Submission Guide

InformedLens Journals publishes multidisciplinary, peer-reviewed, open-access research. We publish original research, case studies, literature reviews, and conceptual papers across a range of disciplines. All published articles are freely accessible to readers worldwide at no charge.

Open Access: All accepted articles are published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence - free to read, share, and adapt. Authors retain copyright.

2. Manuscript Types and Word Limits

Manuscript Type	Word Count	Description
Original Research Article	5,000 - 9,000	Full empirical or theoretical contributions following the IMRaD structure.
Literature Review	6,000 - 9,000	Systematic or narrative reviews critically synthesising prior knowledge.
Case Study	4,000 - 7,000	In-depth analysis of real-world scenarios relevant to the journal's scope.
Conceptual Paper	4,000 - 7,000	Theory-building or framework development without primary data collection.

3. Before You Prepare Your Manuscript

Before investing time in formatting, confirm your work meets the following criteria. Manuscripts that do not will be returned at desk review without entering peer review.

The research addresses the journal's thematic scope
The work is original and has not been published previously in full
The manuscript is not currently under review at another journal
All co-authors have read and approved the final version
The similarity index (plagiarism) is 20% or below
The AI-generated content score is 15% or below

Not sure if your topic fits? Browse recent issues at informedlens.com or email info@informedlens.com with a brief pre-submission enquiry.

4. Plagiarism and AI Detection Policy

All manuscripts are screened using Turnitin before proceeding to peer review. Submissions that do not meet both thresholds are returned without review.

Similarity Index (Plagiarism)

Acceptable: Similarity index of 20% and below - manuscript proceeds to editorial screening.

Not acceptable: Similarity index above 20% - returned to author for revision.

AI-Generated Content

Acceptable: AI-generated content score of 15% and below - manuscript proceeds to editorial screening.

Not acceptable: AI score above 15% - returned to author. Resubmission requires substantial revision and a written explanation.

Note: Declaring AI tool use does not exempt a manuscript from the AI detection threshold. The final submitted text must be primarily the authors' own original writing.

5. Preparing Your Manuscript

5.1 Manuscript Formatting Requirements

Element	Specification
File format	Microsoft Word (.docx) preferred; PDF accepted for initial review only
Font	Times New Roman or Arial, 12pt throughout
Line spacing	Double-spaced, including references and notes
Margins	2.5 cm (1 inch) on all sides
Page numbers	Bottom right, starting from the title page
Headings	Numbered hierarchically - 1., 1.1, 1.1.1
Tables	Numbered sequentially (Table 1, Table 2); title placed above the table
Figures	Numbered sequentially (Figure 1, Figure 2); caption placed below; minimum 300 DPI
Language	British or American English - be consistent throughout
References	APA 7th Edition; DOI included where available as https://doi.org/xxxxx

5.2 Structured Abstract

All manuscripts must include a structured abstract of 200-300 words using the five headings below. Each heading appears in bold, followed by a dash and your response on the same line.

Heading	What to Write
Purpose	The research question, problem, or gap your study addresses.
Design/Methodology	Your research approach, sample or data source, and analytical methods.
Findings	Key results. Include key statistics or outcomes where relevant.
Practical Implications	What the findings mean for practitioners, policymakers, or educators.
Originality/Value	The novel contribution - theoretically, empirically, or methodologically.

5.3 Keywords

Provide 5-8 keywords that accurately reflect the content and support indexing. Keywords should be specific, widely used in the field, and not simply words repeated from the title. Separate with semicolons.

5.4 Manuscript Structure (IMRaD for Research Articles)

Section	Approx. Length	Key Content
Introduction	600-1,000 words	Research problem, rationale, gap, objectives, and paper outline.
Literature Review / Theoretical Background	1,200-2,000 words	Critical engagement with prior work; hypotheses or framework development.
Methodology	800-1,500 words	Research design, sampling, data collection, and analysis approach.
Results / Findings	1,000-2,000 words	Presentation of findings with tables and figures - no interpretation yet.
Discussion	800-1,500 words	Interpretation, theoretical and practical implications, limitations.
Conclusion	400-700 words	Summary of contributions, limitations, and future research directions.
References	-	APA 7th Edition; all in-text citations matched; DOIs included.

5.5 References (APA 7th Edition)

All references cited in the text must appear in the reference list, and vice versa. Use hanging indentation. Include DOIs in the format https://doi.org/xxxxx where available.

