Author guidelines

Fees

Article types

Each journal lists the article types it publishes on its Aims & scope tab. The most common are:

• Research article: original work, usually 4,000 to 8,000 words.
• Review: systematic, scoping or narrative reviews, up to 10,000 words.
• Case report (JCSPC): a single patient or small series, up to 2,500 words, following the CARE guidelines.
• Short communication or technical note: a focused finding, up to 3,000 words.

Word counts exclude the abstract, references, tables and figure captions.

Language and formatting

• Write in clear English, using either UK or US spelling consistently.
• Submit an editable Word (.docx) or LaTeX file, with 1.5 line spacing, numbered pages and numbered lines.
• Define each abbreviation when it is first used, and avoid abbreviations in the title and abstract.
• Use SI units throughout.

Title page

Submit the title page as a separate file, because the manuscript itself must be anonymised for double-blind review. It should include:

• A concise title of no more than 25 words that reflects the main finding.
• Full names of all authors, their affiliations and ORCID iDs.
• The corresponding author's email address and postal address.
• Funding, conflict-of-interest and author contribution statements.

Abstract and keywords

• Research articles have a structured abstract of up to 250 words with the headings Background, Methods, Results and Conclusions.
• Reviews and case reports may use an unstructured abstract of up to 250 words.
• The abstract must make sense on its own, with no citations.
• Add four to six keywords that are not already in the title.

Structure of the manuscript

Research articles usually follow this order:

1. Introduction: the background, the gap in knowledge and the aim of the study.
2. Methods: enough detail for others to repeat the work, including study design, participants or materials, and statistical analysis.
3. Results: the findings, without interpretation, supported by tables and figures.
4. Discussion: what the results mean, how they compare with other studies, and the study's limitations.
5. Conclusions: the main message and its implications.

Reporting guidelines help: CONSORT for trials, STROBE for observational studies, PRISMA for systematic reviews and CARE for case reports.

Declarations

Include these statements at the end of the manuscript, before the references:

• Ethics approval: the committee name and approval number, or why approval was not needed. See protection of research participants.
• Consent: consent to participate and, where relevant, consent for publication.
• Data availability: where the data can be found.
• Funding: funders and grant numbers, or "This research received no external funding."
• Conflicts of interest: or "The authors declare no conflicts of interest."
• Use of generative AI: which tools were used and how, or a statement that none were used.
• Author contributions: using the CRediT roles.
• Acknowledgements: people and organisations who helped but are not authors.

References

• JCSPC: Vancouver style, numbered in the order they are first cited, with numbers in square brackets [1].
• JISAT: IEEE style, numbered in square brackets [1].
• JGTER: APA style, 7th edition.
• Include the DOI for every reference that has one.
• Cite only work you have read, and avoid excessive self-citation.

Figures and tables

• Number figures and tables in the order they are cited, and give each one a self-explanatory caption.
• Upload figures as separate files (TIFF, PNG or PDF) at 300 dpi or higher.
• Create tables as editable text, not images.
• Get permission to reuse any figure from another publication, and credit the source.
• Do not alter images in a way that changes their meaning.

Supplementary material

Extra data, code, videos or appendices can be submitted as supplementary files. They are published with the article but are not copy-edited, so check them carefully.

Cover letter

Your cover letter should briefly explain what the paper adds, confirm that it is original and not under review elsewhere, and confirm that all authors have approved the submission. You may suggest up to three reviewers with no conflict of interest.

After acceptance

• The APC invoice is sent to the corresponding author.
• You receive proofs to check, and should reply within three working days.
• The article is published online with a Crossref DOI under CC BY 4.0, and you keep your copyright.
• You can add an optional video article or presentation.