Instructions to Authors

Aims and Scope

Science Today (ST) published Science Tech and Trading is an international, peer-reviewed, open-access journal dedicated to publishing high-quality, original multidisciplinary research across the physical sciences, natural sciences, psychology, medicine, and engineering.

The journal prioritizes manuscripts that demonstrate significant novelty, scientific rigor, and broad impact. To maintain editorial standards, the Editors reserve the right to desk-reject, without external peer review, submissions that do not meet the journal’s criteria, including but not limited to: manuscripts that substantially duplicate previously published work; studies limited to routine parameter optimization of established processes without presenting new concepts, mechanisms, or interpretations; and geographically localized studies that do not provide novel insights, generalizable findings, or robust hypothesis testing.

Authors must include a Statement of Novelty (maximum 100 words) in the cover letter, clearly articulating the originality and significance of the work and justification for publication in ST. Manuscripts lacking sufficient novelty will be declined.

Science Today (ST) publishes two volumes annually.

The Editor-in-Chief and handling editors reserve the right to decline manuscripts without external review if they do not demonstrate significant novelty, scientific impact, or adherence to the journal’s scope and quality criteria.

All submissions must comply with international publication ethics as per COPE guidelines. Authors are solely responsible for the originality of their work, ensuring it is free from plagiarism, fabrication, and redundant publication. The manuscript must not be under consideration elsewhere. All authors must disclose any potential conflicts of interest, financial or non-financial, at the time of submission.

Article Types and Manuscript Preparation

All manuscripts must be written in clear, concise English and structured appropriately.

1. Regular Research Articles: Must include: Title, Abstract (250 words max), Keywords (4-6), Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results and Discussion, Conclusions, Acknowledgments, and References. The total length should not exceed 5,000 words, including text, figure captions, and table legends, excluding references.

2. Review Articles: Should provide a critical synthesis and comprehensive overview of a relevant field, including recent advances and future perspectives. Must include an unstructured abstract and a brief summary. Maximum length: 15,000 words, excluding references.

3. Short Communications: Suitable for reporting preliminary results, partial studies, or findings of exceptional and immediate interest. Must follow the structure of a regular article but with brevity. Maximum length: 3,000 words, including all components except references.

4. Letters to the Editor: Letters commenting on previously published articles or on topics of general scientific interest will be considered. They will be evaluated by the Editorial Board, and a response from the concerned authors may be solicited. Maximum length: 1,500 words, excluding references.

Cover Letter

A formal cover letter must accompany every submission, stating that: (i) the work is original and has not been published previously (except as an academic thesis, abstract, or part of a lecture); (ii) the manuscript is not currently under consideration for publication elsewhere; (iii) all authors have approved the manuscript and its submission to ST; and (iv) if accepted, the article will not be published elsewhere in any language without prior written consent of the copyright holder.

Authorship Policy

Authorship should be limited to individuals who have made a substantial contribution to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the work. Any change in authorship, including addition, deletion, or rearrangement of author names or corresponding author, will be considered only before acceptance and must be justified with written agreement from all authors.

Submission, peer review and review process

Please submit all types of articles through online submission system given at the end of this page (write email to scienceandtech.org@gmail.com if any problem faced).

This journal follows a rigorous single-blind peer review policy in accordance with the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). All submitted manuscripts undergo a structured, multi-stage evaluation process to ensure scientific quality, originality, and ethical integrity.

Upon submission, each manuscript is subjected to an initial editorial screening by the Managing Editor to assess its relevance to the journal’s aims and scope, adherence to author guidelines, and compliance with ethical standards. At this stage, manuscripts are screened for plagiarism and duplication using advanced similarity detection software (iThenticate / Turnitin). Manuscripts with a similarity index exceeding the permissible threshold, or those lacking originality, insufficient scientific merit, or poor language quality, may be desk-rejected without external review.

Submissions that pass the initial check are assigned to a handling Associate Editor with relevant domain expertise. The handling Editor invites a minimum of two independent, external expert reviewers with no conflict of interest with the authors or the research. Reviewers are selected based on their scholarly record, subject expertise, and previous reviewing experience. All reviewer identities are kept strictly confidential, and reviewers are required to treat the manuscript as a confidential document and to declare any competing interests.

Reviewers are requested to evaluate the manuscript based on originality, technical soundness of methodology, validity of data, clarity of presentation, adequacy of literature review, and significance to the field. They are expected to provide constructive, unbiased, and detailed comments within 2-4 weeks and to recommend one of the following decisions: Accept, Minor Revisions, Major Revisions, or Reject.

