Authorship and Contribution

In general, an "author" is defined as an individual whose published research has benefited from substantial intellectual contributions. The allocation of authorship should be determined as follows: 1) significant contributions to the conception and design, data acquisition, analysis, and interpretation of the article; 2) critical drafting or revision of the article to ensure the presence of essential intellectual content; and 3) ultimate approval of the version intended for publication.

The International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICJME) and COPE describes authorship standards. Author contributions include 'designed research/study', 'performed research/study', 'contributed essential reagents', 'collected data', 'analyzed data', 'authored article', etc. The paper must contain this information as a paragraph under 'Authors' Contribution'. The corresponding author must seek permission from all co-authors before submitting any article version or changing authorship.

At first submission, submit the completed list of authors in the right order, which will not be modified after the initiation of the publishing process. In rare situations, the publisher may or may not add/remove an author with written agreement from all co-authors and a solid rationale.

Type of articles: The journal publishes full-length original research articles, reviews, mini-reviews, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and editorials.

Type of article	Word limit (whole article)*	Abstract	Number of references	Number of tables/figures
Full-length original research articles	8000 words	250 words	50-100	Any
Review article	8000 words	250 words	100 or more	Any
Mini-review	2500-5000 words	250 words	70 or more	Any
Systematic Review/Meta-analysis	3500-7000 words	250 words	70-120	Any
Editorial	1200 words	Not required	10	0

 

*The word limit is indicative and depends solely on the judgment of the Editor and recommendation of the Editorial Board of the journal.

Cover Letter: A cover letter is required with every submission of a manuscript. It should be succinct and justify the significance of the paper's content by situating the findings within the framework of prior research. It should justify the manuscript's relevance to the journal's scope. The following are required to be included in all cover letters: (i) We hereby affirm that at this time, the manuscript, in its entirety, is not being reviewed by another journal, nor are any portions of its content published, and (ii) The manuscript has been reviewed and endorsed by all authors in regards to its submission to the Acta Life.

It is understood that the papers being submitted have not been previously published and are not presently being evaluated by another journal. The submitting author bears the responsibility of verifying that all co-authors have given their approval to the article's content. It is important for authors to note that manuscripts they submit for publication will undergo editing exclusively for the purpose of enhancing legibility.

The cover letter should consist of at least 3 suggested peer-reviewers with title(s), name(s), affiliation(s), email ID (institutional), and ORCID.

Instructions to Authors for Preparation of Manuscript

Text: Text files should be created using MS Word.

The papers must be presented in grammatically and stylistically accurate English, using the most compact form that maintains clarity in presentation. Manuscripts should be typed using a font size of either 12 or 10 pt, with 1.5/2 spacing and large margins. Numbering must be applied to each page, and continuous line numbering should be implemented throughout the whole manuscript.

The reporting of systematic reviews and meta-analyses has to follow PRISMA criteria, which may be found at www.prisma-statement.org. The authors of case reports are required to adhere to the CARE guidelines. It is necessary to transmit the CARE inventory in a distinct file. Chemical equations, names for chemicals, mathematical applications, units of measurement, and quantities in both physical and chemical forms must all adhere to IUPAC or SI Chemical Abstracts. Only the International System of Units (SI) should be used for reporting any form of measurement. Italics should be applied to unfamiliar terms and phrases and binomial names of organisms (Genus and Species), and to emphasize them. Italicize non-assimilated Latin or foreign word forms as well; for instance, in vivo, in vitro, per se, and so forth.

Beginning with the introduction, section headings should be numbered sequentially, aligned to the left, and capitalize the initial letter. However, sub-section headings ought to be presented in lowercase and italicized form, with the capitalization of their initials. The appropriate sequence of numbers would be 1.1, 1.2, and so forth.

The submitted manuscripts should consist of the following sections:

Title Page, Graphical Abstract (optional), Structured Abstract and Keywords, List of Abbreviations (if any), Introduction, Material and Methods, Results, Discussion, Conclusion, Acknowledgements, Declarations (Consent for Publication, Availability of Data and Materials, Funding, Conflict of Interest), References, Appendices, Figures/Illustrations/Tables, Supplementary Material (optional)

Title page: The submitted paper’s title should be concise and informative, avoiding the use of dual titles. The title should be followed by the complete names of all authors along with their title(s), an institutional Email address of each author, addresses of the institution(s), and ORCID. The corresponding author should be identified, along with a legitimate email address, ideally from an institutional source with telephone number. The title should not be more than 120 characters, and avoid non-standard abbreviations and question marks. According to the Reporting standards, it is advisable to include information about the research in the title, especially for randomized or clinical trials, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses. Authors should also provide a short-running title with no more than 80 characters.

