This page provides guidance on writing a Research Article for ARC, outlining the key sections that must be included. Authors should also consult ARC’s editorial policies. A template for Research Articles is available here.

Criteria

Research Articles should present original findings and insights, offering theoretical, empirical, experimental, or methodological contributions to their respective fields. Null or negative results, reanalyses of prior studies that yield new findings, and confirmatory results are also encouraged.

Language

All articles must be written in clear and proper English. Both UK and US English are acceptable, but consistency must be maintained throughout the manuscript. Please note that ARC does not perform editorial revisions prior to publication, and a manuscript may be rejected during initial checks if it is unintelligible or unsuitable for peer review.

For authors whose first language is not English, it may be helpful to have the manuscript reviewed by a native English speaker with relevant scientific expertise. Several professional editing services are available to provide such support, typically at the authors’ expense.

All authors must have made a substantial contribution to the work and agree to take responsibility for the sections they contributed. Each author should approve the final version of the manuscript before publication (see the ICMJE’s Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals for further guidance). Being listed as an author signifies full accountability for the content and compliance with our editorial standards.

For large, multi-center projects, only individuals who take direct responsibility for the manuscript should be listed as authors. The specific contributions of each author should be detailed in the Author Contributions section.

Individuals who contributed to the work but do not meet the criteria for authorship should be acknowledged in the Acknowledgments section. Any involvement of professional medical writers must also be disclosed.

The structure of the main body of a research article can be flexible but should remain concise, easy to read, and appropriately formatted for the type of study. Research Articles should generally not exceed 20,000 words.

Introduction

Provide background to the research with reference to previous studies and clearly present the research question.

Methods

Methods should provide sufficient detail to allow replication of the study. Include any steps taken to minimize bias or control for variability, and discuss dataset limitations. When applicable, authors are encouraged to deposit detailed protocols on protocols.io, obtaining a persistent DOI to reference in the Methods section. Note that protocols become public only once “Publish” is selected on protocols.io.

For studies using questionnaires validated in previous research, cite the original study and provide a URL link. If using a newly created or translated questionnaire, indicate whether it has been validated and describe:

• Initial face validity testing
• Preliminary pilot testing
• Reliability testing (internal consistency, test-retest, inter-rater)
• Any modifications made after preliminary testing

Include the novel questionnaire as extended data.

Results

Present results clearly, including all underlying data in the manuscript or deposited in a publicly accessible repository following data guidelines.

Discussion

Discuss results in the context of existing literature, highlighting strengths and weaknesses of the study. Include suggestions for future research directions.

Preregistered Data Analysis

Indicate whether the study and its data analysis plan were preregistered at an independent registry. Include all preregistered analyses in the text and note any deviations from the original plan. Clearly distinguish between preregistered and non-preregistered analyses, and provide a link to the preregistration, which will be verified before publication.

Underlying Data

Every article must include a Data Availability Statement, even if no data is associated with the work. The statement should describe how, where, and under what conditions the data supporting the results can be accessed. For practical guidance, refer to our data guidelines and approved repository list.

Your Data Availability Statement should follow this format:

[Name of data repository]. [Title of dataset]. [Persistent identifier].

This project includes the following underlying data:

• Title of file. (Description of data in file.)
• Title of file. (Description of data in file.)

Data is available under the terms of the [Name of license].

Restricted Data

Some data may be restricted for legitimate reasons, including privacy, copyright, or ethical considerations. In these cases, the Data Availability Statement should detail the restrictions and explain how and under what conditions the data can be accessed, following our data policy.

Extended Data

Additional materials supporting the main findings, such as questionnaires, images, or tables, may be included as extended data. Descriptions of these materials should appear in the main article. Extended data should be deposited in an approved repository and be licensed under CC0, Public Domain Dedication, or CC-BY 4.0 Attribution-Only license. Ensure that sharing extended data does not conflict with prior publication policies of other journals.

Format for citing extended data:

[Name of data repository]. [Title of dataset]. [Persistent identifier].

• Title of file. (Description of data in file.)
• Title of file. (Description of data in file.)

Data is available under the terms of the [Name of license].

Do not include information that could directly identify participants unless explicit permission has been obtained.

Software and Code

Articles should describe any software or code needed to access the datasets or reproduce the analysis. Include software version numbers. For proprietary software, provide an open-access alternative if possible.

For new software, make the source code available on a version control system (e.g., GitHub, BitBucket, SourceForge) and deposit an archived copy in a recognized repository. Include a statement in the manuscript such as:

• Software available from: URL
• Source code available from: URL for VCS
• Archived source code at time of publication: DOI in repository
• License: Preferably an OSI-approved open license

Reporting guidelines help authors provide a complete and transparent description of their research, making it easier for others to evaluate and reproduce the work. For a comprehensive overview, see the FAIRSharing initiative. Biological research guidelines can be explored via the MIBBI Foundry filter on the FAIRSharing website.

