These guidelines apply to all submissions to the Journal of Preclinical Therapeutics. Manuscripts not meeting the requirements below may be returned to authors before entering peer review.
1. Originality & Novelty Statement
JPT considers manuscripts primarily on the basis of originality, scientific rigor, methodological quality, reproducibility, and translational relevance. Studies that merely reproduce established findings or apply routine methodology without meaningful scientific advancement are not generally favored — a routine formulation change demonstrating an expected increase in dissolution or bioavailability, for example, would need additional mechanistic or translational insight to justify publication. Routine or confirmatory studies are welcome where they resolve an important unresolved question or validate a significant finding.
At submission, authors must include a brief Novelty Statement (in the cover letter or designated field) explaining: what is already known, what gap the study addresses, what is genuinely new in the present work, and how the findings advance preclinical therapeutic research. This statement should be supported by the manuscript and should not overstate significance or translational implications.
2. Manuscript Types & Structure
Research Articles should include: Title Page, Abstract (structured, max 300 words), Keywords (4–6), Introduction, Materials & Methods, Results, Discussion, Conclusion, Author Contributions, Conflict of Interest Statement, Ethics Statement, Data Availability Statement, References.
Review Articles should include a clear thesis or critical angle on the subfield rather than a chronological literature summary, with the same title page, abstract, and declarations sections as above.
Short Communications should clearly state the specific lesson or finding being reported (a safety signal, an unusual PK profile, a methodological failure) in the abstract itself.
3. Ethics & Animal Research
- All studies involving animals must include a statement confirming IACUC (or equivalent institutional ethics committee) approval, with the approval number.
- Animal studies must follow ARRIVE 2.0 reporting guidelines. Manuscripts lacking this documentation will be desk-rejected without review.
- All authors must disclose any conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise, at submission.
4. Authorship & Submission Integrity
Submission under multiple authorship implies that all listed authors have made meaningful contributions, approve the submitted version, and accept responsibility for the integrity of the work. The corresponding author is responsible for confirming all authors meet these requirements, that any required institutional authorization has been obtained, and that all relevant ethical approvals and disclosures have been provided. Changes to authorship after submission must be requested formally and agreed to by all affected authors.
By submitting, authors confirm the work has not been published previously in substantially the same form and is not under consideration elsewhere. Prior dissemination — conference abstracts, registered protocols, preprints, or theses — should be disclosed to the editorial office where relevant.
5. Formatting Requirements
- Manuscript file: Word (.docx) or LaTeX, double-spaced, 12pt font, line numbers enabled.
- Figures: submitted as separate high-resolution files (min. 300 dpi), not embedded only in text.
- References: Vancouver numbered style, cited in order of appearance.
- Word limits: Research Articles ≤ 6,000 words; Reviews ≤ 8,000 words; Short Communications ≤ 3,000 words (excluding references).
6. Peer Review Process
- Editorial screening for scope fit, originality, methodological adequacy, ethical compliance, and reporting quality (5 working days target). Manuscripts that fall short on these grounds may be declined before external review.
- Assignment to a Handling Editor and a minimum of two independent reviewers (double-blind).
- Reviewer reports synthesized by the Handling Editor; decision issued by the Editor-in-Chief.
- Revisions, if requested, are re-reviewed before a final decision.
Editors may make minor editorial, grammatical, or formatting changes to accepted manuscripts for clarity and consistency; such changes do not alter scientific meaning, and any substantive change is made only in consultation with the authors.
7. Open Access & Licensing
All accepted articles are published open access under a CC BY 4.0 license, with immediate online availability and no embargo period.
8. Submitting Your Manuscript
Manuscript submission is handled through our online submission system. The Submit Manuscript link will become active once our submission portal is live — check back shortly.