AUTHOR GUIDELINES

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Submission Guidelines: Your Path to Publication

To significantly increase your chances of a successful submission with Nexus Asia-Pacific, it is crucial to thoroughly understand and follow our guidelines. We strongly recommend reviewing these guidelines as soon as you choose our journal as your target publication.

Key Steps for Authors:

1. Early Review is Essential: Read our complete submission guidelines before you begin writing or, at the very latest, as soon as you decide to submit to Nexus Asia-Pacific.
2. Manuscript Preparation: Structure and write your manuscript precisely according to these guidelines, ensuring all required sections and elements are included.

What You’ll Find in Our Guidelines:

Our comprehensive guidelines provide essential information on:

• Manuscript Structure: Detailed requirements for sections to include (e.g., Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion).
• Length Restrictions: Specific word and character limits for your title, running title, abstract, and the main manuscript text.
• Formatting Requirements: Instructions on font, line spacing, margins, headings, and other visual presentation elements.
• References: Preferred citation style and formatting for your bibliography.
• Editorial Policies: Information on our peer-review process, ethical considerations, originality, and data sharing.
• File Formats: Acceptable file types for your manuscript and supplementary materials.
• Funding Information: How to disclose funding sources and acknowledgments.

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1. Manuscript Submission

Submitting your manuscript to NEXUS ASIA-PACIFIC implies the following:

• The work described has not been previously published and is not under consideration elsewhere.
• All co-authors (if any) have approved its publication.
• The responsible authorities at the institution(s) where the work was carried out have given tacit or explicit approval.

Permissions

If you wish to include figures, tables, or text passages published elsewhere, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner(s) for both print and online formats. Please provide evidence of this permission with your submission. Material submitted without such evidence will be assumed to be original to the authors.

Online Submission

Please use the “Submit manuscript” hyperlink and follow the on-screen instructions to upload all your manuscript files.

Source Files

It is crucial to provide all relevant editable source files with every submission and revision. Failure to do so may result in your article not being considered for review. For manuscript text, please submit in common word processing formats such as .docx or LaTeX (we recommend using our Nexus Asia-Pacific LaTeX template).

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2. Title Page (Essential Information)

Your title page must contain the following:

• Title: Concise and informative.
• Author Information:
  • Full name(s) of all author(s).
  • Affiliation(s): institution, (department), city, (state), country.
  • A clear indication and active e-mail address of the corresponding author.
  • If available, the 16-digit ORCID for each author.
  • Note: If address information is provided with affiliations, it will be published. For unaffiliated authors, only city and country of residence will be captured (unless an email is specifically requested).

Large Language Models (LLMs) / AI Tools

• LLMs (e.g., ChatGPT) do not meet authorship criteria. Authorship carries accountability that LLMs cannot provide.
• Document LLM use: Any generative use of an LLM for content creation should be properly documented in the Methods section (or an alternative suitable section).
• “AI-assisted copy editing” for readability, style, grammar, spelling, punctuation, and tone does not need to be declared. This refers to AI improvements to human-generated text, not autonomous content creation.
• Human Accountability: In all cases, human authors remain accountable for the final version of the text and must agree that edits reflect their original work.

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3. Abstract & Keywords

• Abstract: Provide an abstract of 150 to 250 words. It should not contain undefined abbreviations or unspecified references. (For life science journals only, if applicable): Include trial registration number and date of registration.
• Keywords: Provide 4 to 6 keywords suitable for indexing.

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4. Statements and Declarations

These statements must be included under the heading “Statements and Declarations” in your published paper. Submissions lacking relevant declarations will be returned as incomplete.

• Competing Interests: Authors must disclose all financial or non-financial interests directly or indirectly related to the submitted work. (Refer to “Competing Interests and Funding” below for detailed guidance).
• Please revise/customize sample statements according to your specific needs.

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5. Manuscript Text Formatting

Your manuscript should be submitted in Word (or LaTeX).

General Text Formatting

• Use a normal, plain font (e.g., 10-point Times Roman).
• Use italics for emphasis.
• Use automatic page numbering.
• Do not use field functions.
• Use tab stops or commands for indents, not the space bar.
• Use the table function (not spreadsheets) for tables.
• Use the equation editor or MathType for equations.
• Save files as .docx (Word 2007+) or .doc (older versions).
• LaTeX manuscripts are acceptable; consider our Nexus Asia-Pacific LaTeX template.

Other Elements

• Headings: Use no more than three levels of displayed headings.
• Abbreviations: Define abbreviations at their first mention and use them consistently thereafter.
• Footnotes: Can provide additional information (including reference citations, but not solely a citation). Should not contain figures or tables. Use text footnotes numbered consecutively; table footnotes use superscript lowercase letters (or asterisks). Always use footnotes instead of endnotes.
• Acknowledgments: Place acknowledgments of people, grants, funds, etc., in a separate section on the title page. Write funding organization names in full.

