Submission guidelines

Manuscript Submission

Submission Requirements

• By submitting a manuscript, authors confirm:
  • The work has not been published before.
  • It is not under review elsewhere.
  • All co-authors and relevant authorities (institutional or otherwise) have approved the submission.
• The publisher is not legally responsible for any compensation claims arising from publication.

Permissions

• If your manuscript includes figures, tables, or text excerpts that have been published elsewhere, you must obtain permission from the original copyright holder(s) for both print and online use.
• Proof of granted permission must be included upon submission. Any material without proper permissions will be treated as original content from the authors.

Online Submission

• Please use the “Submit manuscript” link on our website.
• Follow the on-screen prompts to upload all required files.

Source Files

• Always provide all relevant editable source files upon initial submission and any subsequent revisions.
• Manuscripts should be in common word processing formats (e.g., .docx) or LaTeX.
• Articles without complete sets of editable source files cannot be processed.

Submitting Declarations

• You must supply Author Contribution and Competing Interest statements when prompted by the online submission interface.
• If you are both an editorial board member and a contributing author, declare this in the Competing Interest section.
• Refer to the submission guidelines for further details on required statements.

Title Page

Make sure your title page includes:

1. Title
   • Concise and informative.
2. Author Information
   • Full name(s) of all author(s).
   • Affiliation(s) (institution, department, city, state, country).
   • Active email address of the corresponding author.
   • ORCID (if available).
   • For authors without current institutional affiliation, we will publish only city and country of residence (unless otherwise requested).
3. Use of Large Language Models (LLMs)
   • LLMs (e.g., ChatGPT) do not meet authorship criteria, as accountability cannot be assigned to them.
   • If an LLM was used, describe its involvement in the Methods (or a comparable) section of the manuscript.
   • Routine, AI-assisted copy editing for readability and style does not require disclosure.

Abstract

• Provide a 150–250 word abstract.
• Avoid undefined abbreviations or references in the abstract.
• For life science journals, include trial registration details as applicable.

Keywords

• Supply 4–6 keywords for indexing purposes.

Text

Text Formatting

• Submit manuscripts in Word (.docx or older .doc) or LaTeX (using Springer Nature’s template if possible).
• Use a standard font (e.g., 10-point Times New Roman).
• Use italics for emphasis.
• Number all pages automatically.
• Do not use field functions for text.
• Use tab stops for indentation (not the space bar).
• Use the table feature (not spreadsheets) for tables.
• Use the equation editor or MathType for mathematical content.

Headings

• Limit yourself to no more than three heading levels.

Abbreviations

• Define abbreviations at first mention and use them consistently thereafter.

Footnotes

• Use footnotes (not endnotes) for supplementary text or references.
• Do not include figures/tables or full bibliographic details in footnotes.
• Footnotes to tables should use superscript lowercase letters or asterisks.

Acknowledgments

• Place acknowledgments (e.g., for grants, funding, or assistance) in a separate section on the title page.
• Write the full name of funding organizations.

References

Citation

• Cite references using the author’s surname and year (e.g., “(Smith, 2020)”).
• Examples:
  • Negotiation research spans many disciplines (Thompson, 1990).
  • This result was later contradicted (Becker & Seligman, 1996).
  • Widely studied effect (Abbott, 1991; Barakat et al., 1995; Kelso & Smith, 1998; Medvec et al., 1999).

Reference List

• Include only works cited in the text that are published or accepted for publication.
• Alphabetize by the last name of the first author.
• Italicize journal names and book titles.
• Where available, include DOIs as full URLs.
• Sample formats:
  • Journal article: Grady, J. S., Her, M., Moreno, G., Perez, C., & Yelinek, J. (2019). Psychology of Popular Media Culture, 8(3), 207–217. https://doi.org/10.1037/ppm0000185
  • Book: Sapolsky, R. M. (2017). Behave: The biology of humans at our best and worst. Penguin Books.

Statements & Declarations

Place these statements in a “Statements and Declarations” section after the References.

Funding

• Disclose sources of financial support (e.g., grants and grant numbers).
• Example: “This work was supported by [Funding Agency] (Grant number…); Author A.B. has received research support from Company X.”

Competing Interests

• List any financial or non-financial interests relevant to the work.
• Declare interests within the last three years, or beyond if they might influence the research.
• Example: “The authors have no relevant financial or non-financial interests to disclose.”

Author Contributions

• Specify each author’s role (e.g., conception, data collection, writing, and review).
• Example: “All authors contributed to the study design. Data collection and analysis were performed by [Name], [Name], and [Name]…”

Tables

• Number tables using Arabic numerals (Table 1, Table 2, etc.).
• Cite each table in the text in ascending order.
• Provide a clear caption for each table.
• Identify previously published material with a reference note.
• Use superscript lowercase letters or asterisks for table footnotes.

Artwork and Illustrations Guidelines

Electronic Figure Submission

• Submit all figures digitally.
• For vector graphics, use EPS; for halftones, use TIFF. MS Office files are acceptable.
• Embed fonts in vector graphics.
• Name files “Fig1.eps,” “Fig2.tif,” etc.

Line Art

Figures and Artwork

Line Art

• Definition: Black-and-white graphics with no shading.
• Legibility: Use lines at least 0.1 mm (0.3 pt) thick; avoid faint lettering.
• Resolution: Minimum of 1200 dpi for scanned or bitmap line drawings.
• Vector Graphics: Embed fonts in EPS or similar vector files.

Halftone Art

• Definition: Photographs or images with fine gradations (e.g., shading).
• Scale Bars: Indicate magnification (if used) with scale bars directly on the image.
• Resolution: Minimum of 300 dpi.

