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Information for Authors

About the Journal

FESJ is an Open Access international, peer-reviewed journal publishing high-quality, original research. Please see the journal's Aims & Scope for information about its focus and peer-review policy. Open Access means you can publish your research so it is free to access online as soon as it is published, meaning anyone can read (and cite) your work. Please note that this journal only publishes manuscripts in English. FESJ accepts the following types of articles: original papers, reviews, and book reviews.

Language

Manuscripts must be written in English in a clear and concise manner. Any author who is not fluent in idiomatic English is urged to seek assistance with manuscript preparation prior to submission. Reviewers are not expected to correct grammatical errors, and any deficiency in this area may detract from the scientific content of the paper and result in acceptance delays or rejection.

Types of Articles

The journal publishes the following types of contributions:

  1. Original Articles:
    • Comprehensive research articles providing in-depth exploration in various scientific disciplines.
  2. Short Communications:
    • Complete manuscripts of significant importance that are shorter in length or depth compared to full articles.
    • Specifications:
      • Total figures and tables: Maximum of 4.
      • Word count: Up to 3,000 words.
  3. Review Articles:
    • Articles offering a broad overview of a subject, often incorporating meta-analyses.
    • Specifications:
      • Word count: Typically less than 10,000 words.
      • Abstract: Unstructured.
      • References: Must include up-to-date citations.
    • Review articles are valued for their teaching potential and comprehensive insights into the topic.
  4. Mini Reviews:
    • Concise reviews focusing on recent and critical topics in a clear and focused manner.
    • Specifications:
      • Word count: Limited to 5,000 words.

Each type of article is designed to cater to different levels of detail and focus, ensuring a wide range of scholarly contributions.

Before Submission

To ensure your manuscript meets the requirements for submission, please verify the following:

  1. Originality:
    • The manuscript is an original work and has not been published or submitted for review elsewhere, including journals or conference proceedings.
  2. Research Ethics:
    • The study complies with all research ethics guidelines.
    • If the work involves human or animal subjects, include a separate section titled "Ethics Approval" in the manuscript.
  3. Language Quality:
    • The manuscript must be written in clear and acceptable English, free from grammatical and spelling errors.
  4. Formatting:
    • Ensure the manuscript is formatted according to the FESJ Manuscript Template.
  5. Figures:
    • All figures should be of high quality and uploaded as separate files.
  6. References:
    • References must be correctly formatted and numbered in the order they appear in the text.
    • Follow the specified reference style.
  7. Relevance and Quality:
    • The manuscript should be of high quality and align with the aims and scope of the journal.
  8. 8. Adherence to Guidelines:
    • o Manuscripts must comply with all FESJ submission guidelines.

Note: Submissions that fail to adhere to these criteria will either be rejected outright or returned to the author for revision before proceeding to the peer review process.

Preparation of Manuscripts

Authors should prepare and submit their manuscripts according to the following guidelines:

Submission Format

  • Manuscripts must be submitted as Word files (Word 2007 or later) through the online Manuscript Tracking System.
  • For manuscripts with mathematical content, submission in LaTeX is also acceptable.

Formatting Requirements

  1. Text Formatting:
    • Use Times New Roman font, size 10 pt, with double line spacing.
    • Text should be fully justified on both the left and right margins.
    • Use boldface, italics, subscripts, and superscripts where necessary.
  2. Layout:
    • Employ a single-column format with justified margins.
    • Include continuous line numbering throughout the text.
    • Number all manuscript pages.
  3. Equations:

    Use the Equation Editor or MathType for creating equations.

  4. Tables:

    Use the table function in your word processor to create tables.

  5. Headings:

    Adopt a decimal system for headings with no more than three levels (e.g., 1., 2., 2.1, 2.1.1, etc.).

  6. Proofreading:

    Use the spell-check and grammar-check tools of your word processor to avoid errors.

Adhering to these standards ensures clarity and uniformity, facilitating the review and publication process.

Manuscript Preparation and Submission Guidelines

Online Submission

Manuscripts should be submitted by one of the authors via the Manuscript Tracking System (MTS). Ensure compliance with the following:

  • Accepted file formats: Word (.doc, .docx, .rtf).
  • No page limit for submissions.
  • Submissions by individuals other than the authors will not be accepted.
  • The submitting author is responsible for the manuscript during submission and peer review.
  • If submission through MTS is technically unfeasible, contact the journal's support team for assistance.

