Submission, Peer Review and Publication

This section explains the manuscript submission process, editorial workflow, peer review, publication policies, and important information for authors submitting to Emergent Life Sciences Research (ELSR).

 

1. Submission Process

Authors should carefully prepare their manuscripts according to the ELSR Author Guidelines.  

A complete submission should normally include:

·         Cover Letter (recommended)

·         Title Page

·         Main Manuscript

·         Figures (high resolution)

·         Tables (editable)

·         Supplementary Files (if applicable)

Before submitting, ensure that all required sections of the manuscript are complete, including Funding Information, Conflict of Interest Statement, Author Contributions, Data Availability Statement, and Ethical Approval (where applicable).

The Editorial Office may return incomplete submissions to the corresponding author before the peer-review process begins.

 

2. Initial Editorial Assessment

After submission, each manuscript undergoes an initial editorial assessment.

During this stage, the Editorial Office evaluates whether the manuscript:

·         Falls within the aims and scope of the journal.

·         Meets the journal's formatting requirements.

·         Demonstrates sufficient scientific quality.

·         Complies with publication ethics.

·         Contains all required declarations and supporting information.

Manuscripts that do not meet these basic requirements may be returned for revision or declined before peer review.

 

3. Peer Review

ELSR follows a double-anonymous peer review process, in which the identities of authors and reviewers are not disclosed to each other.

Each manuscript is normally evaluated by at least two independent reviewers with expertise relevant to the subject area.

Reviewers assess the manuscript based on:

·         Originality

·         Scientific quality

·         Methodology

·         Data analysis

·         Interpretation of results

·         Significance of the findings

·         Clarity of presentation

·         Ethical compliance

The Editor considers the reviewers' comments before making an editorial decision.

 

4. Editorial Decisions

After peer review, one of the following decisions may be made:

·         Accept

·         Minor Revision

·         Major Revision

·         Reject

Authors receiving a revision request should address all reviewer comments carefully and provide a detailed response explaining how each comment has been addressed.

The revised manuscript may be returned to the original reviewers if additional evaluation is required.

 

5. Acceptance

A manuscript is accepted only after it has successfully completed the editorial and peer-review process and satisfies the scientific and ethical standards of ELSR.

Acceptance is based on the quality, originality, scientific contribution, and overall suitability of the manuscript for publication.

Acceptance of a manuscript does not imply endorsement of the findings by the journal or its Editorial Board.

 

6. Proofs

Before publication, the corresponding author will receive page proof for final review.

Authors should:

·         Check the proofs carefully.

·         Correct typographical or formatting errors.

·         Verify author names and affiliations.

·         Confirm figure and table placement.

·         Review references and DOI information.

Only minor corrections should be made at the proof stage. Requests for substantial changes to the scientific content after acceptance may require editorial approval.

To avoid publication delays, authors are encouraged to return corrected proofs within the timeframe specified by the Editorial Office.

 

7. Copyright and Licensing

Authors retain copyright in their work. By publishing in Emergent Life Sciences Research (ELSR), authors grant the journal, published by Emergent Research Publications (ERP), a non-exclusive license to publish, distribute, archive, index, and identify itself as the original publisher of the article.

All published articles are made available under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) License. This license permits sharing and adaptation, including for commercial purposes, provided that appropriate credit is given to the original author(s) and source, a link to the license is provided, and any changes are indicated.

 

8. Publication Forms

The Author Copyright & License Agreement is required only after editorial acceptance of the manuscript. Authors should not submit this form during the initial manuscript submission. After acceptance, the Editorial Office will request the completed and signed agreement from the corresponding author.

 

9. Post-Publication Corrections

If an error is identified after publication, authors should notify the Editorial Office as soon as possible.

Depending on the nature of the issue, the journal may publish:

·         Correction

·         Erratum

·         Corrigendum

·         Expression of Concern

·         Retraction

The Editorial Office will determine the most appropriate course of action in accordance with the journal's editorial policies.

 

10. Withdrawal of Manuscripts

Authors wishing to withdraw a manuscript should submit a written request to the Editorial Office before the manuscript is accepted.

Requests received after acceptance may not be approved except under exceptional circumstances.

 

11. Appeals and Complaints

Authors who disagree with an editorial decision may submit a reasoned appeal.

Appeals should clearly explain why the decision should be reconsidered and provide supporting evidence where appropriate.

The Editor's decision following an appeal is final.

Complaints relating to editorial procedures, publication ethics, or peer review will be handled confidentially and fairly.

 

12. Research Ethics and Publication Policies

Scientific publishing is founded on honesty, transparency, and responsible research practices. Emergent Life Sciences Research (ELSR) is committed to maintaining high standards of publication ethics and expects authors, reviewers, and editors to uphold these principles throughout the publication process.

Authors should ensure that all submitted work complies with the ethical standards described in this guide.

 

Authorship

Authorship should be limited to individuals who have made substantial intellectual contributions to the research and manuscript preparation.

An author should have contributed significantly to one or more of the following activities:

·         Study conception or design

·         Data collection

·         Data analysis or interpretation

·         Development of methodology

·         Writing the original manuscript

·         Critical revision of the manuscript

·         Final approval of the submitted version

All authors should approve the final manuscript before submission and agree to be accountable for the integrity of the work.

