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Nurse Education Today

1. Introduction

Nurse Education Today provides a forum for high-quality, original research and scholarship that advances international debates and understandings of education for nurses, midwives, and those engaged in interprofessional healthcare education. Submissions to the journal should address major problems and gaps in knowledge and these should be clearly stated in the manuscript. The rationale for the study should be supported by current, international literature. It is not enough to state that the study has not been conducted in a specific country. Please describe what it is about the context that indicates the need for the study. If you are presenting work focused on a single country, you should identify how the manuscript is relevant to an international readership and how this contributes to the international knowledge base.

It is important that you carefully read these author guidelines. Manuscripts that do not comply with the directions below will be returned, which slows down the progress of your submission. Nurse Education Today is a signatory journal to the Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals, issued by the International Committee for Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), and to the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) Code of Conduct for Editors and these guidelines are followed.

1.1 Page charges

This journal has no page charges.

1.2 Review process

Manuscripts submitted to the journal are checked by staff in our editorial office. Please ensure you follow all guidelines as manuscripts that do not comply will be returned. All manuscripts are initially assessed by an editorial team member who will decide whether to send a paper for peer review. A rapid response will be provided if the editorial decision is to reject the manuscript without review. All manuscripts deemed suitable for review undergo a double-blind peer review process by an international panel of experts. Following the review, there are three possible outcomes:

  1. Manuscripts may be accepted for publication unchanged. This is unusual and only occurs with a very small number of manuscripts.
  2. Authors may be invited to resubmit their manuscripts following minor or major revisions. The manuscript may undergo further peer review at this stage.
  3. Manuscripts that do not meet the journal's standards may be rejected at this point to avoid delays to authors who may wish to seek publication elsewhere.

The Editor-in-Chief makes the final decision regarding acceptance.

1.3 Article transfer service

This journal uses the Elsevier Article Transfer Service to find the best journal for your manuscript. This means that if an Editor believes your manuscript is more suitable for an alternative journal, you will be advised to consider a transfer. The recommendation might be provided by an Editor, a dedicated Scientific Managing Editor, a tool-assisted recommendation, or a combination. If you agree, your manuscript will be transferred, though you will have the opportunity to make changes to the manuscript before the submission is complete. Please note your manuscript will be independently reviewed by the new journal. More information.

1.4 Submission declaration and verification

Submission of a manuscript implies that your work has not been previously published (except in the form of an abstract, a published lecture, or an academic thesis/dissertation - see 'Multiple, redundant or concurrent publication' for more information) and is not under consideration for publication elsewhere. The corresponding author must verify that the submission is approved by all authors and tacitly or explicitly by the responsible authorities where the work was carried out. If your manuscript is accepted, you must declare that the work will not be published elsewhere in the same form, in English or in any other language, including electronically, without the written consent of the copyright holder. To verify compliance, all manuscripts are checked by Crossref Similarity Check and other originality or duplicate checking software.

Should other projects utilise the same cases as the data presented in the submitted manuscript, transparent disclosure of these instances in the cover letter is required. Please ensure clarity in disclosing such overlap, providing complete references of the related papers, and an explanation of the parallels and distinctions between these projects.

We look forward to receiving your manuscript.

2. Types of manuscripts and word limits

The Editors of Nurse Education Today welcome the submission of the following types of manuscripts: research, contemporary issues, systematic reviews, and other types of systematised reviews. All word limits DO NOT include abstract/summary and references, but we encourage you to be succinct.

Text files (Manuscript, Title Page, Cover Letter etc) should be uploaded in MS Word format not PDF format as files need to be editable and references checked.

Please write your text in clear English (American or British usage is accepted, but not a mixture of these). Please check your text carefully before submission, both for correct content and typographic errors. Avoid common errors such as the use of anthropomorphisms i.e., studies cannot do things and overuse of filler words (words such as furthermore, moreover etc., rarely add anything).

Manuscripts should adhere to recognised reporting guidelines (see 6.10). Reporting guidelines are not a methodology or a method and should not be referenced in this way, they are reporting guidelines.

Common reasons for sending manuscripts back to authors include no cover letter or author statement, manuscripts with identifying information in files where blinding is required, files in a language other than English, and submissions where the guidelines for files that need to be submitted are not followed (e.g., tables and figures not in a separate file, no reporting guidelines checklist etc). The author statement must be in the format of a CRediT author statement see https://www.elsevier.com/researcher/author/policies-and-guidelines/credit-author-statement (see sections Authorship).

2.1 Research manuscripts - 3,500-6,000 words (excluding abstract, references, tables, and figures).

We publish high-quality original research aligned with the scope of the journal. Pilot studies are unlikely to be accepted.

