Submission Guidelines

Prepare your Submission

Manuscript Requirements

JMLR requires authors to follow specific guidelines before submission.

Manuscript format

Microsoft Word documents are preferred.

Length

Articles should be 5000-7000 words, including references, figures, tables, and appendices.  250 words should be allowed per figure/table.

Formatting

Font: Use Times New Roman.

Font Size: Use a font size of 12.

Line Spacing: Maintain 1.5-line spacing.

Page Margins: Set margins to 2.5cm on all sides.

Text Alignment: Left aligned

Language

English (UK) is acceptable.

Title

A concise title is required.

Author Details

Include all contributing authors in their desired publication order. Provide the following author details:

·         Institutional email addresses (preferred)

·         Full names (including middle names/initials)

·         Affiliations where the research was conducted.

Only list authors with significant contributions. Acknowledge individuals who provided support but not research contributions.

Refer to JMLR's research ethics guidelines for further details on authorship.

Acknowledgements and Biographies

Include acknowledgements and biographies in a separate document if desired. Each author's biography should be no more than 100 words. Acknowledge all research funding sources and their role in the research process.

Research funding

Acknowledge all external funding sources in the acknowledgements section, explaining their role throughout the research process, from design to submission.

Abstract Structure

The abstract should be between 150 and 250 words. It should cover the research purpose, methods/design/approach, findings, originality, theoretical/practical/social implications, and limitations of research.

Keywords

The submission should include a minimum of 4 and up to 8 keywords.

Headings

Essay Title: Bold, font size 16, with initial capital letters for proper nouns, adjectives, and verbs.

First-level: Bold, font size 14, with initial capital letters for proper nouns, adjectives, and verbs.

Second-level: Bold italics, font size 12, with initial capital letters for proper nouns.

Third-level: Italics, font size 12, with initial capital letters for proper nouns.

Notes and Endnotes

Notes or endnotes should be utilized only when necessary. They must be indicated in the text with sequential numbers enclosed in square brackets. These numbers should then be listed and explained at the end of the article.

Tables

It is crucial to obtain permission for any tables or figures reproduced from another source before submission. Tables should introduce new information rather than reiterating content from the text. They should be interpretable independently, though each table must be referenced in the text. Captions should be placed above tables, while notes should be below. Consistency in presentation is recommended for multiple tables. Note that colour, shading, and grids are incompatible with the final layout of published tables. Include notes explaining any acronyms or abbreviations in table titles or column headings. Use a consistent number of decimal places throughout a column or table, as appropriate. Ensure spelling, punctuation, and reference style within tables align with the rest of the text unless reproduced from another source.

 

Number all tables sequentially with Arabic numerals, avoiding suffix letters (e.g., Table 3a, 3b, 3c); instead, combine related tables. For appendices, identify tables with capital letters and Arabic numerals (e.g., Table A1, Table B2). For detailed instructions, refer to APA style 7th edition.

Figures

Figures, like tables, should be as self-explanatory as possible and referenced or commented upon in the text. The primary criteria for a figure are its message and readability. Avoid using special effects unnecessarily. Line drawings are often effective for readability and simplicity, while photographs should have high contrast between the background and focal point, with extraneous details cropped out to highlight important aspects.

 

Figures in the main text should be numbered sequentially with Arabic numerals (e.g., Figure 1, Figure 2), based on their order of appearance. The figure number should be bolded and left-aligned, appearing above the figure title and image. Ensure figures are high quality (1200 dpi for line art, 600 dpi for grayscale, and 300 dpi for colour) and provided in preferred formats: EPS, PS, JPEG, TIFF, or Microsoft Word (DOC or DOCX).

 

For detailed instructions on figure setup, refer to APA 7th edition requirements.

Data Availability Statement

If a data availability statement is being submitted for the article, it should be included within the manuscript text, positioned before the ‘References’ section, under the heading ‘Data Availability Statement’.

References

References should be formatted according to the APA 7th edition style. This referencing style is supported by bibliography management software such as EndNote and Zotero, which are compatible with popular word processors such as MS Word. Where applicable, include the hyperlink, DOI, or other persistent identifier associated with the data set(s).

Manuscript Submission

Submitting your manuscript involves several crucial steps to ensure a smooth process.

Double-check your manuscript Before submission, ensure your manuscript is complete, grammatically correct, and free of spelling or typographical errors. Consider the following points:

  • Review the journal’s aims and scope to confirm your manuscript is a good fit. If not, the editor may decline it without
  • Ensure compliance with research and publishing ethics guidelines.
  • Verify that all necessary publishing permissions have been obtained.
  • Follow all formatting requirements specified in the author's guidelines.
  • The online submission system should be used to submit all articles.
  • Check for any information that might reveal your identity to reviewers, as this could compromise the anonymous peer review process. Here are some tips:
    • When referring to your work, use phrases like ‘previous research has demonstrated’ instead of ‘our previous research has demonstrated’.
    • Do not include references to your own, currently unpublished work in the reference list.
    • Upload acknowledgements or author biographies as separate files.
    • Perform a final check to ensure no author names or identities appear anywhere in the manuscript, including in figures or captions.
  • Authors should remember to include their ORCiD ID during the submission process. This identifier will be embedded in the published article, along with a link to the ORCiD registry, facilitating easy association of the author with their work. If an author does not yet have an ORCiD ID, they can register at https://orcid.org/register.
  • For a helpful submission checklist, visit the website https://thinkchecksubmit.org/.

Post Submission:Review and Decision Process

Authors will receive an automated email from the journal editor confirming successful submission. If there is any suspicion that the confirmation email might be fraudulent, authors should contact the journal editor immediately.

Each submission undergoes an initial check by the editor. At this stage, the editor may decline or unsubmit the manuscript if it does not align with the journal’s aims and scope, or if the language or manuscript quality is deemed insufficient.

If the manuscript is considered potentially suitable for publication, it will be sent to at least two independent referees for double anonymous peer review. Based on the reviewers’ feedback, the editor may accept the manuscript, request minor or major revisions, or decline it.

While timelines vary across journals, the goal is for the editor to inform authors of the initial decision within 45 days. During this period, authors will receive automated updates on the manuscript’s progress via the submission system, or they can log in to check the current status of their paper.

Peer Review Process

The journal employs a double-anonymous peer review process, ensuring that the expertise of reviewers aligns with the submitted manuscripts.

Reviews are conducted with thoughtful engagement, providing constructive feedback and enhancing the overall knowledge and information presented.

The mission and vision of the peer review process are to uphold excellence and rigour in scholarly publications and research and to amplify the voices of professionals in the subject area, contributing unique and diverse scholarly perspectives to the field.

The journal values diverse perspectives and reviewers who offer critical, constructive, and respectful feedback. Reviewers come from various organizations, careers, and backgrounds worldwide. All review invitations, abstracts, manuscripts, and reviews must remain confidential.

Reviewers should not share their reviews or information about the review process without the agreement of the editors and authors involved, even after publication. This confidentiality also applies to other reviewers’ comments shared during the decision process.