Individuals who contributed only through technical assistance, funding acquisition, language editing, or general supervision should be acknowledged but should not normally be listed as authors unless they also meet the authorship criteria.

 

Changes to Authorship

Requests to add, remove, or rearrange authors after submission should be made only in exceptional circumstances.

Such requests must:

·         Be submitted by the corresponding author.

·         Include a clear explanation for the requested change.

·         Be accompanied by written consent from all authors.

The Editorial Office may request additional documentation before approving any authorship changes.

 

Corresponding Author

The corresponding author is responsible for:

·         Ensuring that all authors have reviewed and approved the manuscript.

·         Managing communication with the Editorial Office.

·         Responding to reviewer comments.

·         Coordinating revisions.

·         Ensuring the accuracy of author information.

 

Originality and Duplicate Submission

Submitted manuscripts must represent original work.

Authors must not submit manuscripts that:

·         Have already been published.

·         Are under consideration by another journal.

·         Contain duplicated or substantially overlapping content without appropriate disclosure.

·         Misrepresent previously published work.

If parts of the work have been published previously, authors should clearly disclose this during submission.

 

Plagiarism

ELSR does not tolerate plagiarism in any form.

Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to:

·         Copying text without appropriate citation.

·         Presenting another person's ideas as one's own.

·         Self-plagiarism through extensive reuse of previously published material without disclosure.

·         Manipulation or inappropriate reuse of figures, tables, or images.

All manuscripts may be screened using plagiarism-detection software during editorial assessment.

Manuscripts containing unacceptable levels of plagiarism or evidence of publication misconduct may be rejected.

 

Data Integrity

Authors are responsible for ensuring that all data presented in the manuscript are accurate, complete, and honestly reported.

Fabrication, falsification, selective reporting, or inappropriate manipulation of research data is considered scientific misconduct.

The Editorial Office may request original data or supporting documentation during peer review if necessary.

 

Image Integrity

Scientific images should accurately represent the original observations.

Adjustments to brightness, contrast, or colour balance are acceptable only if they do not alter or misrepresent the scientific information.

Authors should not:

·         Add or remove image features.

·         Selectively enhance specific regions.

·         Manipulate gel bands or microscopy images.

·         Combine unrelated images without clear explanation.

Original image files may be requested for verification.

 

Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy

Artificial intelligence (AI) tools may be used to assist with language editing, grammar improvement, or manuscript organization.

However:

·         AI tools must not be listed as authors.

·         Authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, and integrity of the manuscript.

·         Authors should carefully review and verify all AI-assisted content before submission.

If AI tools have been used during manuscript preparation, authors should disclose this in an AI Disclosure Statement.

Example:

"The authors used an AI-assisted language editing tool to improve grammar and readability. All scientific content was reviewed and verified by the authors."

 

Conflict of Interest

Authors should disclose any financial, professional, institutional, or personal relationships that could influence the interpretation of their work.

Examples include:

·         Employment

·         Consultancy

·         Research funding

·         Patents

·         Share ownership

·         Honoraria

If no competing interests exist, include the following statement:

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

 

Funding Information

Authors should disclose all financial support received for the study.

Include:

·         Funding organization

·         Grant number (if applicable)

If the research received no external funding, include:

The authors received no specific funding for this research.

 

Data Availability Statement

Authors are encouraged to make research data available whenever possible.

The manuscript should include a Data Availability Statement.

Examples:

·         The data are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

·         All data generated during this study are included in this article and its supplementary files.

·         The dataset has been deposited in a public repository (provide repository name and accession number).

 

Ethical Approval

Research involving humans, animals, or biological materials should comply with applicable ethical standards.

Where required, authors should provide:

·         Name of the approving ethics committee

·         Approval number

·         Date of approval (if available)

Studies involving human participants should indicate that informed consent was obtained where appropriate.

 

Confidentiality

Manuscripts submitted to ELSR are treated as confidential documents.

Editors, reviewers, and Editorial Office staff should not disclose manuscript information to unauthorized individuals.

 

Research Misconduct

Research misconduct includes, but is not limited to:

·         Plagiarism

·         Data fabrication

·         Data falsification

·         Duplicate publication

·         Citation manipulation

·         Image manipulation

·         Undisclosed conflicts of interest

Suspected cases will be evaluated by the Editorial Office, and appropriate editorial actions may be taken.

 

Author Responsibilities

Authors should ensure that:

·         The manuscript is original.

·         The work has not been submitted elsewhere.

·         All authors approve the submission.

·         Ethical requirements have been met.

·         Conflicts of interest are disclosed.

·         Funding sources are acknowledged.

·         Data are accurately reported.

 

Reviewer Responsibilities

Reviewers should:

·         Maintain confidentiality.

·         Provide objective and constructive comments.

·         Declare potential conflicts of interest.

·         Complete reviews within the requested timeframe.

·         Inform the editor if ethical concerns are identified.

 

Editorial Responsibilities

Editors are responsible for:

·         Conducting fair and impartial editorial assessments.

·         Selecting qualified reviewers.

·         Protecting confidential information.

·         Managing conflicts of interest.

·         Making editorial decisions based on scientific merit.

 

Publication Ethics

ELSR is committed to promoting responsible scientific publishing and expects all participants in the publication process to act with honesty, integrity, transparency, and professionalism.

The journal's ethical policies are informed by internationally recognized principles of responsible scholarly publishing.