This section delineates the core expectations for authors submitting to Confmeets Publishing. Adherence to these guidelines not only streamlines the editorial process but also significantly enhances the scientific rigor, clarity, and overall impact of your work, thereby improving its likelihood of acceptance.

Overview

• Scope & Strategic Fit: Prior to manuscript preparation, authors must critically evaluate the alignment of their research with the journal's explicitly stated aims and scope. We require a compelling, 1-2 sentence rationale in the cover letter that articulates the manuscript's unique contribution and explicates its direct relevance and value to the journal's specific readership and academic discourse.
• Readability & Structural Integrity: Manuscripts must be composed in clear, formal English and exhibit a logical, coherent flow. The strategic use of subheadings is mandatory to intuitively guide the reader through the research narrative, from methodological approaches and key findings to their scholarly interpretation and implications.
• Regulatory Compliance: Strict compliance with the journal's formatting, ethical, and reporting standards is non-negotiable. Substantial deviations may result in administrative return or desk rejection without peer review. Authors are responsible for meticulously following journal-specific conventions for units, abbreviations, and reference formatting.
• Data Transparency & Accessibility: A cornerstone of reproducible science is data openness. Authors must explicitly state the repository and persistent identifier (e.g., DOI) where the underlying data, code, and materials supporting the findings can be accessed. A formal data availability statement is required for all empirical articles.

Originality & Publication Ethics

• Novelty of Contribution: Manuscripts must present original research that has not been previously published, in whole or in part, and is not concurrently under consideration by any other publication. Any material that substantially overlaps with the author's or others' prior work must be transparently disclosed and appropriately cited.
• Transparency in Prior Dissemination: Authors are required to declare any overlapping submissions, prior publication of preprints (e.g., on arXiv, bioRxiv), or significant conference proceedings. A detailed explanation of the differences between the submitted manuscript and these prior works must be provided.
• Rigorous Plagiarism Screening: All submissions are subjected to screening using advanced similarity-detection software. While moderate, properly cited overlap for standard methodological descriptions may be permissible, a high degree of textual similarity or unattributed reproduction of ideas will lead to immediate rejection and potential escalation for ethical review.
• Ethical Oversight & Participant Consent: For studies involving human participants or animal subjects, the manuscript must include the full name of the ethics committee that granted approval, the official approval ID/number, and a clear statement confirming that informed consent was obtained from all human participants (or a valid justification for waiver, if applicable).
• Conflict of Interest Disclosure: Full transparency of any financial (e.g., grants, personal fees, stock ownership) or non-financial (e.g., personal relationships, academic affiliations) interests that could be perceived as influencing the work is mandatory. If no such interests exist, a definitive "The authors declare no conflicts of interest" statement must be included.
• Upholding Research Integrity: Confmeets Publishing maintains a zero-tolerance policy towards data fabrication, falsification, or image manipulation. Suspected cases of research misconduct will be investigated thoroughly in accordance with COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) guidelines and the publisher's policy.

Manuscript Preparation

• Formatting & Template Adherence: To ensure typographic and stylistic consistency, authors must utilize the official Confmeets Publishing Word or LaTeX template. Manuscripts that substantially deviate from the prescribed template will be returned for reformatting before initiation of the peer review process.
• Comprehensive Title Page: The title page must contain: the full manuscript title; a short running title (≤ 60 characters); complete author names with institutional affiliations and their respective ORCID iDs; full contact information for the corresponding author; and a succinct author contribution statement.
• Structured Abstract & Keywords: Provide a structured abstract (e.g., Background, Methods, Results, Conclusion) typically between 150-250 words, which concisely summarizes the study's rationale, methodology, principal findings, and primary conclusions. Include 3-6 keywords that employ standardized subject terms to enhance post-publication discoverability.
• Organized Main Text Structure: The main text should typically follow the IMRaD (Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion) structure, culminating in a Conclusion. For specific article types (e.g., Systematic Reviews, Case Reports), authors must adhere to the appropriate reporting guidelines (PRISMA, CARE, etc.).
• Methodological Reproducibility: The Methods section must contain a sufficient level of technical detail to allow for independent replication of the study. This includes specifics on sampling strategies, instruments used, experimental protocols, statistical software (with version numbers), and key parameter settings. Where feasible, detailed protocols and custom code should be deposited in a public repository.
• Clarity in Results & Interpretation: Present results clearly and logically, utilizing tables and figures for complex data sets. Interpretation of the results, including their implications and relation to existing literature, should be reserved for the Discussion section. Avoid verbatim repetition of table or figure content in the text.
• Comprehensive Acknowledgments: Acknowledge all sources of funding, significant institutional support, and substantive contributions from individuals who do not meet the criteria for authorship (e.g., technical assistance, writing support). A CRediT-style author contribution statement is highly recommended.
• Reference Accuracy & Formatting: All references must be formatted precisely according to the journal's specified citation style. Authors are responsible for verifying the accuracy and completeness of every citation. Inclusion of Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs) is mandatory for all applicable references. The use of reference management software is strongly advised to ensure consistency.
• High-Quality Visual Elements: Figures must be supplied at a high resolution (≥300 dpi for halftones) in recommended file formats (e.g., TIFF/PNG for raster images; EPS/PDF for vector graphics). All tables must be created as editable text (not embedded as images) and include descriptive captions and necessary footnotes.
• Supplementary Material Management: Supplementary files (e.g., extensive datasets, supplementary figures/tables, detailed methods) must be submitted as separate, clearly labeled files. Each item should be explicitly referenced at the relevant point within the main text.