Methodology, study design, and methods

Full details of the methodology, study design, and methods should be given and should be supported by appropriate literature. The following is not intended to cover all study types, but highlights some common issues we encounter:

  • It is important to be clear about methodology and methods. Methodology is the theoretical framework that underpins the study. It guides how the study is conducted and the lens used for analysis, interpretation, and reporting. The method is the tool/s used to address the research question e.g., interviews, focus groups, surveys etc.
  • Pretest-Posttest designs are often presented as quasi-experimental studies aiming to establish cause and effect. A significant problem with pre-post educational tests is that they nearly always lead to improvements in the intervention group, particularly when the measurement is immediately post-intervention. To promote the potential for publication, you are advised to substantiate longer-term knowledge retention, usually requiring a longitudinal element. A qualitative component can help amplify the quality of the study.
  • Lack of trial registration for randomised controlled trials e.g., clinicaltrials.gov. Authors are strongly encouraged to register their trial.
  • The methodology and methods of qualitative studies must be fully described. It is not enough to simply state it was a qualitative study as different qualitative traditions inform how studies are conducted. Avoid long series of participant quotes that do not demonstrate interpretation. The term saturation is highly contested in qualitative research, and we look for depth of analysis, not checklist statements of saturation that are rarely substantiated.
  • The hallmark of mixed-method research is the integration of rigorous quantitative and qualitative methods to comprehensively answer a research question/s. It is not simply presenting quantitative and qualitative data together. There should be evidence of integration. An open-ended field on a survey does not make a study mixed method You should consider the difference between mixed method and multi-method studies.
  • In reporting focus group data, there should be some indication of interaction between participants. You should clearly understand the difference between group interviews and focus groups.
  • Action Research studies have a strong underpinning theory and there should be evidence of the cyclic, interactive inquiry process.

New instruments and tools

Authors who describe the development of instruments or tools must fully justify why a new instrument/tool is needed by comprehensively discussing existing tools and their major limitations. There must be validation against robust criteria.

If translating a tool from one language to another, there must be a clear description of the context of the country. The translation of tools and scales from one language to another requires linguistic and semantic consistency and cultural equivalence to maintain the scale's validity and reliability. The methodological section should clearly explain the procedure adopted to ensure these aspects in the translation process. Reporting the Content Validity Index (CVI) of the translated/adapted/newly developed scale is highly recommended and reporting Cronbach's Alpha (and/or McDonald's Omega) is mandatory.

In the case of validation studies, the assumptions for multivariate analyses should be reported in the methodological section: e.g., missing values analysis (Little MCAR test or similar), multivariate outlier analysis and treatment, and multivariate normality. A validation study needs to include an Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and/or a Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), along with the CVI and reliability measures. Other validation approaches, such as Rasch's Models, are welcome. The analytical approach adopted needs to be consistent and properly supported by the assumptions.

2.2 Reviews - 3,500-6,000 words (excluding abstract, references, tables, and figures).

Reviews are welcomed by the Editors including: 1. systematic reviews, 2. reviews that are underpinned by a systematised approach. Narrative reviews, where there is no comprehensive search strategy, will not be accepted. Manuscripts should include a clear description of relevant reviews in the field to fully justify the knowledge gap that is being addressed. Scoping reviews are conducted to map the evidence base when little is known and are often conducted to scope the literature to determine the feasibility and potential scope of a systematic review. If there are comprehensive systematic reviews in the field, we are unlikely to accept a scoping review. Reporting of your review should follow the appropriate reporting guidelines. Reporting guidelines are not a review method and should not be referenced in this way. They are referenced as reporting guidelines only.

2.3 Contemporary Issues - 2,000-3,000 words (excluding abstract, references, tables, and figures).

Manuscripts in this section should focus on contemporary, educational issues within nursing, midwifery, and interprofessional healthcare education. They should address issues of substantive concern to the disciplines, particularly those of a controversial nature. The issues must be current, and although they can be of national importance, they must have international implications or be of relevance to an international audience. You should clearly state the issue that you are addressing. A description of an educational initiative, not linked to a contemporary issue, is unlikely to be accepted. These types of manuscripts are not short research reports (which we do not publish).

Contemporary Issues manuscripts are editorial in style and are fully peer reviewed. An abstract of up to 300 words is required, plus keywords, and as a guide, approximately eight references should be included (following the style as outlined in this guide). There is some flexibility with the number of references, but please keep in mind the need to be succinct within a relatively small word count and only include references that are critical to the points being made.

2.4 Big Ideas - 1,500-2,000 words.

You are invited to submit a review essay of a book (including works of fiction) or 'big idea' from the arts, sciences or humanities that has guided or influenced you as a practitioner, educator and/or academic. The review should normally focus on a book or idea from outside the immediate scope of nursing, midwifery, and healthcare, and might include an overview, a critical appraisal, and some thoughts about how it could be applied to practice and/or education. Critical commentaries of previously published contributions to the 'Big Ideas' series are also welcome. Abstracts and keywords are not required, and manuscripts should be submitted in the usual way, indicating that they are intended for the 'Big Ideas' section.

3. Additional support

3.1 Elsevier Researcher Academy

Researcher Academy is a free e-learning platform designed to support early and mid-career researchers throughout their research journeys. The "Learn" environment at Researcher Academy offers several interactive modules, webinars, downloadable guides, and resources to guide you through the process of writing for research and going through peer review. Feel free to use these free resources to improve your submission and navigate the publication process with ease.

3.2 Language (usage and editing services)

If you think your manuscript may require editing, or if a reviewer or Editor has asked you, to eliminate possible grammatical or spelling errors and to conform to correct scientific English you may wish to use the Language Editing service available from Elsevier's Language Services. If you require information about language editing and copyediting services pre- and post-submission please visit https://webshop.elsevier.com/language-editing/ or the customer support site at https://service.elsevier.com for more information. The Editor might recommend professional editing before acceptance.

