Author Guidelines
Submission Process
1
Submission — Double-Blind Preparation
Submit two separate files to support the double-blind review process:
Title Page
Title, all author names, affiliations, corresponding author's address, telephone, and email.
Blinded Manuscript
Complete manuscript with all identifying information removed — no names, affiliations, or acknowledgments.
Blinding Checklist
2
Initial Assessment
The editorial team checks the manuscript for relevance to the journal's aims and scope, English language quality, completeness of the four mandatory items, and correct anonymization. Manuscripts not meeting minimum standards will be desk-rejected within 5 business days.
3
Peer Review
Manuscripts passing the initial check are reviewed by 2 independent expert reviewers. Authors have 7 days to respond to reviewer comments and resubmit. A second round of review confirms all revisions have been addressed before the reviewer issues a final decision: Accept, Revisions Required, or Reject.
4
Editorial Process & Publication
Accepted manuscripts are handled by the editor for final proofreading and layout. The author must confirm the final galley proof before the article is converted to PDF and published online. Minor author-requested edits may be accommodated at this stage with editor approval.
Authorship Criteria
Authorship must be based on all four of the following ICMJE criteria:
Substantial contributions to conception and design, data acquisition, or analysis and interpretation of data
Drafting the article or critically revising it for important intellectual content
Final approval of the version to be published
Agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work, including accuracy and integrity
Important: Acquisition of funding, data collection, or general supervision alone does not constitute authorship. Those who do not meet all four criteria should be listed in the Acknowledgments. Author order and names may not be changed after submission. Authors who made the greatest contribution are generally listed first; alphabetical order may be used when contributions are equal.
Manuscript Format
General Formatting
Font Times New Roman, 12pt
Spacing Double-spaced
Alignment Justified
Title Page alignment Centered
File format Microsoft Word (.docx)
Article Limits
Abstract Max 300 words
References Max 25 (single-spaced)
Reference style Vancouver
Figure font size 8–10pt at 100%
Headers/footers Not permitted
Article Types & Structure
Double-spaced, on separate pages at the end of the text document
Created using Word's "Insert Table" — no tabs or spaces to create columns
Minimize abbreviations; define in table legend. Avoid shading.
Tables from other sources require written permission from the original publisher
Size: fit one or two column widths of the printed journal
Font 8–10pt at 100%. Multi-part figures labelled A, B, C etc.
Line/bar graphs: black and white only. No grey shades in graphs.
Figure legends at end of document; not inside figure files
References & Abbreviations
Reference Style — Vancouver
References must be numbered in order of citation in the text. All authors must be listed with inclusive page numbers. Journal titles should be abbreviated as in the NLM's List of Journals Indexed for Medline; unlisted journals should use full titles. Maximum 25 references, single-spaced, justified.
Example — Journal Article
Thomas MC. Diuretics, ACE inhibitors and NSAIDs — the triple whammy. Med J Aust. 2000;172:184–185. http://dx.doi.org/10.1006/jmbi.1995.0238
Abbreviations
Use abbreviations only when necessary — for long chemical names, procedures (e.g., ELISA), or terms repeated throughout the article. Abbreviate units of measure only when used with numbers. Abbreviations may be used in tables and figures.
Always define an abbreviation at its first occurrence in the text. Do not define abbreviations that are used only in tables or figures — define them in the table/figure legend instead.
Additional Important Rules
All manuscripts are scanned via Turnitin. Authors who submit previously published work will be permanently banned, and their institution notified. Manuscripts exceeding the similarity threshold are rejected without review.
Changing, adding, or deleting authors after submission is prohibited. Changing the author order after submission is also not permitted. Please finalize the author list carefully before submitting.
Prior presentation of data at a scientific meeting (e.g., conference) does not preclude publication. Only material that has not been formally published (print or electronic) and is not under review elsewhere will be considered.
Figures, tables, or text reproduced from other sources must be noted in the legend/caption. Authors must provide written permission from the original publisher and author before submission.
This journal only publishes manuscripts in English. Authors whose first language is not English are strongly encouraged to have their manuscripts professionally proofread before submission.
Failure to follow these instructions may result in publication delays even if the manuscript has been accepted. Authors are responsible for ensuring their final submission is fully compliant before the galley proof stage.
Ready to Submit?
Submit Your Manuscript
Double-blind · Peer-reviewed · Open access · Indexed