Graphical Abstract: A graphical abstract (JPEG/TIF image, 300 dpi) is highly recommended to enhance the citations of the published article and its advertisement.

Abstract and Keywords: Please provide a concise synopsis of no more than 250 words and include up to six keywords. Avoid using keywords already present in the title. An abstract should be structured viz. Introduction, Aim of the study, Materials and Methods, Results, and Conclusion, but without headings.MeSH terms serve as a valuable "common vocabulary" resource for identifying keywords in biomedical domains (https://www.nlm.nih.gov/mesh/meshhome.html).

List of Abbreviations: It is necessary to fully spell out an abbreviation or acronym upon its first usage, with the abbreviation or acronym provided in parenthesis. Use of standard abbreviations is recommended wherever applicable and must be consistent throughout the manuscript.

1. Introduction: The Introduction section ought to provide a comprehensive overview of the context and objectives of the research.

2. Materials and Methods: It is important to communicate experimental findings rationally, simply, and unambiguously. Techniques and approaches that are well understood shouldn't be explained in great depth. The names of the writers and/or literary references should be the sole criteria used to identify them. When required, statistical techniques should be used to show the findings. A brief introduction to non-standard computational techniques and tools should be followed by a quotation.

3. Results: The results section should begin with the study's significant and primary results. The order in which the tables, figures, and references are presented should highlight the significant details or findings associated with the study. It is best to avoid repeating data in tables and figures. Exact outcomes are required.

4. Discussion: This should highlight the significance of the work's findings, provide a repeatable process, and highlight the article's relevance in light of current advancements in the area. It is best to steer clear of lengthy citations and discussions of published material. Research publications should emphasize the limits of the study and explore the significance of the results in the context of previous research in this part. The sample size should be justified by the authors in light of the goals and procedures of the research. Under the title "Results and Discussion," the Results and Discussion may be given together. Alternatively, they might be divided into two distinct parts: "Results" and "Discussion" sections. If necessary, brief subheadings may be included in each section.

5. Conclusion: In the Conclusion section, there may be a brief paragraph that summarizes the main points of the work, presents the findings of the investigation, or suggests further research on the topic.

6. Acknowledgement: This section should clarify the person(s), institute (s), and/or organization (s) that helped in the study and the role of the funding body can also be emphasized in this section. If the study is not acknowledged, use "Declared None".

7. Appendices: If long but necessary methodological details need to be presented, appendices, which may be included in the paper, should be utilized. An appendix may include no more than 3 pages. Full sentences should not be used; instead, the information should be presented concisely. While many appendices may be designated APPENDIX I, APPENDIX II, and so forth, a single appendix should be titled APPENDIX.

8. Declarations

The authors should include details on the funding source, the author’s contributions, conflicts of interest, consent for Publication, and availability of data and materials.

Funding: Authors must disclose the funding sources of their manuscripts by including the designated grant or award number in brackets (if applicable) and the name of the funding agency or financial support organization. Likewise, in the case where a paper is produced in the course of the authors' employment and lacks a designated funding source, the employer's name shall be specified. Authors will be required to explicitly indicate whether the funder provided support for the article’s composition, editing, approval, or publication decision.

Conflict of Interest: Authors must state any conflicts of interest that potentially affect the work. Disclose connections and interests for a more thorough and open approach, which leads to a more accurate and impartial appraisal of the work, even if the author has no conflict. Readers are entitled to real or perceived conflicts of interest. All articles must include a conflict statement and submit a conflict disclosure form. Financial relationships with test assistance or counseling employment are not always improper. Authors must include a confirmation statement in their papers, such as, “The author(s) declare that there is no conflict of interest regarding the present manuscript and study.”Corresponding authors gather all conflict-of-interest declaration forms. When legal representation agreements allow, the corresponding author may sign the disclosure form for all authors in author partnerships. Acta Life follows ICMJE recommendations on “Author Responsibilities-Conflicts of Interest” and “Disclosure of Financial and Non-Financial Relationships and Activities, and Conflicts of Interest”.

