Welcome to the Instructions for Authors for RRJODDD

This page provides essential instructions for authors interested in submitting their research for publication in Research & Reviews: A Journal of Drug Design & Discovery. RRJODDD is committed to publishing high-quality research that contributes significantly to advancing knowledge within its Focus and Scope. We accept diverse article types, including:

• Original Research Articles: Present novel and impactful findings from your investigations.
• Review Articles: Offer comprehensive analyses of current research on a specific topic.
• Case Reports: Describe unique or insightful cases relevant to the field.

Before submitting your manuscript, please carefully review the following:

• Align Your Research with RRJODDD's Focus and Scope: Visit our website to gain a clear understanding of the topics and areas of interest covered by RRJODDD.
• Understand Article Processing Charges (APCs): RRJODDD operates as a hybrid, open-access publication.
• Sign the Copyright Agreement: Download and carefully read the copyright agreement available on our website.
• Format Your Manuscript Meticulously: Adhere to specific formatting guidelines including font size, line spacing, margin sizes, and citation style.
• Structure Your Manuscript Clearly: Organize with clear headings and sections that follow a logical flow.
• Familiarize Yourself with Publication Ethics: Review policies on ethics, plagiarism, figure formats, data sharing, and reference formatting.
• Update Your Author Information: Provide accurate information on the Publishing Information Database (APID) website.

RRJODDD welcomes original and impactful research submissions from authors who share our commitment to high-quality, ethical research publication. To contribute your work to our esteemed Journal, please ensure you meet the following eligibility criteria:

Affiliation

• Hold an affiliation with a recognized academic institution, research organization, or industry relevant to the Journal's field.
• For industry-affiliated authors, research should be conducted under the auspices of the affiliated organization.
• Student submissions are encouraged with faculty supervision or co-authorship requirements.

Research Alignment

• Your work must align with the scope and focus areas of the Research & Reviews: A Journal of Drug Design & Discovery.
• Interdisciplinary research is welcome, but the core contribution should fall within the Journal's defined scope.

Ethical Adherence

• Adhere to the highest ethical standards in research as outlined by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines.
• Follow responsible conduct of research, data collection and analysis, authorship criteria, and conflict of interest disclosure.

Before you begin writing your research findings, it is important to understand the types of articles you can submit to the Research & Reviews: A Journal of Drug Design & Discovery and which type best suits your research work.

• Selection and Description of Participants: Clearly describe the selection of observational or experimental participants (patients or laboratory animals, including controls), specify eligibility and exclusion criteria, and describe the source population.
• Technical Information: Identify methods, apparatus (include the manufacturer's name and address in parentheses), and procedures in sufficient detail to allow other researchers to reproduce the results. Provide references to established methods, including statistical methods.
• Randomized Clinical Trials: Reports should present information on all major study elements, including the protocol, methods of randomization, allocation concealment, and masking (blinding), following the CONSORT Statement (http://www.consort-statement.org).

Statistics

Whenever possible, quantify findings and present them with appropriate indicators of measurement error or uncertainty (such as confidence intervals). Report losses to observation (e.g., dropouts from a clinical trial). When summarizing data in the Results section, specify the statistical methods used. Avoid non-technical uses of technical statistical terms, such as "random," "normal," "significant," "correlations," and "sample." Define all statistical terms, abbreviations, and symbols. Specify the computer software used. Use upper italics (e.g., P = 0.048). For all P values, include the exact value rather than stating "less than 0.05" or "less than 0.001."

Results

Present results in a logical sequence in the text, tables, and illustrations, emphasizing the main findings first. Do not repeat all the data from the tables or illustrations; instead, emphasize or summarize important observations. Supplementary materials and technical details can be placed in an appendix or published in the electronic version of the RRJODDD.

Discussions

The discussion should include:

• A summary of key findings: Primary and secondary outcome measures, and how results relate to prior hypotheses.
• Strengths and limitations of the study: Consideration of the study question, design, data collection, analysis, and interpretation.
• Interpretation and implications: Discuss in the context of existing evidence.
• Effects on patient care and health policy: Possible mechanisms and implications.
• Controversies raised by the study.
• Directions for future research.

Formatting and Style Guide

Manuscript Structure

Writing scientific communication, whether a research article or another form, follows a rigid structure that authors should adhere to. This format is designed to facilitate the clear transfer of information between the author and the scientific community.

Title of Manuscript

The title plays a vital role in conveying the focus and findings of the research to potential readers. It should be crafted carefully to engage and entice the audience.

