- For authors
- ISSN 2690-6759
- Open access · CC BY 4.0
Instructions for Authors
How to prepare and submit a manuscript to the Journal of Parasite Research: submission routes, article types, manuscript structure, reporting standards, ethics statements and fees.
Submission routes
- Primary route
ManuscriptZone
The publisher’s online submission and review system. Register or sign in, choose the Journal of Parasite Research and upload the manuscript files.
- Alternative route
Simple manuscript submission form
A single-page form that opens with the Journal of Parasite Research selected.
- Assisted route: editorial email
info@openaccesspub.org
For authors who are unable to use either online route. Send the manuscript files with a cover letter to the editorial office.
Authors must use only one submission route for the same manuscript.
Article types
JPAR publishes the article types below. Requirements depend on the format: hypotheses, outcomes, power calculations and a Methods and Results structure apply where the design calls for them. The scope of each type is set out in the Aims and Scope.
Original Research
Empirical studies of parasites, vectors, hosts and the diseases they cause, using laboratory, clinical, veterinary, field or computational methods, including prevalence and risk-factor surveys.
- Abstract
- Structured: Background, Methods, Results, Conclusions.
- Main text
- Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion, Conclusions. State the research question and, where applicable, the hypotheses, outcomes and the sample-size or sampling rationale. Surveys state the sampling frame, diagnostic method and case definitions.
- Reporting
- The guideline for the design, for example STROBE for surveys, STARD for diagnostic studies or ARRIVE 2.0 for animal experiments.
Review
Authoritative narrative reviews of a topic in parasitology, with a defined scope and a transparent account of how the literature was identified.
- Abstract
- Unstructured or brief structured summary.
- Main text
- A defined scope and question, a description of how the literature was identified, a critical synthesis organized by theme, and conclusions with research gaps. Methods and Results sections are not required.
- Reporting
- Describe the sources and search where the review relies on a systematic search.
Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Systematic syntheses of evidence on a defined question, with or without meta-analysis, including scoping reviews that use systematic methods.
- Abstract
- Structured.
- Main text
- Introduction; Methods (eligibility criteria, information sources and the full search strategy, study selection, data extraction, risk-of-bias assessment and synthesis); Results with a flow diagram; Discussion. Give the protocol registration, for example in PROSPERO, where applicable.
- Reporting
- PRISMA 2020; PRISMA-ScR for scoping reviews.
Methods
New, adapted or validated methods, assays, models and protocols for parasitology, with enough detail for others to apply them.
- Abstract
- Structured, with headings adapted to the method.
- Main text
- Rationale; a description of the method with the detail, code or materials others need to apply it; validation or a worked application, compared with existing approaches where available; limitations. Study protocols follow the requirements below instead.
- Reporting
- MIQE for quantitative PCR, STARD for diagnostic tests and TRIPOD for prediction models, where applicable.
- Study protocols
- A study protocol describes a planned or ongoing study: background and rationale; objectives and, where applicable, hypotheses; design and setting; participants, hosts, samples or study sites; interventions or exposures; outcomes; the sample-size or sampling rationale; the planned data collection and analysis; ethics approval and, where applicable, the protocol or trial registration; and the expected timeline. Completed results or validation are not required for a study protocol. SPIRIT 2013 applies to clinical-trial protocols and PRISMA-P to systematic-review protocols.
Short Communication
Concise reports of a focused or preliminary finding of importance to parasitology.
- Abstract
- Brief, structured.
- Main text
- A condensed Introduction, Methods, Results and Discussion centered on the main finding.
- Reporting
- As for Original Research, where applicable.
Case Report
Individual cases or short case series, in people or animals, with a lesson for diagnosis, treatment or control of parasitic disease.
- Abstract
- Brief, unstructured.
- Main text
- Introduction; case presentation, with a timeline where useful; diagnosis, treatment and outcome; discussion. Hypotheses and power calculations do not apply.