Consent for Publication: It is the responsibility of the corresponding to obtain consent for publication of a manuscript in Acta Life from all the authors. It can be mentioned that “All the author(s) approved the manuscript and are agreed for the publication of this manuscript in Acta Life”.

Availability of Data and Materials: The article should cite data and materials to support results. Research data must be shared for openness and reproducibility. Sharing research data includes citing and making it available. To support conclusions, Acta Life encourages writers to provide data and resources in the publication. The corresponding author will be responsible for the availability of raw data and materials and methods followed for experimentation or a study.

9. Supplementary Material: It is highly recommended to include supplementary materials with your manuscript. This may include a PowerPoint presentation detailing the study, additional screenshots, a Word, RTF, or PDF document displaying the original instruments utilized, a video, or the raw data (SAS/SPSS files, Excel files, Access database files, etc.), provided that doing so is essential or has the editor's approval of the journal.

10. Reference Style: Regarding the initial submission, no specific format is required for the references. Nevertheless, during the revision or publication acceptance stage, authors are obligated to format the references in Vancouver style. Self-promotion and self-citation ought to be abstained from by editors, authors, and peer-reviewers. The list of references ought to exclusively comprise works that have been published or accepted for publication and are cited in the text. Only in the text should personal communications and unpublished works be referenced. All references should be numbered sequentially in round brackets in the text e.g., (1), (1-4), or (1,5,6), and enumerated in the reference section according to the Vancouver format.

Journal article

(1) Nakka VP, Gusain A, Mehta SL, Raghubir R. Molecular mechanisms of apoptosis in cerebral ischemia: multiple neuroprotective opportunities. Mol Neurobiol 2008;37(1):7-38. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12035-007-8013-9

(2) Reznick AZ, Packer L. Oxidative damage to proteins: spectrophotometric method for carbonyl assay. Methods Enzymol1994;233:357-63. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0076-6879(94)33041-7

Book

Palanisamy UD,Manaharan T. Antioxidant, antidiabetic and chemical composition of Syzygiumaqueum leaf extracts. In: George A, Augustine R, Sebastian M, Eds. Diabetes Mellitus and Human Health Care. 1^sted. United States: CRC Press 2014; pp. 187-228.

Book chapter

Claiborne A. Catalase activity. In: Greenwald RA, Eds. CRC Handbook of Methods for Oxygen Radical Research. 1^st Ed. Boca Raton: CRC Press1985; pp. 283-284.

Conference proceedings/abstracts

Balog GM, Voronezhskaya EE, Elekes K, Hiripi L. A light- and electronmicroscopic immunocytochemical, and pharmacological characterization of the developing 5-HTergic system in the buccal mass. Front Neurosci Conference Abstract: IBRO International Workshop 2010. https://doi.org/10.3389/conf.fnins.2010.10.00001

Thesis and dissertation

Ollis AA. The role of ExbD in TonB-dependent energy transduction in Escherichia coli. PhD dissertation. Pennsylvania: Penn State University 2011.

URL(WebPage)

National Center for Infectious Diseases [Internet]. Atlanta (GA): Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US); [reviewed 2007 Feb 15; cited 2007 Feb 20]. Available from: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/index.htm

Tables: Submit data tables in Microsoft Word format. Each table should include a title/caption that explains its information. Detailed legends may follow. Tables should be included in the text precisely as they appear in the document. Tables should be numbered consecutively in Arabic numbers when cited in the text. The text should clarify symbols and nonstandard abbreviations at the end. In the table and reference section, numbers should be consecutive (in round brackets).

Figures: Electronic artwork and graphic files should be in one of the following formats: EPS, PDF, TIF, or JPEG/JPG (at least 300 dpi). To reduce the size of huge picture files, use a file compression tool such as ZIP, or RAR. It is required that every illustration be assigned a number in Arabic numerals. Figures must be cited in consecutive numerical order within the text. Every figure ought to be visually clear and include a caption (title) that succinctly summarizes the discoveries depicted within the figure. In the context of a multi-panel figure or illustration, it is customary to indicate individual diagrams or images using lowercase letters (e.g., a, b, c).

Policy on the Use of AI: COPE standards state, "AI tools cannot be authors since they cannot assume accountability for the submitted work. They cannot handle copyright and licensing agreements or claim conflicts of interest as non-legal organizations.

Submission Checklist

Authors must verify that their submission complies with each of the following criteria as part of the submission process; submissions that fail to do so may be returned to the authors.

