Author Guidelines

Journal of Sport Medicine and Physiotherapy 
The Journal of Sport Medicine and Physiotherapy welcomes high-quality manuscripts in the fields of sports medicine, physiotherapy, exercise science, rehabilitation, human performance, and related disciplines. Manuscripts must be original, scientifically rigorous, and not under consideration by another journal.

1. Types of Manuscripts
The Journal of Sport Medicine and Physiotherapy accepts the following manuscript categories:
Original Research Article
Reports original findings from quantitative, qualitative, mixed-methods, experimental, observational, or clinical research.
Recommended structure:
• Title
• Author(s)
• Abstract
• Keywords
• Introduction
• Methods
• Results
• Discussion
• Conclusion
• Acknowledgments (optional)
• Conflict of Interest
• Author Contributions
• Funding
• References

Review Article
Systematic reviews, scoping reviews, narrative reviews, or meta-analyses.
Recommended structure:
• Title
• Author(s)
• Abstract
• Keywords
• Introduction
• Methods
• Results
• Discussion
• Conclusion
• Acknowledgments
• Conflict of Interest
• Author Contributions
• Funding
• References
Systematic reviews should preferably follow the PRISMA Statement.

Case Report
Reports unusual or educational clinical cases relevant to sports medicine and physiotherapy.
Recommended structure:
• Title
• Author(s)
• Abstract
• Keywords
• Introduction
• Case Description
• Discussion
• Conclusion
• Acknowledgments
• Conflict of Interest
• Author Contributions
• Funding
• References
Patient consent and ethical approval must be clearly stated where applicable.

2. Language
All manuscripts must be written in clear and grammatically correct English.
Authors whose first language is not English are strongly encouraged to obtain professional English editing before submission.

3. Manuscript Formatting
The manuscript must follow the official The Journal of Sport Medicine and Physiotherapy formatting guidelines.
General formatting requirements:
• Paper size: A4
• Margins: 2.5 cm on all sides
• Main text font: Baskerville Old Face
• Body text size: 12 pt
• Line spacing: 1.5
• Text alignment: Justified
• Title font: Helvetica 20 pt
• Tables and figures: 10 pt captions
Authors should not modify the predefined styles in the template.

4. Title
The title should:
• be concise and informative;
• accurately reflect the manuscript content;
• avoid abbreviations whenever possible;
• use sentence case.

5. Author Information
Include:
• Full author names
• Institutional affiliations
• Country
• Corresponding author
• Email address
Each affiliation should be clearly identified.

6. Abstract
The abstract should not exceed 250 words.
For Original Articles, use the following headings:
• Background
• Objectives
• Methods
• Results
• Conclusion
For Review Articles and Case Reports, authors may adapt the abstract according to the study type while maintaining clarity.

7. Keywords
Provide 3–5 keywords.
Keywords should:
• not duplicate words already appearing in the title whenever possible;
• follow MeSH terminology where appropriate.

8. Introduction
The Introduction should explain:
• background of the study;
• current scientific evidence;
• research gap;
• novelty;
• objectives of the study;
• contribution to science or clinical practice.

9. Methods
Methods should provide sufficient detail to enable replication.
For Original Research, include:
• Study design
• Participants
• Sampling methods
• Research instruments
• Data collection
• Data analysis
• Ethical approval
For Review Articles, include:
• Research question
• Inclusion criteria
• Search strategy
• Study selection
• Data extraction
• Quality appraisal
• Data synthesis
• PRISMA flow diagram (when applicable)
For Case Reports, include:
• Patient characteristics
• Clinical history
• Diagnostic assessment
• Intervention
• Follow-up
• Ethical approval
• Patient consent

10. Results
Results should be presented objectively.
Use:
• tables,
• figures,
• graphs,
• photographs,
only when they improve clarity.
Do not duplicate the same data in both tables and figures.
Each table and figure must be cited in the text.

11. Discussion
The Discussion should:
• interpret the findings;
• compare findings with previous studies;
• explain similarities and differences;
• discuss theoretical and clinical implications;
• acknowledge study limitations;
• provide recommendations for future research.
Avoid repeating numerical results.

12. Conclusion
The Conclusion should:
• directly answer the research objectives;
• summarize the main findings;
• avoid introducing new information.

13. Tables
Tables should:
• be editable (not images);
• use Arabic numbering;
• have titles above the table;
• include explanatory notes below the table if necessary.

14. Figures
Figures should:
• have high resolution (minimum 300 dpi);
• use Arabic numbering;
• include captions below the figure;
• be cited sequentially.

15. Ethical Approval
Studies involving humans or animals must include:
• name of ethics committee;
• approval number;
• informed consent statement (where applicable).
Research involving human participants must comply with the Declaration of Helsinki.

16. Conflict of Interest
Authors must declare whether any conflicts of interest exist.
If none exist, state:
The authors declare no conflict of interest.

17. Author Contributions
Authors should specify individual contributions using the CRediT (Contributor Roles Taxonomy) whenever possible.
Examples include:
• Conceptualization
• Methodology
• Investigation
• Formal Analysis
• Writing – Original Draft
• Writing – Review & Editing
• Supervision

18. Funding
Authors must disclose all funding sources.
If there is no funding, state:
This research received no external funding.

19. References
The Journal of Sport Medicine and Physiotherapy uses APA 7th Edition for citations and references.
Authors are encouraged to use reference management software such as:
• Mendeley
• Zotero
• EndNote
Reference requirements:
• Minimum 25 references.
• At least 80% should be primary research articles.
• Preferably published within the last 10 years, unless citing seminal works.
• Include DOI whenever available.

20. Plagiarism Policy
All submissions are screened using plagiarism detection software.
Similarity Index should generally not exceed 25%, excluding references, quotations, and standard methodological descriptions.
Manuscripts with excessive similarity may be rejected without peer review.

21. Submission Checklist
Before submission, authors should ensure that:
• The manuscript is written in English.
• The title page is complete.
• The abstract complies with the journal format.
• Keywords are provided.
• Tables and figures are correctly numbered.
• References follow APA 7th Edition.
• Ethical approval has been stated (if applicable).
• Conflict of Interest statement is included.
• Author Contributions are provided.
• Funding statement is included.
• The manuscript has not been submitted elsewhere.