4. Submission system

Submission to this journal is online at https://www2.cloud.editorialmanager.com/net/default2.aspx You will be guided stepwise through the creation and uploading of your files.

For enquiries relating to the submission of manuscripts (including electronic submission) please visit this journal's homepage. Contact details for questions arising after acceptance of an article, especially those relating to proofs, will be provided by the publisher. You can track accepted articles at https://www.elsevier.com/trackarticle. You can also check Author FAQs (https://www.elsevier.com/authorFAQ) and/or contact Customer Support via https://service.elsevier.com.

5. Before you begin

5.1 Ethics in publishing

The work described in your manuscript must have been carried out in accordance with The Code of Ethics of the World Medical Association (Declaration of Helsinki) for experiments involving humans https://www.wma.net/what-we-do/medical-ethics/declaration-of-helsinki/ and the Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts submitted to biomedical journals https://www.icmje.org This must be stated at an appropriate point in the manuscript. The approving bodies and approval number/s (if given) should be identified in the manuscript. If the study was exempt from approval, the basis of such exemption and the regulatory framework must be described.

Informed consent processes must be in accordance with the ethics approval. Appropriate consents, permissions, and releases must be obtained where you wish to include case details or other personal information or images of any individuals. You must retain written consents, but copies of consent documents should not be provided to the journal. In exceptional circumstances (for example, if a legal issue arises), and only if requested by the journal, you must provide copies of the consents or evidence that such consents have been obtained. For more information, please review the Elsevier Policy on the Use of Images or Personal Information of Patients or other Individuals

The personal details of any individual should not be given in any part of the manuscript or other documents, and all identifying information should be removed from all documents (including illustrations and videos) unless written consent has been given and the appropriate ethics approvals are in place. Carefully consider whether you need to include detailed demographic information of participants in qualitative studies, if the study has a small number of participants that could be identified.

5.2 Declaration of interest

All authors must disclose any financial and personal relationships with other people or organisations that could inappropriately influence (bias) their work. Examples of potential competing interests include employment, consultancies, stock ownership, honoraria, paid expert testimony, patent applications/registrations, and grants or other funding. Authors must disclose any interests in two places: 1. A summary declaration of interest statement in the title page file. If there are no interests to declare then please state this: 'Declarations of interest: none'. 2. Detailed disclosures as part of a separate Declaration of Interest form, which forms part of the journal's official records. It is important for potential interests to be declared in both places and that the information matches. More information.

5.3 Authorship

For transparency, we require corresponding authors to provide co-author contributions to the manuscript using the relevant CRediT roles. The CRediT taxonomy includes 14 different roles describing each contributor's specific contribution to the scholarly output. These roles are: conceptualisation; data curation; formal analysis; funding acquisition; investigation; methodology; project administration; resources; software; supervision; validation; visualisation; roles/writing - original draft; and writing - review and editing. Note that not all roles may apply to every manuscript and authors may have contributed through multiple roles. More details and an example.

Please note - long lists of authors must be fully justified according to the ICMJE criteria below:

Consistent with the ICMJE recommendations for authorship, authorship should be based on the following criteria:

  • "Substantial contributions to the conception or design of the work; or the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data for the work; AND
  • Drafting the work or reviewing it critically for important intellectual content; AND
  • Final approval of the version to be published; AND
  • Agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved".

See https://www.icmje.org/recommendations/browse/roles-and-responsibilities/defining-the-role-of-authors-and-contributors.html

The CRediT statement should be included on the Title page.

5.4 Changes to authorship

You MUST carefully consider the list and order of authors before you submit your manuscript and provide the definitive list of authors at the time of the original submission. Any addition, deletion, or rearrangement of author names in the authorship list should be made only before the manuscript has been accepted and only if approved by the journal Editor-in-Chief. To request such a change, the Editor must receive the following from the corresponding author: (a) the reason for the change in the author list and (b) written confirmation (e-mail, letter) from all authors confirming they agree with the addition, removal, or rearrangement. In the case of the addition or removal of authors, this includes confirmation from the author being added or removed.

Only in exceptional circumstances will the Editor consider the addition, deletion, or rearrangement of authors after the manuscript has been accepted. While the Editor considers the request, publication of the manuscript will be suspended. If the manuscript has already been published in an online issue, any requests approved by the Editor will result in a corrigendum.

5.5 Contributors and Acknowledgements

Individuals who provided help during the research (e.g., providing language help, writing assistance, or proofreading the manuscript, etc.) that do not meet the criteria for authorship, should be listed in the acknowledgements (Title Page file).

