To ensure a smooth and efficient editorial and peer-review process, authors are required to complete the Final Submission Checklist before submitting their manuscript. This checklist is designed to help authors verify that their submission complies with the journal’s formatting requirements, ethical standards, and transparency policies.
The checklist covers key aspects of manuscript preparation, including required declarations, data availability, reference formatting, and the responsible use of artificial intelligence–based tools. Careful completion of this checklist helps reduce delays in editorial processing and supports a fair and timely peer-review process.
Authors should review each item and confirm that all applicable requirements have been met. Submission of a manuscript implies that the authors have read, understood, and complied with the journal’s policies and that the information provided is accurate and complete.
Manuscripts that do not fully conform to the journal’s requirements, or that contain incomplete or inconsistent information, may be returned to the authors for revision prior to peer review.
Final Submission Checklist
Before submitting a manuscript, authors are required to confirm that all applicable items below have been completed.
Manuscript Preparation
☐ The manuscript follows the journal’s formatting and structural guidelines.
☐ The title, abstract, keywords, figures, and tables comply with journal requirements.
☐ All abbreviations are defined at first mention and used consistently throughout the manuscript.
☐ References are numbered in order of appearance and cited using square brackets.
Ethical and Transparency Declarations
☐ A Funding statement is included, using the official names of funding bodies, or a statement confirming that no external funding was received.
☐ A Role of Funders statement is included, clearly indicating whether funders influenced the study.
☐ A Conflicts of Interest statement is included for all authors, or the statement
“The authors declare no conflict of interest.”
☐ An Acknowledgments section is included where appropriate, and consent has been obtained from all acknowledged individuals or organizations.
Data Availability
☐ A Data Availability Statement is included for all original research articles.
☐ The statement clearly explains where and how the data can be accessed, or why data cannot be shared.
☐ Any ethical, legal, confidentiality, or third-party restrictions on data access are clearly described.
☐ Publicly available datasets are properly cited, including persistent identifiers (e.g., DOI), where applicable.
Use of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Tools
☐ Any use of artificial intelligence–based or digital tools has been limited to language editing or stylistic refinement only.
☐ The use of such tools is transparently disclosed in a dedicated statement at the end of the manuscript, specifying the tool, version/model, and purpose.
☐ The authors confirm full responsibility for the content of the manuscript.
References and Supporting Materials
☐ All references are complete, accurate, and include DOIs where available.
☐ All figures, tables, and supplementary materials are correctly labeled and cited in the text.
☐ Permissions have been obtained for any third-party material, where required.
Final Confirmation
☐ All authors have reviewed and approved the final version of the manuscript.
☐ The manuscript complies with the journal’s ethical, data sharing, and submission policies.
☐ The manuscript is ready for submission and peer review.
Editorial Note
Manuscripts that do not meet the requirements listed above may be returned to the authors for revision prior to peer review.