This article's submission constitutes novel, unpublished material that is not presently being evaluated by editors elsewhere, either in its entirety or in part.

Authors must disclose any potential financial affiliations they may have with the sponsoring organization of the research. It is recommended to include this note in a distinct section preceding the reference list. If there is no conflict, the authors ought to indicate: It is declared by the authors that they have no conflicts of interest.

The journal must receive the valid affiliations, email addresses, and ORCID (Open Researcher and Contributor ID) of all authors to finalize the submission. In the absence of metadata, the submission will be rejected immediately for formal reasons.

Submission Requirements

Work submitted by an individual whose name does not appear on the list of authors will be rejected. Throughout the submission and peer review procedure, the corresponding author assumes oversight of the manuscript.

Proofs: Within one week of receipt, corrected proofs (galley proofs) must be returned to the publisher. Online publication of accepted manuscripts typically occurs 15 days after the receipt of the final corrected proofs.

Reprints: The PDF versions of articles published in Acta Life are available for free distribution.

Raw Data: On request from the editor or reviewers, authors may submit their raw data as supplementary files (see link to Instructions for Authors, Raw data section) or be willing to do so. Upon request from the editor or reviewers, this information becomes non-negotiable. The inclusion and dissemination of the raw data become obligatory upon the editor's determination that they constitute a significant component of the scientific contribution. Discrepancies discovered in the unprocessed data shall constitute grounds for the manuscript's irrevocable rejection.

Using Third-Party Material/Permissions: The management of third-party content inclusion falls under the purview of the authors/editors of a given work. In the context of writing, "third-party content" denotes any piece of work that has been duplicated or adapted from sources other than the authors themselves. Additional materials such as text, figures, photographs, tables, and screenshots may be incorporated. Authorship must be obtained from the copyright holder unless the figure is in the public domain (copyright-free) or permitted for use under Creative Commons or other open licenses.

Plagiarism Policy: All accepted papers are screened for plagiarism using specialized software. The journal accepts articles with plagiarism levels below 10%. Manuscripts with plagiarism content > 10% will not be sent for peer review. Upon detection of plagiarism during the review and editing procedure, the manuscript in question will be promptly rejected. In the event that plagiarism is discovered subsequent to publication, the journal will retract the affected manuscript or manuscripts and issue a suitable statement regarding the retraction.

We suggest that author(s) must read the COPE guidelines regarding “Plagiarism in a submitted manuscript” and “Plagiarism in a published article”.

Peer-Review Process: The journal follows a single-blind peer-review process. All the manuscripts are evaluated by two separate examiners. Each evaluator is required to satisfy the subsequent criteria: i) They must have published in peer-reviewed journals in the field of research relevant to the manuscript of interest. ii) It is imperative that they have not collaborated with the authors or co-authors on any manuscript in the previous decade. The editorial office conducts a PubMed search to verify this. iii) There must be no collaborations or joint research initiatives between the reviewers and the authors. The evaluators are tasked with formulating one of the subsequent recommendations: 1. decline, 2. decline with a resubmission option, 3. substantial revision, 4. minor revision, 5. grant acceptance. The editor may request a third reviewer if significant differences arise between the two evaluations.

The authors may recommend peer-reviewers based on these criteria: (i) The proposed reviewers should be academically esteemed in the submitted article's field and have relevant publications, (ii) Recommended reviewers should not be from the authors' institution or former connections, (iii) Authors must supply potential reviewers' institutional/academic email addresses, (iv) The proposed reviewers' academic profile sites must be linked by authors, (v) Journal has the right to reject any nominated reviewer, (vi) If the authors appeal the editor's rejection with sufficient evidence, the paper might be submitted to two additional reviewers for a final determination.

Article Publishing Charge: ActaLIFE adopts a Gold Open Access model for publishing its articles, ensuring immediate and unrestricted access to published content. To sustain this open-access platform, the journal implements an Article Processing Charge (APC) that covers expenses related to peer review, editing, typesetting, archiving, and overall journal management. Notably, authors are not required to pay APC fees before January 31, 2025. During this period, Pharma Catalyst fully finances the APC for accepted articles that have undergone peer review. Starting February 1, 2025, the journal introduces an APC fee of $1,000 per article (exclusive of tax), which authors are responsible for only after their articles have been accepted through the peer-review process. This approach aims to ensure the continued viability of the open-access academic publishing and exchange platform in the long term.

Article Submission: Authors must mail their article to the given address editor@actalife.org