are asked to assess manuscripts strictly within their declared area of expertise. Conflicts of interest must be declared immediately upon receiving an invitation.

Timeline & Commitment

Standard review deadline is 21 days from acceptance. Extensions of up to 7 days may be requested. Reviewers who cannot complete on time should decline promptly.

Confidentiality

All manuscripts under review are strictly confidential. Reviewers must not share, discuss, or use manuscript content before publication.

How to Respond

Reviewer invitations are sent via email. Accept or decline within 5 days. If declining, please suggest alternate reviewers when possible.

Recognition

All reviewers who complete reviews are acknowledged annually in our Reviewer Honour Roll. Outstanding reviewers are awarded the Distinguished Reviewer Award each year.

Resources & Training

New reviewers are encouraged to complete peer review training. We also provide a structured Review Report Template to guide first-time and experienced reviewers alike.

Review Evaluation Criteria

Criterion
What to Assess
Weighting
Scientific Originality
Is the research question novel? Does it advance knowledge? Are claims of novelty substantiated?
High
Methodology
Are methods appropriate, reproducible, and sufficiently described? Is statistical analysis sound?
High
Data Quality
Are data presented clearly? Do results support the conclusions? Are figures accurate and necessary?
High
Interpretation
Are conclusions justified by the data? Are limitations acknowledged? Is the discussion balanced?
Medium
Literature Context
Is the manuscript appropriately situated within existing literature? Are key references cited?
Medium
Clarity & Presentation
Is the manuscript clearly written, logically structured, and free of ambiguity?
Low
Ethics Compliance
Are all required ethics statements included? Are data availability and competing interests declared?
Mandatory
Reviewer Ethics & COPE Guidelines
Review only manuscripts within your genuine area of expertise
Declare any potential conflict of interest before reviewing
Maintain strict confidentiality of manuscript content
Provide constructive, unbiased, and respectful feedback
Do not use AI tools to process or summarise submitted manuscripts
Complete the review within the agreed timeframe or notify editors promptly
Do not contact authors directly without editor permission
Adhere to COPE Ethical Guidelines for Peer Reviewers
Privacy

Privacy Statement

The names and email addresses entered in 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.

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