AUTHOR GUIDELINES

Journal of Systems Complexity & Evidence Based Research (JSCEBR)

Our approach JSCEBR exists to promote rigorous, evidence-based research and to fight fraudulent or corrupted work. We keep requirements minimal, eliminate unnecessary bureaucracy, and let authors focus on content instead of formatting theater. Authors may submit in any common style, from Harvard to Chicago to APA; the editorial team will gently standardise only what is needed for consistency. We do however prefer and strongly encourage our EB and TB style, allowing faster writing and reading, cutting out unnecessary formalism.

1. Article Categories

All submissions must be marked with one of the following internal codes (you may use either the code or the full public name in your cover letter):

Evidence-Based (EB) articles – must contain original data, methods, and results

  • EBB – Evidence-Based Breve (≤ 3,000 words)
  • EBS – Evidence-Based Standard (3,001–9,000 words)
  • EBL – Evidence-Based Long (> 9,000 words)

Theory-Based (TB) articles – conceptual, modeling, or philosophical work

  • TBB – Theory-Based Breve (≤ 3,000 words)
  • TBS – Theory-Based Standard (3,001–9,000 words)
  • TBL – Theory-Based Long (> 9,000 words)

Word-count rule Body text only (exclude abstract, references, tables, figures, and captions). ±10 % flexibility is allowed. Extended papers (EBL/TBL) are encouraged to use supplementary files for raw data or code.

Definitions

  • EB papers must include verifiable methods and results.
  • TB papers are welcome but must contain a short subsection titled “Empirical Testability Roadmap” explaining how the theory could be tested or falsified with evidence.

2. Manuscript Requirements (all categories)

Every paper must include:

  • Title
  • Author name(s); affiliation(s) are recommended but not mandatory
  • Abstract (100–500 words – structured format required, see 2.1 below)
  • 4–8 keywords
  • ORCID iD for every author (strongly recommended, not mandatory)
  • Conflicts of Interest / Funding statement (one sentence)
  • Author Contributions (one line, e.g., “K.H.K. conceived, analysed, and wrote the paper”)
  • Data & Code Availability statement (e.g., “All data and scripts are available at [link]”)
  • Final reference list

License All articles are published under Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (full open access, no fees).

2.1 Abstract Structure (Mandatory for All Papers)

The abstract must clearly include Subject, Method, and Findings. Use this labeled format for maximum clarity and scannability:

Subject: [What the paper studies or addresses] Method: [How the research was conducted or the theoretical approach used] Findings: [Key results or insights]

You may also include: Hypothesis: [Initial hypothesis or research question, if applicable]

Example Subject: This study researches the impact of X on Y and Z. Method: We used experiments and measured utilizing video. Findings: Contrary to our initial hypothesis, no effect of ABC could be demonstrated but we did see DEF.

For Theory-Based papers, “Method” may be adapted to “Approach” or “Theoretical Framework” and “Findings” to “Main Conclusions” or “Core Argument” if it fits better. The abstract remains 100–500 words total.

3. Formatting & Presentation

  • Font: You may choose any font you prefer. JSCEBR’s default for the published version is Times New Roman.
  • Line spacing: 1.5 (fixed).
  • Everything else (margins, paragraph style, heading levels, table/figure formatting, etc.) is completely your choice. We only ask for a clean, readable layout.

We provide a template for your convenience (not mandatory). The template is a LibreOffice file, which is a free program helping academic freedom.

Language & tense We strongly prefer neutral wording, active voice where natural, and plain English. Use present tense and simple past tense throughout the text. Future tense is allowed only where genuinely needed. Example of preferred style: “We conducted the research, found the following results, and recommend that future research focus on XYZ.”

4. Citation & Referencing (JSCEBR Evidence-Centric Format)

We keep citations simple, functional, and hyperlink-native.

In-text citations You may submit in either format; we will standardise to the cleaner version during production: (Lastname 2026 https://doi.org/10.xxxx) or (Lastname 2026 https://dpid.org/434)

Multiple citations: (Lastname 2001 https://doi.org/10.xxxx; Lastname 2018 https://doi.org/10.xxxx; Lastname 1973 https://doi.org/10.xxxx)

Direct quotes: (Lastname 2026, p. 42 https://doi.org/10.xxxx)

Reference list (at the end of the paper): Lastname, F.M. (2026). Title of the Paper. Journal of Systems Complexity & Evidence Based Research. https://doi.org/10.xxxx

or (if using dPID) Lastname, F.M. (2026). Title of the Paper. Journal of Systems Complexity & Evidence Based Research. https://dpid.org/434

Link policy We strongly recommend DOI (e.g., from Zenodo or Crossref) or dPID (from DeSci Nodes / dpid.org) while both remain freely available. You may use any stable persistent identifier you prefer (arXiv, GitHub permanent link, Figshare, publisher page, etc.) as long as it points to the exact version cited. In the published HTML version every link becomes clickable.

Author name format At submission you may use either “Lastname, Firstname Middlename” or “Lastname, F.M.”. The final published version is standardised to “Lastname, F.M.” for consistency (ORCID handles the full identity).

5. Additional Guidance

EB papers should normally include clear Methods and Results sections with links to raw data. TB papers must include the “Empirical Testability Roadmap” subsection. Every claim must be traceable to evidence or the cited source.

6. Templates & Submission

  • Free templates (Word, Google Docs, LaTeX and LibreOffice (.odt)) with pre-formatted sections (including the new abstract structure) will be available on this page shortly.
  • Submit via the form on the “Submit” page or by email to editor@jscebr.org.
  • We accept initial submissions in any reasonable format. The editorial team will guide you through any small adjustments.

Checklist before submission □ Title, authors, structured abstract (100–500 words with Subject, Method, and Findings ± Hypothesis) □ 4–8 keywords □ ORCID iD (strongly recommended) □ Conflicts/Funding, Contributions, and Data Availability statements □ All links functional □ CC-BY 4.0 license accepted

That’s it. No page charges, no hidden rules, no unnecessary formalism.

We look forward to reading your work.

— JSCEBR Editorial Team