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      Author Guidelines High School Biology Research | IJHSB

      Format, word ranges, ethics, data availability, and peer-review expectations for student biology manuscripts are provided.

      Manuscript Format (applies to all submissions)

      Language: English (clear, concise, and precise)
      File type: PDF
      Font & layout: 12-pt Arial, 1.5 line spacing, 2.5 cm (1″) margins, page numbers.

      Length guidance (excluding references, tables, and figures):
      There is no strict word limit, but the preferred ranges are:

      • Original Research: ~3,000–7,000 words
      • Review Articles: ~3,000–7,000 words
      • Short Communications: ~2,000–4,000 words

      Title page (separate page):

      • Article title (concise, informative)
      • Author names (First Last), school/affiliation, city, country
      • Corresponding author email
      • Word count (main text only)
      • 3–6 keywords
      • Funding statement (if any)
      • Conflicts of interest statement (see below)
      • Ethics statement (if applicable; see below)

      Abstract: 150–250 words, single paragraph, no citations. Include background, aim, approach, key results, and significance (for Reviews: scope, approach, and key insights).

      Figures & tables:

      • Number consecutively (Figure 1, Table 1, …) and cite in text.
      • Provide captions under figures / above tables.
      • Acceptable figure files at revision: PNG, JPG, or PDF (300 dpi minimum).
      • If using others’ images/data, include permissions.

      Units & style: SI units; define symbols/acronyms at first use; use standard gene/protein nomenclature where relevant.

      Ethics & safety (where applicable):

      • Human/animal studies must state approvals and consent.
      • School-level experiments must follow safety rules; no hazardous procedures.
      • Data privacy: de-identify personal data.

      Data & materials availability:

      • State where data/code/materials can be accessed (repository link or “available upon reasonable request”).
      • Include a concise Data Availability Statement.

      Authorship & contributions:

      • Include a CRediT-style contribution note (e.g., Conceptualization, Methodology, Investigation, Writing—original draft, Writing—review & editing, Supervision).
      • A supervising teacher/mentor is recommended and may be listed as a co-author or acknowledged.

      Acknowledgments: Optional; thank mentors, labs, or supporters.

      Conflicts of interest: Declare any financial or personal relationships that could influence the work; otherwise state “The authors declare no competing interests.”

      References (style policy):

      • Any standard reference style is acceptable (e.g., APA, Vancouver, Chicago), but the same style must be used consistently throughout the manuscript.
      • In-text citations and reference list must match and be complete (authors, year or numbers, article title, journal, volume, pages/doi).
      • Provide DOIs/URLs when available.
      • Examples (pick one style and use it everywhere):
        • APA (author–year): Smith, J., & Lee, K. (2023). Title. Journal Name, 12(3), 145–156. https://doi.org/xx.xxxx/xxxxx
        • Vancouver (numeric): 1. Smith J, Lee K. Title. Journal Name. 2023;12(3):145-156. doi:xx.xxxx/xxxxx

      Supplementary materials: Optional PDF/ZIP with extra figures, datasets, or code.

      Cover letter (separate file or form field): 150–300 words; explain originality, importance, and fit to IJHSB; confirm ethical compliance and exclusive submission.

      Article Type 1 — Original Research

      Recommended structure:

      1. Title page (separate)
      2. Abstract (150–250 words)
      3. Introduction
        • Brief background, key literature, gap, and study objective(s).
      4. Materials and Methods
        • Study design, participants/samples, materials, procedures, variables, data collection, and analysis (statistics).
        • Enough detail for reproducibility.
        • Ethics/consent statements when relevant.
      5. Results
        • Present findings clearly with figures/tables; avoid redundancy.
      6. Discussion
        • Interpret results vs. literature; strengths/limitations; implications; future work.
      7. Conclusion
        • One short paragraph: key takeaway and significance.
      8. Data Availability Statement
      9. Acknowledgments (optional)
      10. Author Contributions (CRediT)
      11. Conflicts of Interest
      12. References (consistent style)
      13. Supplementary Materials (optional)

      Quality tips:

      • Include clear hypotheses or research questions.
      • Report statistical details (tests, n, measures of variance, p or CIs).
      • Use descriptive figure captions that allow understanding without the main text.

      Article Type 2 — Review Articles

      Recommended structure:

      1. Title page (separate)
      2. Abstract (150–250 words)
      3. Introduction (scope, why now, audience)
      4. Methods/Approach to the Review (brief): how you searched/selected literature (databases, years, keywords); not a full systematic review, but be transparent.
      5. Thematic Sections (well-organized synthesis)
        • Explain major findings, debates, and knowledge gaps.
        • Use figures/diagrams to summarize mechanisms or frameworks.
      6. Future Directions & Open Questions
      7. Conclusion (key insights for students/scientists/educators)
      8. Acknowledgments (optional)
      9. Author Contributions (CRediT)
      10. Conflicts of Interest
      11. References (consistent style)

      Quality tips:

      • Prioritize clarity and synthesis over listing studies.
      • Define technical terms; include a brief glossary if helpful.
      • Use recent sources (last 5–10 years) and seminal works; check for bias.

      Article Type 3 — Short Communications

      Purpose: Rapid, concise reports of novel observations, small pilot data, methods notes, or timely replications.

      Recommended structure:

      1. Title page (separate)
      2. Abstract (≤150 words)
      3. Introduction (2–4 paragraphs; what’s new/important)
      4. Methods (brief) (enough for understanding; details can go Supplementary)
      5. Results (tight, figure-driven)
      6. Discussion/Conclusion (combined; limitations + next steps)
      7. Data Availability Statement
      8. Acknowledgments (optional)
      9. Author Contributions (CRediT)
      10. Conflicts of Interest
      11. References (consistent style)

      Final Submission Checklist (all types)

      • Title page complete (authors, affiliations, corresponding email, word count, keywords, funding, conflicts, ethics).
      • Abstract within limits; no citations.
      • Main text follows the correct Article Type structure.
      • Figures/tables numbered, captioned, and cited in text; image quality adequate.
      • References complete and one style used consistently.
      • Ethics/consent statements included where relevant.
      • Data Availability + Author Contributions + Conflicts statements included.
      • Cover letter uploaded.
      • All identifying info removed from main file if double-anonymous review is requested.

      Ready-to-use field names

      • Corresponding author full name & email
      • All authors (names, affiliations, city, country)
      • Mentoring teacher/supervisor (name & email)
      • Article type (Original Research / Review / Short Communication)
      • Title
      • Abstract (paste)
      • Keywords (3–6)
      • Ethics statement (if applicable)
      • Data availability statement
      • Conflicts of interest
      • Author contributions (CRediT)
      • Manuscript file (.pdf)
      • Figures (all included in the same manuscript .pdf file)
      • Cover letter

      Download IJHSB manuscript template

      International Journal of High School Biology (IJHSB) – Manuscript TemplateDownload