Key Considerations for Drafting an Effective Title:

• Highlight Content: The title should effectively highlight the main content or theme of the manuscript.
• Concise and Descriptive: A good title is concise yet descriptive, conveying the essential elements in limited words.
• Word Limit: Typically not exceeding 50 words.
• Capitalization: Capitalize the first letter of each major word, except for prepositions and conjunctions.
• Unambiguous and Specific: The title should be clear and specific, avoiding unnecessary words or punctuation.
• Avoid Jargon or Abbreviations: The title should be accessible and free from overly technical language.
• Enticing: The title should draw the reader's attention and spark curiosity.

Author Details

All authors who have contributed to your research deserve to be credited for their work. Their names should be listed on the same line, separated by commas. The Corresponding Author should be highlighted with an asterisk (e.g., Abhishek Prasad*).

Correspondence should include an email address, telephone number, and postal address, with the email and postal address being mandatory.

Author Contributions

The Author Contributions section outlines the specific roles each author played in the conception, design, execution, analysis, and interpretation of the research.

Key considerations:

• Clear Definition of Contributions: Delineate each author's contributions to the project.
• Consistent Formatting: Present in a consistent format, either as a bulleted list or in paragraph form.
• Inclusive Representation: Acknowledge all individuals who made substantial contributions.
• Transparency and Accountability: Provide a transparent account of author contributions.
• Authorship Order: Specify the order of authors based on their level of contribution.

Abstract

The abstract offers a brief overview of the research, typically spanning 200-250 words. It encapsulates the main components of the study, including the research question, methodology, key findings, and significance.

Key considerations:

• Written and Engaging: Clear and engaging, providing readers with a concise understanding.
• Background: Provides context for the research topic.
• Objectives: States specific objectives or research questions.
• Keywords: Include 5-8 relevant keywords at the end of the abstract.
• Methods: Summarizes the methodology or approach used.
• Results: Presents main findings or outcomes.
• Conclusions: Summarizes main conclusions and implications.

Statistical Reporting in a manuscript involves describing the statistical methods used to analyze the data and accurately reporting the results.

Description of Statistical Methods

Authors should describe the statistical methods used to analyze the data, including types of analyses (e.g., t-tests, ANOVA, regression), software used (e.g., SPSS, R, SAS), and specific settings or parameters.

Presentation of Results

Report statistical results in a clear, organized manner using appropriate summary statistics (e.g., means, standard deviations, confidence intervals) and effect size measures.

Interpretation of Findings

Interpret statistical findings in the context of the research question or hypothesis, discussing implications and significance.

Reporting of Uncertainty

Report uncertainties such as confidence intervals, p-values, and effect sizes. Avoid overstating the significance of results.

Figures and tables are essential components of scientific manuscripts that visually represent data, results, and other relevant information.

Figures

• Purpose: Figures are graphical representations of data, illustrating trends, relationships, or concepts.
• Enhancing Understanding: Figures help readers visualize complex information more effectively than text alone.
• Captioning: Each figure should be accompanied by a descriptive caption explaining its content and significance.

Tables

• Purpose: Tables present numerical data in a structured format, allowing readers to compare and analyze information systematically.
• Organizing Data: Tables provide a clear and organized format for presenting data.
• Captioning and Numbering: Tables should be numbered consecutively in the order they are mentioned in the text.

The Striking Image serves as a visual representation of the research findings or concepts discussed in the manuscript. It is strategically chosen to capture the reader's attention and enhance the overall presentation of the research.

Key considerations for selecting a Striking Image:

• Captivating Visual: The image should be visually captivating, drawing the reader's attention.
• Relevance to Research: The Striking Image should be directly relevant to the content of the manuscript.
• High Quality: The image should be of high quality with clear resolution and sharp detail.
• Consistent with Journal Guidelines: The selection should adhere to the guidelines provided by the Journal.
• Ethical Considerations: Authors should ensure the image complies with ethical standards.

When submitting a manuscript to a RRJODDD, authors may be required to provide additional information beyond the manuscript itself.

Financial Disclosure Statement

The Financial Disclosure Statement requires authors to disclose any financial relationships, affiliations, or interests that could be perceived as potential conflicts of interest.

Key Points to Include:

• Funding Sources: Specify any funding sources or financial support received for the research.
• Honoraria and Consulting Fees: Disclose any honoraria, consulting fees, or compensation received.
• Equity Ownership: Declare any equity ownership, stock options, or financial investments.
• Employment or Affiliations: Disclose any employment or affiliations in relevant organizations.
• Other Financial Interests: Disclose any other financial interests or relationships.

Competing Interests

Competing Interests refer to any circumstances or relationships that may influence the objectivity, integrity, or impartiality of the research or its interpretation.