Articles in ARC must follow consensus-based minimum reporting guidelines. Comprehensive lists of reporting guidelines can be found on the EQUATOR Network website for health research.

Checklists are available for several study types, including:

• Randomized controlled trials: CONSORT
• Observational studies: STROBE
• Qualitative research: COREQ, SRQR
• In vivo animal studies: ARRIVE

Completed reporting checklists and flow charts should be deposited in an approved general repository. Include the guideline type, repository name, DOI, and license in the manuscript’s Data Availability statement.

Clinical Trials

Articles reporting clinical trials must comply with CONSORT guidelines. The TIDieR checklist should be used to describe the intervention methodology. Authors must provide the original trial protocol, completed CONSORT checklist, and flow diagram as supporting files. The trial registration number, registry name, registration date, and URL should be included in the Methods section. Any deviations from the original protocol must be explained. Public disclosure of results, e.g., via clinicaltrials.gov, does not preclude article publication.

Research with Animals

All research involving animals must follow the ARRIVE guidelines. This applies to all species, including non-protected species and invertebrates. Articles must conform to the ARRIVE Essential 10 checklist, and authors are encouraged to follow the full ARRIVE 2.0 checklist. A completed checklist should be included in the article.

Sex and Gender Equity

ARC endorses the SAGER guidelines to ensure proper reporting of sex and gender in study design, data analysis, and results. Key points include:

• Correct use of sex and gender terminology throughout the article.
• Title/Abstract: Indicate if results are applicable to a specific sex or gender.
• Introduction: State expected sex or gender differences.
• Methods: Report how sex and gender were considered in study design, or explain if not considered. Describe how participant sex was determined (e.g., self-report, genetic testing, external examination).
• Results: Present data disaggregated by sex and gender.
• Discussion: Discuss implications of sex and gender differences or explain if analysis was not performed.

Authors should consult SAGER guidelines when designing their study and writing the article.

Ethics Policies

All research must be conducted in accordance with an appropriate ethical framework. For studies involving human participants or animals, authors must provide details of approval from their institution or relevant ethics committee in the Methods section. For further guidance, see the detailed “Ethics” section in our editorial policies.

Consent

For studies involving participant or patient data (e.g., clinical trials, case reports, personal genomics, questionnaires, observations), authors must obtain written informed consent from all participants, or from a legal guardian for minors, or next of kin if the participant is deceased. Authors should be prepared to provide copies of consent forms if requested.

If applicable, include a “Consent” section in the manuscript stating:“Written informed consent for publication of the participants/patients’ details and/or images was obtained from the participants, patients, parents, guardians, or relatives of the participant/patient.”

Author Contributions

We use the CRediT Taxonomy to document author contributions. This approach provides transparency, allows proper recognition, and increases accountability. For more details, click here.

You do not need to include an Author Contributions section in your manuscript. During submission, you will be asked to indicate each author’s contributions by selecting from the list below. Individuals who contributed but do not meet authorship criteria should be acknowledged in the Acknowledgments section.

Articles submitted to ARC must not include content that could be seen as promotional or advertising. A Competing Interests section is required for every article. Any financial, personal, or professional interests of the authors that might be perceived as influencing the content must be fully disclosed and will be displayed alongside the article.

If no competing interests exist, please include the statement: “No competing interests were disclosed.”

Please provide details of who funded the research, such as your employer, a grant agency, or other sources. Only include funding relevant to this specific study. For each funder, indicate the funder’s name, the grant number (if applicable), and the author who received the grant.

If the research did not receive any funding, include a section titled Grant Information with the statement: “The author(s) declared that no grants were involved in supporting this work.”

This section should recognize individuals who contributed to the research or manuscript preparation but do not meet the criteria for authorship. Clearly describe each person’s contribution.

Ensure that all individuals mentioned have given permission to include their name and affiliation. Note that grant funding should not be listed in this section.

To guarantee that all materials related to a manuscript are visible, FAIR, and included in peer review, ARC does not accept submissions of supplementary materials.

For additional information, please refer to the Extended Data section under Data and Software Availability.

References and footnotes can follow any standard style, as long as it is consistent throughout the article. Both in-text citations with a reference list and explanatory footnotes are permitted.

Basic guidelines include:

• Abbreviations and journal names should conform to discipline-specific standards.
• Preprints may be cited and included in the reference list.
• Unpublished abstracts, submitted papers not yet accepted, and personal communications should appear in the text as ‘personal communications’ or ‘unpublished work,’ with the names of the individuals involved. Authors must obtain permission to quote personal communications.
• Web links should be included as hyperlinks within the article text, not in the reference list.
• Datasets published or deposited in repositories should be listed in the references section, formatted according to standard citation practices.

