Submissions

Submission Preparation Checklist

As part of the submission process, authors are required to check off their submission's compliance with all of the following items, and submissions may be returned to authors that do not adhere to these guidelines.

• Originality & Exclusivity — The manuscript is original, has not been previously published (in whole or in part), and is not under concurrent consideration elsewhere. If the work overlaps with a conference paper, preprint, or thesis, this is disclosed in the Comments to Editor.
• File Format — The main manuscript is submitted as an editable .docx file (Microsoft Word 2007 or higher). All source files are uploaded, including any revisions.
• Layout & Formatting — Single-spaced, 10-point Times New Roman, italics used for emphasis (no underlining). Figures and tables embedded within the text at first citation. For detailed structural and disciplinary formatting rules, see the Author Guidelines.
• Blinded Manuscript — The main document contains no author names, affiliations, funding information, acknowledgments, or identifying self-citations. Document file properties (Author/Company field) have been cleared. A separate Title Page file is uploaded containing all author details.
• Cover Letter — A cover letter is uploaded as a separate file, stating: (a) originality confirmation, (b) article type, (c) fit with A&R scope, (d) suggested/excluded reviewers (optional), (e) AI tool disclosure if applicable, (f) justification for any word limit overrun. For full cover letter requirements (including conflicts of interest and contact information), see Author Guidelines Section 3.10.
• Abstract & Keywords​ — Abstract ≤250 words. Structured abstracts are encouraged​ (but not required) for Original Research and Review articles; Perspective and Commentary articles may use an unstructured format. For discipline-specific adaptations (e.g., "Key Findings" instead of "Results" for narrative reviews), see Author Guidelines Section 3.1.3. 4–6 keywords provided.
• References — Formatted in APA 7th edition. DOI provided as full link where available; stable URL provided where no DOI exists. No AI-generated fictitious references.
• Reporting Checklist​ — A completed reporting guideline checklist (e.g., CONSORT, STROBE, PRISMA, COREQ) is uploaded as a supplementary file where applicable. For the full discipline-specific matrix and minimum transparency requirements, see Author Guidelines Section 2.5.
• Ethics & Data Documentation — For studies involving humans/animals: IRB/ethics approval number and informed consent statement included. For field research in rural communities: community consent documentation uploaded as confidential supplementary file. Data Availability Statement included; preregistration DOI provided if applicable.
• Third-Party Materials & Permissions — All reproduced figures/tables/text accompanied by written permission. AI-generated images/maps/diagrams: model, version, and prompt disclosed in caption and Methods (see Author Guidelines 2.2.10).
• ORCID & AI Disclosure — ORCID iDs provided (recommended). If generative AI tools were used, a disclosure statement is included in the Methods or Acknowledgments section.