In-text citations

Single author: (Smith, 2023)
Two authors: (Smith & Jones, 2023)
Three or more authors: (Smith et al., 2023)
Direct quote: (Smith, 2023, p. 45)

Reference list examples

Journal article: Author, A. A. (Year). Title of article. Journal Name, Volume(Issue), pages. https://doi.org/xxxxx
Book: Author, A. A. (Year). Title of work. Publisher.
Chapter: Author, A. A. (Year). Title of chapter. In E. Editor (Ed.), Title of book (pp. xx-xx). Publisher.

6. Required Declarations

The following declarations must be included on your title page. They are not required in the anonymised manuscript file.

Declaration	Required?	What to Include
Conflict of Interest	Always	State any relationships that could influence the work. If none: "The authors declare no conflict of interest."
Funding Statement	Always	Name any funding bodies and grant numbers, or state: "This research received no external funding."
Ethics Approval	If human/animal subjects	Confirm approval and provide the reference number. Include approving body name on the title page only.
Data Availability	If applicable	State whether data are available and how to access them, or explain why data cannot be shared.
AI Usage	If any AI tools used	Name the tool and the specific use (e.g., grammar checking). If no AI tools used, state this explicitly.
Author Contributions	Recommended	Describe each author's contribution using the CRediT taxonomy.

7. Files to Prepare for Submission

InformedLens Journals uses a double-blind review process. You must submit two separate files - a title page and an anonymised manuscript. Do not merge them.

Required

Title Page

Full title, all author names, affiliations, countries, ORCID iDs, corresponding author email, acknowledgements, and all declarations. Keep this separate from the manuscript.

Required

Anonymised Manuscript

Main manuscript file with all identifying information removed. Cite your own prior work as [Author, Year] and omit from the reference list.

If applicable

Figures and Tables

Embed within the manuscript. High-resolution figure files (300 DPI minimum) may be requested separately at the production stage.

If applicable

Supplementary Materials

Survey instruments, codebooks, datasets, or appendices. Label clearly and describe in the manuscript.

Anonymisation is your responsibility. Before uploading: remove author names and affiliations, remove acknowledgements, anonymise self-citations, replace institutional identifiers with generic descriptions, and clear document metadata (File - Properties in Word).

8. Step-by-Step Submission Process

All submissions go through the InformedLens Journals online system. You must be registered and logged in to begin.

+ New Author - Register Returning Author - Log In

1Create Your Account - Visit informedlens.com and complete the registration form. Select Author as your role. Verify your email before proceeding.

2Log In and Start a New Submission - From your author dashboard, click New Submission. Select the correct section (Articles) and confirm you agree to the submission checklist.

3Upload Your Files - Upload the anonymised manuscript as the primary file. Upload the title page as a supplementary file labelled "Title Page - Not for Review".

4Enter Manuscript Metadata - Enter the article title, structured abstract, and keywords. Add all co-author details including ORCID iDs. The system does not auto-populate from your document.

5Write Your Cover Letter - In the Comments to the Editor field, include: the manuscript title and type; a one-paragraph summary; a statement confirming originality and author approval; and any relevant notes for the editor.

6Complete All Declarations - Confirm: the manuscript is original; all authors have approved the submission; all declarations (conflict of interest, funding, ethics, AI usage) are complete; the manuscript is fully anonymised.

7Review and Confirm - Check all entered information carefully. Once submitted, you will receive a confirmation email with your manuscript reference number.

8Track Your Submission - Log in to your author dashboard at any time to check status. Updates are also sent by email at each key stage.

9. What Happens After You Submit

Stage	What Happens	Approx. Timeframe
Submission received	Automated confirmation email sent with reference number.	Immediate
Turnitin screening	Screened for similarity (20% or below) and AI content (15% or below). Failed checks returned to author.	Within 2-3 business days
Desk review	Section Editor checks scope, anonymisation, and minimum quality. Decision communicated to author.	Within 5-7 business days
Peer review	Sent to minimum two independent reviewers. Reviews take approximately 3 weeks.	3-5 weeks
Editorial decision	Section Editor issues decision: Accept, Minor Revision, Major Revision, or Reject - with full feedback.	1 week after reviews received
Revision (if required)	Author revises and resubmits with a point-by-point response letter.	Per agreed deadline
Acceptance and production	Accepted manuscripts enter copyediting and layout. Author reviews proofs before publication.	2-4 weeks after acceptance

Target turnaround: InformedLens Journals aims to deliver an initial decision within 4-6 weeks of submission.