5.6 Use of inclusive language

Inclusive language acknowledges diversity, conveys respect to all people, is sensitive to differences, and promotes equal opportunities. Authors should not make assumptions about the beliefs or commitments of any reader. Manuscripts should not contain anything that might imply one individual is superior to another on the grounds of age, gender, race, ethnicity, culture, sexual orientation, disability, or health condition. Inclusive and person-centred language should be used throughout. Authors should ensure that writing is free from bias, stereotypes, slang, references to dominant culture and/or cultural assumptions. Gender neutrality should be at the forefront by using plural nouns (clinicians, patients/clients) as default and wherever possible avoid using "he, she," or "he/she." Descriptors that refer to personal attributes such as age, gender, race, ethnicity, culture, sexual orientation, disability, or health condition should be avoided unless they are relevant and valid. When coding terminology is used, offensive or exclusionary terms such as "master", "slave", "blacklist" and "whitelist" should be avoided. Alternatives that are more appropriate and (self) explanatory should be used such as "primary", "secondary", "blocklist" and "allowlist". These guidelines are meant as a point of reference to help identify appropriate language but are by no means exhaustive or definitive.

5.7 Sex and gender

Sex generally refers to a set of biological attributes that are associated with physical and physiological features (e.g., chromosomal genotype, hormonal levels, internal and external anatomy). A binary sex categorisation (male/female) is usually designated at birth ("sex assigned at birth"), most often based solely on the visible external anatomy of a newborn. Gender generally refers to socially constructed roles, behaviours, and identities of women, men, and gender-diverse people that occur in a historical and cultural context and may vary across societies and over time. Gender influences how people view themselves and each other, how they behave and interact, and how power is distributed in society. Sex and gender are often incorrectly portrayed as binary (female/male or woman/man) and unchanging. These constructs exist along a spectrum and include additional sex categorisations and gender identities such as people who are intersex/have differences of sex development (DSD) or identify as non-binary. The terms "sex" and "gender" can be ambiguous-thus it is important for authors to define the way they are used. In addition to this definition guidance and the SAGER guidelines, the resources on this page offer further insight into sex and gender in research studies.

Do not use 'he', 'his' etc where the sex of the person is unknown, say 'the nurse' etc. Avoid inelegant alternatives such as 'he/she'. Nurses and doctors should not be automatically designated as 'he/she'. In terms of style, try to avoid artificially objective language such as 'the author thought that' or 'the researcher' where this person is yourself. 'I' or 'we' are acceptable when related to matters concerning the author(s) or their opinions.

For research involving or pertaining to humans, animals or eukaryotic cells, investigators should integrate sex and gender-based analyses (SGBA) into their research design according to funder/sponsor requirements and best practices within a field. Authors should address the sex and/or gender dimensions of their research in their manuscript. In cases where they cannot, they should discuss this as a limitation to the generalisability of the research. Importantly, authors should explicitly state what definitions of sex and/or gender they are applying to enhance the precision, rigor, and reproducibility of their research and to avoid ambiguity or conflation of terms and the constructs to which they refer (see Definitions section below). Authors can refer to the Sex and Gender Equity in Research (SAGER) guidelines and the SAGER guidelines checklist. These offer systematic approaches to the use and editorial review of sex and gender information in study design, data analysis, outcome reporting and research interpretation - however, please note there is no single, universally agreed-upon set of guidelines for defining sex and gender.

6. Preparation of your manuscript

Submitted manuscripts should be written for an international audience and you should not assume knowledge of national and local practices, organisations, and professional bodies. You should avoid the use of acronyms and should use terminology that is internationally acceptable. Please consult a recent issue of the journal for style and structure.

6.1 Reporting guidelines

You should adhere to recognised reporting guidelines when writing your manuscript. These are not quality assessment frameworks or methods, and your study need not meet all criteria to be worthy of publication.

Reporting guidelines endorsed by the journal are listed below:

Observational cohort, case-control and cross-sectional studies - STROBE - Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology http://www.equator-network.org/index.aspx?o=1032

Experimental studies, better reporting of interventions: template for intervention description and replication (TIDieR)checklist and guide: https://www.equator-network.org/reporting-guidelines/tidier/

Quasi-experimental/non-randomised evaluations - TREND - Transparent Reporting of Evaluations with Non-randomized Designs http://www.equator-network.org/index.aspx?o=1032

Randomised (and quasi-randomised) controlled trial - CONSORT - Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials http://www.equator-network.org/index.aspx?o=1032

Study of Diagnostic accuracy/assessment scale - STARD - Standards for the Reporting of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies http://www.equator-network.org/index.aspx?o=1032

Systematic Review of Controlled Trials - PRISMA - Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses http://www.equator-network.org/index.aspx?o=1032 or for other types of reviews please see the equator reporting guidelines for reviews https://www.equator-network.org/reporting-guidelines-study-design/systematic-reviews-and-meta-analyses/?post_type=eq_guidelines

Systematic Review of Observational Studies - MOOSE - Meta-analysis of Observational Studies in Epidemiology http://www.equator-network.org/index.aspx?o=1032

Qualitative researchers might wish to consult the guidelines listed below:

Qualitative studies - COREQ - Consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research. Tong, A., Sainsbury, P., Craig, J., 2007. Consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research (COREQ): a 32-item checklist for interviews and focus groups. International Journal for Quality in Health Care 19 (6), 349-357. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/intghc/mzm042

OR

Qualitative studies - SRQR, Standards for reporting qualitative research: a synthesis of recommendations: https://www.equator-network.org/reporting-guidelines/srqr/

6.2 Presentation of Manuscripts

Abbreviations - As a general guide, abbreviations should be avoided, and if they are used, they must be well-known internationally and have a single meaning. Key concepts in your manuscript should not be abbreviated. Any abbreviations used should be written out in full and followed by the letters in brackets the first time they appear. Thereafter, only the letters without brackets should be used. Please note - do not use any abbreviations in abstracts.

