Submission Preparation Checklist

Authors should review the following checklist carefully before submitting a manuscript to Journal of Sport and Exercise Studies.

Before submitting a manuscript, authors must ensure that the submission is complete, original, ethically prepared, and formatted according to the journal’s requirements. Submissions that do not meet the basic requirements may be returned to the authors before peer review.

The following checklist is intended to help authors prepare their manuscripts for editorial screening and peer review.

General Submission Requirements

  • The manuscript is original and has not been published previously.
  • The manuscript is not currently under review or consideration by another journal, book, conference proceedings, or publication outlet.
  • The manuscript falls within the aims and scope of Journal of Sport and Exercise Studies.
  • The manuscript makes a clear scholarly contribution to sport, exercise, physical activity, health, education, performance, behavior, society, or a related field.
  • All authors have approved the submitted version of the manuscript.
  • The corresponding author has obtained permission from all co-authors to submit the manuscript on their behalf.

Manuscript Files

  • An anonymized main manuscript file has been prepared for double-blind peer review.
  • The main manuscript file does not include author names, affiliations, acknowledgements, funding details, or other information that directly identifies the authors.
  • A separate title page has been prepared and includes the manuscript title, author names, affiliations, corresponding author information, ORCID iDs where available, funding information, and declarations.
  • A cover letter has been prepared, briefly explaining the manuscript’s contribution and confirming that the work is not under consideration elsewhere.
  • Supplementary files, datasets, instruments, appendices, or additional materials have been prepared where applicable.

Formatting and Structure

  • The manuscript is written in clear and consistent English.
  • The manuscript uses either British or American English consistently throughout.
  • The manuscript includes a clear title, abstract, keywords, main text, references, and all required declarations.
  • The abstract is concise and normally between 150 and 250 words.
  • The manuscript includes 4–6 keywords that are specific and relevant to the study.
  • The manuscript follows a clear structure appropriate to its article type.
  • All pages are numbered consecutively.
  • Tables and figures are numbered, titled, and cited in the main text.
  • All abbreviations are defined at first mention.

References and Citations

  • The manuscript follows the APA 7th edition citation and reference style.
  • All in-text citations have corresponding entries in the reference list.
  • All references listed at the end of the manuscript are cited in the main text.
  • References are accurate, complete, and formatted consistently.
  • DOIs or stable URLs are included where available.
  • The manuscript does not include excessive, irrelevant, misleading, or inappropriate citations.

Research Ethics

  • Research involving human participants has been conducted in accordance with relevant ethical standards.
  • Ethical approval from an institutional review board, ethics committee, or equivalent body has been obtained where required.
  • If ethical approval was not required, the reason is clearly stated in the manuscript.
  • Informed consent has been obtained from participants where applicable.
  • For research involving minors, students, athletes, patients, vulnerable groups, identifiable images, or sensitive data, appropriate safeguards and consent procedures have been followed.
  • The manuscript does not contain identifying personal information unless appropriate consent has been obtained.

Declarations

  • A conflict of interest statement has been included.
  • A funding statement has been included.
  • An author contribution statement has been included where applicable.
  • A data availability statement has been included where applicable.
  • An ethics statement has been included where applicable.
  • Any use of artificial intelligence tools or automated writing, editing, translation, coding, image-generation, or data-analysis tools has been disclosed where such tools materially contributed to the manuscript.

Tables, Figures, Images, and Permissions

  • All tables and figures are necessary, clear, and directly relevant to the manuscript.
  • All tables and figures have appropriate titles, captions, and source notes where applicable.
  • Images, photographs, screenshots, diagrams, or reproduced materials are used with appropriate permission where required.
  • The authors have obtained permission to reproduce any copyrighted material included in the manuscript.
  • Figures and tables do not contain identifying information unless appropriate consent has been obtained.

Data, Transparency, and Reproducibility

  • The research design, participants, procedures, measures, and analysis methods are described clearly.
  • Statistical methods, qualitative procedures, or analytical frameworks are reported with sufficient transparency.
  • Datasets, code, protocols, or supplementary materials are provided where appropriate and ethically permissible.
  • Any restrictions on data sharing are clearly explained.
  • The manuscript presents results honestly and does not omit relevant limitations.

Publication Ethics and Editorial Policies

  • The authors have read and understood the journal’s Author Guidelines.
  • The authors have read and understood the journal’s Publication Ethics policy.
  • The authors understand that plagiarism, self-plagiarism, duplicate publication, data fabrication, data falsification, image manipulation, and misleading citation practices are not acceptable.
  • The authors understand that the Editorial Office may conduct similarity checks and request clarification where necessary.
  • The authors agree to cooperate with the editorial process and respond carefully to editor and reviewer comments if revisions are requested.

Article Processing Charges

  • The authors have reviewed the journal’s APC & Waiver Policy.
  • The authors understand that no payment is required at the time of initial submission.
  • The authors understand that any applicable article processing charge is normally requested only after acceptance and before publication.
  • The authors understand that publication fees, waiver conditions, and exempt article types are governed by the journal’s APC & Waiver Policy.

Final Confirmation

By submitting a manuscript to Journal of Sport and Exercise Studies, authors confirm that the submission complies with the journal’s requirements and that all information provided is accurate to the best of their knowledge.

Manuscripts that do not meet the basic submission requirements may be returned to the authors for correction before editorial evaluation or peer review.