Author Guidelines
Author Guidelines
Required files
Manuscripts must be in Microsoft Word format only.
Preparation of Manuscripts
Manuscripts should be in English and written in a concise, straightforward style and use reference manager software with APA style. Authors not fluent in English are advised to have their manuscript checked by a colleague with a good command of the language. The manuscript should present scientific findings which are essentially new and which have not been published or submitted for publication elsewhere. Review papers are also welcomed.
1. Format:
Prior to submission, authors who believe their manuscript would benefit from professional editing are encouraged to use language-editing and copyediting services. Obtaining this service is the responsibility of the author, and should be done before initial submission. A template (download) is available to guide authors in the preparation of the manuscript.
2. Length:
Although there is no page limit for a Regular Paper, it is strongly suggested that a complete manuscript be no less than 5 pages and no more than 15 pages ( Times new Romans 11 pt, 1.0 space, including figures, tables, and references).
3. Sections of Manuscript:
Articles should be organized into the following sections:
Reviews and Mini-reviews - Article Title, Authors’ names and institutional affiliations, Abstract and Keywords, Introduction, Main text (divided into subheadings), Conclusions, Acknowledgements (if any), Statement of Competing Interests, List of Abbreviations (if any), References.
Research Articles - Article Title, Authors’ names and institutional affiliations, Abstract and Keywords, Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results, Discussion, Conclusions, Acknowledgements (if any), Statement of Competing Interests, List of Abbreviations(if any), References
3.1 Title (20 words or less)
The title should accurately, clearly, and concisely reflect the emphasis and content of the paper. The title must be brief and grammatically correct. Titles do not normally include numbers, acronyms, abbreviations or punctuation. They should include sufficient detail for indexing purposes but be general enough for readers outside the field to appreciate what the paper is about. The title should be no more than 20 words in length.
3.2 Authors’ names and institutional affiliations
This should include the full author names (with no titles or qualifications), institutional addresses (Department, Institute, City, Post/Zip code, Country), and email addresses for all authors. Authors and affiliations must be linked using superscript numerals. The corresponding author should also be indicated.
3.3 Abstract and Keywords
The abstract should be comprehensive but concise consisting of no more than
300 words and should be structured to give a brief introduction to the study, main findings of the study, conclusions drawn from the study and their significance. Do not include references, headings and non-standard abbreviation. While the abstract is conceptually divided into three sections (Background, Methodology/Principal Findings, and Conclusions/ Significance), please do not apply these distinct headings to the abstract within the article file. Please do not include any citations and avoid specialist abbreviations. Also provide 5-7 carefully chosen keywords.
3.4 Introduction
Here authors should make a case for the study, providing a brief literature survey (avoid citing literature older than ten years, unless absolutely necessary) and background to the study, the hypothesis and the significance of the presented research.
3.5 Materials and Methods
Experimental procedures should be given in sufficient detail to allow these to be replicated by other researchers. The source of the various reagents and materials used in the study should be given, where possible.
3.6 Results
The results section should provide details of all of the experiments that are required to support the conclusions of the paper. There is no specific word limit for this section, but details of experiments that are peripheral to the main thrust of the article and that detract from the focus of the article should not be included. The section may be divided into subsections, each with a concise subheading. Large datasets, including raw data, should be submitted as supporting files; these are published online alongside the accepted article. We advise that the results section be written in past tense.
3.7 Discussion
This section should present comprehensive analysis of the results in the light of any previous research. Discussion may also be combined with results.
3.8 Conclusions
Conclusion section should bring out the significance of your research paper, show how you’ve brought closure to the research problem, and point out remaining gaps in knowledge by suggesting issues for further research.
3.9 Acknowledgements
The authors should first acknowledge the source of funding for the research presented in their article followed by any personal credits.
3.10 Statement of Competing Interests
Include an explicit disclosure of any competing interests (financial or others) that may have influenced the study or the conclusions drawn from the study. If none, state 'the authors have no competing interests'.
3.11 List of Abbreviations
Define all non-standard abbreviations in parenthesis on their first appearance in the text as well as provide a list. Standard abbreviations need not to be included in the list.
3.12 References
Author/s last name (surname) first, followed by initials, year of publication in brackets. Title of article (Thompson, 2010). Capitalise only the first word of the title and the subtitle, if any, and proper names. Use a colon (:) between the title and subtitle. Title of the serial/journal in full in italics. Volume number, in italics. Do not use “Vol.” before the number. Issue number. This is bracketed immediately after the volume number but not italicised. Month, season or other designation of publication if there is no volume or issue number. Include all page numbers (Gabbett et al., 2010). Include any Digital Object Identifiers [DOI].
