1. Choose the right journal
These publisher-wide instructions apply to every Lumora journal. Read the selected journal’s aims, accepted article types, language, fees and additional submission requirements before preparing files. A clearly stated journal-specific requirement takes precedence; ask the editorial office about any conflict.
Submit work that answers a meaningful question and reports its limitations honestly. Confirm originality and that the manuscript is not under consideration elsewhere. Disclose preprints, conference abstracts, related papers, translations and overlapping datasets; explain what the present paper adds.
2. Article types and preparation targets
Original research: Introduction, Methods, Results and Discussion; aim for about 4,000 main-text words. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses: about 5,000 words, with protocol, reproducible search, selection, appraisal and synthesis methods. These are preparation targets, not automatic rejection limits.
Case reports and brief reports: aim for about 1,500 words. Case reports need a clear clinical lesson and publication consent. Protocols should identify registration and planned analyses without invented results. Narrative reviews, methods papers, datasets, registered reports, humanities articles, letters and commentaries are considered only where the journal accepts that type.
3. A simple first submission
Use a readable editable Word document, or LaTeX source with a compiled PDF. Keep references consistent at first submission; apply the journal’s required reference style during revision. Include page and continuous line numbers, clear headings, readable spacing, SI units where applicable, and definitions for abbreviations.
Upload a separate title page, anonymized manuscript, cover letter, figures, editable tables, relevant reporting checklist and supplements. Respect the upload limit displayed by the journal. Use a suitable repository for large data and include a persistent link; do not attach passwords, access tokens or identifiable participant records.
4. Title page, abstract and keywords
The title page identifies each author’s full name, institution, city and country; the corresponding author’s contact; word count; and declarations. Obtain all authors’ approval of their names, order and contributions. ORCID is encouraged and may be connected later in the profile; it is not required to create a Lumora account.
Provide English title, abstract and 4–8 keywords unless the selected journal explicitly specifies another language arrangement; an Arabic abstract is welcomed. Aim for an abstract of up to 300 words. For original research and systematic reviews, use Background, Methods, Results and Conclusions. Report actual findings and important limitations; avoid unsupported claims or citations in the abstract.
5. Methods, statistics and reproducibility
Describe design, setting, dates, eligibility, recruitment, exposures or interventions, outcomes and follow-up sufficiently for appraisal. Explain sample-size reasoning, missing data, exclusions, blinding and allocation where relevant. Identify primary and exploratory analyses, software and versions, effect estimates and uncertainty; distinguish statistical significance from practical importance.
For evidence syntheses, give databases, full search strategies, search dates, selection procedures, excluded full texts with reasons, risk-of-bias methods and analysis choices. For computational work, provide code, dependencies, data provenance and evaluation procedures when lawful. For qualitative, humanities or social research, explain sampling or source selection, analytical approach, researcher position and evidentiary limits.
6. Reporting guidelines by design
Use the current applicable checklist and relevant extensions: CONSORT for randomized trials; SPIRIT for trial protocols; STROBE for observational studies; PRISMA for systematic reviews and PRISMA-P for review protocols; CARE for case reports; STARD for diagnostic accuracy; TRIPOD for prediction models.
Other designs may need COREQ or SRQR (qualitative research), ARRIVE (animal studies), SQUIRE (quality improvement), CHEERS (economic evaluation), or AGREE/RIGHT (clinical guidelines). Check the EQUATOR library for extensions and submit page references for completed items, with explanations for items that do not apply. Non-health journals may specify discipline-specific standards.
7. Ethics, registration and consent
Human-participant research must describe the responsible ethics committee, approval identifier and date, and consent process or documented waiver. Do not retrospectively invent approval. If review was not required, explain the basis and the responsible institutional determination. Protect personal information in text, images, files and metadata.
Register clinical trials prospectively in a suitable public registry and report the identifier. Explain deviations and late registration transparently for editorial assessment. Obtain specific written consent for publication of identifiable clinical material; consent to participate alone may be insufficient. Animal research needs applicable institutional approval, welfare measures and justification.
9. Data, code and supporting material
Every manuscript needs a data availability statement. Identify the repository, persistent identifier, version, license and access conditions when available. For restricted data, explain the ethical or legal restriction and a workable access process. Do not promise access that the authors cannot lawfully provide. State when no new data were generated.
Provide data dictionaries, analysis scripts, repository versions and a reproducible workflow where relevant. De-identify shared data and review re-identification risks. Label supplements clearly and cite them in the main text. The editorial team may request underlying records for integrity checks through an appropriate confidential process.
10. Figures, tables and graphical abstracts
Number figures and tables in citation order and give self-contained captions, units and definitions. Supply editable tables and original figure files. Aim for at least 300 dpi for raster images at intended display size; prefer vector files for diagrams and higher resolution for line art. Use accessible contrast, readable labels and explanatory text; never rely on color alone.
