Submissions

Author Guidelines

Publication Ethics

The Jurnal Sains Farmasi & Klinis adheres to the principles established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) in managing all aspects of publication ethics, with a focus on addressing cases of research and publication misconduct. The journal implements COPE's standards to ensure high ethical quality among publishers, editors, authors, and reviewers. Understanding publication ethics is crucial for enhancing research quality on a global scale. This section outlines the ethical responsibilities expected from authors, editors, and reviewers.

Ethical Responsibilities of Authors

Authors are expected to follow the ethical guidelines set by the Jurnal Sains Farmasi & Klinis when preparing and submitting their manuscripts. Unethical practices may lead to serious consequences, including retraction of the published article or being barred from future submissions to this journal.

• Accountability: Authors should have full knowledge of their manuscript’s content, ensuring that the data presented is accurate and free from fabrication or fraud.

• Originality: Authors must guarantee that their work is original and has not been published or is under consideration elsewhere. The journal’s policy on reproducing published material should be reviewed.

• Plagiarism: Authors must ensure their manuscript is free of plagiarism, with a recommended similarity index of no more than 15%.

• Data Availability: Authors are encouraged to make their underlying data publicly accessible, except for confidential data concerning research subjects.

• Disclosure: Any conflicts of interest and funding sources must be disclosed in separate sections, ensuring transparency about the funders’ role in the research.

• Corrections: Authors are responsible for correcting any inaccuracies before publication and must notify the journal of significant post-publication errors for prompt correction or retraction.

Ethical Responsibilities of Editors

Editors of the Jurnal Sains Farmasi & Klinis are required to follow COPE practices in evaluating and making decisions on submitted manuscripts.

• Impartiality: Decisions are based solely on academic merit and the manuscript's relevance to the journal’s scope, without discrimination.

• Independence: Editors’ decisions are independent of external influences, such as government policies, and should be supported by reviewer recommendations.

• Confidentiality: Editors must maintain the confidentiality of submitted manuscripts and respect authors’ requests regarding the selection of reviewers.

Ethical Responsibilities of Reviewers

Reviewers play a crucial role in maintaining the quality of the journal by providing objective and thorough evaluations of submitted manuscripts.

• Confidentiality: Reviewers must treat the manuscript as confidential and respect the single-blind peer-review process by not revealing their identity to the authors.

• Objectivity: Reviews should be detailed and constructive, with clear explanations for any recommendations made.

• Timeliness: Reviewers are expected to submit their evaluations promptly or communicate with the handling editor if more time is needed.

• Ethical Vigilance: Reviewers must report any scientific or ethical misconduct, such as plagiarism or data fabrication, to the editors.

Conflicts of Interest

All authors must disclose any financial relationships with organizations that sponsored the research. If there are no conflicts, this should be stated explicitly. Editors and reviewers must also avoid evaluating manuscripts where a conflict of interest exists, such as submissions from their own institution, collaborators, or competitors.

Ethical Approval Requirements

Research involving human or animal subjects must have prior ethical clearance from the appropriate institutional review board or ethics committee. Non-compliance may be regarded as research misconduct.

• Human Subjects: Studies must adhere to the ethical standards of the Declaration of Helsinki, ensuring informed consent and privacy protection. The journal reserves the right to reject manuscripts that fail to meet these requirements.

• Animal Subjects: Manuscripts involving animal models should comply with the '3Rs' principles: Replacement, Reduction, and Refinement. Authors should refer to relevant international guidelines during the experiment.

Reproducing Published Material

Authors must obtain permission to reproduce any published material that is not in the public domain or for which they do not hold the copyright. Failure to secure permission will prevent the manuscript from being published in the Jurnal Sains Farmasi & Klinis.

Publication Misconduct

Misconduct, including data fabrication, falsification, plagiarism, and improper authorship, will be thoroughly investigated by the editors in collaboration with reviewers. Proven cases of misconduct during the editorial process will result in rejection, while post-publication misconduct will lead to retraction and potential sanctions against the authors.

Institutions affiliated with the authors are also responsible for investigating allegations of misconduct. The journal, along with these institutions, shares the duty of ensuring the accuracy and integrity of published research. Through these measures, the Jurnal Sains Farmasi & Klinis upholds its commitment to maintaining a reliable and ethical scientific record.

1. The manuscript submitted by the authors has not been published previously in any form, whether in print or electronically, and is not under consideration for publication by any other publisher. If it has been presented at a scientific meeting, clear information regarding the name, location, and date of the meeting should be provided.
2. The authors and co-authors of the submitted manuscript have collectively reviewed and approved its content. Each author bears full responsibility for the content therein, including the inclusion of co-authors' names. By submitting the manuscript to JSFK, the authors confirm that all listed co-authors have provided their approval, consequently preempting any potential grievances from co-authors directed at JSFK.
3. Manuscripts reporting research involving human or animal subjects must have received ethical approval from the appropriate authority. Authors must disclose this and include the ethics approval number in the "Research Methodology" section.