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6. References

Citation

Cite references in the text by name and year in parentheses (e.g., Thompson 1990; Becker and Seligman 1996; Abbott 1991; Barakat et al. 1995).

Reference List

• Include only works cited in the text and that are published or accepted for publication.
• Personal communications and unpublished works should only be mentioned in the text.
• Entries should be alphabetized by the last names of the first author.
• Journal names and book titles should be italicized.
• Always include DOIs as full DOI links (e.g., https://doi.org/abc).

Examples of Reference Formats:

• Journal article: Alber, John, Daniel C. O’Connell, and Sabine Kowal. 2002. Personal perspective in TV interviews. Pragmatics 12: 257–271.
• Article by DOI: Suleiman, Camelia, Daniel C. O’Connell, and Sabine Kowal. 2002. ‘If you and I, if we, in this later day, lose that sacred fire…’: Perspective in political interviews. Journal of Psycholinguistic Research. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1015592129296
• Book: Cameron, Deborah. 1985. Feminism and linguistic theory. New York: St. Martin’s Press.¹
• Book chapter: Cameron, Deborah. 1997. Theoretical debates in feminist linguistics: Questions of sex and gender. In Gender and disco²urse, ed. Ruth Wodak, 99-119. London: Sage Publications.
• Online document: F3risch, Mathias. 2007. Does a low-entropy constraint prevent us from influencing the past? PhilSci archive. http://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/archive/00003390. Accessed 26 June 2007.

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7. Tables

• Number all tables using Arabic numerals.
• Cite tables consecutively in the text.
• Provide a table caption (title) explaining components.
• Identify previously published material with its original source in the caption.
• Footnotes to tables use superscript lowercase letters (or asterisks for significance) and are placed beneath the table body.

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8. Artwork and Illustrations Guidelines

Electronic Figure Submission

• Supply all figures electronically.
• Preferred formats: EPS for vector graphics; TIFF for halftones; MSOffice files are also acceptable.
• Name files: “Fig” + figure number (e.g., Fig1.eps).

Resolution and Color

Art Type	Definition	Minimum Resolution	Notes
Line Art	B&W graphic with no shading.	1200 dpi	Lines/lettering must be legible (at least 0.1 mm/0.3 pt wide). Vector graphics must have fonts embedded.
Halftone Art	Photographs, drawings, or paintings with fine shading.	300 dpi	Indicate magnification with scale bars.
Combination Art	Halftones containing line drawing, lettering, color diagrams.	600 dpi
Color Art	Free for online publication.	300 dpi (if halftone)	Submit as RGB (8 bits per channel). Ensure visibility if printed in B&W.

Figure Lettering and Numbering

• Use Helvetica or Arial (sans serif fonts).
• Keep lettering consistent (2–3 mm / 8–12 pt).
• Do not include titles or captions within illustrations.
• All figures use Arabic numerals and are cited consecutively.
• Figure parts use lowercase letters (a, b, c, etc.).

Figure Captions

• Include captions in the text file, not the figure file.
• Begin with Fig. $$Figure Number$$ in bold (e.g., Fig. 1). No punctuation after the number or at the end of the caption.
• Identify all elements within the figure.
• Cite original source for previously published material.

Figure Placement and Size

• Submit figures within the body of the text.
• Size figures to fit column width, typically around 84 mm (double-column) or 174 mm (single-column) wide, and not higher than 234 mm.

Accessibility (Figures)

• All figures must have descriptive captions.
• Use patterns in addition to (or instead of) colors to convey information (for colorblind users).
• Figure lettering must have a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1.

Generative AI Images

Review NEXUS ASIA-PACIFIC’s policy on generative AI images and ensure your work adheres to these principles.

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9. Supplementary Information (SI)

NEXUS ASIA-PACIFIC accepts electronic multimedia files and other supplementary files for online publication. Authors should also review the journal’s Research Data Policy.

Submission and File Types

• Supply all supplementary material in standard file formats.
• Keep file sizes manageable (Max file size: 2 GB).
• Supported Text/Presentations: PDF format (not .doc or .ppt for long-term viability).
• Supported Spreadsheets: .csv or .xlsx (MS Excel).
• Supported Audio/Video: avi, wmv, mp4, mov, m2p, mpg, mpeg, flv, m4v, 3gp (Aspect ratio: 16:9 or 4:3).
• Use .zip or .gz to collect multiple files.

Numbering and Captions

• Text must make specific mention of supplementary material as a citation (e.g., “…as shown in the animation (Online Resource 3)”).
• Refer to files as “Online Resource” (e.g., “Online Resource 4”).
• Name files consecutively (e.g., ESM_3.mpg, ESM_4.pdf).
• Provide a concise caption for each supplementary file describing its content.