Keep original images and disclose processing. Do not selectively remove, duplicate or enhance scientific features. Obtain permission for reused material and include attribution and license information. A graphical abstract is optional unless the journal requires it: present the question, approach and supported finding accurately, without inflated conclusions, patient identifiers or unsupported branding.
11. References and responsible citation
Check each reference against the original source, including authors, title, year, journal and DOI when available. Link citations to the statements they support. Use Vancouver numbering for biomedical journals at revision unless the journal specifies otherwise; follow the discipline-specific style for other journals. Identify preprints, datasets, software and unpublished material accurately.
Check corrections and retractions before relying on a source. Avoid unnecessary self-citation, citation exchanges and pressure to cite a journal or reviewer. An AI-generated reference is unverified until checked against an accessible source. Do not fabricate identifiers, quotations or study findings.
12. Transparent and confidential use of AI
Humans remain responsible for every statement, analysis, image and reference. AI tools cannot be authors. Disclose the tool and version, purpose and extent of substantive assistance in the relevant Methods or acknowledgement section and cover letter. Retain enough information to explain the work; follow the journal’s AI policy for language-editing disclosures.
For author preparation, use only your own non-sensitive draft material that you are authorized to process, with the required consent for external AI processing. Reviewers must never upload confidential manuscripts or excerpts to external AI tools; language and organization help is limited to their own non-confidential comments, and the scientific assessment remains their own. Verify generated output and disclose relevant limitations; automated assistance does not certify originality, ethics approval, statistical validity or readiness for acceptance.
13. Cover letter and anonymous review
Explain the question, contribution, fit with the journal and any prior dissemination or related submission. Confirm author approval and exclusive submission. Identify any special circumstances, permissions or potential conflicts. Reviewer suggestions are optional advice; the editor makes appointments and must be able to verify expertise and independence.
For double-anonymous review, remove names, affiliations, acknowledgements and identifying document metadata from the review file, placing them on the separate title page. Use neutral self-citation wording. Follow the journal’s instructions for anonymizing ethics details, repositories and supplements without obscuring information needed to assess the methods.
14. Submit through the selected journal
Create a Lumora account using the short registration form or an available connected sign-in provider. Complete affiliation and other profile information later; enter all required manuscript metadata during submission. Choose the journal, start its OJS submission wizard, upload the files and review the final details before confirming. Keep the submission identifier.
Optional service requests and discount codes are administrative preferences. A fast-track request concerns coordination and scheduling subject to capacity; the office confirms scope and any fee before work. Graphical abstracts, production assistance and visibility services require an agreed scope. None purchases acceptance, a favorable review, guaranteed views or citations.
15. Editorial assessment, revision and appeal
The office checks completeness, scope and applicable ethical requirements. The editor may request clarification, decline the manuscript or invite independent review. Review times depend on the work and reviewer availability. Membership, referrals, service purchases and recognition awards do not determine decisions; editors recuse themselves from conflicted work.
For revision, provide a response to every comment, a clean manuscript and a marked version where requested. Explain disagreements respectfully with evidence and identify new analyses. Appeals should identify a specific error or procedural concern and provide evidence under the published appeal policy; an appeal does not guarantee reconsideration or acceptance.
16. Fees, membership and independent decisions
Check the selected journal’s current APC information before submission. APCs are invoiced after acceptance under the journal’s published terms; published APC prices include 15% VAT. Membership fees and optional services are separate. Confirm scope, any waiver and eligible discounts with the office. The journal’s quoted invoice governs; these guidelines do not introduce a new APC.
Apply membership benefits and approved Lumora-only referral credits according to published caps, expiry and non-stacking rules. Request a waiver through the declared process. Financial discussions must remain separate from scientific evaluation, and no payment guarantees publication.
17. After acceptance and after publication
Review proofs for accuracy of text, author names, affiliations, tables, figures, references and declarations. Return consolidated corrections within the production deadline agreed with the office. Substantial scientific changes may require editorial reassessment. Approve the final proof before publication through the journal’s stated process.
Read the journal’s open-access and copyright terms and confirm third-party permissions. Share the published version using its permanent article link and license. Report substantive errors promptly to the editorial office. Corrections, expressions of concern and retractions follow the relevant policy and preserve a transparent scholarly record.
Before you submit: your checklist
Use this as your preparation aid. These answers are not submitted and do not establish scientific compliance.
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Policies and resources
- Publication ethics · Review and appeals · AI policy
- Article charges · Data availability · Copyright
- ICMJE · EQUATOR · COPE · CRediT
These are original Lumora instructions informed by international publishing practice. Resource links do not imply endorsement or organizational membership.
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