Submissions

Author Guidelines

NeuScience welcomes original research articles, reviews, and communications across all areas of natural and applied sciences. Please review these guidelines carefully before submitting your manuscript.

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1. Manuscript Types

Research Articles
Full-length original research reports presenting significant new findings. Word limit: 4,000–8,000 words (excluding abstract, references, figure legends, and tables). Maximum 8 figures/tables combined. No limit on references.

Review Articles
Comprehensive, authoritative reviews of important topics. Word limit: 6,000–12,000 words. Authors should contact the editorial office before submission to confirm suitability. Maximum 10 figures/tables. Minimum 80 references expected.

Short Communications
Brief reports of exceptional findings requiring rapid publication. Word limit: 2,000–3,000 words. Maximum 3 figures/tables. Maximum 30 references.

Methods Articles
Detailed descriptions of new methods, protocols, or significant improvements to existing techniques. Word limit: 3,000–6,000 words. Must include validation data.

Perspectives
Opinion pieces on topics of broad interest to the scientific community. Word limit: 2,000–4,000 words. By invitation or proposal to editors.

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2. Formatting Requirements

File Formats

• Main manuscript: Microsoft Word (.docx) or LaTeX (.tex with .pdf)
• Figures: TIFF, EPS, PDF, or high-resolution PNG (minimum 300 DPI)
• Tables: Editable format within manuscript or as separate Word/Excel files
• Supplementary materials: PDF preferred; videos as MP4 or MOV

Language
All manuscripts must be written in clear, grammatically correct English. Either American or British spelling is acceptable but must be consistent throughout. Authors whose first language is not English are encouraged to use professional editing services before submission.

Font and Spacing

• Font: Times New Roman, 12 point
• Line spacing: Double-spaced throughout
• Margins: 2.5 cm (1 inch) on all sides
• Page numbers: Bottom center of each page
• Line numbers: Continuous throughout the manuscript

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3. Manuscript Structure

Title Page (Page 1)

• Title: Concise and informative (maximum 150 characters including spaces). Avoid abbreviations and formulae.
• Running title: Maximum 50 characters
• Authors: Full names (First Name, Middle Initial, Last Name)
• Affiliations: Department, Institution, City, Country for each author
• Corresponding author: Name, full postal address, email, telephone
• ORCID iDs: Required for all authors
• Word count: Abstract and main text (separately)
• Number of figures and tables

Abstract (Page 2)

• Word limit: 150–300 words
• For Research Articles, use structured format: Background, Methods, Results, Conclusions
• For Reviews, use unstructured narrative format
• No references, figures, or abbreviations (except standard ones)
• Must stand alone and be comprehensible without the main text

Keywords
Provide 4–6 keywords immediately after the abstract. Use terms suitable for indexing. Avoid words already in the title.

Main Text Sections

Introduction
State the objectives and provide adequate background. Avoid detailed literature survey or summary of results. Should answer: What is the problem? Why is it important? What is your approach?

Materials and Methods
Provide sufficient detail for reproducibility. Include:

• Study design and setting
• Participants/samples (with inclusion/exclusion criteria)
• Interventions or exposures
• Data collection procedures
• Statistical analysis methods (including software and version)
• Ethical approvals (IRB/IACUC numbers)

Results
Present findings clearly and logically. Use subheadings for complex results. Do not duplicate data in figures/tables and text. Report exact P-values (e.g., P = 0.023, not P < 0.05). Include effect sizes and confidence intervals where appropriate.

Discussion
Interpret results in context of existing literature. Address:

• Principal findings and their significance
• Comparison with previous studies
• Mechanisms and explanations
• Limitations of the study
• Implications for future research and practice

Conclusions
Brief paragraph summarizing main findings and their significance. Avoid simply restating results.