In addition to the main manuscript file, journal requires authors to submit several other files to support their research and facilitate the review process. Here the files that need to be submitted:

  • Title Page: A separate page with the manuscript title, author names and affiliations, and contact information for the corresponding author.
  • Abstract: A concise summary of your research, typically including the background, methods, results, and conclusions.
  • Author Agreement: define copyright ownership/licensing, author/publisher rights and responsibilities (including originality, warranties, and publication rights), and authors signatures.
  • Cover Letter: A brief letter to the editor introducing your manuscript and highlighting its key findings and significance.

Note:

It is very important for the author to specify the classification of his research during the submission process.
Please do not include the author's name or any contact information in the main manuscript file as the above information will be included in the cover letter file.

Initial Evaluation

Manuscripts undergo an initial check by the Editorial Office to ensure compliance with:

  • Formatting and ethical guidelines.
  • Plagiarism screening via iThenticate software.

Manuscripts that fail to meet these criteria will be rejected or returned to authors for revisions before peer review. The Editor-in-Chief reviews submissions for scope and scientific soundness. Manuscripts with insufficient quality or language issues will be rejected at this stage.

Submission Declaration and Verification

Submission implies:

  1. The manuscript has not been previously published or is under review elsewhere, except in forms like abstracts or theses.
  2. Publication has been approved by all authors and responsible authorities.
  3. Manuscripts are screened via Crossref Similarity Check Powered by iThenticate for originality.

Article Structure

Manuscripts should follow this structure:

  1. Title Page
  2. Abstract and Keywords
  3. Introduction
  4. Materials and Methods (or Experimental/Methodology/Patients and Methods)
  5. Results
  6. Discussion (or combined Results and Discussion)
  7. Conclusion
  8. Acknowledgments
  9. Conflicts of Interest
  10. References
  11. Arabic Abstract
  12. Tables
  13. Figures

Detailed Guidelines

Title Page

The title page should include the following in English and Arabic:

  1. Title: Brief, descriptive, and in Times New Roman, 14 pt, bold.
  2. Authors and Affiliations: Names and affiliations in Times New Roman, 11 pt, bold. Use superscript letters for affiliations.
  3. Corresponding Author: Marked with an asterisk and include contact details. Provide a 16-digit ORCID if available.
  4. Running Title: Maximum of 80 characters.

Abstract and Keywords

  • Abstract: Self-contained, citation-free, ≤300 words, Times New Roman, 9 pt.
  • Keywords: 4-6 terms, separated by semicolons, Times New Roman, 10 pt.

Main Sections

  1. Introduction: Succinctly justify the work's significance.
  2. Materials and Methods: Provide sufficient detail for reproducibility. Include vendor details for materials and statistical methods used.
  3. Results and Discussion: Combine or separate as appropriate. Present data logically, with tables and figures. Explore implications, limitations, and future research directions.
  4. Conclusion: Highlight key findings and recommendations.

Acknowledgments

List contributors and funding sources. Ensure permissions are obtained for named individuals.

Conflicts of Interest

Authors must disclose relevant interests or state if none exist.

Formatting and Technical Guidelines

Figures

  • Submit high-quality figures in vector or bitmap formats (e.g., EPS, JPEG, TIFF).
  • Minimum resolution: 300 dpi.
  • Labels and images should be in separate layers.
  • Captions: Times New Roman, 9 pt, bold, below the figure.

Tables

  • Include descriptive titles above the tables.
  • Avoid vertical rules.
  • Captions: Times New Roman, 9 pt, bold.

Additional Requirements

Nomenclature and Units

Use SI units throughout, with any non-SI units in parentheses.

By adhering to these guidelines, authors can ensure a smooth submission and review process for their manuscripts.

Statements & Declarations

All manuscripts must include a 'Statements and Declarations' section following the References section. Submissions without these statements will be returned as incomplete.

Funding

Authors must disclose all sources of financial support for the work, including grants, funding agencies, and grant numbers. If no funding was received, this must also be stated. Disclose all funding sources, including grant numbers. If no funding was received, state the employer under whose auspices the research was conducted.

