Submit a Manuscript

Choosing a route

All three are equally valid; they differ in what they do for you.

ManuscriptZone

The publisher’s submission system. Gives you an account, a record of the submission and a place to return for revisions and correspondence. Best where you expect to submit more than once.

Submission form

A single form with this journal already selected. Best for a one-off submission where an account is more than you need.

Editorial email

Send the files to the editorial office and it will enter the manuscript for you. Best where a system is awkward to reach or something about the submission needs explaining first.

Whichever route you use, the manuscript enters the same process and is handled on the same terms.

Before you send

A short checkpoint that prevents most returns.

• The subject is within the journal’s remit — see Aims and Scope, or ask the editorial office if you are unsure.
• The manuscript is in one of the journal’s formats and within its word and reference limits.
• The title page is a separate file, with affiliations, ORCID iDs and the corresponding author’s email.
• Figures are 300 dpi or better and tables are editable.
• The reporting checklist for the study design is completed and attached.
• Ethics approval, consent, trial registration, funding, competing interests, author contributions and any AI use are declared.
• The data-availability statement is present.
• A cover letter is written, and double-blind review requested if you want it.

The full requirements, with the limits for each format, are in the Instructions for Authors.

After you submit

What the journal does, in order.

All submissions undergo initial editorial screening. Manuscripts that meet the journal’s scope and minimum requirements proceed to independent peer review. Single-blind by default; double-blind review is available on request. Manuscripts that proceed to external peer review are normally evaluated by at least two independent subject-matter experts.

Editorial decisions are based on scope, scientific quality, methodological rigor, ethical compliance, reporting quality, and relevance to the journal. The decision reaches the corresponding author in writing, with the reviewers’ comments and an indication of what a revision would need to show.

A revision returns with a point-by-point response and tracked changes. Accepted manuscripts are copyedited and typeset, proofs are sent to the corresponding author, and the article publishes open access under CC BY 4.0 with a registered Crossref DOI.

What it costs

Stated here so it is known before, not after.

There is no submission charge. Publication is funded by an article processing charge of USD 1,599, charged after acceptance, which covers editorial handling, production, DOI registration and permanent open access. A manuscript that is not accepted is not charged.

Payment is administered by the editorial office and is separate from the editorial process: it confers no advantage in the review or acceptance of a manuscript. Terms, and the contact for fee-relief inquiries, are on the Article Processing Charges page.