Guidelines for file preparation

Cover Letter

File name: cover-letter.docx

The Cover Letter should be addressed to the Editor-in-Chief of Bioscience Journal.

This document is intended to introduce the submitted manuscript and highlight its relevance. It must include:

  • Clear identification of the manuscript (title, area and article type).
  • Contact information for the corresponding author.
  • A concise description of the relevance of the manuscript and its main findings.
  • An objective statement regarding the suitability of the work for the scope of Bioscience Journal, justifying why the article may be of interest to the journal's readers.
  • A statement confirming that the manuscript is original, is not being evaluated by another journal, and that all authors adhere to the journal's policies.
  • Results and copies of decision letters from any previous evaluation the submission has already undergone.
  • [Optional] Suggestions for reviewers to be considered and/or avoided.

Title Page

File name: title-page.docx

 The Title Page is the first part of your manuscript and must contain essential information for identifying the work and the authors. Submit this document separately from the main body of the manuscript.

 The Title Page must contain the following information: 

  • Article Title: The full title of the manuscript, limited to 35 words. The title must be clear, concise, and mention the study design (e.g., randomized clinical trial, systematic review). 
  • Author Information: For each author, include: 
  • Full name
  • ORCID identifier (including the full URL, e.g., https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1825-0097). See our Authorship and Responsibility Policy for ORCID requirements.
  • Full Institutional Affiliation: State the department name (if a professor or undergraduate student), name of the postgraduate program (if a postgraduate student), or the name of the private clinic/workplace (if there is no formal academic affiliation). Then, include the full name of the institution (do not use acronyms or abbreviations), city, state, and country. 
  • Corresponding Author Contact: Name and email address of the author responsible for communication with the journal during the editorial process and after publication. 

 Do not include on the Title Page:

  • Academic degrees or titles of authors (e.g., Dr., PhD).
  • Acronyms or abbreviations in the institution's name in the affiliation.

Main Document (for evaluation)

File name: manuscript-for-evaluation.docx

The Main Document is the body of your manuscript, formatted for the peer review process. It must be submitted in Word format and must not contain information that identifies the authors.

The document must include the following sections:

  • Title: Must contain only the title of the article, up to 35 words, and must mention the study design (e.g., randomized clinical trial, systematic review).
  • Abstract: A structured text of up to 250 words, mandatory covering the objectives, methods, results, and conclusions of the study. Bibliographic references and credits to suppliers or manufacturers of products/equipment MUST NOT be cited in this section.
  • Keywords: Include three to six MeSH or DeCS terms that represent the main themes of the article. Keywords must be listed in alphabetical order, separated by periods, and starting with a capital letter. To optimize the discovery of the article in databases, try to use terms other than those already present in the title and abstract. Verify your terms in the controlled vocabularies at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/mesh and/or https://decs.bvsalud.org.
  • Main Text: The structure of the main text must follow the classic sections of scientific research, containing:
  • Introduction
  • Material and Methods
    • Reporting Guidelines: For all manuscripts reporting health research data, authors must follow the specific reporting guidelines for the type of research, citing them in the Material and Methods section, when appropriate. When necessary, include in the "Cover Letter" the justification for not using a guide (Reporting guidelines).
    • Ethics Approval: Mention the approval obtained and send the certificate as a supplementary file at the time of submission, when applicable.
    • Informed Consent Form: If the manuscript includes recognizable photographs or identifiable material from patients, mention that consent was obtained, and also send the signed form.
  • Results
  • Discussion
  • Conclusions
  • Formatting and Style: Avoid abbreviations and acronyms; when used, define them at the first occurrence in the text. Use italics, superscript, and subscript as necessary, but DO NOT use bold in the body of the text. Do not insert page or section breaks.
  • Supplier Citation: Credits to suppliers and manufacturers of equipment, drugs, and other brand materials mentioned in the manuscript must be indicated in parentheses in the text, informing the company name and its primary location (city and country).
  • Subheadings: Use short subheadings within the main sections to organize content, especially to address relevant items from the Reporting Guidelines.
  • It is mandatory that the Results and Discussion topics are presented separately, and not combined.

Texts, in addition to following the section policies, must respect the requirements and limits for the type of article prepared, as described in the table below.

