Author Guidelines

Journal of Sport Medicine and Physiotherapy

The Journal of Sport Medicine and Physiotherapy (JSMP) welcomes high-quality manuscripts in sports medicine, physiotherapy, exercise science, rehabilitation, human performance, and related disciplines. Manuscripts must be original, scientifically rigorous, and not under consideration for publication by another journal. Authors are responsible for ensuring that their submissions comply with the journal's scope, ethical standards, and formatting requirements.

1. Types of Manuscripts

The journal accepts the following manuscript categories.

Original Research Article

Reports original findings from quantitative, qualitative, mixed-methods, experimental, observational, or clinical research. The recommended structure is Title, Author Information, Abstract, Keywords, Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results, Discussion, Conclusion, Acknowledgments (if applicable), Conflict of Interest, Author's Contribution, Funding/Sponsorship, and References.

Review Article

Includes narrative reviews, systematic reviews, scoping reviews, and meta-analyses relevant to the journal's scope. The structure should include Title, Author Information, Abstract, Keywords, Introduction, Materials and Methods (as applicable), Results or Review Findings, Discussion, Conclusion, Acknowledgments (if applicable), Conflict of Interest, Author's Contribution, Funding/Sponsorship, and References. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses should follow the PRISMA reporting guidelines where applicable.

Case Report

Reports unusual, educational, or clinically relevant cases in sports medicine, physiotherapy, rehabilitation, or related disciplines. The recommended structure is Title, Author Information, Abstract, Keywords, Introduction, Case Description, Discussion, Conclusion, Acknowledgments (if applicable), Conflict of Interest, Author's Contribution, Funding/Sponsorship, and References. Patient consent and ethical approval must be reported where applicable.

2. Language

All manuscripts must be written in clear, accurate, and grammatically correct English. Authors are encouraged to seek professional English-language editing before submission when necessary. Scientific terminology should be used consistently throughout the manuscript.

3. Manuscript Formatting

All manuscripts must be prepared using the official JSMP Word template. Authors must follow the predefined formatting, styles, and page layout provided in the template.

The formatting requirements are as follows:

  • Paper size: A4.

  • Article title: Arial, 14 pt, bold, Title Case, with 1.5 line spacing.

  • Author names: Arial, 11 pt, bold, Title Case, with single line spacing.

  • Author affiliations: Arial, 11 pt, Title Case, with single line spacing.

  • Abstract and main text: Arial, 11 pt, justified alignment, with single line spacing.

  • Table and figure captions: 10 pt, following the formatting specified in the template.

  • References: Single-spaced, following APA 6th Edition.

Authors should not modify the predefined styles, page layout, or formatting settings in the official template. Page margins and other layout settings should follow the template.

4. Title

The title should be concise, informative, and accurately reflect the manuscript's content. It should clearly identify the main topic or purpose of the study. The title must use Title Case, bold formatting, Arial 14 pt, and 1.5 line spacing, as specified in the template. Unnecessary abbreviations should be avoided.

5. Author Information

The manuscript must include the full names of all authors, institutional affiliations, affiliation addresses, postal codes, and countries. Each author should be linked to the appropriate affiliation using numerical superscripts. The corresponding author must be identified with an asterisk and an email address.

Authors should ensure that names and affiliations are accurate and consistent with their institutional records.

6. Abstract

The abstract must be written as a single narrative paragraph without subheadings and should not exceed 250 words. It should clearly present the research background and rationale, objectives, methods, main findings, and conclusion. The content should be adapted to the type of manuscript. Abstracts must use Arial, 11 pt, justified alignment, and single line spacing, as specified in the template.

7. Keywords

Provide 3–5 keywords immediately below the abstract. Keywords should represent the main topics of the manuscript and should be separated by semicolons, following the template. Authors are encouraged to use Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) terminology where appropriate.

8. Introduction

The Introduction should establish the research context and explain the importance of the topic. It should summarize relevant scientific evidence, identify the research gap, explain the novelty or rationale of the study, and clearly state the research objectives. The contribution of the study to scientific knowledge or clinical practice should also be indicated where appropriate.

9. Materials and Methods

The Materials and Methods section must provide sufficient information to explain how the study was conducted. The content should be appropriate to the manuscript type.

For Original Research Articles, describe the study design, setting and period, participants or study materials, sampling procedures, inclusion and exclusion criteria where applicable, research instruments, data collection procedures, data analysis methods, and ethical approval.

For Review Articles, describe the research question, information sources, literature search strategy, search terms, eligibility criteria, study selection, data extraction, quality appraisal or risk-of-bias assessment, and data synthesis methods, as applicable to the type of review. Systematic reviews should include a PRISMA flow diagram where applicable.

For Case Reports, describe the relevant patient characteristics, clinical history, clinical findings, diagnostic assessment, interventions or management, outcomes, and follow-up. Patient consent and ethical considerations should be reported where applicable.

All methods should be clearly described and appropriate to the study objectives. Ethical approval and informed consent must be reported where applicable.

