Authors’ Guidelines

INSTRUCTIONS FOR MANUSCRIPT SUBMISSION AND PREPARATION

Authors are invited to submit their manuscripts electronically via the Journal of Narcotics Research and Sustainable Practices (JNRSP) online submission platform. Please ensure that all submissions are prepared carefully, following the guidelines below to enhance your chances of successful publication.

Manuscript Preparation and Submission Process

  • Language Requirement: Manuscripts must be written in English, following proper grammar, terminology, and style. Both American and British English are acceptable, but please avoid mixing the two. Authors whose first language is not English are strongly encouraged to seek professional editing to ensure clarity and fluency.
  • Single Submission Rule: Submit the manuscript only once to obtain a unique submission ID. Submitting multiple times for the same manuscript can lead to confusion and may reduce the likelihood of acceptance.
  • Title Page and Formatting: The manuscript should include a Title Page with the manuscript title, all author names, and their respective affiliations. Use the journal's template for consistent formatting and presentation, which can be downloaded [here]. Following the template will ensure your manuscript meets the formatting requirements of the journal.
  • Authors should fill out the Author Declaration Form

Template        Author Declaration Form

English Language Proficiency

All articles in JNRSP are published in English. Authors should make sure their work is presented in clear, idiomatic English before submission. Note that the journal does not provide language editing services. Authors are responsible for arranging any necessary language editing to correct grammar, spelling, and terminology issues at their own cost prior to submission.

New Submissions: Step-by-Step Process

The entire submission process is conducted online. Authors are guided through each step, from creating the manuscript files to uploading them. For the initial submission, a single file (preferably a Word document in .docx format) can be uploaded, containing all parts of the manuscript. Ensure that figures and tables are embedded within the main text for easy reference during the review process.

References

The reference list should strictly follow the JNRSP style guide. Each reference entry should include the author(s) name(s), article title, year of publication, journal abbreviation, title of the book or chapter (if applicable), volume/issue number, and page numbers. Whenever possible, please include Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs) for each reference. Authors may use Crossref Metadata Search to check and match references with their DOIs, ensuring accuracy and completeness.

Manuscript Formatting and Submission Guidelines

When preparing your manuscript for the Journal of Narcotics Research and Sustainable Practices (JNRSP), please ensure it meets the following formatting requirements to facilitate a smooth review and publication process.

Formatting Essentials

Each manuscript should include all necessary sections for clear communication of the research, typically organized as follows: Title, Abstract, Keywords, Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results, Discussion, Conclusion, Acknowledgments, Conflict of Interest, and References. Be sure to embed all figures and tables within the main manuscript file for ease of reference and review.

To reduce errors, we recommend using spell-check and grammar-check tools before submitting. Clear, error-free writing improves readability and helps reviewers focus on your research.

Submission and Authorship Verification

When submitting to JNRSP, all authors must confirm that the work is original, authentic, and valid. The manuscript should not have been published or submitted elsewhere in any form, either in print or online. By submitting, authors agree that the corresponding author will act as the primary contact with the editorial office and will handle all revisions and proofs.

Authors should also disclose any related or duplicate submissions, especially if they cover similar content or data, to maintain transparency.

Manuscript Structure

  • Title Page: The title page should begin with the article title in uppercase, limited to 15 words without abbreviations, locations, or overly technical terms. Below the title, list the names and affiliations of all authors, centered on the page, along with the email of the corresponding author.
  • Abstract: A concise abstract (150-250 words) should summarize the purpose, main findings, novelty, and conclusions of the study. Avoid abbreviations and citations in this section to keep it clear and accessible.
  • Keywords: Provide 4 to 8 keywords for indexing. These should be specific to the study’s subject matter, avoid repeating words from the title, and be listed alphabetically, separated by semicolons.
  • Introduction: Summarize the research background briefly and outline the study's aim. Include relevant, up-to-date information that contextualizes the study.
  • Materials and Methods: Clearly describe your methods so that others could replicate the study. Use metric and SI units throughout. Indicate any statistical software used, and explain statistical terms, abbreviations, and symbols as needed.
  • Results: Present findings clearly, using graphs and tables where helpful. Avoid duplicating data between text, tables, and figures, and number each figure/table according to its order in the text.
  • Discussion: Interpret and discuss the results, supported by current references. Avoid repeating data and instead focus on analysis and implications. This section should conclude with a brief summary of the findings. For shorter manuscripts, Results and Discussion may be combined.
  • Conclusion: Highlight the study’s major findings and their significance, without citing references.
  • Acknowledgments: Mention any assistance, funding sources, or grants received. Write out the full names of funding organizations and include grant numbers where applicable.
  • Conflict of Interest: Add a conflict of interest statement as follows: “The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest regarding the publication of this manuscript.”