Processing and Accessibility

• SI will be published as received from the author without conversion, editing, or reformatting.
• Accessibility: Video files should not flash more than three times per second.

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10. After Acceptance

Production & Proofs

• Upon acceptance, your article moves to production. You will receive two emails:
  1. A request to confirm affiliation, publishing model, and arrange rights/payment.
  2. A link to your article’s proofs once typesetting is complete.
• Proof Reading: Review proofs for typesetting/conversion errors. Substantial content changes (new results, corrected values, title/authorship) are generally not allowed without Editor approval.
• Post-Publication Changes: After online publication, further changes are only made via an Erratum, hyperlinked to the article.
• Color Illustrations: Publication of color illustrations is free of charge.
• Offprints: Offprints can be ordered by the corresponding author.

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11. Copyright and Liability

Articles published in NEXUS ASIA-PACIFIC open access journals do not require copyright transfer; copyright remains with the author(s). Details of the applicable Open Access licenses are available on the journal website.

By submitting an article, the author(s) warrant that it is original, has not been previously published, and does not infringe on the copyright or any other right of any third party. The author(s) agree to indemnify the Publisher and the Journal against any claims, costs, or expenses arising from any copyright infringement or breach of warranty related to the submitted material. NEXUS ASIA-PACIFIC and its Publisher are not legally responsible for any compensation claims or liabilities arising from the publication of the material or any subsequent breach of copyright by the author(s) or third parties.

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12. Ethical Responsibilities of Authors

NEXUS ASIA-PACIFIC is committed to upholding scientific integrity and follows COPE guidelines on misconduct.

Responsibility	Principle
Simultaneous Submission	Do not submit the manuscript to more than one journal concurrently.
Originality	Work must be original and not previously published (partially or fully), unless it’s an expansion of previous work (provide transparency on re-use).
Data Integrity	Present results clearly, honestly, without fabrication, falsification, or inappropriate data manipulation.
No Plagiarism	Do not present others’ data, text, or theories as your own. Use proper acknowledgements, quotation marks for verbatim copying, and secure permissions. (The journal may use plagiarism screening software).
Appropriate Citation	Cite relevant literature. Avoid excessive self-citation or ‘Salami-Slicing’ (splitting a single study into multiple parts).
Authorship at Submission	Ensure author group, corresponding author, and order are correct at submission. Changes during revision require detailed explanation; no changes are allowed after acceptance.
Fundamental Errors	Authors must promptly correct significant errors found in published articles by contacting the journal (may lead to a Correction or Retraction).
Misconduct Investigation	If misconduct or fraud is suspected, the Journal/Publisher will investigate following COPE guidelines (may lead to rejection, errata, expression of concern, or retraction).

Reviewer Suggestions and Exclusions

Authors are welcome to suggest suitable reviewers and/or request exclusions. Suggested reviewers must be independent and recommendations should include institutional email or other verification.

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13. Authorship Principles

NEXUS ASIA-PACIFIC assumes all authors agree with the content and have given explicit consent to submit. We recommend adherence to general authorship guidelines (e.g., ICMJE):

All authors whose names appear on the submission must have:

• Substantial Contribution: To conception, design, acquisition, analysis, interpretation of data, or creation of new software.
• Drafting/Critical Revision: Drafted or critically revised the work for intellectual content.
• Final Approval: Approved the version to be published.
• Accountability: Agreed to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

Disclosures and Declarations

All authors must include information on funding, financial/non-financial interests, ethics committee approval (for human/animal research), informed consent, and animal welfare statements, as appropriate.

Role of the Corresponding Author

The Corresponding Author acts on behalf of all co-authors. Responsibilities include:

• Ensuring all authors approve the manuscript, names, and order before submission.
• Managing all communication with the Journal (before and after publication).
• Ensuring all author disclosures, declarations, and data statements are included.

Author Contributions

To promote transparency, authors should include contribution statements (on a separate title page) specifying each author’s contribution.

• Free text example: “All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation, data collection and analysis were performed by [full name], [full name] and [full name]. The first draft of the manuscript was written by [full name] and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.”³

Changes to Authorship

• Strongly advised to finalize author group and order at submission.
• Adding/deleting authors, or changing corresponding author/sequence, is not accepted after acceptance.
• Changes during the revision stage are generally not permitted but may be warranted with detailed explanation and Editor-in-Chief approval.

Authorship Issues or Disputes

The Journal will not investigate or adjudicate authorship disputes. Authors are asked to resolve disputes themselves.

Confidentiality

All communication with the Journal (Editors, reviewers’ reports) must be treated as confidential unless explicit consent for sharing is received.

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