Writing Rules

The International Journal of Sexual Science is committed to upholding the highest standards of scientific integrity and publication ethics. The guidelines outlined below are intended to assist authors in preparing their manuscripts for submission. These guidelines are consistent with the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) recommendations. For detailed information, please visit ICMJE Recommendations. ICMJE | Recommendations | Preparing a Manuscript for Submission to a Medical Journal

 

General Requirements

Manuscripts must be written in clear and concise English. Authors whose native language is not English are encouraged to seek professional language editing services before submission.

Submissions should be formatted as Microsoft Word documents (.doc or .docx). PDF submissions are not accepted for review purposes.

For main text, please use a normal, plain font (such as 12 pt. Times Roman, 1.5 pt. spaced and justified).

The main manuscript file should include all text (title page, abstract, main text, references, tables, and figure legends) in a single document. Figures must be submitted as separate high-resolution files (minimum 300 dpi).

Authors are required to submit the ICMJE Disclosure of Interest Form and the Acknowledgment of Authorship Form alongside their submission.

 

Detailed Description of Statistical Methods

The statistical methods used in the study must be described in sufficient detail to allow for replication and validation.

Software and Version: Specify the statistical software used (e.g., SPSS v25, R v4.1.2).

Analysis Types: Clearly describe the statistical analyses conducted (e.g., regression, variance analysis) and their applicability.

Prespecified vs. Exploratory Analyses: Distinguish between prespecified primary/secondary analyses and exploratory subgroup analyses.

Example Statement:
"Data were analyzed using [Software Name, Version]. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05, and confidence intervals were calculated to estimate measurement precision."

For further guidance, refer to the ICMJE Recommendations.

 

Reporting Standards

Articles must adhere to established reporting guidelines relevant to the type of study conducted:
   CONSORT: For randomized controlled trials. CONSORT 2010 Statement: updated guidelines for reporting parallel group randomised trials | EQUATOR Network
   STROBE: For observational studies. The Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) Statement: guidelines for reporting observational studies | EQUATOR Network
   PRISMA: For systematic reviews and meta-analyses. The PRISMA 2020 statement: An updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews

Authors should complete the appropriate reporting checklists alongside their manuscripts.

Example Statement:
"This study complies with CONSORT guidelines for randomized controlled trials, and the checklist is included as supplementary material."

 

PREPARATION OF MANUSCRIPT

Tables

Tables should be presented in a clear and concise format, providing a self-contained summary of the data. Each table must include a descriptive title and be numbered sequentially as they appear in the manuscript. Tables should use consistent formatting, with clearly labeled rows and columns. Authors should provide explanatory notes for any abbreviations or symbols used within the table, ensuring that the content is easily understood without referring to the text. Avoid excessive formatting, such as shading or complex borders, that may detract from readability.

Figures

Figures should visually represent data in a way that complements the text. Each figure must have a descriptive caption explaining its content and purpose. Figures should be submitted in high-resolution formats to ensure clarity in online versions of the journal. All axes, labels, and legends should be clearly marked, and any symbols or abbreviations must be defined in the figure legend. Authors are encouraged to use consistent color schemes and avoid overly complex designs that may confuse readers.

Unit of Measurement

All measurements should be reported using the International System of Units (SI) to ensure consistency and comparability. When non-SI units are essential, they should be included in parentheses alongside the SI units. Authors must ensure that units are used consistently throughout the manuscript, and any conversions between units are accurate and clearly explained. Units should be accompanied by appropriate numerical precision to reflect the accuracy of the data.

For detailed information; https://www.nist.gov/pml/owm/metric-si/si-units

Abbreviations

Abbreviations should be kept to a minimum and used only for terms that appear frequently throughout the manuscript. The full term should be written out at its first mention, followed by the abbreviation in parentheses. Thereafter, the abbreviation may be used alone. Avoid introducing abbreviations that are not widely recognized or those that may cause confusion.

 

1. Cover Letter

Please click on the following link to download the sample cover letter file https://sexualsciencejournal.com/index.php/pub/templates.

2. Title Page

The title page should contain the following information:

Article Title: Clear, descriptive, and free from abbreviations.

Author Information: Full names and academic affiliations of all authors including email address and ORCID ID. Include the corresponding author's contact information, including email address, phone number, and ORCID ID.

Conflict of Interest Statement: Declare any financial or non-financial conflicts of interest.

Ethics Approval Statement: All clinical studies must explicitly state that ethical approval has been obtained from an independent ethics committee or institutional review board. Compliance with the Declaration of Helsinki must also be affirmed.

Funding Statement: Detail funding sources, if any, or declare no financial support was received.
Author Contributions: Specify the contributions of each author under standardized roles (Conception and dizayn, Data acquisition, Data analysis and interpretation, Drafting the manuscript, Critical revision of the manuscript for the content, Statistical analysis, Supervision).