Example Statements:

  • With Funding: "This work was supported by [Funding Agency Name] (Grant numbers [Grant Number 1] and [Grant Number 2]). Author A.B. has received research support from Company A."
  • Without Funding: "The authors declare that no funds, grants, or other support were received during the preparation of this manuscript."

This transparency ensures ethical compliance and fosters trust in the research process.

Competing Interests

Authors are required to disclose financial or non-financial interests that are directly or indirectly related to the work submitted for publication. Interests within the last 3 years of beginning the work (conducting the research and preparing the work for submission) should be reported. Interests outside the 3-year time frame must be disclosed if they could reasonably be perceived as influencing the submitted work.

Example statements:

  • “Financial interests: Author A and B declare they have no financial interests. Author C has received speaker and consultant honoraria from Company M. Dr. C has received speaker honorarium and research funding from Company M and Company N. Author D has received travel support from Company O. Non-financial interests: Author D has served on advisory boards for Company M and Company N.”
  • “The authors have no relevant financial or non-financial interests to disclose.”

Please refer to the “Competing Interests” section below for more information on how to complete these sections.

Author Contributions

Authors are strongly encouraged to include a detailed statement outlining each author's contribution to the research and manuscript preparation. This statement should be included under the 'Statements and Declarations' section.

Example Statement:

"All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation, data collection, and analysis were performed by [Full Name], [Full Name], and [Full Name]. The first draft of the manuscript was written by [Full Name], and all authors reviewed and commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript."

Guidelines for Completion

  • Clearly identify the roles and contributions of each author.
  • Ensure that all listed authors meet the journal’s authorship criteria.
  • Confirm that all authors have reviewed and approved the final manuscript.

Refer to the Authorship Principles section for more details on authorship criteria and responsibilities.

Data Availability

This journal encourages authors to provide an optional statement of data availability in their article. Data Availability Statements should include information on where data supporting the results reported in the article can be found, including, where applicable, hyperlinks to publicly archived datasets analyzed or generated during the study. Data availability statements can also indicate whether data are available on request from the authors and where no data are available, if appropriate.

Example statements:

  • “The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are available in the [NAME] repository, [PERSISTENT LINK TO DATASETS].”
  • “The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.”

Please refer to the “Research Data Policy and Data Availability” section below for more information on how to complete this section.

Ethics Approval

Authors of research involving human or animal subjects should include a statement that confirms that the study was approved (or granted exemption) by the appropriate institutional and/or national research ethics committee (including the name of the ethics committee and reference number, if available). For research involving animals, their data, or biological material, authors should supply detailed information on the ethical treatment of their animals in their submission. If a study was granted exemption or did not require ethics approval, this should also be detailed in the manuscript.

“This study was performed in line with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. Approval was granted by the Ethics Committee of University B (Date.../No....).”

“This is an observational study. The XYZ Research Ethics Committee has confirmed that no ethical approval is required.”

For detailed information on relevant ethical standards and criteria, please refer to the sections on “Research involving human participants, their data or biological material”, “Research involving animals, their data or biological material”.

Consent to Participate

For all research involving human subjects, freely-given, informed consent to participate in the study must be obtained from participants (or their parent or legal guardian in the case of children under 16) and a statement to this effect should appear in the manuscript.

Example Statements:

  • “Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.”
  • “Written informed consent was obtained from the parents.”

Please refer to the section on “Informed Consent” for additional help with completing this information.

Consent to Publish

Individuals may consent to participate in a study but object to having their data published in a journal article. If your manuscript contains any individual person’s data in any form (including any individual details, images, or videos), consent for publication must be obtained from that person, or in the case of children, their parent or legal guardian. This is particularly applicable to case studies. A statement confirming that consent to publish has been received from all participants should appear in the manuscript.

Example Statement:

“The authors affirm that human research participants provided informed consent for publication of the images in Figure(s) 1a, 1b, and 1c.”

Please refer to the section on “Informed Consent” for additional help with completing this information.

Proofs

One set of page proofs (as PDF files) will be sent by e-mail to the corresponding author. Please use this proof only for checking the typesetting, editing, completeness, and correctness of the text, tables, and figures. We will do our best to get your article published quickly and accurately. Therefore, it is important to ensure that all of your corrections are sent back in one communication within 48 hours. Proofreading is solely your responsibility. Note that the publisher may proceed with the publication of an article if no response is received.