Statistics - Standard methods of presenting statistical material should be used. Where methods used are not widely recognised, explanation and full reference to widely accessible sources must be given.

Exact p values should be given to no more than three decimal places.

Wherever possible give both point estimates and confidence intervals for all population parameters estimated by the study (e.g., group differences, frequency of characteristics). You should state the statistical package used and the version.

6.3 Covering letter

A cover letter to the editor must be submitted detailing the aim of the study, the gap in knowledge that the study addresses, and how the manuscript contributes to international new knowledge. Authorship contributions should be documented, including a justification if the author list is long. Details of all previous, current, and manuscripts under review from a single study must be provided (see section: Other/multiple and parallel publications).

6.4 Other/multiple and parallel publications

We are committed to full transparency in every article that is published. Only original papers that make a substantial novel contribution will be accepted. The journal's word limits should be appropriate to publish all aspects of a study within a single paper. To aid editorial decisions about distinctiveness and to avoid inadvertent duplication please upload copies of all previous, current, and under review publications from the single study being submitted for consideration of publication and give full details in the covering letter. See https://legacyfileshare.elsevier.com/assets/pdf_file/0009/163719/ETHICS_SS01a.pdf

6.5 Title page
  • The Title page should be provided as a separate file.
  • Your Title page should show the title in capital letters, with the authors' names (as they appear) in lower-case letters below the title.
  • For each author you should provide one first name as well as the family name and any initials
  • Authors' addresses should be limited to the minimum information needed to ensure accurate postal delivery. These details should be on the Title page below the authors' names and appointments
  • Authors should also provide a daytime contact telephone number and e-mail address. Authors may include their X (social media) handles on the Title page if they wish.
  • The title should explicitly describe the topic and type of paper and should be in the format "Topic/question: Design/type of paper" (e.g., Student nurse perceptions of risk in relation to international placements: A phenomenological research study). Country names in the title should not be included as there is some evidence this impacts on your work being cited. Details of the country can be included in the abstract and body of the manuscript.
  • All acknowledgements/contributions/funding statements should be listed on the author Title page file and not in the Manuscript file (to avoid disclosure to reviewers). There should be no author details appearing in the Manuscript file or the Response to Reviewers file for revised submissions.

6.6 Highlights

Highlights are required as they increase the discoverability of your article via search engines. They consist of a short collection of bullet points that capture the novel results of your research and new methods that were used during the study (if any). Please have a look at the example Highlights provided here. Highlights should be submitted in a separate editable file in the online submission system. Please use 'Highlights' in the file name and include 3 to 5 bullet points (maximum 85 characters, including spaces, per bullet point).

6.7 Abstract

An abstract of no more than 300 words is required that summarises the content. In the background section of the abstract please ensure you include a clear problem statement. The abstract must be included in your manuscript file and copied into a text box during the online submission process - the two versions must be identical. The abstract must not include references or abbreviations.

Abstracts of Research manuscripts must be structured. As guidance, they should include: Background; Aim; Design; Settings; Participants; Methods; Results; and Conclusions.

Abstracts for Reviews should, where possible, include the following headings: Aims, Design, Data sources, Review methods, Results, and Conclusions.

Abstracts for Contemporary Issues should align with the content, but a heading should be used to clearly describe the issue being addressed.

6.8 Keywords

Include 4-8 keywords. The purpose of keywords is to increase the likely accessibility of your paper to potential readers searching the literature. Therefore, ensure keywords are descriptive of the study. Refer to a recognised thesaurus of keywords wherever possible, for example, refer to the Medical Subject Headings (MeSH?) thesaurus or Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health (CINAHL) headings (see http://www.nlm.nih.gov/mesh/meshhome.html).

6.9 Headings

The content of your paper should determine the headings you use. If yours is a research paper the headings should follow the usual layout, such as: Introduction, Background/Literature, Aim, Methods, Data/Results/Findings, Discussion, Limitations, Conclusions. If your manuscript takes another form, you should use the appropriate headings, but bear in mind that headings should facilitate reading and understanding. You should use only two kinds of headings, major headings should be indicated by underlined capital letters in the centre of the page with minor headings underlined, in lower-case letters (beginning with a capital) and begin at the left-hand margin.

6.10 Reporting guidelines - files needed

Please upload a completed reporting guidelines checklist for the relevant research design detailing where the areas covered by the guideline are addressed in the manuscript. For Contemporary Issues or Big Ideas manuscripts, where no checklist applies, upload a file with 'reporting guideline not applicable'.

6.11 Role of the funding source and formatting funding sources

You are requested to identify who provided financial support for the research and/or preparation of the manuscript and to briefly describe the role of the sponsor(s), if any, in study design; in the collection, analysis and interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript; and in the decision to submit the manuscript for publication. If the funding source(s) had no such involvement, you need to state this.