Manuscript Preparation

General Format

Manuscripts should be electronically formatted on A4-sized documents with 3 cm margins on all sides. Please utilize Arial font at 12 points and maintain 1.5 line spacing. Ensure that manuscripts are written using the provided article template in Microsoft Office Word (.doc or .docx extension).

Language

Starting from the August 2023 issue, JSFK only accepts manuscripts in English. Manuscripts must adhere to proper language rules. English manuscripts should undergo professional editing/proofreading before submission to avoid language errors, including spelling, word usage, grammar, and punctuation.

Components of the Manuscript

• Title: Written in sentence case in English, concise and clear, reflecting the manuscript's content, and not exceeding 18 words each.
• Abstract: Written in English; 150-200 words; includes background, objectives, methods, results, and conclusions; accompanied by 4-6 keywords. Abbreviations should be explained upon first appearance.
• Manuscript Structure: Research articles are prepared with the following structure: Title; Abstract; Introduction; Research Methodology; Results and Discussion; Conclusion; Acknowledgments (if necessary); References; Tables; and Figures (as per the template). For review articles, sections like Research Methodology; Results and Discussion; and Conclusion can be replaced with other subheadings following the review's flow/topic.
• Citations and References: In-text citations are numbered and placed within square brackets [ ]. The Reference List follows the Vancouver format adjusted to JSFK standards.
• Author Identity: Manuscripts must not contain author identities as JSFK implements a double-blind review policy. Author and co-author names and affiliations are included in the manuscript metadata on the website during online submission.

Research Methodology

• Research methodology should be divided into relevant subheadings based on the topic and type of research. Examples of relevant subheadings include:
• For experimental research: Materials; Preparation of plant extracts; Characterization of extracts; Preparation of experimental animals; Evaluation of anti-diabetes activity; Data analysis; etc.
• For observational research: Study design; Population and sample; Data analysis; Conclusion; etc.
• Only the main instruments used in the research should be mentioned. Common tools like glassware, syringes, scales, etc., need not be listed. Instruments are mentioned in the appropriate subsection of the methodology or procedure (not in a separate "Instruments" section). Its brand and country of manufacture should accompany each instrument name in parentheses.

Tables and Figures

Tables: Must adhere to the following requirements:

• Tables have complete borders (all borders), including internal borders between columns and rows and outer borders.
• Each table is numbered sequentially (Table 1, 2, etc.), followed by a concise title placed at the top of the table.
• Abbreviations or symbols in tables are allowed if accompanied by explanations in the table footer.
• Each table included must be cited in the manuscript and underlined (e.g., "...as shown in Table 1"; "Table 3 presents the measurement results...").
• Each table is placed on a separate page after the References (per template).

Figures and Graphics: Prepared with sufficient resolution for clear visibility in the final publication.

• All figures are sequentially numbered (Figures 1, 2, etc.), followed by a caption placed below the figure.
• Figure captions are written in sentence case (capital letter at the beginning of the caption).
• Graphs (charts) must include clear horizontal (x-axis) and vertical (y-axis) title axes printed in bold. Graphs should also include a legend if necessary.
• Symbols and abbreviations in figures must be explained in the figure caption.
• Microphotographs (such as microscope results, etc.) must include magnification information in the figure caption.
• Each figure must be cited in the manuscript and underlined (e.g., "...as shown by Figure 2"; "Figure 4 shows the spectrum...").
• Each figure is placed on a separate page after the tables (per template).

References

• JSFK recommends using reputable and up-to-date literature with a minimum of 20 references, prioritizing primary literature (e.g., journal articles) over secondary literature. Authors are encouraged to use primary literature indexed by Google Scholar and preferably have a DOI for easier reference verification.
• At least 80% of the references should be published within the last five years.
• Website references are only allowed for writings sourced from the website of an official organization/institution or reputable online service.
• JSFK uses Vancouver citation and reference style, which can be downloaded from the Zotero repository at [https://www.zotero.org/styles/jurnal-sains-farmasi-dan-klinis](https://www.zotero.org/styles/jurnal-sains-farmasi-dan-klinis). This citation style can also be automatically implemented using the Mendeley application. Authors are strongly encouraged to use a reference manager application when preparing their manuscripts.

Pre-submission Checks

For effective and efficient publication processes, authors are advised to read manuscript preparation tips and pre-submission checklists available on the website:

Tips for Manuscript Preparation

To effectively and efficiently publish articles in JSFK, here are several tips for authors, compiled by the editorial board based on common findings and errors encountered in manuscripts that prevent them from proceeding to the peer review process, resulting in their return to authors for revision.