Revised Manuscripts

When submitting a revised manuscript, ensure that the following files are included:

  1. Revised Manuscript (with Changes Highlighted):
    • Use the "Track Changes" feature in Microsoft Word to clearly indicate all modifications made since the original submission.
    • Save and upload this file as: "Revised Article with Changes Highlighted."
  2. Response to Reviewers:
    • Address each specific point raised by the reviewers and editors.
    • Include detailed responses for every comment, specifying the changes made to the manuscript in response to the feedback.
    • Save and upload this file as: "Response to Reviewers."
  3. Revised Manuscript (Clean Copy):
    • Provide a clean, final version of your revised manuscript with all changes incorporated, but without visible markup.
    • Save and upload this file as: "Manuscript."

Following these guidelines will ensure that your revised submission is complete and ready for further evaluation.

After Acceptance

Upon acceptance, your article will be exported to production to undergo typesetting. Once the typesetting is complete, you will receive the proofs.

Peer Review

All manuscripts are subjected to peer review and are expected to meet the standards of academic excellence. If approved by the editor, submissions will be considered by peer reviewers, whose identities will remain anonymous to the authors and vice versa. Identities of authors will remain anonymous to the reviewers (Double-blind peer review). The decision regarding the acceptance or rejection of a manuscript is the responsibility of the editorial board and is based on the recommendations of the reviewers (peer-reviewed process).

Our Research Integrity team will occasionally seek advice outside standard peer review, for example, on submissions with serious ethical, security, biosecurity, or societal implications. We may consult experts and the academic editor before deciding on appropriate actions, including but not limited to recruiting reviewers with specific expertise, assessment by additional editors, and declining to further consider a submission.

Ethical Guidelines

Authors must adhere to the following ethical standards when conducting studies involving human or animal subjects:

Studies Involving Human Subjects

  • All research must comply with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki (1964) and its later amendments.
  • Manuscripts must include:
    1. A statement confirming that the study was conducted with the informed consent of all human participants.
    2. A declaration that the study was approved by the relevant Ethical Committee.
  • Any experimental work that carries potential risks to human subjects must explicitly outline the measures taken to minimize harm.

Studies Involving Animal Subjects

  • Manuscripts must provide a detailed description of any anesthetic or surgical procedures used.
  • Authors must demonstrate that every effort was made to minimize animal suffering at all stages of the experiment.

By following these guidelines, authors ensure ethical compliance and uphold the integrity of their research.

Complying with Ethics of Experimentation

Authors must ensure that all research reported in submitted manuscripts is conducted ethically and responsibly, adhering to all relevant experimental codes and legislation.

Ethics Approval Statement

For original research involving humans, animals, plants, biological materials, protected or non-public datasets, collections, or sites, manuscripts must include an Ethics Approval section detailing the following:

For Research Involving Humans

  1. The name of the ethics committee(s) or institutional review board(s) involved.
  2. The number or ID of the ethics approval(s).
  3. A statement confirming that informed consent was obtained from human participants before their involvement in the research.

For Research Involving Animals

  1. Adherence to international, national, and institutional guidelines for the humane treatment of animals.
  2. Approval details, including:
    • Names of the ethics committee(s) or institutional review board(s).
    • Ethics approval number or ID.
  3. Justification for the use of animals and the specific species selected.
  4. Details on housing, feeding, and environmental enrichment, along with measures taken to minimize animal suffering.
  5. Information on the methods of anesthesia and euthanasia employed.

These requirements are mandatory for ensuring transparency, ethical compliance, and the responsible reporting of research practices.

Supplementary Materials

Authors have the option to publish supplementary files online alongside their articles or book chapters. These files should adhere to the following guidelines:

Required Information

Each supplementary file must include:

  1. Article Title
  2. Journal Name
  3. Authors' Names and Affiliations
  4. Email Address of the Corresponding Author

Submission and Publication

  • Supplementary files will be published exactly as received from the authors.
  • No conversion, editing, or reformatting will be performed by the journal.

This ensures the supplementary materials are readily accessible and maintain their original format as intended by the authors.

Article Publishing Charge

The journal does not impose any Article Processing Charges (APCs) for submissions during its initial two years of operation.