Manuscript structure
Include the title, author details, abstract, keywords, main text, references and declarations. A conventional empirical paper uses an introduction, literature or conceptual framework, methods, findings, discussion and conclusion. Adapt the structure where a different research design requires it.
- Title: specific and informative
- Abstract: normally 150–250 words
- Keywords: normally 4–8 terms
- Main text: normally 4,000–8,000 words for an original research article; discuss exceptions with the editor
- References: APA 7 is the preferred style
- Tables and figures: numbered, titled and cited in the text
Author information
Provide the full name, affiliation, country, contact email and ORCID of every author where available. Identify one corresponding author and supply concise author biographies. The account profile must contain the submitting author’s affiliation, ORCID and biography. The author-information field should include the same information for coauthors.
- All authors must approve the submitted version.
- Explain equal contributions or consortium authorship where relevant.
- Ensure that the author list and affiliations are consistent throughout the manuscript.
Submission checklist
Use the journal submission page after creating your HE account. The current submission form accepts the manuscript text and author details; the editorial office can arrange supplementary material through the request conversation. Do not submit the same manuscript to another journal while it is under active consideration here.
- A clear research question and statement of contribution
- Methods, definitions, time windows and cohort selection
- Funding, conflicts, ethics and consent statements where applicable
- Data and code availability statement
- Disclosure of substantive AI assistance
- Permissions for third-party figures or lengthy quotations