10. Results

The Results section should present the study findings objectively and clearly. Results may be presented in descriptive text, tables, figures, graphs, or other appropriate visual formats. Statistical results should be reported accurately and consistently.

Tables and figures should be included only when they improve clarity. The same data should not be unnecessarily duplicated in both tables and figures. Every table and figure must be cited in the text in numerical order.

11. Discussion

The Discussion should interpret the main findings in relation to the study objectives, relevant scientific evidence, and established theories or hypotheses. Authors should explain similarities and differences between their findings and previous studies, discuss scientific or clinical implications, acknowledge study limitations, and identify directions for future research.

The Discussion should emphasize the most important and novel findings rather than repeat numerical results already presented in the Results section. Conclusions and interpretations must be supported by the evidence presented.

12. Conclusion

The Conclusion should directly address the study objectives and summarize the principal findings and their implications. It should be concise and should not introduce new results or unsupported claims. Recommendations may be included when justified by the findings.

13. Tables

Tables must be editable and should not be submitted as images. They must be numbered consecutively using Arabic numerals (e.g., Table 1, Table 2). Table titles should be placed above the tables, following the capitalization and formatting demonstrated in the official template. Table captions should use 10 pt formatting as specified in the template. Explanatory notes should be placed below the table when necessary.

Tables should be clear, self-explanatory, and cited in the manuscript text. Abbreviations and statistical symbols should be explained in the table or its notes where necessary.

14. Figures

Figures include photographs, charts, graphs, illustrations, diagrams, and other visual materials. Figures must be numbered consecutively using Arabic numerals (e.g., Figure 1, Figure 2) and cited in the text in numerical order.

Figure captions must be placed below the corresponding figures and formatted in Arial, 10 pt, justified alignment, and single line spacing, following the template. Figures should have sufficient resolution for publication; a minimum of 300 dpi is recommended for raster images. Authors must ensure that figures are legible and that any reused material has the necessary permissions.

15. Ethical Approval

Research involving human participants or animals must comply with applicable ethical standards and institutional requirements. Where applicable, manuscripts must identify the ethics committee or institutional review board and provide the approval number. Informed consent must be reported where required.

Research involving human participants should comply with the Declaration of Helsinki and other relevant ethical guidelines. Case reports must address patient consent and confidentiality. Authors must ensure that identifying information is removed unless its publication is appropriately authorized.

16. Conflict of Interest

All authors must disclose any financial, professional, or personal relationships that could inappropriately influence the research or its interpretation.

If no conflict of interest exists, authors may use the following statement:

“The authors declare no conflict of interest.”

17. Author's Contribution

Authors must describe their individual contributions to the manuscript. The journal encourages the use of the Contributor Roles Taxonomy (CRediT), where appropriate. Contributions may include conceptualization, methodology, investigation, data curation, formal analysis, writing—original draft, writing—review and editing, visualization, supervision, and project administration.

All listed authors should have made meaningful contributions to the work and approved the final manuscript.

18. Funding/Sponsorship

All sources of financial support must be disclosed, including grant names, funding agencies, and grant numbers where applicable.

If the research received no external funding, authors may use the following statement:

“This research did not receive external funding.”

19. References

The journal template specifies APA 6th Edition for in-text citations and reference lists. Authors must ensure consistency between citations in the manuscript and the reference list.

The journal recommends the following reference practices:

  • Include at least 25 references.

  • Ensure that at least 80% of references are primary research articles.

  • Prefer recent references published within the last 10 years, unless older publications are necessary to support foundational concepts.

  • Include a DOI whenever available.

  • Use a reference management application such as Mendeley, Zotero, or EndNote.

  • Format the reference list using single line spacing, following the official template.

Authors are responsible for checking the accuracy and completeness of all references.

20. Plagiarism Policy

All submissions are subject to plagiarism screening. The similarity index should generally not exceed 25%, excluding references, quotations, and standard methodological descriptions. Similarity scores are evaluated in context and do not, by themselves, determine whether plagiarism has occurred.

Manuscripts containing substantial unattributed overlap or other forms of plagiarism may be rejected. Authors must ensure appropriate citation, originality, and compliance with publication ethics.

21. Submission Checklist

Before submission, authors should ensure that:

  • The manuscript falls within the journal's scope and is written in English.

  • The official JSMP Word template has been used.

  • The title, author names, affiliations, and corresponding author's email are complete.

  • The abstract is a single narrative paragraph of no more than 250 words.

  • Three to five keywords are provided and separated by semicolons.

  • The manuscript structure is appropriate to the article type.

  • Tables and figures are numbered, titled, cited in the text, and formatted according to the template.

  • Ethical approval and informed consent are reported where applicable.

  • Conflict of Interest, Author's Contribution, and Funding/Sponsorship statements are included.

  • Citations and references follow the journal's specified reference style.

  • The manuscript is original and is not under consideration by another journal.

Submission of a manuscript indicates that the authors have read and agreed to comply with the journal's author guidelines and publication ethics requirements.