Guide for Authors

Making a Submission

To proceed with submission, authors must either register for a new account or log in using an existing one. One author must be designated as the corresponding author, and their complete contact information, including email address and full postal address, must be provided in the submission system. Authors are required to enter full details for all contributors and their respective affiliations.

The main manuscript, prepared using the prescribed ‘Article Template’, must be uploaded without any identifying author information. Author-related details, including names, affiliations, acknowledgements, author contributions, and author profiles, should be submitted as a separate document.

Submission Checklist

Before submitting a manuscript, authors are advised to review the submission checklist to ensure completeness and compliance. This includes confirming that spelling and grammar have been carefully checked, that all in-text citations correspond accurately with the reference list and vice versa, and that appropriate permission has been obtained for the use of any copyrighted material from external sources, including online content.

File Format

Authors must submit editable source files for all manuscript components, including text, tables, figures, and graphical elements. Word documents should be provided in .doc or .docx format; PDF files are not accepted as source files. Strikethrough or underlined text should be removed unless scientifically necessary. Authors are advised to use spelling and grammar checking tools prior to submission.

Abstract

A concise and factual abstract of no more than 250 words is required. The abstract should clearly state the purpose of the study, key findings, and main conclusions. It must be understandable as a standalone summary. References should be avoided where possible; if essential, cite author names and publication years. Non-standard abbreviations should be avoided or defined at first mention.

Keywords

Authors must provide between one and five keywords in English to support indexing. Keywords should preferably be single terms rather than phrases. Abbreviations should only be used if they are well established within the discipline.

Units, Classification Codes and Nomenclature

The International System of Units (SI) must be used throughout the manuscript. Where non-SI units are included, the corresponding SI equivalents must be provided.

Mathematical Expressions

All mathematical equations must be submitted as editable text and not as images. Equations should be displayed separately and numbered consecutively in the order in which they are cited.

Tables

Tables must be provided as editable text files and cited in the manuscript. They should be placed near the relevant text or at the end of the manuscript. Tables must be numbered sequentially and accompanied by clear captions. Notes should appear below the table body, and the use of shading should be avoided.

Figures, Images and Artwork

All figures, images, diagrams, and artwork must be submitted as separate files. Each item must be cited in the text, numbered according to its order of appearance, and accompanied by a caption. Files should be named logically (e.g., Figure_1, Figure_2). Text-based graphics may be embedded within the manuscript where appropriate.

Figure Captions

All figures must include captions consisting of a brief title and descriptive text. Captions should not appear within the figures themselves and must be provided in a separate file. Any symbols or abbreviations used should be clearly explained.

Article Structure

Sections

Manuscripts should be organized into clearly defined and numbered sections and subsections. Numbering should follow a hierarchical format and be used for cross-referencing within the text. Section headings should appear on separate lines. The abstract should not be included within the numbered section structure.

Introduction

The introduction should state the objectives of the study and provide relevant background information without presenting an extensive literature review or summarizing the results.

Methods

The methods section must provide sufficient detail to allow replication of the study. Established methods should be summarized with appropriate citations. Any direct quotations must be clearly indicated, and modifications to existing methods must be described.

Results

Results should be presented clearly and concisely, ensuring reproducibility. Authors should follow journal guidelines regarding tables, figures, and supplementary materials.

Discussion

The discussion should interpret the significance of the findings without repeating the results. Excessive citation of published literature should be avoided.

Conclusion

The conclusion should summarize the main findings and contributions of the study. This section may be presented separately or integrated into the discussion.

Author Contributions (CRediT)

Corresponding authors must identify individual author contributions using the CRediT (Contributor Roles Taxonomy). Authors may be associated with multiple roles, and not all roles apply to every manuscript.

Funding Sources

All sources of financial support must be disclosed. Authors should describe the role of funders, if any, in study design, data collection, analysis, interpretation, manuscript preparation, and submission decisions. If funding was provided through institutional or block grants, the supporting organization should be named.

Appendices

Appendices should be labeled alphabetically (e.g., Appendix A, Appendix B). Equations, tables, and figures within appendices must be numbered separately using appendix-specific numbering.

References

In-Text Citations

All references cited in the manuscript must appear in the reference list and vice versa. References cited in the abstract must be provided in full. Unpublished data and personal communications should generally not be included in the reference list. Authors are responsible for ensuring the accuracy of all reference information. The use of Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs) is strongly encouraged.

Reference Style

This journal follows the APA 7th Edition referencing style. Complete bibliographic details must be provided for all references. Authors should ensure consistency between in-text citations and the reference list and avoid omissions or uncited references.