1) Step-by-Step Submission

1. Create/Sign in to your IBM OJS account.
2. Select section & article type (e.g., Original Research, Review).
3. Enter metadata: title, abstract, keywords, author names (full names), affiliations, ORCID iDs, funding and grant numbers, trial registration (if applicable), data/code repository links, competing interests.
4. Upload files:
   • Main Manuscript (anonymized): DOCX or LaTeX PDF (for review), with figures/tables embedded for review convenience.
   • Figures: separate high-resolution files (see Section 3).
   • Tables: editable formats (DOCX or CSV), not images.
   • Supplementary materials: data, appendices, multimedia.
   • Cover letter: see template below.
   • Ethics & reporting checklists (CONSORT, STROBE, PRISMA, ARRIVE, etc.).
5. Suggest reviewers (optional) with institutional emails; declare exclusions with justification.
6. Confirm compliance with all checklists; request waiver/discount if eligible.
7. Submit and track progress in your dashboard.

2) Manuscript Preparation (All Types)

• Language: English; professional editing recommended for non-native speakers (optional).
• File format: DOCX (preferred) or LaTeX; PDF may be uploaded for review but source files required at acceptance.
• Layout: Times New Roman 12 pt, double-spaced, 1-inch margins, left aligned; automatic line numbers.
• Word limits: Reasonable for article type; discuss if exceeding due to methods/data.
• Units & symbols: SI units; define abbreviations at first use; gene and protein symbols follow field standards.
• Nomenclature: Use accepted taxonomies/ontologies where relevant (MeSH, HGNC, INN).

2.1 Required order (Research Articles)

1. Title page (for blinded review, upload separately; anonymize main file)
2. Abstract (≤300 words; structured: Background, Methods, Results, Conclusions)
3. Keywords (3–6; standardized terms)
4. Introduction
5. Methods (ethics approvals, registration IDs, power/sample size, statistics)
6. Results
7. Discussion (limitations, generalizability)
8. Conclusions
9. Acknowledgments (funding, editorial assistance, AI use)
10. Data Availability & Code Availability statements
11. Conflicts of Interest
12. References (Vancouver style)
13. Figure legends and tables (each on separate pages)
14. Supplementary material list

2.2 Anonymization for Double-Blind Review

• Remove author names, affiliations, and identifiable grant numbers from the main file.
• Replace self-citations with neutral phrasing (e.g., “Prior work has shown…^15”). Keep references in the list.
• Omit acknowledgments and funding text from the anonymized file (include in title page or metadata).
• Strip document properties (File → Info → Inspect Document).

3) Figures, Tables & Visuals

Equations & Code

• Use MathType/Equation Editor (not images) for equations.
• Inline code snippets in monospace; lengthy code belongs in supplementary files or repositories with DOI.

4) Statistics & Reporting

• Describe statistical tests, assumptions checks, corrections for multiplicity, effect sizes with confidence intervals, and exact p-values.
• State software and versions (e.g., R 4.4.0, Python 3.12, SPSS 29).
• Pre-registered analyses: provide registry/OSF links; distinguish exploratory analyses.
• Randomization/blinding details for experiments; sample size justification.

5) Ethics Statements (Placement)

• Human studies: IRB/REC name, approval number/date; consent procedures; registration ID for trials.
• Animal studies: IACUC/committee approvals; welfare measures; humane endpoints.
• Consent for publication: Required for case reports and identifiable images.
• Place ethics statements at the end of Methods and summarize in a dedicated “Ethics” subsection.

6) Data, Materials & Code Availability

Provide a Data Availability Statement and (where relevant) a Code Availability Statement. Use trusted repositories (e.g., Dryad, Zenodo, SRA, GEO, PRIDE, OSF, GitHub release with DOI).

7) References (Vancouver Style)

• Numbered in order of appearance; superscript in text (e.g., “…shown previously.^12”).
• List all authors when ≤6; if >6, list first 6 followed by “et al.”
• Include article titles, journal abbreviations (Index Medicus), year;volume(issue):pages; DOI where available.
• Datasets/software: cite with creators, year, title, repository, version, DOI.

8) Supplementary Materials

• Accepted formats: PDF, CSV/TSV, ZIP (readme + checksums), MP4, audio (WAV/MP3).
• Label as “Supplementary Figure S1”, “Table S1”, etc., with legends.
• Ensure persistent links to external repositories and include versions.

9) Cover Letter Template

Dear Editors,

Please consider our manuscript entitled “{Title}” for publication in Insights in Biology and Medicine under the {Article Type} section.

Novelty/Significance (≤150 words):
{Brief statement}

Ethics & Registration:
{IRB/IACUC details; ClinicalTrials.gov/PROSPERO ID if applicable}

Data/Code:
{Repository DOIs or access conditions}

Conflicts of Interest:
{Disclosures or “None”}

Suggested Reviewers (optional):
{Name, institution, email, expertise; and any exclusions with reasons}

We confirm this submission is original, not under consideration elsewhere, and all authors approved the manuscript.

Sincerely,
{Corresponding Author Name, Affiliation, Email, ORCID}

10) File Naming & Components

11) Accessibility & Inclusive Presentation

• Provide informative alt text for all figures; avoid color-only encoding, ensure patterns/labels.
• Use readable fonts in figures; minimum 8 pt at print size.
• Provide captions/transcripts for audio/video where feasible.
• Ensure color choices remain distinguishable for common color-vision deficiencies.

12) After Acceptance

• Submit final source files (DOCX/LaTeX, figures, tables) and confirm metadata.
• Address production queries; review page proofs carefully (typos, figure placement, author names).
• APC invoicing per Charges Policy; institutional payment options available.
• Upon publication, deposit AAM/VoR in repositories per Repository Policy.

13) Submission Checklist

• ???? Manuscript anonymized and line-numbered
• ???? Title page with authors, affiliations, ORCID, contributions (CRediT), corresponding author email
• ???? Abstract ≤300 words; 3–6 keywords
• ???? Ethics approvals & consent statements included (and trial registration if applicable)
• ???? Data/Code Availability statements with repository DOIs
• ???? Figures (≥300 dpi) and editable tables uploaded separately
• ???? Vancouver references with DOIs where available
• ???? Competing interests and funding statements completed
• ???? Reporting checklist(s) attached (CONSORT/STROBE/PRISMA/ARRIVE/STARD)
• ???? Cover letter uploaded

Submit a Manuscript Download DOCX Template