1) Before You Submit

• Scope check: Ensure your work fits APPS’ scope across pharmaceutics, pharmacology, medicinal chemistry, clinical pharmacy, regulatory science, and related areas.
• Originality: Manuscripts must be original and not under review elsewhere; disclose preprints, theses, or prior conference abstracts as applicable.
• Ethics: Human and animal studies require ethics approval details in Methods and on the Title Page. Informed consent must be stated where relevant. See Publication Ethics.
• Peer-review model: APPS uses double-blind review. Prepare a Blinded Manuscript and a separate Title Page. See Peer Review Policy.
• Licensing: Articles are published open access under CC BY 4.0. Ensure third-party content is reused with permissions compatible with CC BY 4.0.
• Fees & waivers: Review the APC schedule and Waiver Policy. APCs are payable after acceptance only.

2) Article Types

Reasonable deviations are permitted if justified by study design and clarity.

3) File Set for Submission & Double-Blind Blinding

1. Title Page (unblinded): title; author names; affiliations; corresponding author details; ORCID iDs; CRediT roles; funding; conflicts; ethics approvals/registrations; acknowledgments.
2. Blinded Manuscript: omit all identifiers (names, affiliations, self-identifying text, funder grant IDs if revealing). Use third-person phrasing for self-citations (“Smith et al. (2023) demonstrated…”).
3. Figures & Tables: embed for review or upload separately. Provide clear legends; define abbreviations. Final art should be ≥300 dpi (TIFF/PNG/JPEG) or vector (SVG).
4. Supplementary Files: extended methods, datasets, PRISMA/CONSORT/ARRIVE/STROBE checklists, protocols, and raw data as appropriate.
5. Cover Letter: novelty; fit to APPS; conflicts/ethics; suggested reviewers (optional, with institutional emails); related manuscripts (if any).

Ensure the blinded file does not contain author metadata in the document properties or file name.

4) Manuscript Formatting & Section Structure

• File format: DOC/DOCX preferred; LaTeX accepted as a zipped project (.tex, .bib, figures). Page size A4/US Letter, 2.5 cm margins, 11–12 pt fonts, 1.5 line spacing, line numbers recommended.
• Title: informative and specific; avoid abbreviations where possible; include study design if appropriate.
• Abstract: 200–300 words. For research, use a structured abstract (Background; Methods; Results; Conclusions).
• Keywords: 3–8 MeSH-/EMTREE-like terms where possible.
• Introduction: brief background; knowledge gap; objectives/hypotheses.
• Methods: design, setting, participants/samples, materials, procedures, outcomes, statistics, software versions, power/sample size, preregistration, and ethics/consent statements as relevant.
• Results: present findings in logical order; avoid redundancy between text and tables/figures; give exact P values and effect sizes where appropriate.
• Discussion: interpret results versus prior literature; limitations; implications; future work.
• Conclusions: concise, evidence-based.
• Author Contributions (CRediT): list contributions for each author.
• Funding: include grant numbers and funder names.
• Conflicts of Interest: required statement for all articles.
• Data Availability: repository names and DOIs/URLs for datasets/code; conditions of access.
• Acknowledgments: obtain permissions from named individuals.
• References: Vancouver-style numbering (see below).

5) References & Citation Style (Vancouver-like)

Cite sources in the text by numbers in the order of first mention (superscript or bracketed). The reference list should include: authors (up to six, then “et al.”), article title, journal title (abbreviated if desired), year; volume(issue):pages, and DOI. For books, include edition, publisher, year. For datasets/preprints, provide persistent identifiers and version/date where available.

Ensure each in-text citation has a matching, accurate reference entry and working DOI/URL. Where available, include PubMed or Crossref metadata.

6) Figures, Tables, and Supplementary Materials

• Figures: minimum 300 dpi; acceptable formats TIFF/PNG/JPEG; vector SVG preferred for line art. Include scale bars, units, and readable labels.
• Image integrity: state any adjustments (brightness/contrast) and avoid misleading manipulation; keep original raw images/data for verification.
• Tables: editable tables (not images). Use concise titles and column headings; footnotes define abbreviations and statistics.
• Supplementary: name files clearly (e.g., “Supp_Table_1.xlsx”, “Protocol.pdf”). Provide a brief description in the main text.
• Accessibility: provide alt text for critical figures where feasible; use color-independent encodings (patterns/labels) in charts.