• Financial Interests: Financial relationships or affiliations that may create a conflict of interest.
• Professional Affiliations: Professional relationships that may influence the research process.
• Personal Relationships: Personal relationships or connections that may impact the research.
• Intellectual Biases: Intellectual or ideological biases that may influence the research.

RRJODDD is committed to promoting transparency, reproducibility, and open science. Authors are encouraged to make all data, code, and materials associated with their research openly available.

Data Availability Statement

Authors must include a Data Availability Statement in their manuscript that clearly outlines how and where the data supporting the findings can be accessed.

Ethical and Legal Considerations

In cases where data cannot be made public due to ethical, legal, or privacy concerns, authors should provide clear justification. Wherever possible, anonymized or aggregated data should be shared.

Data Citation

Authors should ensure that any datasets used in their research are properly cited in the reference list, in the same manner as traditional scholarly sources.

RRJODDD is committed to upholding the highest ethical standards in publishing. All authors, reviewers, and editors are expected to adhere to these standards to ensure a fair, transparent, and unbiased publication process.

• Editorial Independence: RRJODDD's editorial team makes publication decisions based on the quality and relevance of the research.
• Confidentiality: RRJODDD maintains strict confidentiality for all submitted manuscripts.
• Transfer of Copyright: Upon acceptance, authors must transfer the manuscript's copyright to the publisher.
• Plagiarism and Copyright Violations: All submitted manuscripts are screened for plagiarism and copyright violations.
• Data Fabrication and Falsification: Authors must ensure their research is conducted and reported honestly and accurately.
• Authorship and Acknowledgments: Authorship should be based on substantial contributions to the research and writing.
• Open Access and Licensing: RRJODDD offers open access publishing options.
• Corrections and Retractions: RRJODDD will issue corrections or retractions if errors or inaccuracies are discovered.
• Ethical Approval: For studies involving human or animal subjects, authors must provide evidence of ethical approval.

Conflict of Interest Disclosure

All authors submitting a manuscript must declare any potential conflicts of interest. A conflict of interest arises when an author's personal, financial, or professional relationships could influence the objectivity or interpretation of their research.

What to Disclose:

• Financial Interests: Any funding, grants, or payments from organizations that could benefit from the publication.
• Employment or Consulting: Current or past employment, consultancy, or advisory roles.
• Equity Ownership: Holding shares or stocks in companies that may be impacted.
• Intellectual Property: Ownership of patents, trademarks, or other intellectual property rights.
• Personal Relationships: Any personal relationships with individuals in organizations that could benefit.

Preprints allow researchers to share their work with the scientific community before formal peer review. They are typically hosted on preprint servers and are freely accessible.

Key Features of Preprints

• Rapid Dissemination: Preprints enable researchers to share findings quickly with colleagues.
• Open Access: Freely accessible without subscription or payment, promoting transparency.
• Feedback Mechanism: Preprints allow researchers to receive feedback before formal peer review.
• Versioning: Preprint servers often allow authors to update their preprints based on feedback.
• Citation and Recognition: Preprints can be cited in publications, providing credit before formal publication.

Registered Reports

Registered Reports offer several benefits for both researchers and the scientific community. By pre-registering their study protocols, authors can reduce the likelihood of publication bias, selective reporting, and HARKing (Hypothesizing After the Results are Known).

Key Steps in Registered Reports:

• Preregistration of Study Protocol: Authors submit a detailed study protocol for peer review.
• In-Principle Acceptance: Upon successful review, RRJODDD grants in-principle acceptance.
• Transparent Reporting: Registered Reports emphasize transparent reporting of research methods.
• Methodological Rigor: Authors demonstrate a commitment to methodological rigor.
• Reproducibility and Replicability: Registered Reports enhance reproducibility by promoting transparency.

Research Involving Human Subjects

Research involving human subjects must comply with all relevant regulations, including maintaining proper documentation, adhering to study protocols that have received Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval, and reporting any adverse events.

Research Involving the Use of Animals

For research involving animals, authors must follow the standards outlined by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and comply with the NC3Rs ARRIVE Guidelines for in vivo experiments.

• US authors: Cite compliance with the US National Research Council's Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals.
• UK authors: Conform to UK legislation under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 Amendment Regulations.
• European authors: Conform to Directive 2010/63/EU.

Research Involving Cell Lines

Cell Lines, such as HeLa and HEK293 cells, are widely used in biomedical research. Authors must provide details on the origin of the cell lines and confirm compliance with institutional guidelines.

When researchers encounter inconsistencies, discrepancies, or methodological concerns in previously published research, they may choose to write a manuscript disputing the findings.