List funding sources in this standard way to facilitate compliance with the funder's requirements:

Funding: This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health [grant numbers xxxx, yyyy]; the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Seattle, WA [grant number zzzz]; and the United States Institutes of Peace [grant number aaaa].

It is not necessary to include detailed descriptions of the program or type of grants and awards. When funding is from a block grant or other resources available to a university, college, or other research institution, submit the name of the institute or organisation that provided the funding.

If no funding has been provided for the research, it is recommended to include the following sentence:

"This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors."

6.12 Tables and figures

Submit these as separate files and not in the manuscript - up to 5 in total. The corresponding caption should be placed directly below the figure or table. Additional tables/figures (including large tables) can be included as supplementary material, which must be cited in the text (e.g., see supplementary material table X).

6.13 References

Citation in text

Please ensure every reference cited in the text is also present in the reference list (and vice versa). Unpublished results and personal communications are not recommended in the reference list but may be mentioned in the text. If these references are included in the reference list, they should follow the standard reference style of the journal and include a substitution of the publication date with either 'Unpublished results' or 'Personal communication'. The citation of a reference as 'in press' implies that the item has been accepted for publication.

Reference formatting

There are no strict requirements on reference formatting at submission, but references must have enough information to allow retrieval. References can be in any style or format if the style is consistent. Where applicable, author(s) name(s), journal title/book title, chapter title/article title, year of publication, volume number/book chapter and the article number or pagination must be present. The reference style used by the journal will be applied to the accepted article by Elsevier at the proof stage. Note that missing data will be highlighted at the proof stage for you to correct. If you do wish to format the references, they should be arranged according to the following examples:

Reference style

  • In the text, references should state the author's surname and the year of publication (Garrett, 2006). If there are two authors you should give both surnames (Warne and McAndrew, 2008). When a source has more than two authors, give the name of the first author followed by 'et al.'
  • Where a quotation is used within your manuscript the author, date and page number should be given, e.g., "has a beginning and an end; that it is best separated from the rest of our activities and that it is as a result of teaching" (Wenger, 1998, p.3).
  • A list of all references in your manuscript should be typed in alphabetical order. Each reference to a paper needs to include the authors' surnames and initials, year of publication, full title of the paper, full name of the journal, volume number, issue number and first and last page numbers. Do not add unnecessary punctuation.

For example: Henderson, A., Creedy, D., Boorman, R., Cooke, M., Walker, R., 2010. Development and psychometric testing of the Clinical Learning Organisational Culture Survey (CLOCS). Nurse Education Today 30 (7), 598-602. References to Books should be given in a slightly different form, as in these examples: Billings, D., Halstead, J., 2005. Teaching in nursing: A guide for Ffaculty, 2nd ed. Elsevier Saunders, St Louis, MO. Heron, J., Reason, P., 2006. The practice of co-operative inquiry: Research "with" rather than "on" people. In: Reason, P., Bradbury, H. (Eds), Handbook of Action Research. Sage Publications, London, pp. 145-154.

Reference management software

Most Elsevier journals have their reference template available in many of the most popular reference management software products. These include all products that support Citation Style Language styles, such as Mendeley. Using citation plug-ins from these products, authors only need to select the appropriate journal template when preparing their manuscript, after which citations and bibliographies will be automatically formatted in the journal's style. If no template is yet available for this journal, please follow the format of the sample references and citations as shown in this Guide. If you use reference management software, please ensure that you remove all field codes before submitting the electronic manuscript. More information on how to remove field codes from different reference management software.

Reference links

Increased discoverability of research and high-quality peer review are ensured by online links to the sources cited. To allow us to create links to abstracting and indexing services, such as Scopus, Crossref and PubMed, please ensure that the references are correct. Please note that incorrect surnames, journal/book titles, publication year and pagination may prevent link creation. When copying references, please be careful as they may already contain errors. Use of the Digital Object Identifier (DOI) is highly encouraged.

A DOI is guaranteed never to change, so you can use it as a permanent link to any electronic article. An example of a citation using DOI for an article not yet in an issue is: VanDecar J.C., Russo R.M., James D.E., Ambeh W.B., Franke M. (2003). Aseismic continuation of the Lesser Antilles slab beneath northeastern Venezuela. Journal of Geophysical Research, https://doi.org/10.1029/2001JB000884. Please note the format of such citations should be in the same style as all other references in the paper.

Web references

As a minimum, the full URL should be given and the date when the reference was last accessed. Any further information, if known (DOI, author names, dates, reference to a source publication, etc.), should also be given. Web references can be listed separately (e.g., after the reference list) under a different heading if desired or can be included in the reference list.

This journal encourages you to cite underlying or relevant datasets in your manuscript by citing them in your text and including a data reference in your reference list. Data references should include the following elements: author name(s), dataset title, data repository, version (where available), year, and global persistent identifier. Add [dataset] immediately before the reference so we can properly identify it as a data reference. This identifier will not appear in your published article.

Example: [dataset] Oguro, M., Imahiro, S., Saito, S., Nakashizuka, T., 2015. Mortality data for Japanese oak wilt disease and surrounding forest compositions. Mendeley Data, v1. http://dx.doi.org/10.17632/xwj98nb39r.1.