All figures and tables must be cited and discussed within the article text. There is no restriction on the number of figures or tables included. Figure legends and tables should be placed at the end of the manuscript. Tables should be created using Word’s “Insert Table” function or provided as Excel files. For larger datasets, refer to the relevant data guidelines. Figures are best uploaded as separate files during submission.

Any photographs must have written consent for publication from the individuals depicted. Any identifying information, including medical record numbers or codes, must be removed.

Titles and Legends

Each figure or table should have a concise title (maximum 15 words). Legends should clearly describe key points and explain any symbols or abbreviations, making the figure or table understandable independently of the main text.

Permissions

If reusing figures or tables from prior publications, authors must obtain permission from copyright holders and include a note in the legend stating: “This figure/table has been reproduced with permission from [original publication citation].”

Figure Formats

Figures should be in RGB or grayscale color mode.

Line Art

Line art includes graphs, diagrams, flow charts, and phylogenetic trees. Text should be at least 8pt, lines sufficiently thick, and font consistent across images. Figures should have a white background. Graphs should be exported as EPS files or provided as the original editable files.

Photographs and Microscopy

Submit photographs and microscopy images as uncompressed TIFFs at a minimum of 300dpi at display size.

Mixed Images

For images combining half-tone and line art (e.g., annotated gels), submit TIFF files at 500dpi or vector formats such as EPS or AI. Ensure text size and line thickness are sufficient for readability.

Images as Data

Photographic images submitted as raw data should also be provided as uncompressed TIFF files.

Electronic Image Editing

Image editing to improve clarity is allowed but must be transparent and not misrepresent data. Adjustments such as brightness, contrast, or color balance must apply to the entire image, and non-linear changes must be described in the figure legend. No features should be added, removed, or obscured. If figures are composed from multiple sources, indicate this clearly (e.g., dividing lines). Document all modifications and the software used (including version) in the Methods section. See the journal’s Image Manipulation policies for details.

There are no strict rules for formatting mathematical scripts, but the following guidelines are recommended for clarity and consistency:

General Considerations

• Take care with subscripts, superscripts, and distinguishing letters from similar-looking numbers (e.g., “l” vs. 1, “O” vs. 0).
• Ensure that mathematical symbols are consistent throughout the manuscript. Each symbol should represent only one quantity (e.g., C = heat capacity, c = speed of light; K vs k; X, x, × for multiplication).
• Scalars must be italicized, and non-variable text should be upright.

Fractions and Equations

• Use a solidus “/” for simple fractions in the text, with parentheses where necessary. Proper fractions (¼, ½, ¾) may be used where available.
• The solidus is generally not used for units (e.g., m s⁻¹ rather than m/s) unless required by convention.
• Displayed equations referred to in the text should be numbered sequentially (1), (2), etc. Short expressions not referenced by number can be incorporated inline.

Preferred Styles

• Tensors: roman bold sans serif.
• Vectors: bold serif italic.
• Matrices: roman bold serif.
• Scalar variables: medium-weight italic serif.
• Use roman “d” for differentials in equations (not italic).
• Braces, brackets, and parentheses: {[( )]}, unless conventions dictate otherwise (e.g., commutators, exponents).

Units and Conventions

• Use SI units consistently; provide conversions for non-SI measurements.
• Ensure consistency in all mathematical symbols and expressions throughout the manuscript.

Special Characters and Fonts

• For European accents, Greek, Hebrew, Cyrillic letters, or phonetic symbols, use Times New Roman via the “Insert Symbol” tool in Word.
• For Asian languages (Sanskrit, Korean, Chinese, Japanese), use Arial Unicode font via “Insert Symbol”.
• Only Unicode fonts are acceptable for submission. For transliterated Arabic, Times New Roman or Arial can be used; for ayns and hamzas, use Arial Unicode and type the Unicode hex codes (02BF for ayn, 02BE for hamza).

ARC follows a post-publication peer-review model, where peer review occurs after an article is published. Since the process is author-led, authors are asked to provide at least five suitable reviewer suggestions according to our Reviewer Criteria before publication.

After publication, authors should continue suggesting reviewers until the article receives two peer-review reports. Our editorial team will notify authors when additional reviewers are needed or when a peer-review report has been published.

Once two reports are received, authors are strongly encouraged to revise their article based on the reviewers’ feedback. This is especially important if the article has not yet passed the peer-review process after the first two reports, as reviewers can only provide updated reports after a revised version has been published.

After the revised article is published, original reviewers will be notified to re-review it promptly. Authors may continue suggesting reviewers while waiting for any re-reviews from the original reviewers.