1. Prepare a Good Abstract

The abstract should include at least the objectives, methods, results, and conclusions. For certain types of research, such as non-experimental studies, it is advisable to start with background information. The number of keywords should range between 4-6 items.

2. Use Correct Tenses in the English Abstract

The English abstract should be written using appropriate tenses for each section. For example, background should be in present tense; methods should be in past tense; etc. Guidelines for using tenses can be found [here].

3. Check English Grammar Suitability

The manuscript should be free from grammatical errors. One beneficial application for grammar checking is Grammarly. This tool detects and corrects grammar and typing errors but does not address issues of diction or sentence structure.

4. Detail Instruments in the Methodology Section

The instruments listed in the methodology section should only include the main tools or instruments used in the research. Common items like glassware, scales, blotting paper, etc., need not be listed. Details of instruments should be included in the appropriate subsection of the research procedure. Its brand and country of manufacture should accompany each instrument's name. For example, Blood pressure was measured using the Biopac Data Acquisition System MP150 (Biopac, USA).

5. Present Results in Tables and Figures

Generally, graphs are easier and quicker to understand compared to tables. However, tables are a better choice for presenting comprehensive data. Using graphs (charts) is considered more appropriate for comparing data with controls, showing trends in data over time, etc. The same data should only be presented in table and graph formats simultaneously if additional important information exists. Each table and figure should be referenced/mentioned in the text (e.g., "...as shown in Table 2"; "Figure 3 illustrates...").

6. Write a Strong and Effective Discussion Section

The discussion should provide an analysis of the results/findings of the research, not just a narrative or description of the results obtained. This section should explain the phenomena observed in the research results and discuss them using relevant and quality references. Therefore, each paragraph of the discussion should include citations/references.

7. Select Good References

The best references are primary sources, such as journal articles. The most practical reference database currently is Google Scholar. Therefore, authors are advised to use only primary literature that can be traced on Google Scholar. Besides facilitating the verification process by editors and reviewers, this also helps authors semi-automatically format the bibliography. Journal articles not found on Google Scholar may be considered less reputable sources.

8. Write the Reference List in Vancouver Style

Each reference item should be written in Vancouver Style ([click here] for an example). Manually writing the reference list is impractical and prone to typographical errors. Hence, JSFK always recommends using a reference manager, such as Mendeley. Alternatively, Google Scholar can also be used (click [here] for complete information). Another option is to utilize services like CiteThisForMe ([click here]).

By following these tips, authors can enhance the quality of their manuscripts and improve their chances of successful publication in JSFK.

Checklist for Manuscript Submission

Here is a checklist that authors must follow before submitting their manuscripts. Some items may not be relevant to certain types of manuscripts. This list is intentionally created to help authors ensure that the submitted manuscript adheres to the manuscript preparation guidelines. By carefully following this checklist, the article review process can be conducted more efficiently.

In the Manuscript:

- The manuscript is written in the article template document (typography as per the template).

- The title sentence is written in Title Case and does not exceed 18 words.

- Author names and affiliations are not included in the manuscript.

- The abstract is written without structured headings, with a length of 150-200 words.

- There are 4-6 keywords separated by semicolons (;).

- The manuscript is free from grammatical errors*.

- The manuscript is written using appropriate tenses*.

- The Research Methodology is written with several subheadings*.

- Instrument names are not detailed in one paragraph.

- The manufacturer and country of origin accompany the writing of material names.

- Instrument names are accompanied by brand and country of origin.

- Ethical clearance is included with a clearance number.

- Descriptions in the research methodology do not use numbering or bullet points.

- All figures and tables are placed at the end of the manuscript (as per the template).

- The research contract/grant number is stated in the Acknowledgments section.

- Conclusions are written in paragraph form and not numbered.

- Citations in the manuscript are written with numbers in square brackets [ ].

- There are a minimum of 20 references.

- At least 30% of references are sources published within the last ten years.

- All references are written in Vancouver Style format following the guidelines*.

- All references to journal articles with a DOI (Digital Object Identifier) must include the DOI link.

- Table titles and figure captions are written in sentence case.

- Terms/abbreviations in tables are explained in the notes below the table.

- Figures have good quality and are fully readable.

- All tables and figures are cited/mentioned in the manuscript.

On the Website:

- The title sentence is written in Title Case.

- Full identities of all authors are provided (full name, email, and affiliation).

- Author names and affiliations are written in Title Case.

- Keywords are written in full according to the manuscript and separated by semicolons (;).

- References are fully written according to the manuscript.

*) See guidelines for more information at here