7) Reporting Standards & Research Ethics

Follow recognized reporting guidelines according to study design (e.g., CONSORT, PRISMA, STROBE, ARRIVE, CARE). State IRB/ethics approvals and consent procedures for human participants; for clinical trials, include registration numbers (e.g., ClinicalTrials.gov). For animal work, indicate institutional approval and humane endpoints. Cite use of proprietary materials and provide manufacturer details.

• Ethics & Malpractice: See the journal’s ethics pages; the editorial office follows COPE guidance for handling concerns.
• Plagiarism screening: All submissions undergo similarity checks prior to external review.
• Data integrity: Retain raw data and analysis code for possible editorial inquiry.

8) Submission Process & Indicative Timeline

1. Online submission: Use the Submission link to access the portal. Provide metadata exactly as it should appear online (names, affiliations, ORCIDs).
2. Initial checks: scope, formatting, and plagiarism screening by editorial staff.
3. Peer review: double-blind evaluation by at least two experts; additional reviewers may be invited as needed.
4. Decision: accept, minor/major revision, or reject. For revisions, submit (a) a clean file, (b) a tracked-changes file, and (c) a point-by-point response.
5. Post-acceptance: copyediting, typesetting, and author proofs; final publication in Early Online and in a subsequent issue/volume with article identifiers/DOIs where assigned.

Turnaround varies by topic and reviewer availability. The office endeavors to provide initial decisions within a reasonable window consistent with journal guidance.

9) Open Access, Licensing & Reuse

APPS is a Gold Open Access journal. All articles are freely accessible on publication and typically licensed under CC BY 4.0, permitting sharing, adaptation, and commercial use with appropriate attribution. When reusing third-party materials, obtain permissions or use content compatible with CC BY terms (e.g., CC BY or CC0). Include credit lines and license notices in figures/tables and the article footer.

10) APCs, Waivers, Refunds & Withdrawal

• No submission fees: Charges apply post-acceptance only; see the APC page for current amounts by article type.
• Waivers & discounts: Eligibility and application steps are outlined on the Waiver Policy.
• Refunds: Exceptional cases are handled per the Refund Policy.
• Withdrawals: See the Withdrawal Policy for stages and any charges that may apply.

11) Data Sharing, Repositories & Preservation

Deposit datasets, code, and protocols in recognized repositories (e.g., Zenodo, Figshare, institutional repositories) and cite DOIs in the manuscript and reference list. The journal’s Repository Policy supports immediate self-archiving of accepted/published versions consistent with CC BY 4.0. Articles are preserved via the site’s archiving arrangements and exposed to indexers; back issues are available in Archives.

12) Accessibility & Inclusive Writing

• Use descriptive headings and meaningful link text.
• Provide alt text for key figures and tables where feasible.
• Choose color palettes and patterns that remain interpretable for color-vision deficiencies.
• Write with clarity and avoid unnecessary jargon; define abbreviations at first mention.

13) Pre-Submission Checklist

• Cover letter prepared (novelty, scope, ethics, conflicts).
• Title Page complete (authors, affiliations, ORCIDs, CRediT contributions, funding, conflicts, ethics approvals, acknowledgments).
• Blinded Manuscript with structured sections, line numbers, and anonymized self-citations.
• Figures/tables legible and cited; alt text drafted for key visuals.
• Data availability statement and repository DOIs included (if applicable).
• References accurate, complete, and DOI-linked where available.
• APC/Waiver, OA license, and Withdrawal/Refund policies reviewed.

14) Submit Your Manuscript

When ready, submit through the online portal. If you encounter issues with the submission forms or file uploads, contact the editorial office. Ensure your corresponding author email is active for all communications during review and production.

15) Contact the Editorial Office

We welcome questions prior to submission.

• Email: info@hspioa.org
• Contact form: https://www.pharmacyscijournal.com/contact