- Reporting
- CARE. Consent for publication from the patient, owner or legal guardian, or a waiver documented by the ethics committee, where applicable; identifying details removed.
Commentary
Evidence-based argument on a current issue in parasitology or on published research.
- Abstract
- Brief, unstructured.
- Main text
- Free structure with descriptive headings; claims supported by cited evidence and conclusions proportionate to it. Methods and Results sections are not required.
- Reporting
- Reference the evidence for each claim.
Letter
Brief responses to articles published in JPAR, or short observations of relevance to parasitology.
- Abstract
- None.
- Main text
- Short text without section headings and with a small number of references. A letter about a published article cites it in full, and its authors may be invited to reply.
- Reporting
- Reference the article or evidence discussed.
Length. There are no fixed length limits for any article type; manuscripts should be concise and proportionate to their content.
Choosing a type. Where a manuscript sits between types, authors choose the closest type and explain the choice in the cover letter, and the editors confirm the classification. A short case series is classified as a Case Report, a scoping review as a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis, and a study protocol as Methods, following the study-protocol requirements under Methods.
Preparing the manuscript
These requirements apply to every article type. The structure of the main text follows the guidance for the type above.
- Files
- The main text as an editable word-processing file (for example, Microsoft Word), with figures, tables that cannot be edited in the text, and supplementary material supplied as separate files.
- Title page
- A concise, informative title; full names, affiliations and ORCID iDs (recommended) of all authors; and the corresponding author’s contact details.
- Double-blind review
- For double-blind review, remove author names, affiliations, acknowledgments, funding details, institution names, and other identifying information from the reviewer manuscript. Provide identifying information separately in the title-page file or submission form.
- Abstract
- As set for the article type. Structured abstracts use the headings Background, Methods, Results and Conclusions.
- Keywords
- A short list of specific, searchable terms; Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) are recommended.
- Nomenclature
- Parasite, vector and host names are given in full at first mention with the authority where appropriate, scientific names are italicized, and species identification states the method used (morphology, molecular or both).
- Statistics
- Describe statistical methods in enough detail for replication; report effect estimates with confidence intervals, give exact p-values where statistical tests are used, and name the software and version.
- Declarations
- Author contributions (CRediT), funding, conflicts of interest, ethics approval and consent where applicable, data availability and any use of AI tools.
- Cover letter
- States the article type and the relevance of the work to parasitology, confirms that the manuscript is not under consideration elsewhere, and notes any preprint and any request for double-blind review.
- Language
- Clear English, with abbreviations defined at first use.
Reporting guidelines
Report the study following the guideline that matches its design and upload the completed checklist as a supplementary file. The guidelines are available from the EQUATOR Network.
| Study design | Guideline |
|---|---|
| Observational studies, surveys and prevalence studies | STROBE |
| Randomized trials | CONSORT |
| Non-randomized evaluations of interventions | TREND |
| Syntheses of published studies | PRISMA 2020 |
| Scoping syntheses | PRISMA-ScR |
| Diagnostic accuracy studies | STARD |
| Quantitative PCR experiments | MIQE |
| Prediction models | TRIPOD |
| Qualitative research | SRQR or COREQ |
| Individual cases and case series | CARE |
| Animal research | ARRIVE 2.0 |
References, tables and figures
- Reference style
- Numbered in order of first citation. List the first five authors, then et al., and give a DOI or stable URL where one exists. Authors are responsible for the accuracy of references.
- Tables
- Numbered consecutively, each with a descriptive title; abbreviations and symbols explained in a footnote.
- Figures
- High resolution (at least 300 dpi) in TIFF, EPS, PNG or high-quality JPEG, with a caption for each figure and text that remains legible after reduction. Micrographs carry a scale bar, and maps state their data sources.
- Supplementary files
- Numbered (for example, Supplementary Table S1), cited in the text and listed with short titles at the end of the manuscript. They are published as supplied, so they must be final and free of participant identifiers.