References

Use Harvard style for references. In text references should be written as (Lee et al., 2024). Include the DOI

Journal

LEE, I.-H., KIM, S. Y., PARK, S., RYU, J. G. & JE, N. K. 2024. Impact of the Narcotics Information Management System on Opioid Use Among Outpatients With Musculoskeletal and Connective Tissue Disorders: Quasi-Experimental Study Using Interrupted Time Series. JMIR Public Health and Surveillance, 10, 1-8. https://doi.org/10.2196/47130.

Conference Paper

KONG, Q. & CHI, M. Analysis and study of the mechanism of narcotic addiction and withdrawal.  International Narcotics Interdiction Association (INIA) Annual Conference, 2024 New York, USA. 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1xx6/xxxxxxxxx

Book

MADRAS, B. & KUHAR, M. 2014. The Effects of Drug Abuse on the Human Nervous System, Boston, Academic Press. ISBN: 978-0-12-418679-8.

Book Section

MADRAS, B. & KUHAR, M. 2014. The Effects of Drug Abuse on the Human Nervous System, Boston, Academic Press. ISBN: 978-0-12-418679-8.

It is strictly required to use reference manager software to write your references. Please use EndNote, Mendeley, or any other software.

Personal communications or unpublished data should be mentioned in the text, but not included in the list of references. We usually expect a minimum of 20 to 30 references primarily to journal papers, depending on the length of the paper.  The majority of the cited references should be recent articles published within the last five years. ¨Citations of textbooks should be used very rarely and citations to web pages should be avoided. ¨All cited papers should be referenced within the text of the manuscript.

To get the DOI of a reference the following search page can be utilized:

https://search.crossref.org/

Guidelines for Tables and Figures

Tables

  • Format and Placement: Ensure tables are submitted as editable text, not images or photographs. Place each table within the text where it’s relevant, using your word processor’s table function instead of a spreadsheet to create them. This ensures that tables can be formatted and adjusted easily.
  • Clarity and Consistency: Make sure tables are clearly labeled, self-explanatory, and that the data presented is consistent throughout the manuscript.

Figures

  • Quality and Resolution: Figures and illustrations should be submitted as high-quality images, ideally between 200-300 dpi, so they reproduce well in the journal. Keep figures clear, properly labeled, and sized appropriately to maintain legibility.
  • Embedding and Positioning: Figures should be embedded within the text where referenced, and must be aligned with the text, not floating.
  • Permissions for Reuse: Authors must secure permission for any figures, illustrations, or tables reused from other publications. For a guide on obtaining permissions, view this instructional video: YouTube video link.
  • Captions: Each figure should have a concise caption that starts with "Figure" (e.g., "Figure 1:") and briefly explains what the figure shows. Place captions directly below each figure, and keep the number of figures manageable to maintain clarity.

Copyright Notice for JNRSP Articles JNRSP is an open-access journal, meaning all content is freely available to the public at no cost. Articles are published under the Creative Commons Attribution International Public License (CC BY 4.0), allowing users to search, download, share, print, and link to full-text articles as long as they give proper credit to the original author(s). You can read the full license details here: Creative Commons License.

While authors retain copyright for their published work on the JNRSP platform, JNRSP requests that all users appropriately cite any use of the articles. The CC BY 4.0 license enables the unrestricted distribution and reproduction of articles, provided that credit is given to the original work.

Author Contribution Statement This section should detail each author's specific contributions to the research. Write contributions in a narrative format; for example:

  • Author Contributions Example:
    • Author A.B. and C.D.: Formulated the research question and study design.
    • Author A.B.: Developed the theoretical framework and performed the main computations.
    • Author C.D.: Conducted specific analyses, and supervised the overall project.
    • All Authors: Discussed the findings and collaborated on finalizing the manuscript.