For authors
Instructions for Authors
What a manuscript for the Journal of Experimental and Clinical Toxicology must contain, how it should be prepared, and how it reaches the editorial office.
Read the article types first: the limits and the required structure follow from the type you are submitting.
Article types
What the journal accepts, and the limits that apply
- Original research article · up to 6,000 words
- Experimental or clinical investigation reporting new findings, excluding abstract, references, tables and figure legends.
- Review article · up to 8,000 words
- Systematic or narrative synthesis of a toxicological question; systematic reviews follow PRISMA.
- Methods paper · up to 5,000 words
- A new or improved approach to toxicity testing, biomarker detection or analysis, reported with validation data.
- Case report · up to 3,000 words
- An instructive clinical toxicology case, with presentation, management and course documented in full.
- Short communication · up to 2,500 words
- A brief report of a novel observation, with a maximum of two figures or tables.
Word limits exclude the abstract, references, tables and figure legends. The subject boundary for all types is set out in the aims and scope.
Preparation
Structure of the manuscript
- Title page
- A concise, informative title of no more than 150 characters; every author with full name, institutional affiliation and ORCID identifier; and the corresponding author’s contact details. Keep identifying information in this file so the manuscript can be sent for double-blind review on request.
- Abstract and keywords
- A structured abstract of up to 250 words with Background, Methods, Results and Conclusions for original research; an unstructured abstract of the same length is acceptable for reviews and short communications. Supply four to eight keywords.
- Introduction
- The background that establishes the question, and the objective or hypothesis addressed.
- Materials and methods
- Enough detail for the work to be repeated: substance, purity and source; exposure route, concentration and duration; species, strain, age and source for animal work; cell line and its authentication for in vitro work; patient selection and clinical setting for clinical work; and the statistical approach with the software used.
- Results
- The findings and the analysis supporting them, with effect sizes and measures of variability. Data presented in a table are not repeated in a figure.
- Discussion
- The interpretation the data support, in the context of existing work, with the limitations of the study stated plainly.
- Declarations
- Funding, conflicts of interest, ethics approvals with protocol identifiers, the contribution of each author, and a data-availability statement.
Formatting
Files, references and figures
- File formats
- Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx) for the manuscript and tables. Double-spaced, 12-point Times New Roman or Arial, 2.5 cm margins, with pages numbered consecutively.
- References
- Vancouver style, numbered in order of first citation, with DOIs where available. Reference management software is recommended for consistency.
- Figures
- Separate TIFF, EPS or high-quality JPEG files at a minimum of 300 dpi, each with a legend that explains every element, symbol and abbreviation used.
- Tables
- Editable Word format, numbered consecutively, each able to be read on its own, with units and footnotes defined.
- Supplementary material
- Files that support the article but are too extensive to include, labeled Supplementary Figure S1, Supplementary Table S1 and so on, and referenced in the main text.
- Language
- Clear, grammatically correct English. Authors who would like language help before submission may arrange it independently; it is not a condition of review and has no bearing on the decision.
Ethics and reporting
Declarations the journal requires
- Peer review
- Single-blind by default; double-blind review is available on request. A request for double-blind review is made in the cover letter at submission.
- Human participants
- Documented institutional review board approval and informed consent, reported with the approving body and protocol identifier.
- Animal studies
- Documented institutional animal-care committee approval, with confirmation that the work follows the ARRIVE guidelines.
- Clinical trials
- Interventional clinical trials must be registered in an accepted public trial registry at or before the first participant provides consent for enrollment. The registry name, registration number, and registration date must be reported in the manuscript.
- Reporting guidelines
- Use the guideline that fits the design and submit its checklist: CONSORT for randomized trials, STROBE for observational studies, PRISMA for systematic reviews, CARE for case reports, STARD for diagnostic accuracy and ARRIVE for animal research.
- Data availability
- Every empirical research manuscript must include a data-availability statement. Where data cannot be shared, the statement explains why and how access may be requested.
- Double-blind review
- For double-blind review, remove author names, affiliations, acknowledgments, funding details, institution names, and other identifying information from the reviewer manuscript. Provide identifying information separately in the title-page file or submission form.
Before you submit
Submission checklist
- Cover letter to the editorial office stating the article type and what the work adds.
- Manuscript file with the sections required for that article type.
- Title page with every author, affiliation and ORCID identifier.
- Abstract within the word limit, with keywords.
- Figures as separate files at 300 dpi or more, with legends.
- Tables in editable Word format.
- References in Vancouver style with DOIs where available.
- Ethics approvals with protocol identifiers, and the trial registration where applicable.
- Conflict-of-interest and funding declarations for every author.
- Data-availability statement and the relevant reporting checklist.
Submissions
Sending the manuscript
Alternative routeSimple manuscript submission form
A short form that reaches the same editorial office, with JECT already selected.
Assisted routeEditorial email — [email protected]
For authors who would rather send the manuscript and let the office register it.
Authors must use only one submission route for the same manuscript.
Authors must use only one submission route for the same manuscript. Full route details are on the submit manuscript page.
Journal of Experimental and Clinical Toxicology · ISSN 2641-7669 · Published by Open Access Pub.