Authorship Criteria

• Substantial Intellectual Contribution: Authorship must be granted only to those who have made substantial contributions to: the conception or design of the work; the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data; the drafting or critical revision of the manuscript for important intellectual content.
• Final Approval & Accountability: All individuals listed as authors must read and provide final approval for the version to be published. Furthermore, they must agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work, ensuring that questions related to its accuracy or integrity are appropriately investigated and resolved.
• Prohibition of Ghost and Gift Authorship: The journal strictly prohibits ghost authorship (the omission of contributors who meet authorship criteria) and honorary/gift authorship (the inclusion of individuals who have not made a substantive intellectual contribution).
• Corresponding Author Responsibilities: The corresponding author acts as the primary liaison throughout the submission and publication process. Their duties include ensuring all co-authors have reviewed and approved the final manuscript, managing all editorial correspondence, and addressing post-publication queries. They must provide accurate contact details and secure consensus from all co-authors before submission.

Manuscript Withdrawal Policy

To support ethical scholarly publishing and responsible use of editorial and peer-review resources, the journal follows a clearly defined manuscript withdrawal framework consistent with COPE best-practice principles. Authors are encouraged to review the information below before submitting their manuscript.

Submission as a Formal Commitment

When a manuscript is submitted to the journal, it is understood that:

• The submission is original and exclusive
• All authors listed on the manuscript have granted approval
• The authors intend to proceed with publication if the manuscript is accepted

Withdrawal requests made without valid justification or submitted repeatedly may be viewed as inconsistent with responsible scholarly conduct.

Early Withdrawal Eligibility

Withdrawal requests may be considered only during the initial submission period, subject to the following:

• Requests must be made within 7 calendar days of submission
• The manuscript must not have entered editorial screening or peer review
• A formal written request stating the reason for withdrawal is required

Editorial & Peer Review Engagement

Once a manuscript advances beyond initial submission:

• Editorial evaluation begins
• Peer reviewers are assigned and engaged

At this stage:

• Withdrawal is not permitted after two weeks of submission
• Withdrawal is not permitted once editorial or reviewer comments have been shared

Late withdrawal requests conflict with ethical use of academic review resources, as outlined in COPE guidance.

Post-Acceptance & Revision Phase

Following editorial acceptance or submission of revised versions:

• The manuscript may be assigned to a scheduled issue
• Metadata preparation and publication planning may commence

Withdrawal at this phase is strongly discouraged and will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. The journal reserves the right to decline such requests.

Final Production & Billing Stage

When a manuscript enters the production workflow:

• Final PDF files and galley proofs are generated
• Publication metadata is finalized
• An invoice is issued for publication processing

Withdrawal requests are not accepted once final proofs are prepared, approved, or an invoice has been generated, as substantial editorial, technical, and administrative work has already been completed.

Why the Journal Restricts Late Withdrawals

In accordance with COPE ethical standards, late-stage withdrawals may result in:

• Inefficient use of peer review and editorial expertise
• Disruption of planned publication schedules
• Production and administrative losses
• Delays for other accepted manuscripts awaiting publication

To ensure fairness, transparency, and operational integrity, the journal enforces these withdrawal limitations.

Author Acknowledgement

By submitting a manuscript, authors confirm that they have reviewed and agreed to the journal's manuscript withdrawal policy and understand the responsibilities associated with scholarly publishing.