Author guidelines

1. Before you submit

• Confirm your work fits the journal’s aims and scope (browse the Journals page if unsure), and that the journal itself meets your expectations — the Think. Check. Submit. checklist is a good habit for any submission.
• Ensure the manuscript is original, unpublished, and not under consideration elsewhere. Preprints and conference abstracts are acceptable prior postings but must be disclosed in the cover letter.
• Confirm every listed author meets the ICMJE authorship criteria and has approved the submission (see Publication Ethics). An ORCID iD is strongly encouraged for all authors and expected for the corresponding author.
• Prepare your ethics approval reference, informed-consent statements, trial-registration number, conflict-of-interest disclosures, funding information, and data availability statement.
• Identify your article type and the matching reporting guideline (see §2 and §5).

2. Article types

• Original research — full studies (typically up to ~4,000 words, excluding abstract, tables, and references), structured as IMRaD.
• Reviews — narrative or systematic reviews and meta-analyses (typically up to ~5,000 words). Systematic reviews should be based on a registered or published protocol where possible.
• Case reports — instructive single cases or small series (typically up to ~1,500 words), with documented patient consent for publication.
• Brief reports / short communications — concise studies or preliminary findings (typically up to ~1,500 words).
• Letters to the editor, editorials, and commentaries — by invitation or arrangement with the editor.

Word limits are guidance, not hard cut-offs; the editor may be flexible where the science warrants it.

3. Language

Manuscript metadata — title, abstract, and keywords — must be provided in English, which is the primary language of publication and indexing across Lumora journals. Arabic abstracts are welcomed and published alongside the English abstract where supplied. Write clearly and concisely, define every abbreviation at first use, and use SI units. Authors who are not confident in their English are encouraged to have the manuscript reviewed by a fluent colleague or a professional editing service before submission — language polishing is not a reason for rejection, but clarity problems that obscure the science are.

4. Manuscript structure and formatting

• File format: editable Word (.docx) or LaTeX/PDF for the main manuscript. Use A4, 12 pt, 1.5 or double line spacing, with continuous line numbers and page numbers.
• Title page (separate file, for double-anonymous review): full title; a short running title; all authors with affiliations and ORCID iDs; the corresponding author’s email; word count; and all declarations. Keep author-identifying details out of the main manuscript file, and word self-citations so they do not reveal authorship.
• Abstract: up to ~300 words. Structured (Background, Methods, Results, Conclusions) for original research; unstructured for reviews and case reports. No references or undefined abbreviations in the abstract.
• Keywords: 4–8 terms, preferably from MeSH.

Main text by study type

• Original research (IMRaD): Introduction → Methods (including design, setting, participants, ethics approval and consent, statistical analysis) → Results → Discussion (including limitations) → Conclusion → Declarations → References.
• Systematic reviews: as above, with search strategy, eligibility criteria, screening process, risk-of-bias assessment, and a PRISMA flow diagram.
• Case reports: Introduction → Case presentation (timeline, diagnostic assessment, interventions, outcomes) → Discussion → patient consent statement.
• Narrative reviews and commentaries: a logical headed structure agreed with, or at the discretion of, the authors.

Declarations (required in every manuscript)

• Ethics approval and consent to participate
• Consent for publication (case reports and identifiable material)
• Data availability statement (see §7)
• Competing interests (see the Conflict of Interest Policy)
• Funding, with grant numbers
• Authors’ contributions — preferably using the CRediT taxonomy
• Use of AI tools, where applicable (see the AI Policy)
• Acknowledgements

5. Reporting guidelines by study design

Follow the reporting guideline that matches your study design and submit the completed checklist with your manuscript. The EQUATOR Network maintains the full library:

• CONSORT — randomized controlled trials
• STROBE — observational studies (cohort, case-control, cross-sectional)
• PRISMA — systematic reviews and meta-analyses
• CARE — case reports
• ARRIVE — animal research; SRQR/COREQ — qualitative studies; TRIPOD — prediction models

Clinical trials must additionally be prospectively registered; state the registry name and number in the abstract and methods (see Publication Ethics).

6. References, figures, and tables

• References: numbered in order of first appearance (Vancouver style), cited in the text with superscript or bracketed numerals. Include DOIs where available. Ensure every reference is cited and every citation listed; avoid citing work you have not read, and keep self-citation proportionate. Cite only sources that genuinely support the statement — see the citation-manipulation rules in Publication Ethics.
• Figures: cited in order; supplied as separate high-resolution files (≥300 dpi; TIFF/PNG/JPEG, or vector EPS/PDF for line art). Provide a self-contained caption for each. Do not selectively enhance, move, or remove features within an image; disclose all processing (see the image-integrity rules in Publication Ethics). Obtain written permission for any reused material and credit the source.
• Tables: editable text (not images), numbered, each with a short descriptive title and footnotes defining all abbreviations.
• Supplementary files: upload as separate components in the submission system and cite them in the text.

7. Data availability

Every manuscript must include a data availability statement describing where the data supporting the findings can be accessed — a public repository with an identifier, availability from the corresponding author on reasonable request, or a justified restriction (for example, patient privacy). Deposit in a recognized public repository is encouraged wherever ethically and legally possible. Full expectations, repository suggestions, and example statements are in the Data Availability Policy.

8. Cover letter

Include a brief cover letter addressed to the editor-in-chief stating:

• why the work fits the journal and what it adds to the field;
• confirmation that the manuscript is original, approved by all authors, and not under consideration elsewhere;
• any prior posting (preprint or conference abstract), related submissions, or manuscripts arising from the same study;
• any suggested or opposed reviewers, with a brief reason (advisory only);
• anything the editor should know — for example, an ethics waiver or an unusual authorship arrangement.

9. How to submit

Submissions are made through the journal’s online portal. Create one Lumora account and you can submit to any journal: open the journal’s page, choose Make a Submission, and upload your manuscript, title page, figures and tables, reporting checklist, ethics documents, and cover letter. Browse all titles on the Journals page.

10. After submission

Manuscripts are checked by the editorial office (Day 1), sent for double-anonymous peer review (Days 2–5), and returned with a decision — accept, minor revision, major revision, or reject. Lumora’s target is a first decision within 7 days. Revised manuscripts must include a point-by-point response to every reviewer comment. You will receive automated notifications from Support@lumora.sa; no reply is needed for submission acknowledgement or rejection notices. Authors may appeal a decision with a reasoned, evidence-based request — see the Peer Review Policy.

11. Charges, copyright, and licensing

Lumora publishes open access only: every article is freely available immediately under the CC BY 4.0 license, and authors retain copyright. There are no submission fees; an article processing charge (APC) of 1,500 SAR applies only on acceptance, and waiver requests are considered for authors without funding. See APC Information, the Open Access Policy, and the Copyright Policy.

12. Submission checklist

• Manuscript anonymized for double-anonymous review; separate title page with all authors, affiliations, and ORCID iDs
• Abstract (English; Arabic welcomed) and 4–8 keywords
• Completed reporting-guideline checklist for your study design (CONSORT, STROBE, PRISMA, CARE, …)
• Ethics approval reference and consent statements; trial registration number where applicable
• All declarations: competing interests, funding, authors’ contributions, data availability, AI use
• References in Vancouver style with DOIs; figures ≥300 dpi as separate files; tables editable
• Cover letter, including disclosure of any preprint or related submissions
• Permissions for any reproduced third-party material

Last updated: July 2026 · Related: Publication Ethics, Peer Review Policy, Data Availability, APC Information, All Policies