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Author Guidelines

Thank you for choosing to submit your manuscript to our journal. Please read these guidelines carefully and follow them as closely as possible to ensure a smooth and efficient review process.

Article types and formats

We accept the following types of articles:

• Research articles: These are full-length papers that report novel findings and make a significant contribution to the field. They should have a clear structure, including an abstract, introduction, methods, results, discussion and conclusion. The maximum length is 5000 words, excluding references and supplementary material.
• Review articles: These are comprehensive and critical surveys of the literature on a specific topic or theme. They should provide an overview of the current state of knowledge, identify gaps and challenges, and propose future directions for research. The maximum length is 3000 words, excluding references and supplementary material.
• Short communications: These are brief reports of preliminary or urgent findings that are of interest to the readership. They should have a concise structure, including an abstract, introduction, methods, results, discussion and conclusion. The maximum length is 3000 words, excluding references and supplementary material.

Please use the following format for your manuscript:

• Use A4 paper size with 2.5 cm margins on all sides
• Use 12-point Times New Roman font with double spacing
• Number all pages consecutively
• Include a title page with the following information: article title; author names; author affiliations; corresponding author contact details; word count; number of figures and tables; any acknowledgements or funding sources
• Include an abstract of no more than 250 words that summarizes the main objectives, methods, results and conclusions of your study
• Include 3 to 6 keywords that describe your article
• Use headings and subheadings to organize your article
• Use numbered sections for introduction, methods, results, discussion and conclusion
• Use SI units throughout
• Use consistent spelling (British or American English)
• Cite references in text using the author-date system (e.g., Smith et al., 2020)
• Provide a reference list at the end of your article using the APA style (see below for examples)
• Provide captions for all figures and tables
• Provide data availability statements for all data used in your study
• Provide any supplementary material as separate files

Citation and referencing system

Please use the APA style for citing references in text and in the reference list. Some examples are given below:

In-text citations:

• (Smith et al., 2020) or Smith et al. (2020) found that...
• (Jones & Lee, 2019) or According to Jones and Lee (2019),...
• (Wang et al., 2018a,b) or Wang et al. (2018a,b) reported two studies on...

Reference list:

• Smith J., Brown K., Green L., & White M. (2020). Title of article. Journal Name, Volume(Issue), Page range. https://doi..../...
• Jones A., & Lee B. (2019). Title of book. Publisher.
• Wang X., Liu Y., Zhang Z., & Chen W. (2018a). Title of article one. Journal Name, Volume(Issue), Page range. https://doi. .../...
• Wang X., Liu Y., Zhang Z., & Chen W. (2018b). Title of article two. Journal Name, Volume(Issue), Page range. https://doi. .../...

For more details on how to cite different types of sources using APA style, please refer to this website: https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/references/examples

Please note that we have a format-free initial submission policy, which means that you can submit your manuscript in any format at first. However, we still encourage you to follow our author guidelines as closely as possible to ensure a smooth and efficient review process. If your manuscript is accepted, you will be asked to format it according to our journal style before publication.

Data availability statements

All data used in your study must be made available in accordance with our data policy. Please provide a data availability statement at the end of your article that specifies where your data can be accessed or how it can be requested from you.

Supplementary material

You may provide supplementary material such as additional figures, tables, data sets, code, videos, etc. that support your main findings but are not essential for understanding them. Supplementary material will be published online alongside your article but will not be edited or formatted by us. Please provide each piece of supplementary material as a separate file with a clear label (e.g., S1_Figure.pdf, S2_Table.xlsx, S3_Data.csv, S4_Code.R ). Please also provide a list of supplementary material with captions at the end of your article.

Figures and tables

Please provide figures and tables as separate files rather than embedded in your manuscript text.

Please follow these guidelines for formatting your figures and tables:

• Provide figures and tables as separate files rather than embedded in your manuscript text
• Figures should be high-resolution images in TIFF, JPEG, PNG or EPS format
• Tables should be editable text files in Word, Excel or CSV format
• Number all figures and tables consecutively according to their appearance in the text (e.g., Figure 1, Table 1, etc.)
• Provide a descriptive caption for each figure and table that explains its content and meaning
• Refer to each figure and table in the text using its number (e.g., see Figure 1, as shown in Table 1, etc.)
• Use consistent fonts, colors, symbols, scales, units, etc. for all figures and tables
• Avoid unnecessary or excessive decoration or embellishment of figures and tables
• Ensure that all figures and tables are clear, legible and accurate
• Upload your files to our submission system along with your manuscript file
• Indicate the approximate location of each figure and table in your manuscript text using placeholders (e.g., [Insert Figure 1 here], [Insert Table 1 here], etc.)
• Ensure that you have obtained and acknowledged any permissions for using copyrighted figures
• Ensure that you have formatted your figures and tables according to our author guidelines

Guideline for Table and Figure Submission

Please follow these guidelines when preparing and submitting your tables and figures to our journal.

Tables

• Tables are used to display numerical or textual data in a structured and organized way
• Tables should be editable text files in Word, Excel or CSV format
• Tables should be numbered consecutively according to their appearance in the text (e.g., Table 1, Table 2, etc.)
• Tables should have a descriptive caption above the table that explains its content and meaning
• Tables should be referred to in the text using their number (e.g., see Table 1, as shown in Table 2, etc.)
• Tables should have clear and informative column and row headings
• Tables should have consistent fonts, alignment, spacing, punctuation, etc.
• Tables should not contain any vertical lines or unnecessary horizontal lines
• Tables should not contain any color, shading, background or border
• Tables should fit within the page margins of the journal
• Tables should not duplicate information that is already presented in the text or figures
• Tables should be accurate and complete

Figures

• Figures are used to display graphical or visual information, such as graphs, charts, maps, diagrams, images, etc.
• Figures should be high-resolution images in TIFF, JPEG, PNG or EPS format
• Figures should be numbered consecutively according to their appearance in the text (e.g., Figure 1, Figure 2, etc.)
• Figures should have a descriptive caption below the figure that explains its content and meaning
• Figures should be referred to in the text using their number (e.g., see Figure 1, as shown in Figure 2, etc.)
• Figures should have clear and informative labels, legends, titles, axes, units, etc.
• Figures should have consistent fonts, colors, symbols, scales,

How to obtain permission for using copyrighted figures

To use copyrighted figures in your manuscript, you need to obtain permission from the original publisher or copyright holder. This is a legal and ethical requirement that protects the rights and interests of the creators and owners of the figures. You also need to acknowledge the source of the figures correctly in your manuscript.