 

Characteristic / Article Type

Research Articles

Systematic Reviews (with or without Meta-analysis)

Scoping Reviews

Abstract Type

Structured (Recommended by ICMJE and Reporting Guidelines)

Structured (According to ICMJE and PRISMA)

Structured (According to PRISMA-ScR)

Abstract Word Limit

Up to 250 words

Up to 250 words

Up to 250 words

Text Structure

Introduction, Material and Methods, Results, Discussion, Conclusions (IMRaD). Do not combine Results and Discussion.

Suggested to follow structure according to specific Reporting Guideline (PRISMA)

Suggested to follow structure according to specific Reporting Guideline (PRISMA-ScR)

Figure/Table Limits

Not specified.

Not specified.

Not specified.

Reference Limits

Not specified.

Not specified.

Not specified.

Reporting Guidelines

Mandatory use of specific guides: CONSORT (randomized clinical trials), STROBE (observational studies), STARD (diagnostic accuracy), SRQR (qualitative research), ARRIVE (preclinical animal studies). Checklist must be attached as a supplementary file. Must indicate the guide used in the "Material and Methods" section.

Mandatory use of PRISMA. Mandatory registration in PROSPERO (number must be provided; submissions without registration will be rejected). Checklist must be attached as a supplementary file.

Mandatory use of PRISMA-ScR. Checklist must be attached as a supplementary file.

Clinical Trials

Registration in a public database (ClinicalTrials.gov, REBEC, WHO ICTRP) before the 1st participant. Registration number in "Material and Methods" and "Ethics Approval". Submissions without registration will be rejected. Mandatory data availability statement.

Not directly applicable (but review of trials must observe the registration of original trials)

Not directly applicable

Research with Humans/Animals

Ethics Committee Approval with report/protocol number in the manuscript. Informed Consent Form for identifiable material (photographs/data) must be sent and indicated in the article.

Not directly applicable (unless the review itself involves new human/animal data collection)

Not directly applicable

Main Document (for publication)

File name: manuscript-for-publication.docx

Manuscripts whose scientific merit is considered suitable during the evaluation process will be classified as "provisionally accepted."

At this stage, the corresponding author will be instructed to format the manuscript according to the Main Document indicated previously.

This final formatted document must include all content to be published: full title, author information (with ORCID and full affiliations), abstract, keywords, main text, acknowledgments (if any), references, and all required statements (author contributions, conflicts of interest, funding, data availability, etc.). Figures and tables must be included in the body of the text, in addition to being sent as separate files, as per the figure and table guidelines.

Language revision certificate

File name: language-certificate.pdf

Every manuscript must undergo a professional English language revision by a specialized company or freelance professional, and it is mandatory to submit the certificate or proof of this revision.

This document must attest that the text was revised by a qualified professional to ensure clarity, grammatical correctness, spelling, and scientific style of the language. The certificate must include the title of the manuscript, the date of the revision, and the identification of the company or professional responsible for the revision.

The text revision certificate must be submitted as a Supplementary File in the online submission system, preferably in .pdf format, named as language-certificate.pdf.

Consult our Language Policy for more information on the journal's language requirements.

Revision comments file

File name: revision-comments.pdf (or .docx)

When submitting a revised version of the manuscript (after the first round of evaluation or subsequent rounds), authors must include a file detailing how they responded to the comments and suggestions of the editors and reviewers.

This document must contain a point-by-point response to all comments received, indicating the changes made to the manuscript or justifying why a suggestion was not followed. To facilitate evaluation, authors may cite the original comments followed by their responses and indicate where changes were made in the revised manuscript (e.g., page number, paragraph).

The revision comments file must be submitted as a Supplementary File in the online submission system, preferably in .pdf or .docx format, named as revision-comments.pdf (or .docx).

Reporting Guidelines Checklist

File name: reporting-checklist-[StudyType].pdf

In compliance with best practices and to ensure transparency and completeness of research reporting, Bioscience Journal requires the submission of the completed checklist of the reporting guidelines relevant to the type of study presented in the manuscript.

This checklist must be submitted as a Supplementary File in the online submission system.

Authors must follow the specific reporting guidelines for the type of research conducted, as detailed in our Reporting Guidelines section. The main guidelines include CONSORT, STROBE, PRISMA, STARD, SRQR, and ARRIVE.

