Author Guidelines
The journal "Spirituality Research in Health Sciences" is a platinum open-access journal. Reading and downloading articles is free for users. Article submission to the journal is online and free of charge. The article must not be submitted to another journal simultaneously. The corresponding author must register the complete information of all authors, their organizational affiliations, and their contact information in the system. Providing the ORCID ID is mandatory for the first author and the corresponding author. To submit an article, first create a user account and log in to the user area on the website.
During article submission, the corresponding author assumes responsibility on behalf of all authors and must complete their full information, including email, phone number, and email address. All correspondence, including the results of the initial review, the editor's decision, and requests for manuscript revision or proofreading of the page-layout version, will be sent to the email address of the corresponding author that is included in the article.
Authors can suggest peer reviewers for their submitted article by providing their names, email addresses, and ORCID or Scopus ID. Please refer to the Peer Review section in the Editorial Policies regarding the suggestion of peer reviewers. Authors can also provide the details of individuals they do not wish to review their article.
Types of Articles
The journal considers the following types:
Structure of a Research Article
A research article must include the sections Title, Abstract, keywords, Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion, Conclusion, Acknowledgments, Authors' contributions, Funding, Data availability, Ethical considerations and conflict of interest, References, Tables and figures, and Supplementary files.
Persian Abstract
The Persian abstract should be a maximum of 300 words and include the following:
- Background
- Methods
- Results
- Conclusion
Keywords
For each article, 3 to 10 keywords should be selected. English keywords should preferably be selected from MeSH, and their Persian equivalents should be included in the article.
English Abstract
The English abstract must correspond to the Persian abstract. After the article is accepted, if requested by the journal, the authors must provide an extended English abstract. This abstract is up to 1000 words. The extended abstract does not mean a complete English translation of the article and includes the following sections:
- Background
- Methods
- Results
- Conclusion
Introduction
It includes a brief overview of the subject under study and the reason for conducting the study. Comparison with previous works should be written precisely in the discussion section, along with the study results. Also, the practical points of the article should be included in the introduction.
Methods
The methods section should clearly explain the objectives, their key characteristics, the methods, equipment, and processes used, so another researcher can replicate the experiment. In review studies, a precise description of the search strategy is essential.
Results
Results should be presented as text, tables, charts, or figures in the order presented in the text. Avoid repeating the data from tables, charts, or figures in the text again. The originals of charts and curves should be prepared in Persian. Table titles should be written above them, and titles of figures and charts should be written below them. In narrative review studies, the results and discussion section includes a review of previous studies.
Discussion
New and possible findings as well as conclusions that can be drawn from the study should be emphasized. The discussion section should compare the available data with previous findings. Limitations related to experimental methods and implications for future studies should be specified. New hypotheses and appropriate clinical recommendations should be clearly identified. Suggestions, especially clinical ones, should be appropriately included.
Conclusion
Finally, the article should be summarized in distinct paragraphs that include conclusions and suggestions.
Brief Statement about Data
Authors should, if possible, specify the data availability status of the research. If there are ethical, legal, or confidentiality restrictions, the reason for the restriction should be stated.
Use of Artificial Intelligence
If generative artificial intelligence tools have been used in the preparation of the article, analysis, image generation, or content editing, the authors must declare the type and manner of use. Artificial intelligence cannot be introduced as an author, and full responsibility for the content of the article lies with the authors.
Supplementary Information
Writing acknowledgments, authors' contributions, funding, ethical considerations, and conflict of interest is mandatory. To become familiar, refer to several examples of published articles.
References
References must be credible, relevant, and as up-to-date as possible. Authors are responsible for the accuracy and completeness of the references.
References should be numbered based on the order of appearance in the text and in superscript format, and the journal's citation style should follow Vancouver. Excessive citation of one's own works, irrelevant citations, and unnecessary self-citation are not acceptable.
Persian references must be translated into English, and the original language of the source should be specified with the term [Persian].
Tables and Figures
Tables and figures must be cited in the text in order by number. Each table or figure must have a sufficient title and description. Avoid presenting the same data repeatedly in the text, table, and figure.