10. Responding to Reviewer Comments

If your manuscript is invited for revision, you must submit a point-by-point response letter alongside your revised manuscript listing every reviewer comment and stating clearly what you changed, or providing a reasoned explanation for any change not made.

Your response letter should:

Address every comment from every reviewer - numbered to match the reviewer report
Quote the original reviewer comment, then state your response and what was changed
Indicate the specific location of each change (section, page, or paragraph)
Be respectful and scholarly in tone, even if you disagree with a comment
Explain clearly if you have not made a requested change, with supporting argument

Revision deadlines: Minor revisions - resubmit within 4 weeks. Major revisions - resubmit within 8 weeks. Contact info@informedlens.com before the deadline if you need an extension.

11. Ethical Requirements

Requirement	Policy
Originality	Manuscripts must be original and not previously published in full, including in conference proceedings, unless substantially extended and disclosed.
Single submission	Manuscripts must not be under review at another journal simultaneously. Duplicate submission may be reported to authors' institutions.
Authorship	All listed authors must have made a substantial intellectual contribution. Ghost authorship (unlisted contributors) and gift authorship (listed non-contributors) are both prohibited.
Self-plagiarism	Reproducing substantial text from your own prior publications without attribution is not acceptable and contributes to the Turnitin similarity score.
Data integrity	All reported data must be accurate. Fabrication, falsification, or selective reporting is grounds for rejection, retraction, and institutional reporting.
Human subjects	Research involving human participants must have received ethical approval from a recognised review board. Approval must be confirmed in the manuscript.
AI tools	AI writing tools may be used for grammar checking and language editing only. They must be declared. AI-generated text above 15% will result in return without review.

12. After Publication

Authors retain copyright. Published articles are distributed under CC BY 4.0, which allows anyone to copy, share, adapt, and build on the work - including commercially - provided the original authors and InformedLens Journals are credited.

Sharing Your Work

Share the final published PDF freely - it is open access and carries no embargo
Post the article on your institutional repository, personal website, ResearchGate, or Academia.edu
Include the article in grant reports, promotion files, and teaching materials
Share the article's DOI link on social media and professional networks

Corrections

If you identify an error in your published article, notify the editorial office as soon as possible. Minor errors are corrected by publishing a linked Erratum. Significant errors are handled on a case-by-case basis and may require retraction and republication.

ORCID

All corresponding authors are encouraged to register for a free ORCID iD at orcid.org. Your ORCID iD creates a permanent digital link between you and your published work across all systems and institutional moves.

13. Final Submission Checklist

Tick every item before clicking Submit. Submissions that fail these checks at desk review will be returned.

Manuscript Readiness

☐ Research addresses the journal's thematic scope
☐ Manuscript is original and not under review or published elsewhere
☐ All co-authors have reviewed and approved the final version
☐ Word count is within the range for the selected manuscript type
☐ Turnitin similarity score is 20% or below
☐ Turnitin AI-generated content score is 15% or below

Files

☐ Title page prepared as a separate file with all author details, affiliations, ORCID iDs, and declarations
☐ Manuscript file is fully anonymised - no author names, affiliations, acknowledgements, or self-identifying references
☐ Document metadata cleared in Word (File - Properties - Remove Personal Information)
☐ Self-citations anonymised as [Author, Year] in-text; corresponding references omitted from reference list

Manuscript Formatting

☐ Structured abstract (200-300 words) with all five headings: Purpose, Design/Methodology, Findings, Practical Implications, Originality/Value
☐ 5-8 keywords provided, separated by semicolons
☐ APA 7th Edition referencing used throughout - DOIs included where available
☐ All in-text citations have a corresponding reference list entry, and vice versa
☐ Tables numbered and titled above; figures numbered and captioned below
☐ Font 12pt, double-spaced, 2.5 cm margins, page numbers bottom right

Declarations

☐ Conflict of interest declared (or confirmed as none) on the title page
☐ Funding statement included on the title page
☐ Ethics approval confirmed with reference number (if human/animal subjects involved)
☐ AI tool usage declared (or explicitly stated as none)
☐ ORCID iDs included for all authors on the title page

Submission Form

☐ Manuscript type selected correctly in the submission system
☐ Title, abstract, and keywords entered into the submission form
☐ All co-author details entered in the submission form
☐ Cover letter written in the Comments to the Editor field
☐ Title page uploaded as supplementary file labelled "Title Page - Not for Review"