Authors receiving a decision of revision are required to resubmit the revised manuscript within the stipulated time frame, typically 14-21 days for minor revision and 30 days for major revision. The revised submission must be accompanied by a detailed point-by-point response letter addressing all reviewer and editor comments, with all changes clearly highlighted in the revised manuscript using track changes or colored text. Revised manuscripts may be returned to the original reviewers for re-evaluation. Please note that requesting a revision does not guarantee final acceptance.

The final decision regarding acceptance, revision, or rejection is made by the Editor-in-Chief based on reviewer recommendations, editorial assessment, and the overall quality and priority of the work. The Editor’s decision is final and binding. To preserve editorial independence, editors and editorial board members are strictly recused from handling manuscripts authored by themselves, their family members, colleagues, or collaborators, or manuscripts related to products or services in which they hold a financial or competing interest. In such instances, the review process is managed independently by an alternate editorial board member.

The journal maintains a strict policy against publication misconduct, including plagiarism, data fabrication, and authorship disputes, and follows COPE flowcharts for handling such cases. Authors have the right to appeal an editorial decision by submitting a formal appeal with detailed justification to the editorial office, which will be reviewed by the Editor-in-Chief. The manuscript status can be tracked through the corresponding submission email.

Conflict of Interest and Competing Interests Policy

A conflict of interest exists when the professional judgment of authors, reviewers, or editors concerning the validity and presentation of research may be influenced by secondary interests, whether financial, personal, or professional, that could potentially mislead readers.

A. Author Responsibilities:
All sources of financial support, including institutional grants, pharmaceutical or industrial sponsorship, must be explicitly acknowledged. Any commercial, financial, or personal relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest must be disclosed in the cover letter at submission and will be evaluated by the Editor. Authors must not enter into agreements with sponsors that restrict the publication of positive or negative results or require prior approval of the manuscript by the sponsor. Authors must comply with the journal’s specific declaration requirements.

B. Editor Responsibilities:
Editors and Guest Editors must disclose any potential competing interests that could affect their editorial impartiality. They are obligated to ensure a fair, unbiased, and confidential peer-review process, and must recuse themselves from handling manuscripts where a conflict exists.

C. Reviewer Responsibilities:
Reviewers must disclose any conflicts of interest, including financial, personal, collaborative, or professional relationships with authors or institutions, that could bias their evaluation. If a conflict exists that may compromise objective assessment, the reviewer must decline the review invitation. Reviewers must maintain confidentiality and must not use privileged information for personal advantage.

D. Declaration Process:
A ‘Declaration of Competing Interest’ must be included at the end of the manuscript, after Acknowledgments and before References. If no conflict exists, authors must state: “The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest.” If a conflict exists, it must be detailed, including financial relationships with sponsors and commercial entities related to the work.

For reference, see:
COPE Guidelines: https://publicationethics.org/competinginterests
ICMJE Guidelines: https://www.icmje.org/recommendations/

Ethical Approval: Human and Animal Rights

All research involving humans and animals must have been conducted within an appropriate ethical framework in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and international animal welfare guidelines.

Manuscripts reporting animal or clinical studies must include a statement confirming approval by the relevant institutional Human Ethics Committee / Animal Ethics Committee, including the approval reference number. If ethical concerns are raised during evaluation, the Editors will follow COPE flowcharts and may request additional documentation, contact the authors’ institution, or reject the manuscript. On rare occasions, a manuscript may be rejected on ethical grounds even if ethics committee approval was obtained.

All procedures must be performed in a manner that minimizes unnecessary harm to animals. All clinical trials must be registered in a publicly accessible registry such as ClinicalTrials.gov, and the trial registration number must be provided.

Informed Consent and Patient Privacy

Patients have a right to privacy that must not be infringed without informed consent. No identifying information, including names, initials, hospital numbers, or identifiable images, may be published in text, photographs, or pedigrees unless it is essential for scientific purposes and the patient, or parent/guardian, has provided written informed consent for publication.

Authors must show the final manuscript to the identifiable patient and inform them that the material may be available online after publication. Non-essential identifying details must be omitted. Masking the eye region alone is insufficient to protect anonymity. If anonymity cannot be guaranteed, informed consent must be obtained. If identifying features are altered to protect anonymity, authors must assure that such changes do not distort scientific meaning. The presence of written informed consent must be stated in the article.