Preprint references

Where a preprint has subsequently become available as a peer-reviewed publication, the formal publication should be used as the reference. If there are preprints that are central to your work, or that cover crucial developments in the topic but are not yet formally published, these may be referenced. Preprints should be clearly marked as such, for example by including the word preprint, or the name of the preprint server, as part of the reference. The preprint DOI should also be provided.

6.14 Declaration of generative artificial intelligence in scientific writing

The below guidance only refers to the writing process, and not to the use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools to analyse and draw insights from data as part of the research process. Where you use generative AI and AI-assisted technologies in the writing process, you should only use these technologies to improve readability and language. Applying the technology should be done with human oversight and control, and you should carefully review and edit the result, as AI can generate authoritative-sounding output that can be incorrect, incomplete, or biased. AI and AI-assisted technologies should not be listed as an author or co-author or be cited as an author. Authorship implies responsibilities and tasks that can only be attributed to and performed by humans, as outlined in Elsevier's AI policy for authors.

Please disclose the use of generative AI and AI-assisted technologies in the writing process by adding a statement at the end of your manuscript in the main manuscript file, before the reference list. The statement should be placed in a new section entitled 'Declaration of generative AI and AI-assisted technologies in the writing process'.

Statement: During the preparation of this work the author(s) used [NAME TOOL / SERVICE] in order to [REASON]. After using this tool/service, the author(s) reviewed and edited the content as needed and take(s) full responsibility for the content of the publication.

This declaration does not apply to the use of basic tools for checking grammar, spelling, references etc. If there is nothing to disclose, there is no need to add a statement.

6.15 Artwork

Electronic artwork

General points

  • Make sure you use uniform lettering and sizing of your original artwork.
  • Embed the used fonts if the application provides that option.
  • Use the following fonts in your illustrations: Arial, Courier, Times New Roman, Symbol, or use fonts that look similar.
  • Number the illustrations according to their sequence in the text.
  • Use a logical naming convention for your artwork files.
  • Provide captions to illustrations separately.
  • Size the illustrations close to the desired dimensions of the published version.
  • Submit each illustration as a separate file.
  • Ensure that colour images are accessible to all, including those with impaired colour vision.

Formats

If your electronic artwork is created in a Microsoft Office application (Word, PowerPoint, Excel) then please supply 'as is' in the native document format. Regardless of the application used other than Microsoft Office, when your electronic artwork is finalised, please 'Save as' or convert the images to one of the following formats (note the resolution requirements for line drawings, halftones, and line/halftone combinations given below):

EPS (or PDF): Vector drawings, embed all used fonts.

TIFF (or JPEG): Colour or grayscale photographs (halftones), keep to a minimum of 300 dpi.

TIFF (or JPEG): Bitmapped (pure black and white pixels) line drawings, keep to a minimum of 1000 dpi.

TIFF (or JPEG): Combinations bitmapped line/half-tone (colour or grayscale), keep to a minimum of 500 dpi.

Please do not:

  • Supply files that are optimised for screen use (e.g., GIF, BMP, PICT, WPG); these typically have a low number of pixels and a limited set of colours;
  • Supply files that are too low in resolution;
  • Submit graphics that are disproportionately large for the content.

Colour artwork

Please make sure that artwork files are in an acceptable format (TIFF or JPEG), EPS (or PDF), or MS Office files) and with the correct resolution. If, together with your accepted article, you submit usable colour figures then Elsevier will ensure, at no additional charge, that these figures will appear in colour online (e.g., ScienceDirect and other sites) regardless of whether these illustrations are reproduced in colour in the printed version. For colour reproduction in print, you will receive information regarding the costs from Elsevier after receipt of your accepted article. Please indicate your preference for colour: in print or online only. Further information on the preparation of electronic artwork.

Illustrations

A detailed guide on electronic artwork is available on our website: https://www.elsevier.com/authors and below.

Video

Elsevier accepts video material and animation sequences to support and enhance your scientific research. Authors who have video or animation files that they wish to submit with their article are strongly encouraged to include links to these within the body of the article. This can be done in the same way as a figure or table by referring to the video or animation content and noting in the body text where it should be placed. All submitted files should be properly labelled so that they directly relate to the video file's content. To ensure your video or animation material is directly usable, please provide the file in one of our recommended file formats with a preferred maximum size of 150 MB per file, 1 GB in total. Video and animation files supplied will be published online in the electronic version of your article in Elsevier Web products, including ScienceDirect. Please supply 'stills' with your files: you can choose any frame from the video or animation or make a separate image. These will be used instead of standard icons and will personalise the link to your video data. For more detailed instructions please visit our video instruction pages. Note: since video and animation cannot be embedded in the print version of the journal, please provide text for both the electronic and the print versions for the portions of the article that refer to this content.

6.16 Data visualisation

Include interactive data visualisations in your publication and let your readers interact and engage more closely with your research. Follow the instructions here to find out about available data visualisation options and how to include them with your article.

6.17 Research data

This journal encourages and enables you to share data that supports your research publication where appropriate and enables you to interlink the data with your published articles. Research data refers to the results of observations or experimentation that validate research findings, which may also include software, code, models, algorithms, protocols, methods, and other useful materials related to the project.

