The Just Stop Dating Encyclopedia enforces stringent submission guidelines to uphold Tier 1 academic standards in dating science research. All contributions must demonstrate: (1) novel empirical findings with ≥.80 statistical power, (2) systematic reviews following PRISMA 2020 standards, or (3) theoretical advancements with falsifiable hypotheses. Manuscripts undergo peer review by our Editorial Board using the TRANSPARENT Evaluation Matrix. Before submission, authors must:
- Complete our 14-Point Pre-Submission Checklist
- Verify compliance with COPE Guidelines
- Attend our Mandatory Submission Webinar (or provide certification of equivalent training)
Eligibility Requirements
Our submission guidelines require contributors to hold terminal degrees (PhD, EdD, PsyD, MD, or equivalent) in relevant fields with active research profiles. Exceptions may be granted for researchers with ≥3 first-author publications in Q1/Q2 journals (Scopus/SSCI-indexed). Doctoral candidates must submit signed approval from their faculty advisor confirming the work represents independent scholarship. All authors must provide ORCID iDs and institutional verification through our Researcher Verification Portal, which cross-checks publication records against Scopus/Web of Science databases. Submissions from unverified accounts or those failing degree/publication requirements will be administratively rejected without review.
Content Specifications
The submission guidelines request original, unpublished works of 1,000-2,500+ words (excluding references) with 5+ authoritative sources published within the last 5 years. Submissions must demonstrate substantive contribution to dating science through either: (1) novel empirical research with ≥30 participants, (2) systematic reviews following PRISMA guidelines, or (3) theoretical advancements with falsifiable hypotheses.
Required sections include: structured abstract (250 words outlining objectives, methods, results, conclusions), comprehensive literature review analyzing ≥10 key studies, detailed methodology (including IRB approval number if applicable), and data visualization for quantitative findings (APA-style figures/tables). Format using our manuscript template with APA 7th edition citations managed through Zotero.
Ethical Compliance
These submission guidelines mandate documented IRB approval (or equivalent ethics committee review) for all human subjects research, including protocol numbers and approval dates. For international studies, verify compliance with Declaration of Helsinki standards through our Global Ethics Verific`ation Portal. Studies involving vulnerable populations (minors, incarcerated individuals, etc.) require additional documentation of: (1) special consent procedures, (2) independent monitoring board oversight, and (3) trauma-informed protocols. All consent forms must be submitted in both original language and certified English translation using our Approved Translation Template.
Editorial Process
These submission guidelines enforce a standardized 4-phase evaluation protocol:
- Technical Pre-Screening (72 business hours):
- Plagiarism check via iThenticate (<15% similarity, excluding references)
- APA 7th edition compliance audit using our Automated Style Verifier
- Scope alignment with journal aims via Subject Matrix
- Double-Blind Peer Review (28 calendar days):
- Assignment to ≥2 independent reviewers
- Evaluation using our 10-Point Scholarly Merit Scale (score ≥7/10 required)
- Mandatory conflict-of-interest declaration from reviewers
- Editorial Decision (10 business days post-review):
- Accept as-is (rare, <5% of submissions)
- Accept with minor revisions (≤15% content modification)
- Major revisions required (>15% content modification, re-review mandated)
- Reject with option to resubmit (fundamental methodology issues)
- Final reject (scope/quality irreparable)
- Production Verification:
- Author proof approval within 72hr
- CrossCheck final plagiarism scan
Authors receive anonymized reviewer reports and must submit a Revision Impact Statement documenting changes. Resubmissions after major revisions restart peer review. Appeals require new data and formal Appeal Dossier.
Additional Resources
These submission guidelines require use of the following standardized tools for manuscript preparation:
- Structured Manuscript Template (LaTeX/Word)
- Pre-formatted APA 7th edition headers
- Automated table/figure numbering
- Required section placeholders with word count limits
- FAIR Data Sharing Policy
- Mandatory deposition in Zenodo or OSF
- Completed Data Availability Statement template
- Redaction protocol for sensitive participant data
- Quality Control Tools
- Grammarly Premium (institutional license provided)
- Statistical Analysis Validator (R/Python script verification)
- AI Bias Detector for LLM-generated content screening
All resources are available through our Author Dashboard with version control. Contact editorial support for technical assistance.