Key Characteristics:

• Critical Analysis: Involves analyzing the original research, highlighting flaws or limitations.
• Alternative Explanations: Proposes alternative hypotheses or interpretations of the data.
• Replication Attempts: May include attempts to replicate the original findings.
• Transparent Reporting: Provides transparent methods, analyses, and findings.

When submitting a manuscript, authors may be asked to provide information about related manuscripts relevant to the research.

• Previous Submissions: Manuscripts previously submitted to other Journals related to the research.
• Companion Papers: Manuscripts that are part of a series addressing different aspects of the same research project.
• Preprints: Manuscripts posted as preprints that have not undergone peer review.
• Collaborative Works: Manuscripts that are part of collaborative research projects.

The review process is a crucial part of publishing high-quality research. Authors are encouraged to thoroughly review their manuscript before submission.

• Content Review: Carefully review the manuscript to ensure content is relevant, accurate, and informative.
• Formatting Review: Ensure manuscript adheres to the RRJODDD's formatting guidelines.
• Language Review: Ensure language is clear, concise, and grammatically correct.
• Tables and Figures Review: Review all tables and figures to ensure they are clear and informative.
• References Review: Ensure all references are accurate, complete, and follow appropriate citation format.
• Peer Review: Consider having manuscript reviewed by colleagues or experts before submission.

When submitting a revised manuscript, authors are required to follow specific guidelines to ensure that the revision process is efficient and transparent.

Addressing Reviewers' Comments

Authors must carefully address all feedback provided by the reviewers. Each comment should be acknowledged, and changes to the manuscript should be made accordingly.

Point-by-Point Response

A point-by-point response document must accompany the revised submission. This document should include:

• Reviewers' Comments: Include each reviewer's comment in full.
• Author's Response: Provide a detailed explanation of how you have addressed each comment.
• Changes Made: Specify the changes made to the manuscript in response to each comment.

Highlighting Changes in the Manuscript

Authors must provide a highlighted version of the revised manuscript where all changes are clearly marked.

• Track Changes: Use the track changes feature in Word or a similar tool to show edits.
• Highlighted Version: Submit a version where changes are highlighted in color or underlined.

Formatting Requirements

Ensure that the revised manuscript adheres to the RRJODDD's formatting guidelines.

Final Checks

Before submitting the revised manuscript, review the following:

• Ensure all reviewers' comments have been addressed.
• Double-check that changes are clearly marked in the manuscript.
• Review the formatting and ensure it adheres to the RRJODDD's style guide.
• Ensure the point-by-point response is thorough and well-organized.

Note: Failure to follow these guidelines may result in delays or rejection of the revised manuscript.

RRJODDD provides authors with the opportunity to appeal editorial decisions if they believe that their manuscript was rejected unfairly or that significant issues were overlooked during the review process.

Grounds of Appeal

Appeals will only be considered if they are based on:

• Evidence of Procedural Errors: If there was a mistake or oversight during the peer review or editorial decision-making process (e.g., misinterpretation of data or conflict of interest).
• Disagreement with Reviewer Comments: Authors may appeal if they believe reviewers misunderstood key aspects of their research or provided biased or unjustified critiques.

Submitting an Appeal

To submit an appeal, authors must send a formal letter or email to the RRJODDD's editorial office, clearly stating the reasons for their appeal. The letter should include:

• Manuscript ID: Provide the unique identifier for the manuscript.
• Detailed Explanation: A clear and detailed explanation of why the authors believe the decision should be reconsidered.
• Point-by-Point Response: If the appeal is based on reviewer comments, authors should include a point-by-point response addressing each concern.

Appeals must be submitted within a specified period (usually 30 days) following the rejection decision.

Appeal Review Process

Once an appeal is submitted, the following process will be followed:

• Initial Assessment: The editor-in-chief will conduct an initial assessment of the appeal to determine whether there are valid grounds for further review.
• Additional Reviewer Input: If necessary, the manuscript may be sent to new or existing reviewers for further evaluation.
• Editorial Decision: After reviewing the appeal and any additional feedback, the editorial team will make a final decision.

Final Decision

The decision following the appeal is final and binding. If the appeal is successful, the manuscript may be reconsidered for peer review or publication. If the appeal is denied, no further appeals will be entertained for the same manuscript.

Transparency and Confidentiality

RRJODDD is committed to ensuring that the appeal process is transparent and unbiased. All appeals will be handled confidentially, and decisions will be made based solely on the merits of the case.

For further queries, please contact us at:

Or submit your query through the Query Portal.

All submissions are bound by RRJODDD's terms of service.