Manuscript Structure and Formatting

Manuscripts must be submitted as either (i) the official journal template or (ii) a Microsoft Word file (.docx). Tables and figures must be placed after references, not embedded in the text. References should ideally be managed using EndNote, Mendeley, or Zotero.

Text must be in American English, Times New Roman, 12-point font, double-spaced. Use SI units. Define all abbreviations at first use; do not use abbreviations in the Abstract. Number sections consecutively as 1, 1.1, 1.1.1, 1.2, etc. Abstract, Keywords, Acknowledgments, and References are not numbered. Subsection headings should be bold and italicized.

Title: Concise and informative, in sentence case. Avoid abbreviations and formulae.

Authors and Affiliations: Provide full names, complete postal addresses, and institutional email addresses for all authors. Indicate affiliations with lowercase superscript letters. The corresponding author must be marked with an asterisk (*) and must provide full contact details including postal address, email, and telephone with country code.

Abstract: A structured, self-contained summary of 200-250 words stating the purpose, methods, key results, and major conclusions. References and uncommon abbreviations should be avoided. A graphical abstract is optional.

Keywords: Provide 4-6 keywords. Chemical formulas beginning with symbols should be listed at the end.

Introduction: Should provide background, brief literature context, and clearly state the objectives. Do not include methods or results summaries.

Materials and Methods: Must provide sufficient detail for reproducibility. Previously published methods must be cited.

Results and Discussion: A combined section is required. Results must be original. Avoid extensive citation of published literature without critical discussion.

Conclusions: Should highlight novel findings and their significance without repeating results.

Acknowledgments: Acknowledge funding sources and individuals who contributed but do not meet authorship criteria.

References

A minimum of 12 recent and relevant references is required, with at least 50% published within the last 10 years. References must be numbered in order of appearance in the text and cited as,, etc. Avoid excessive web references.[1][2]

Examples:
Journal: Chang, M.A., Gili, I., & Yon, I. (2026). Title of article. Journal Name, Vol.(Issue), pp.
Book: Hu, Y., & Yu, S. (2025). Title of Book. Edition, Publisher, City. pp.
Chapter: Al-Blushi, G., & Al-Shamsi, Q. (2026). Title of Chapter. In: Editors. Title of Book. Publisher, pp.
Conference: Al-Sadi, A., & Kahn, J. (2026). Title. Name of Conference, Location, Date.
Website: Author. (Year). Title. URL. Accessed Date.[1][2][3][4][5]

Tables and Figures

Tables and figures must be numbered consecutively. Each must have a self-explanatory caption. Footnotes to tables should use superscript lowercase letters.

Figure Quality: Line art: 600-1000 dpi, preferred formats EPS/PDF. Photographic images: 300 dpi, preferred formats TIFF/PNG. For single-column width, minimum 80 mm / 1800 px; for double-column, 180 mm / 3600 px. Individual figure files must be <10 MB. Name files as Figure_1.tiff, etc.

Ethical Image Integrity

Image manipulation that misleads readers is considered misconduct. Specific features must not be enhanced, obscured, removed, or introduced. Brightness/contrast adjustments are permissible only if applied equally to the entire image and controls. Composite figures from different gels/fields must be clearly delineated with dividing lines and explained in the legend. Original unprocessed images must be provided upon request.

Article Processing Charges (APC), Proofs, and Post-Publication Policies

APC: Science Today (ST) is a gold open-access journal. The Article Processing Charge is 100 USD. A discounted APC of 50 USD applies to all low income countries given by world bank during 2026.

Proofs: Page proofs will be sent to the corresponding author via email. Authors are responsible for proofreading and must return all corrections within 48 hours in a single communication. No changes are possible after online publication.

Indexing Disclaimer: Indexing in Google Scholar typically requires 2-3 months post-publication via automated crawling. Indexing in Scopus, Web of Science, and other databases is an independent evaluation conducted by the respective agencies and may take 6 months or longer. ST does not guarantee indexing of individual articles as each article is subject to independent quality assessment by the indexing body.

Corrections and Retractions: ST follows COPE guidelines for publishing corrections, clarifications, retractions, and apologies when necessary to maintain the integrity of the scholarly record.