Word Count and Figures/Tables: Include word count (excluding abstract, references, tables, and figure legends) and the number of figures and tables.

3. Abstract and Keywords

The abstract should be structured into the following sections: Aim, Materials and Methods, Results, and Conclusion. The word limit is 250 words, and references should not be cited in the abstract.
Provide 3 to 5 keywords, listed alphabetically, using MeSH terms. For guidance, refer to MeSH Vocabulary.

4. Manuscript Structure

4.1. Introduction
The introduction should clearly state the study's objective and provide background information to contextualize the research question.

4.2. Methods
Provide detailed descriptions of study design, participant selection, and data collection procedures.
Clearly specify inclusion and exclusion criteria, data sources, and any control groups used.
Include ethical approval details and consent procedures for human or animal studies.
If artificial intelligence methods were utilized, include details about the tools, algorithms, and sources of datasets.

4.3. Results
Present results in a logical sequence, avoiding data duplication in text, tables, or figures.
Use past tense to describe findings.

4.4. Discussion
Discuss the significance of the findings in relation to the study objectives. Highlight any limitations and suggest areas for future research.

4.5. Conclusion
Summarize the main findings and their implications concisely.

5. References
• References must be listed in citation order using APA style. Examples and guidance can be found at APA Style Guidelines.
• DOI Links: Authors are strongly encouraged to include DOI (Digital Object Identifier) numbers for all references. To facilitate this, authors may utilize the Crossref Simple Text Query Tool, which enables users to input reference lists and retrieve DOI links efficiently.
• All references must be accurate and current. Authors bear the responsibility of ensuring that none of the cited references have been retracted, unless specifically discussing the retraction.
• References cited within the manuscript should be numbered sequentially using Arabic numerals in parentheses (e.g., (1), (2)). When citing multiple consecutive references, use a single set of parentheses, separating the numbers with commas (e.g., (3, 4)).
• When citing multiple consecutive references, indicate the range using a hyphen between the first and last reference numbers (e.g., (3-5) for the 3rd, 4th, and 5th references).
• At the end of the manuscript, compile all references in the order in which they appear in the text.
• For details of the permitted usage limits in articles, please refer to the relevant field according to the article type.

6. Tables and Figures

6.1. Tables
Tables should be submitted with appropriate margins and numbered sequentially using Arabic numerals (e.g., Table 1, Table 2).
Each table must include a descriptive title positioned at the top of the table.
Table descriptions should be referenced in the text, with corresponding table numbers indicated in parentheses. For example: (Table 1).
A total of no more than five tables should be included.
Abbreviations used in tables should be clearly defined in a footnote at the bottom of the table.

6.2. Figures
Figures must be submitted as separate high-resolution files with a minimum resolution of 300 dpi. Accepted formats include jpg, png, and tiff.
Each figure must be accompanied by a brief, descriptive caption placed below the figure in the manuscript.
Figures should not be embedded within the main text file but submitted as individual files.
A total of no more than five figures should be included.

6.3. Use of Third-Party Content
If tables or figures contain content sourced from other works, authors must obtain explicit written permission from the copyright holder before submission.
It is the author’s responsibility to ensure compliance with copyright laws. Any legal, financial, or criminal issues arising from copyright violations will be the sole responsibility of the author(s).
For questions regarding tables and figures or submission requirements, please contact the editorial office.

7. Conflict of Interest and Funding

Authors must disclose any potential conflicts of interest, including both financial and non-financial relationships that could influence the research (e.g., employment, affiliations, grants, funding, consulting fees, expert testimony, royalties, pending applications, or personal relationships).
Non-financial conflicts, such as intellectual beliefs or academic competition, should also be disclosed.
Authors must explicitly state if no funding or financial support was received.

8. Ethics Approval

All clinical studies must explicitly state that ethical approval has been obtained from an independent ethics committee or institutional review board. This approval must include the name of the committee, the approval number, and the date. If the study involves controversial or ethically sensitive aspects, authors must provide justification for their methodology and ensure that it has been explicitly approved by the relevant ethics committee.

Compliance with the Declaration of Helsinki must also be affirmed. If any aspects of the study deviate from these principles, authors should provide a rationale and evidence of approval for these deviations.

Example Statement:
"The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of [Institution Name] (Approval Number: XX-XXX, Date: YYYY-MM-DD) and adhered to the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki."

For further details, refer to the Declaration of Helsinki.

9. Acknowledgments

Acknowledge individuals or institutions who contributed to the study but do not meet authorship criteria (e.g., funding support, editing, technical assistance). If artificial intelligence was used for editing or drafting, this must also be disclosed.

For further assistance or clarification regarding these guidelines, please contact the editorial office.
https://sexualsciencejournal.com/index.php/pub/about/contact