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4. References

Citation Style: APA 7th Edition

In-text Citations

• Single author: (Smith, 2023)
• Two authors: (Smith & Jones, 2023)
• Three or more authors: (Smith et al., 2023)
• Multiple citations: (Smith, 2020; Jones, 2021; Brown et al., 2023)
• Direct quotes: Include page number (Smith, 2023, p. 45)

Reference List Format

Journal Article:
Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C. (Year). Title of article. Journal Name, Volume(Issue), Page–Page. https://doi.org/xxxxx

Book:
Author, A. A. (Year). Title of book (Edition). Publisher. https://doi.org/xxxxx

Book Chapter:
Author, A. A. (Year). Title of chapter. In E. E. Editor (Ed.), Title of book (pp. xx–xx). Publisher.

Website:
Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title of page. Site Name. URL

Preprint:
Author, A. A. (Year). Title of preprint. Repository Name. https://doi.org/xxxxx

Reference Guidelines

• Include DOIs for all references where available
• Verify all references against original sources
• Avoid excessive self-citation
• Cite primary sources rather than reviews when possible
• Include recent references (within last 5 years) where relevant
• Unpublished data and personal communications should be cited in text only, not in reference list

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5. Figures

General Requirements

• Resolution: Minimum 300 DPI for photographs, 600 DPI for line art
• Color mode: RGB for online, CMYK available for print
• File formats: TIFF (preferred), EPS, PDF, or high-resolution PNG
• Maximum file size: 20 MB per figure
• Width: Single column (8.5 cm) or double column (17.5 cm)

Figure Components

• Panel labels: Capital letters (A, B, C) in bold, top-left corner
• Font: Arial or Helvetica, minimum 8 point after sizing
• Scale bars: Required for all microscopy images (include in figure, not legend)
• Axis labels: Include units in parentheses
• Error bars: Define in legend (SD, SEM, 95% CI)

Figure Legends
Place after References on a separate page. Each legend should include:

• Brief title (bold, one sentence)
• Description of each panel
• Definition of symbols, lines, colors, error bars
• Statistical information (n values, P-values)
• Scale bar values
• Abbreviations used

Image Integrity

• No excessive manipulation of images
• Adjustments to brightness/contrast must be applied to entire image
• Spliced or composite images must be clearly indicated
• Original, unprocessed images may be requested during review

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6. Tables

General Requirements

• Submit as editable text, not images
• Number consecutively (Table 1, Table 2, etc.)
• Place each table on a separate page after figure legends
• Maximum width: Portrait orientation preferred

Table Structure

• Title: Brief and descriptive, placed above table
• Column headings: Clear, with units in parentheses
• Horizontal lines: Only at top, below headers, and at bottom
• No vertical lines
• Footnotes: Use superscript lowercase letters (a, b, c)

Table Content

• Align decimal points vertically
• Use consistent number of decimal places
• Include sample sizes (n) for each group
• Report exact P-values
• Define all abbreviations in footnotes

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7. Supplementary Materials

Supplementary materials are peer-reviewed but published online only. Suitable content includes:

• Extended methods and protocols
• Additional figures and tables
• Raw data and datasets
• Video and audio files
• Code and software
• Questionnaires and survey instruments

File naming: FigureS1, TableS1, VideoS1, etc.
File size limit: 50 MB per file, 100 MB total

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8. Equations and Mathematical Notation

• Use MathType or Equation Editor for complex equations
• Number equations consecutively: (1), (2), (3)
• Define all variables and symbols upon first use
• Use italics for variables (e.g., x, y, n)
• Use roman (upright) for functions (sin, cos, log, exp)
• Use bold for vectors and matrices

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9. Units, Nomenclature, and Abbreviations

Units: Use SI units (International System of Units). Use negative exponents (mg·L⁻¹) rather than solidus (mg/L).

Gene and Protein Names:

• Human genes: Italicized capitals (BRCA1)
• Mouse genes: Italicized, first letter capital (Brca1)
• Proteins: Roman, capitals (BRCA1)

Species Names: Italicized with authority on first mention (Escherichia coli). May abbreviate subsequently (E. coli).