Science Today – Editorial Policy on Generative Artificial Intelligence

ST follows COPE guidelines for Generative Artificial Intelligence

Guiding Principle: Science Today supports the responsible use of technology to enhance scholarly communication. Artificial Intelligence tools may assist researchers, but they cannot replace human intellect, originality, critical evaluation, and ethical accountability. The human authors are the guarantors of the work.

Authorship: Artificial intelligence systems, chatbots, language models, and image generators do not qualify for authorship. Authorship requires intellectual contribution, final approval of the manuscript, ability to manage copyright and conflicts, and accountability for research integrity – capacities that AI tools do not possess.

AI tools must never be listed as an author, co-author, or contributor in any form. Listing an AI system as an author will result in immediate desk rejection.

Responsible Use by Authors

Permitted without formal declaration
Use of AI for routine language correction such as spelling, grammar, punctuation, and general readability improvement is permitted and does not require a declaration.

Permitted with full transparency
Authors may use AI tools to support:

Organizing ideas, outlining sections, and improving clarity and style
Summarizing literature, formatting references, and translation assistance
Supporting data analysis, coding, and figure preparation under direct human supervision

If used in this way, authors must:

Ensure no confidential, unpublished, or sensitive personal data is uploaded to systems that may retain it
Verify every fact, citation, and reference for accuracy – AI systems can produce false or fabricated information
Ensure the final manuscript represents their own ideas, analysis, and interpretation
Comply with the terms of use of the AI system used

Prohibited Uses
The following are not permitted under any circumstances:

Generating, fabricating, altering, or falsifying data, results, datasets, or citations
Using AI to paraphrase, disguise plagiarism, or evade detection
Submitting a manuscript where the core intellectual content is primarily AI-generated with minimal human input
Automated full translation of a manuscript without substantial human verification and rewriting

AI as Part of Research Methodology: When AI tools are integral to the research itself – for example machine learning models, AI-assisted imaging, natural language processing, or predictive analytics – their use must be documented in full, reproducible detail in the Materials and Methods section.

Authors must report: name of tool, version number, developer/provider, date of access, specific prompts and parameters used, data sources, validation procedures, and limitations. Human oversight must be clearly described.

Figures, Images and Visual Materials: Scientific integrity of images is paramount.

Generative AI must not be used to create, modify, enhance, obscure, or remove features in scientific images, including photographs, micrographs, gels, blots, spectra, chromatograms, and clinical images.

Simple adjustments of brightness, contrast or color balance are acceptable only if they do not hide, remove, or alter data.

The use of non-generative machine learning tools to improve image quality must be disclosed in the figure legend.

Creation of graphical abstracts, cover images, or schematic illustrations using generative AI is not permitted, unless the AI-generated content itself is the subject of the study. In such exceptional cases, full details and original unedited files must be provided to editors upon request.

Declaration Requirement

Science Today requires transparency. A two-level disclosure is mandatory when AI use extends beyond basic proofreading:

a) In Methods: For research-related AI use, provide complete technical details.

b) In Acknowledgments: Include a dedicated paragraph titled “AI Use Disclosure”

Suggested format:
“AI Use Disclosure: During preparation of this manuscript, [Tool Name, Version] was used for [specific purpose]. The authors reviewed, edited, and take full responsibility for the content.”

If no AI tools beyond basic language checks were used, authors should state: “No generative AI tools were used beyond standard spelling and grammar checks.”

Peer Review Confidentiality: Manuscripts under review are confidential documents. Reviewers and editors must not upload manuscripts, figures, or review reports to external generative AI systems.

Review reports must reflect the reviewer’s own expertise and judgment. If a reviewer uses AI to assist in language, its use must be declared to the editor. The reviewer remains fully responsible for the content of the report.

Editorial Handling and Misconduct:

All submissions may be screened for plagiarism, image manipulation, and undisclosed AI-generated content using specialized tools with human oversight.

Failure to disclose AI use, submission of fabricated references or data, or submission of AI-generated images will be treated as a breach of publication ethics and will be investigated according to COPE guidelines. Sanctions may include rejection, retraction, and notification to authors’ institutions.

Science Today will regularly review and update this policy to reflect technological advances and evolving community standards.

Copyright

Science Today (ST) is an open-access journal. Upon acceptance, authors will be asked to sign a License to Publish agreement. Authors retain copyright of their work and grant the publisher the right to first publication. All articles are published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright & licensing is maintained using Publisher’s own license (Attribution). Authors retain the copyright and full publishing rights without restrictions.