Below are several ways in which you can associate data with your article or make a statement about the availability of your data when submitting your manuscript. If you are sharing data in one of these ways, you are encouraged to cite the data in your manuscript and reference list. Please refer to the "References" section for more information about data citation. For more information on depositing, sharing and using research data and other relevant research materials, visit the research data page.

6.18 Data linking

If you have made your research data available in a data repository, you can link your article directly to the dataset. Elsevier collaborates with several repositories to link articles on ScienceDirect with relevant repositories, giving readers access to underlying data that gives them a better understanding of the research described.

There are different ways to link your datasets to your article. When available, you can directly link your dataset to your article by providing the relevant information in the submission system. For more information, visit the database linking page.

For supported data repositories a repository banner will automatically appear next to your published article on ScienceDirect.

In addition, you can link to relevant data or entities through identifiers within the text of your manuscript, using the following format: Database: xxxx (e.g., TAIR: AT1G01020; CCDC: 734053; PDB: 1XFN).

6.19 Research Elements

This journal enables you to publish research objects related to your original research - such as data, methods, protocols, software and hardware - as an additional paper in a Research Elements journal.

Research Elements is a suite of peer-reviewed, open-access journals that make your research objects findable, accessible, and reusable. Articles place research objects into context by providing detailed descriptions of objects and their application and link to the associated original research articles. Research Elements articles can be prepared by you, or by one of your collaborators.

During submission, you will be alerted to the opportunity to prepare and submit a manuscript to one of the Research Elements journals. More information can be found on the Research Elements page.

6.20 Data statement

To foster transparency, we encourage you to state the availability of your data in your submission. This may be a requirement of your funding body or institution. If your data is unavailable to access or unsuitable to post, you will have the opportunity to indicate why during the submission process, for example by stating that the research data is confidential. The statement will appear with your published article on ScienceDirect. For more information, visit the Data Statement page.

7. After Acceptance

7.1 Online proof correction

To ensure a fast publication process of the article, we kindly ask you to provide your proof corrections within two days. Corresponding authors will receive an e-mail with a link to our online proofing system, allowing annotation and correction of proofs online. The environment is like MS Word: in addition to editing text, you can also comment on figures/tables and answer questions from the Copy Editor. Web-based proofing provides a faster and less error-prone process by allowing you to directly type your corrections, eliminating the potential introduction of errors.

If preferred, you can still choose to annotate and upload your edits on the PDF version. All instructions for proofing will be given in the e-mail we send to authors, including alternative methods to the online version and PDF.

We will do everything possible to publish your article quickly and accurately. Please use this proof only for checking the typesetting, editing, completeness and correctness of the text, tables, and figures. Significant changes to the article as accepted for publication will only be considered at this stage with permission from the Editor. It is important to ensure all corrections are sent back to us in one communication. Please check carefully before replying as the inclusion of any subsequent corrections cannot be guaranteed. Proofreading is solely your responsibility.

7.2 Offprints

The corresponding author will, at no cost, receive a customised Share Link providing 50 days of free access to the final published version of the article on ScienceDirect. The Share Link can be used for sharing the article via any communication channel, including email and social media. For an extra charge, paper offprints can be ordered via the offprint order form which is sent once the article is accepted for publication. Corresponding authors who have published their article Gold Open Access do not receive a Share Link as their final published version of the article is available open access on ScienceDirect and can be shared through the article DOI link.

7.3 Preprints

Please note preprints can be shared anywhere at any time, in line with Elsevier's sharing policy. Sharing your preprints, for example, on a preprint server, will not count as prior publication (see 'Multiple, redundant or concurrent publication' for more information).

7.4 Copyright

Upon acceptance of an article, authors will be asked to complete a 'Journal Publishing Agreement' (see more information on this). An email will be sent to the corresponding author confirming receipt of the manuscript together with a 'Journal Publishing Agreement' form or a link to the online version of this agreement.

Subscribers may reproduce tables of contents or prepare lists of articles including abstracts for internal circulation within their institutions. Permission of the Publisher is required for resale or distribution outside the institution and for all other derivative works, including compilations and translations. If excerpts from other copyrighted works are included, the author(s) must obtain written permission from the copyright owners and credit the source(s) in the article. Elsevier has pre-printed forms for use by authors in these cases.

For Gold Open Access articles: Upon acceptance of an article, authors will be asked to complete a 'License Agreement' (more information). Permitted third-party reuse of Gold O pen Access articles is determined by the author's choice of user license.

7.5 Author rights

As an author, you (or your employer or institution) have certain rights to reuse your work. More information.

7.6 Elsevier supports responsible sharing

Find out how you can share your research published in Elsevier journals.

7.7 Open access

Please visit our Open Access page for more information about open access publishing in this journal.

7.8 Permission

Permission to reproduce previously published material must be obtained in writing from the copyright holder (usually the publisher) and acknowledged in the manuscript.

8. Author inquiries

Visit the Elsevier Support Center to find the answers you need. Here you will find everything from Frequently Asked Questions to ways to get in touch. You can also check the status of your submitted article or find out when your accepted article will be published.