The database name and retrieval date are no longer required. Include the home page of the journal (Marshall et al., 2009). This may require a quick web search to locate the URL (Refer to the APA manual, p. 191-192, 199). Otherwise, simply reference the journal article as per the print version (check with your lecturer to ensure this is acceptable), (Huy et al., 2008).
The 6th ed. of the APA manual emphasizes the use of DOI (Digital Object Identifiers). Many publishers, databases and online journals use DOIs. They are alpha-numeric codes that usually appear on the first page of the article. Copy the DOI exactly as it appears (Gabbett et al., 2010).
If the article has no DOI, Consider providing the home page URL of the journal. If you are accessing the article from a database, you may need to do a quick web search to locate this URL. It is not necessary to include the name of the database. No retrieval date is necessary for content that is not likely to be changed or updated (Crooks et al., 2010).
References List Entry
Crooks, C., Ameratunga, R., Brewerton, M., Torok, M., Buetow, S., Brothers, S., Wall, C., & Jorgensen, P. (2010). Adverse reactions to food in New Zealand children aged 0–5 years. Clinical Correspondence.
Gabbett, T., Jenkins, D., & Abernethy, B. (2010). Physical collisions and injury during professional rugby league skills training. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 13(6), 578–583.
Huy, C., Becker, S., Gomolinsky, U., Klein, T., & Thiel, A. (2008). Health, medical risk factors, and bicycle use in everyday life in the over-50 population. Journal of Aging and Physical Activity, 16(4), 454–464.
Marshall, M., Carter, B., Rose, K., & Brotherton, A. (2009). Living with type 1 diabetes: perceptions of children and their parents. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 18(12), 1703–1710.
Thompson, C. (2010). Facebook--Cautionary Tales for Nurses. Nursing New Zealand (Wellington, NZ: 1995), 16(7), 26.
Tables
The table title should be concise, no more than one sentence. The rest of the table legend and any footnotes should be placed below the table. Footnotes can be used to explain abbreviations.
Tables must be cell-based, such as would be produced in a spreadsheet program or in Microsoft Word. Do not provide tables as graphic objects. Tables must be no larger than one printed page (7inches x 9.5inches). Larger tables can be published as online supporting information. Bold and italics formatting will be preserved in the published version; however, more extensive formatting will be lost. Do not include color, shading, lines, rules, text boxes, tabs, returns, or pictures within the table.
All tables must be numbered consecutively (in Arabic numbers). Table headings should be placed (centered) above the table. Place tables as close as possible to where they are mentioned in the main text. All Tables should be referred to in the text as Table 1, Table 2, etc.
3.14 Figures
Figures should be as small and simple as is compatible with clarity. The goal is for figures to be comprehensible to readers in other or related disciplines, and to assist their understanding of the paper. Unnecessary figures and parts (panels) of figures should be avoided: data presented in small tables or histograms, for instance, can generally be stated briefly in the text instead. Avoid unnecessary complexity, coloring and excessive detail.
All illustrations should be original drawings or photographic prints of originals. Photographs should be glossy prints. Photocopies are often not good enough and should be avoided. All illustrations must be numbered consecutively, as Fig. 1, Fig. 2. Center figure captions beneath the figure. Do not assemble figures at the back of your article, but place them as close as possible to where they are mentioned in the main text. No part of a figure should go beyond the typing area.
3.15 Figure Legends
The aim of the figure legend should be to describe the key messages of the figure, but the figure should also be discussed in the text. Each legend should have a concise title of no more than 15 words. The legend itself should be succinct, while still explaining all symbols and abbreviations. Avoid lengthy descriptions of methods.
3.16 Equations
Number equations consecutively. Equation numbers, within parentheses, are to position flush right, as in Eq. (1) or equation (1), using a right tab stop.
(1) Note that the formula is centered using a center tab stop. Be sure that the symbols in your formula have been defined before or immediately following the equation. Use "Eq. (1)" or "equation (1)", not "(1)", in the sentences. Notation. Notation must be legible, clear, compact, and consistent with standard usage. In general, acronyms should be defined at first use.
Variables and Vectors. Set single-letter variables in italics (e.g. m). Set vectors in boldface (e.g. E). Derivative "d," abbreviations, and multi-letter identifiers should be set in roman (plain) type (e.g. cos, ∫...dx).
4. Submission self-checklist
Before submitting your manuscript online, please check that all style and format requirements have been carefully followed.
- English spelling and punctuations are used throughout the paper.
- The paper is original, not submitted anywhere else.
- The length of the paper is commensurate with content.
- The title and headings are brief and catchy.
- Names and affiliations (including postal codes) of all authors are correct and complete.
- Figures are of sufficient quality for printing, with clear resolution of detail.
- Abstract and keywords are provided.
- All table captions and figure legends are provided.
- Tables/Figures are properly placed and numbered with brief titles/captions.
- References are in APA style.