Science today operates under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license. This means:
- Open Access: Articles are freely available to read and download.
- Sharing Allowed: You can share and distribute the work.
- Adaptation Permitted: You can remix, tweak, or build upon the work.
- Attribution Required: You must give appropriate credit to the original authors.

Licensing

- Attribute: Give credit to original authors.
  
  Science today is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0). This means:
  - Open Access: Free to read and download.
  - Share & Adapt: Share, remix, and build upon the work.

Publication ethics and related editorial policies Science today adopted COPE’s Core Practice guidance policies on publication ethics. The further details to the policies are given below:

Journal’s policies on authorship and contributorship.
How the journal will handle complaints and appeals.
How the journal will handle allegations of research misconduct.
Journal’s policies on conflicts of interest.
Journal’s policies on data sharing and reproducibility.
Journal’s policy on ethical oversight.
Journal’s policy on intellectual property.
Journal’s options for post-publication discussions.
Journal’s policies on corrections and retractions.

Science Today – Research Integrity Assessment Policy

Every submission to Science Today is assessed for research integrity issues before, during, and after peer review.

Science Today is committed to safeguarding the scholarly record. In alignment with international best practices established, all manuscripts undergo multi-layered integrity screening using a combination of automated tools and human expert review.

Initial Integrity Screening Upon Submission

Upon submission, each manuscript is passed through our Research Integrity Check, which includes:

a) Plagiarism and Text Similarity: All manuscripts are screened via Crossref Similarity Check / iThenticate. Science Today considers similarity >15% excluding references as requiring editorial review. This includes self-plagiarism and text recycling.

b) Paper Mill and AI-Generated Nonsense Detection: Using in-house AI tools, we screen for tortured phrases, irrelevant references, and nonsensical text – classic indicators of papermill activity and inappropriate generative AI use. Manuscripts flagged for irrelevant references are reviewed by our Research Integrity Group.

c) Authorship and Conflict Screening: Verification of author identities, affiliations, ORCID, and competing interests. Unusual authorship patterns, such as sudden addition of authors, gift authorship, or sale of authorship, are flagged. All authors must meet authorship criteria and approve submission.

d) Ethical Compliance: Manuscripts involving humans, animals, human data, or biological materials must include ethics approval statements, informed consent, and compliance with institutional and national standards. Lack of required documentation leads to immediate return.

Image and Data Integrity

In accordance with policy Science Today conducts image integrity screening:

All figures, including blots, gels, microscopy, and spectra, are reviewed for duplication, splicing, or inappropriate manipulation
Automated tools such as ImageTwin and manual forensic review are used
Authors may be requested to provide raw data, uncropped gels, and original image files
Fabrication, falsification, or selective enhancement of data is considered serious misconduct

Peer Review Integrity

Science Today protects the integrity of peer review:

Reviewer identities and suggestions are verified to prevent fake reviews and compromised peer review
Review reports are screened for evidence of AI-generated generic reviews
Editors and reviewers must declare conflicts of interest and are excluded from handling manuscripts where conflict exists
Manuscripts are never uploaded to public generative AI tools by editors or reviewers to protect confidentiality

Investigation Process

If a potential integrity concern is raised by screening tools, editors, reviewers, readers, or third parties:

The concern is logged and assessed by the Editorial Office and Research Integrity Team
An initial evaluation determines if concern is substantiated
If needed, authors are contacted for explanation and supporting data
For serious cases involving data fabrication or requiring institutional records, the case is referred to the authors’ institution, employer, or research integrity officer following COPE guidelines
The manuscript is held from further processing during investigation

Outcomes and Post-Publication Action

Depending on findings:

Minor issues: Correction and revision required
Major issues pre-publication: Rejection
Post-publication issues: Expression of Concern, Correction, or Retraction to correct the scholarly record
Systemic manipulation: Referral to Research Integrity & Publishing Ethics network and institutional investigation, with possible sanctions including submission bans

Author Responsibilities

Authors are responsible for:

Ensuring originality, accuracy, and honesty of all submitted work
Maintaining and providing raw data upon request for up to 5 years
Disclosing use of AI tools, funding sources, and conflicts
Obtaining all necessary permissions and ethical approvals

Science Today believes that research integrity is a shared responsibility of authors, institutions, editors, and publisher. Through continuous monitoring, investment in detection technology, and adherence to COPE flowcharts, we aim to ensure that published research in Science Today is reliable, reproducible, and trustworthy.