Abbreviations: Define at first use. Do not use abbreviations in title. Standard abbreviations (DNA, RNA, ATP) need not be defined.

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10. Statistical Requirements

• Describe statistical methods with enough detail for verification
• Identify statistical software and version
• Report test statistics (t, F, χ², etc.) with degrees of freedom
• Report exact P-values to 2–3 significant figures (P = 0.034, not P < 0.05)
• Include effect sizes (Cohen d, odds ratio, etc.)
• Include confidence intervals (95% CI preferred)
• For multiple comparisons, describe correction method
• Define error bars in all figures
• Report sample sizes for all experiments

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11. Ethical Requirements

Human Subjects Research

• IRB/Ethics committee approval required
• Include approval number in Methods
• Statement of informed consent required
• Follow Declaration of Helsinki principles
• Clinical trials must be registered (ClinicalTrials.gov, ISRCTN, etc.)
• Report CONSORT checklist for randomized trials

Animal Research

• IACUC approval required
• Follow ARRIVE 2.0 guidelines
• Describe housing, husbandry, and welfare
• Justify animal numbers and minimize suffering

Plagiarism and Originality

• All submissions screened with iThenticate
• Similarity index typically should be below 15%
• Verbatim copying, even with citation, is not acceptable
• Self-plagiarism (reusing own published text) must be avoided

Conflicts of Interest
All authors must disclose any financial or personal relationships that could influence the work. This includes employment, consultancies, stock ownership, honoraria, patents, and personal relationships.

Authorship
Follow ICMJE criteria. All authors must have:

1. Substantial contributions to conception/design or data acquisition/analysis
2. Drafted or critically revised the manuscript
3. Approved the final version
4. Agreed to be accountable for all aspects of the work

Use CRediT taxonomy to describe specific contributions.

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12. Data Availability

Authors must include a Data Availability Statement. Data should be deposited in appropriate repositories:

• Genomics: NCBI GEO, ArrayExpress, SRA
• Proteomics: PRIDE, PeptideAtlas
• Structures: PDB, EMDB
• General: Figshare, Dryad, Zenodo, OSF

Code should be deposited on GitHub, GitLab, or Zenodo with a DOI.

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13. Submission Checklist

Before submitting, ensure you have:

• ☐ Cover letter addressed to the Editor
• ☐ Title page with all required information
• ☐ Abstract within word limit
• ☐ Keywords (4–6)
• ☐ Main text properly structured
• ☐ References in APA 7th format with DOIs
• ☐ Figure files (high resolution, proper format)
• ☐ Figure legends (complete descriptions)
• ☐ Tables (editable, properly formatted)
• ☐ Supplementary materials (if applicable)
• ☐ Ethics statement and approval numbers
• ☐ Conflicts of interest statement
• ☐ Author contributions (CRediT format)
• ☐ Data availability statement
• ☐ Funding statement
• ☐ ORCID iDs for all authors
• ☐ Suggested reviewers (3–5, with emails)
• ☐ Excluded reviewers (optional)

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14. Review and Publication Process

Timeline

• Initial editorial decision: 3–5 business days
• Peer review: 4–6 weeks
• Revision period: 4 weeks (minor), 8 weeks (major)
• Publication after acceptance: 2–4 weeks

Review Process
All submissions undergo rigorous double-blind peer review. At least two independent reviewers evaluate each manuscript. Editors make final decisions based on reviewer recommendations.

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15. Article Processing Charges

Launch Offer: APCs are completely waived for all submissions received before December 31, 2026.

Standard APCs (effective January 2027):

• Research Articles: $1,800 USD
• Review Articles: $2,200 USD
• Short Communications: $1,200 USD

Waivers available for authors from low-income countries.

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Questions?

Contact the editorial office at editorial@neuscience.org