Combination Art

• Definition: Contains both halftone and line art (e.g., color diagrams with text and shading).
• Resolution: Minimum of 600 dpi.

Color Art

• Free in Online Version: No extra charge for color images online.
• Black-and-White Print: Ensure figures remain clear when converted to grayscale.
• Color Formats: Submit as RGB (8 bits per channel).

Figure Lettering

• Fonts: Use sans serif (Helvetica or Arial) at 2–3 mm (8–12 pt) for consistent sizing.
• Minimize Variations: Keep type size changes within an illustration minimal.
• No Titles Inside Figures: Titles and captions go in the manuscript text, not on the figures.

Figure Numbering

• Arabic Numerals: Label figures in the order they appear (Fig. 1, Fig. 2, etc.).
• Figure Parts: Denote subparts with lowercase letters (a, b, c, etc.).
• Appendix Figures: Continue main numbering if in the same manuscript; label “Online Resource” separately if in supplementary files.

Figure Captions

• Placement: Include captions in the manuscript text, not within the figure itself.
• Format: Start with “Fig.” (in bold), then number (also bold), followed by the caption text.
• References: Cite any previously published material.

Figure Placement and Size

• Submission: Place figures within the manuscript or separately if file size is too large.
• Sizing:
  • Large journals: 84 mm or 174 mm wide × max 234 mm high.
  • Small journals: 119 mm wide × max 195 mm high.

Permissions

• Responsibility: Authors must secure permission for figures previously published elsewhere.
• Costs: Any permission fees are the author’s responsibility.

Accessibility

• Descriptive Captions: Beneficial for screen readers.
• Use Patterns: Distinguish information with more than just color to aid colorblind users.
• Contrast Ratio: Ensure at least 4.5:1 for text and figure elements.

Generative AI Images

• Policy Compliance: Follow Springer’s guidelines regarding AI-generated images.

Supplementary Information (SI)

Submission

• File Formats: Supply standard multimedia (animations, audio, etc.) or data files.
• Identification: Include article title, journal name, author names, and corresponding author’s contact info in each file.

Audio, Video, and Animations

• Size: Up to 25 GB for high-resolution files; 5 GB for low resolution.
• Aspect Ratio: Preferably 16:9 or 4:3.
• Formats: Common types include .avi, .mp4, .mov, etc.

Text and Presentations

• PDF Format: Recommended for long-term viability.
• Combining Figures: You may merge multiple figures into a single PDF.

Spreadsheets

• Preferred Formats: .csv or .xlsx to ensure accessibility and future-proofing.

Specialized Formats

• Examples: .pdb, .wrl (VRML), .nb (Mathematica), .tex, etc.

Collecting Multiple Files

• Zip Files: You may compress multiple items in .zip or .gz archives.

Numbering, Captions, and Processing

• Citations: Refer to supplementary items in the text as “Online Resource X.”
• Captions: Provide concise descriptions for each file.
• No Reformatting: SI is published “as is.”

Accessibility

• Captions: Include descriptive text in the main manuscript.
• Flashing Content: Avoid more than three flashes per second in video to prevent seizure risk.

Generative AI Images

• Policy: Adhere to Springer’s guidelines for AI-generated supplementary figures.

Ethical Responsibilities of Authors

• Integrity: Present research results honestly—no fabrication, falsification, or plagiarism.
• Originality: Submit only unpublished work not under review elsewhere.
• Transparency: Provide clear attribution for all sources; secure permissions when needed.
• Misconduct: COPE guidelines are followed if any misconduct arises.
• Corrections/Retractions: Notify the journal if you find major errors after publication.

Fundamental Errors

• Post-Publication: Contact the journal if significant errors are discovered to correct or retract as needed.

Suggesting/Excluding Reviewers

• Recommendations Welcome: Provide names and institutional emails.
• Exclusions: You may request certain reviewers be excluded with valid reasons.

Competing Interests

• Disclosure: Declare any financial or non-financial interests related to the work (past 3 years or beyond if relevant).
• Editorial Board: Board members or editors must also disclose competing interests.

Authorship Principles

• Criteria: Significant contribution, drafting/revising, final approval, and accountability.
• Corresponding Author: Oversees the submission and ensures all co-authors approve the final version.
• Changes to Authors: Adjustments to authorship post-acceptance are generally not permitted.

Data Transparency

• Data Availability: Provide access to underlying data when possible or explain why it cannot be shared.

Confidentiality

• Respect: Treat all communications with the journal (review reports, etc.) as confidential.

Research Data Policy and Data Availability

• Encouraged Sharing: Archive research data in repositories for integrity and reusability.
• Data Citation: Use persistent identifiers (DOI) for publicly available data.
• Sensitive Data: Ensure ethical handling of any confidential or personal information.

After Acceptance

Article Publishing Agreement

• Copyright or License: Depending on journal policy, you may sign an exclusive license or transfer copyright.

Offprints

• Ordering: Available to corresponding authors upon request.

Color Illustrations

• Online: Free of charge for color images.
• Print: Authors cover extra costs if color is desired in hard copy.

Proofreading

• Accuracy: Check for minor errors; major content changes are not allowed without editor approval.

Online First

• DOI Publication: Your article is officially published online and citable by its DOI before appearing in print.

Open Choice

• Open Access Option: Publish open access in Springer’s hybrid journals for broader visibility.
• Advantages: Immediate access, higher citation potential, easy compliance with funder mandates.
• Costs: Article Processing Charges (APCs) vary by journal; funding support may be available.