- Reused material
- Written permission from the copyright holder to reproduce or adapt published figures, tables or text, unless the material is already available under a license that permits reuse; the source is cited in the legend.
Reference examples
- Journal article
- Author AA, Author BB, Author CC, Author DD, Author EE, et al. (Year) Title of the article. Journal Name. Volume(Issue):pages. DOI: 10.xxxx/xxxxx
- Book
- Author AA, Author BB (Year) Title of the Book. Edition. Place of publication: Publisher.
- Report or webpage
- Organization Name (Year) Title of the report or page. URL (accessed Month Day, Year)
- Dataset or sequence
- Author AA, Author BB (Year) Title of the dataset. Version. Repository Name. DOI or accession number
- Preprint
- Author AA, Author BB (Year) Title of the preprint. Preprint Server Name [Preprint]. DOI: 10.xxxx/xxxxx
Ethics and declarations
Each manuscript includes the statements below that apply to it. The full policies are set out in the Editorial Policies.
- Human participants
- The name of the approving ethics committee or institutional review board and the approval reference number, and confirmation of informed consent, or a waiver documented by the ethics committee, where applicable. Studies of anonymized or routinely collected data state whether ethics review was required.
- Clinical trials
- Interventional clinical trials must be registered in an accepted public trial registry at or before the first participant provides consent for enrollment. The registry name, registration number, and registration date must be reported in the manuscript.
- Animal research
- Approval from the institutional animal care and use committee or animal ethics committee with its reference number, compliance with animal-welfare regulations and the 3Rs, and reporting in line with the ARRIVE guidelines. Field collection of wildlife and vectors names the permits obtained.
- Case Reports
- Informed consent for publication from the patient, owner or legal guardian, or a waiver documented by the ethics committee, where applicable, with identifying details removed.
- Conflicts of interest and funding
- All financial and non-financial interests of every author, each source of funding and the role of the funder.
- Data availability
- Every empirical research manuscript must include a data-availability statement. It explains where the data can be found or the conditions for access. New sequences are deposited in GenBank, ENA or DDBJ.
- Use of AI tools
- Any use of AI tools in writing, analysis or figure preparation, with the tool named and its use described. AI tools are not listed as authors.
Peer review and decisions
All submissions undergo initial editorial screening, including a similarity check with Crossref Similarity Check. Manuscripts that meet the journal’s scope and minimum requirements proceed to independent peer review.
Single-blind by default; double-blind review is available on request.
Manuscripts that proceed to external peer review are normally evaluated by at least two independent subject-matter experts. Editorial decisions are based on scope, scientific quality, methodological rigor, ethical compliance, reporting quality, and relevance to the journal.
Revised manuscripts are accompanied by a point-by-point response to the reviewers’ comments. After acceptance, authors check the proofs, and the article is published open access under CC BY 4.0 with a Crossref DOI.
Fees
- USD 1,800 for all article types.
- The article processing charge is payable only after acceptance; withdrawal after submission is subject to the journal’s withdrawal policy.
No charge is made at submission. Fee-relief inquiries are considered case by case; contact the editorial office before or at submission. Full details are on the Article Processing Charges page.
Final checklist
A fuller checklist and the submission routes are on the Submit Manuscript page.
- The manuscript addresses a question about parasites or parasitic disease and uses one of the article types above.
- The title page, abstract, keywords and main text follow the guidance for the article type.
- For double-blind review, the reviewer manuscript is anonymized and identifying information is in the title-page file.
- Ethics approval, consent or waiver, animal-ethics approval and trial registration are reported where applicable.
- The completed reporting checklist is attached where applicable.
- Declarations cover contributions, funding, conflicts of interest, data availability and AI use; new sequences have accession numbers.
- Figures, tables and supplementary files are cited in the text, and permissions are in place for reused material.
- A cover letter accompanies the submission, which is made through one route only.
Author inquiries
Questions about preparing or submitting a manuscript can be sent to the editorial office at info@openaccesspub.org.