File Naming: The PDF file of the checklist must be named following the pattern: reporting-checklist-[StudyType].pdf. Replace [StudyType] with the abbreviated name of the guideline used (Examples: CONSORT, STROBE, PRISMA).

Be sure to download the checklist corresponding to your study type from the EQUATOR Network website (https://www.equator-network.org), fill it out completely, and submit it in PDF format with the correct naming.

Agreement and publication license term

File name: agreement-AuthorFullName.pdf

The Agreement and publication license term is an essential document in the submission and publication process at Bioscience Journal. It formalizes the agreement between the authors and the journal, ensuring adherence to editorial policies and establishing the licensing terms for the published content.

This term is based on our Copyright and Open Access and Authorship and Responsibility Policies. By signing this term, each author individually declares that they have read, understood, and agreed to comply with all journal policies.

It is mandatory that this term be downloaded, filled out, and signed individually by each author of the submitted manuscript. Each signed term must be named following the pattern agreement-AuthorFullName.pdf (replacing "AuthorFullName" with the respective author's name) and submitted as a supplementary file in the submission system.

The template for the Agreement and publication license term can be downloaded at link.

Ensure that all authors of the manuscript download, sign, and submit their respective terms as part of the initial submission.

Proof of payment

File name: publication-fee.pdf (or other image/document format)

After final acceptance of the manuscript for publication and preparation of the page proofs, authors will be informed of the publication fee (APC) amount and payment details, as per our Author Fees Policy.

Proof of payment of this fee must be sent to the journal.

The proof of payment must be submitted as a Supplementary File in the online submission system (or by email, as instructed by the editorial office), preferably in .pdf format, named as publication-fee.pdf. Other image or document formats may also be accepted, provided they are legible.

Submission of the proof of payment is necessary for the continuation of the publication process and the final availability of the article on the journal's website.

Figures

Graphs, photographs, schemes, and illustrations must be submitted separately from the main document, one by one, in files named by their order in the text (e.g., Figure 1, Figure 2). They must be cited in the text in ascending order (Figure 1, Figures 2 and 3, etc.).

Each figure must have a short descriptive title and a clear caption. If using arrows, symbols, letters (in uppercase in the top left corner for multiple parts), or numbers to highlight parts, explain them in the caption.

Images of people can only be used if identification is not possible or if there is explicit consent for publication. Follow our policies on color use and figure manipulation.

Charts and tables

Charts and tables must be submitted separately from the main document, one by one, in files named by their order in the text (e.g., Table 1, etc.). Use the Microsoft Word Table function; do not use spaces, tabs, or images to create tables. The file must be editable and submitted in .docx format.

Number each chart/table and provide a short descriptive title and, if applicable, the data source. In the text, cite where each chart/table should be inserted. The content of the tables should be commented on in the text, but not fully repeated.

Color Use

The use of colors in figures and tables is not accepted. Use shapes, textures, or additional labels.

We recommend consulting these resources when preparing your images:

Preparation and manipulation of figures

RESOLUTION AND FORMATS

Submit figures (graphs, photos, etc.) in TIFF or JPG formats, with a minimum resolution of 300 dpi. The maximum allowed width for figures is 16 cm (approximately 2000 pixels for TIFF or JPG formats). If possible, for graphs and diagrams, also send versions in editable vector formats (such as .eps, .svg, .pptx, or .pdf generated by graphic software) to ensure the best publication quality.

EDITING AND MANIPULATION

Figures must represent data and results accurately and without bias. Excessive editing and manipulation that may compromise scientific meaning are unacceptable. Avoid using filters or adjustments that unduly modify original data. Remember that previously published figures are not accepted. For guidance on ethics in image manipulation, consult:

References and citations

Accuracy and clarity of references and citations are essential to ensure traceability and credibility of scientific knowledge. Bioscience Journal adopts the adapted ISO 690:2010(E) citation style (author-date style). Authors are responsible for ensuring that all citations in the text correspond to an entry in the reference list and vice-versa, and that the information provided is accurate.

In-text citation

Citations in the body of the text must follow the author-date format, presented in parentheses.

