Guide for Authors - PhytoPharm
1. Article Types and Specifications
PhytoPharm accepts the following categories of manuscripts. Word counts exclude references, tables, and figure legends.
1.1 Original Research Papers
Full-length reports of original research that represent a significant advance in phytomedicine or pharmacognosy.
Length: <6,000 words.
Outline: Abstract, Keywords, Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results, Discussion, Conclusions, Declarations, References.
1.2 Short Communications
Brief reports of preliminary findings or highly significant narrow-scope studies.
Length: < 3,000 words.
Outline: Abstract (unstructured), Keywords, Main Text (sections may be merged), Declarations, References.
1.3 Review Articles
Comprehensive summaries of specific topics in the field. Narrative, systematic, and meta-analyses are welcome.
Length: <15,000 words.
Outline: Abstract, Keywords, Introduction, Thematic Subheadings (body), Future Perspectives, Conclusions, Declarations, References.
1.4 Perspectives
Opinion pieces or forward-looking essays on current trends, challenges, or future directions in phytotherapy.
Length: <3,000 words.
Outline: Free format, Declarations, References.
2. Peer Review and Ethics Policies
Peer Review Process
PhytoPharm operates a single-blind peer review system. All manuscripts are initially screened by the Editor-in-Chief for scope and basic quality before being sent to two independent expert reviewers.
Plagiarism Policy
All submitted manuscripts are screened for originality using specialized software (e.g., iThenticate or Turnitin). PhytoPharm maintains a zero-tolerance policy regarding plagiarism, including self-plagiarism (text recycling).
3. Submission Overview: "Free Format"
PhytoPharm values your time and has therefore adopted a Free Format submission policy.
Initial Submission: You may submit your manuscript as a single editable Word file with figures and tables embedded in the main document, including their captions. There are no strict formatting requirements for references, font, or layout at this stage, provided the text is readable, and includes all essential sections (Abstract, Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results, Discussion, Declarations, and References).
Consistency: While the format is flexible, authors must ensure internal consistency throughout the manuscript. This includes the consistent use of punctuation, spelling (either UK or US English, but not a mixture), and reference styling.
Language: Use either UK or US English spelling consistently (e.g., do not mix "colour" and "color" or "characterise" and "characterize").
Punctuation: Maintain a consistent style for the Oxford comma and quotation marks.
Nomenclature: Use consistent naming for chemical compounds and biological species (e.g., Artemisia afra should be italicized throughout).
References: While any scholarly style is accepted initially, every entry in the reference list must follow the same pattern and must include: authors, publication year, title, journal name, volume and page numbers, and DOI if available.
Revision/Acceptance: Formatting according to the PhytoPharm style will only be required after your manuscript has been accepted for publication.
3.1 Mandatory Declarations (Required for all submissions)
To ensure compliance with international indexing standards (ISSN, Crossref/DOI) and ethical guidelines, the following declarations must be included at the end of your manuscript text, regardless of the formatting style used.
Ethical Guidelines
Human Subjects: Manuscripts involving human subjects must state that the study complies with the Declaration of Helsinki. Please provide the Name of the Ethics Committee and the Approval/Reference Number.
Animal Studies: Manuscripts involving animals must state compliance with institutional or national guidelines (e.g., ARRIVE guidelines) and provide the Committee Name and Approval Number.
Conflict of Interest
Authors must identify and declare any personal circumstances or interest that may be perceived as inappropriately influencing the representation or interpretation of reported research results. If there is no conflict, please state: "The authors declare no conflict of interest."
Funding
Please detail all sources of funding relevant to the research. If no funding was received, please state: "This research received no external funding."
Data Availability
Please select one of the following statements:
"Data available in a publicly accessible repository..." (include link/DOI)
"Data available on request from the authors."
"All data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this published article."
Author Contributions
For transparency, please list the specific contribution of each author (e.g., "AB conceived the study; CD performed the analysis; EF wrote the paper").
Declaration on the Use of AI and AI-Assisted Technologies
In accordance with COPE guidelines:
Authorship: AI tools, including Large Language Models (LLMs) and generative AI, cannot be listed as authors. They do not meet the criteria for authorship as they cannot take legal responsibility for the work.
Disclosure: Authors must disclose the use of generative AI and AI-assisted technologies in the writing process, figure generation, or data analysis. This should be stated in the "Methods" or "Acknowledgments" section.
Responsibility: The authors are fully responsible and accountable for the content of the work, including the accuracy and integrity of any parts produced by an AI tool.
Copyright and Open Access
PhytoPharm is an Open Access journal. Upon acceptance, articles are published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). Authors retain the copyright to their work while granting the journal the right of first publication.
4. Post-Acceptance Formatting Guidelines
Upon acceptance (or at the final revision stage), authors are required to format their manuscript according to the following standards to ensure professional production:
General Layout
File Format: Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx).
Font: Times New Roman, 12 pt.
Spacing: Double-spaced throughout (including references and tables).
Margins: 2.5 cm (1 inch) on all sides.
Page Numbering: Continuous page numbering in the bottom right corner.
Line Numbering: Continuous line numbering must be included to facilitate final proofreading.
Title Page Requirements
Title: Bold, sentence case.
Authors: Full names of all authors.
Affiliations: Institutional addresses for all authors, linked by superscript numbers.
Corresponding Author: Marked with an asterisk (*), including a valid email address and telephone number.
Tables and Figures
Tables: Must be editable (not images). Place each table on a separate page after the References. Include a descriptive title above the table.
Figures: High-resolution (300 dpi minimum). Figures should be submitted as separate TIFF or EPS files, though they may be embedded in the text for the reviewer's convenience.
Captions: A consolidated list of figure captions should be provided after the tables.
Reference Style
Reference List: References must be listed alphabetically by the first author's surname. Use the following formats:
Journal Article: Liu NQ, Van der Kooy F, Verpoorte R (2009) Artemisia afra: A potential flagship for African medicinal plants? South African Journal of Botany 75:185-195. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sajb.2008.11.001
Book: Bruneton J (1999) Pharmacognosy, Phytochemistry, Medicinal Plants. 2nd ed. Lavoisier Publishing, Paris.
Book Chapter: Heinrich M (2015) Ethnobotany and Ethnopharmacology. In: Badria FA (Ed.), Natural Products. IntechOpen, London, pp. 25-42.
Website: World Health Organization (2023) Traditional Medicine Strategy: 2014-2023. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241506090 (Accessed 12 October 2023).
Manuscript Structure
While the initial format is free, manuscripts should generally contain the following elements in order:
Title Page
Abstract: A summary including Introduction, Methods, Results, and Conclusions of no more than 300 words.
Keywords: 4–6 keywords for indexing.
Introduction
Materials and Methods
Results
Discussion
Conclusions
References