  • For works with one or two authors: List all authors' last names, followed by the year of publication. Example: (Santos and Cunha 2015).
  • For works with three or more authors: List the first author's last name, followed by the expression "et al." and the year of publication. Example: (Silva et al. 2012).
  • When the author's last name(s) already appear(s) in the sentence, the year of publication follows in parentheses immediately after the last name. Example: “It may be, as Burchard (1965) points out, that they have no assistants, or are reluctant to delegate.”
  • When citing specific parts of a document (such as a page or section), indicate the location after the year, within the parentheses. Example: (Author 2020, p. 45).
  • If there are two or more works by the same author(s) published in the same year, distinguish them by adding lowercase letters (a, b, c, etc.) after the year. Example: (Author 2020a), (Author 2020b).

Example: The notion of an invisible college has been explored in the sciences (Crane 1972). Its absence among historians is noted by Stieg (1981b, p. 556). It may be, as Burchard (1965) points out, that they have no assistants, or are reluctant to delegate (Smith 1980; Chapman 1981).

Reference list

The reference list must include all works cited in the text and be organized in alphabetical order by the first author's last name.

 Author formatting: Authors must be listed by last name in capital letters, followed by the initial(s) of the first name(s). For works with up to three authors, list all authors. For works with four or more authors, list only the first author's last name followed by the expression "et al." (Note: This rule for the reference list differs from the standard ISO 690 norm, which generally lists all authors up to a certain limit or all. Follow the specific Bioscience Journal rule described here).

Digital Object Identifier (DOI): It is mandatory to include the DOI number at the end of each reference, if available. Authors must search for reference metadata on the Crossref website (https://doi.crossref.org/simpleTextQuery) and copy the DOI whenever found.

 Citing an online journal article

  • Structure: LAST NAME, INITIALS. Article title. Journal Title. Year, Vol.(No.), page range. DOI
    • Example: GUNERHAN, H., HEPBASLI, A. and GIRESUNLU, U. Environmental impacts from the solar energy systems. Energy Sources, Part A: Recovery, Utilization and Environmental Effects. 2008, 31(2), 131-138. https://doi.org/10.1080/15567030701512733

Citing a print journal article

  • Structure: LAST NAME, INITIALS. Article title. Journal Title. Year, Vol.(No.), page range. ISSN.
    • Example: AHMED, M. and BOISVERT, C.M. Using computers as visual aids to enhance communication in therapy. Computers in Human Behavior. 2006, 22(5), 847-855. ISSN 0747-5632.

 Citing a print book chapter

  • The Journal does not accept references for book chapters.

Citing a print book

  • The Journal does not accept references for books.

Citing an e-book chapter

  • The Journal does not accept references for e-book chapters.

Citing an e-book

  • The Journal does not accept references for e-books.

Citing theses and dissertations

  • The journal does not accept references for theses and dissertations.

Citing specific resource types

To ensure reproducibility and give proper credit, Bioscience Journal encourages the citation of resources such as datasets and code, whenever relevant to the work. Use the formats below, adapting the journal's reference list authorship rules (up to 3 authors, 4+ et al.):

Dataset

  • Structure: LAST NAME, INITIALS. Dataset Title [Dataset]. Repository Name, Year. Available at: Persistent Identifier (DOI or URL).
  • Example: SMITH, J.A. and JONES, B.R. Climate Model Simulation Data for Region X [Dataset]. Zenodo, 2023. Available at: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.12345678
  • If the dataset is associated with a publication, cite the article and mention data availability in the Data Availability section of the manuscript. If citing an independent dataset, use this format.

Preprint

  • The Journal does not accept references for articles deposited in preprint repositories.

Code/Software

  • Structure: LAST NAME, INITIALS. (or Organization Name). Software/Code Title [Code/Software]. Repository/Platform Name, Version (if applicable), Year. Available at: Persistent Identifier (DOI or specific URL/Release).

Reference limits and restrictions

To ensure focus on the most relevant and current literature, Bioscience Journal establishes the following limits and restrictions for the reference list:

  • Maximum number of references: Bioscience Journal does not limit the number of references per article.
  • Currency of references: At least 70% of the cited references must have been published within the last five years from the date of manuscript submission.
  • Sources not accepted: Bioscience Journal DOES NOT accept references from theses, dissertations, monographs, books, book chapters, and abstracts published only in conference proceedings.

Authors should be aware that failure to comply with these specific rules regarding limits and restrictions may result in the manuscript being returned for adjustments or its rejection.