These instructions guide authors through manuscript preparation and submission to Oxton Science Journal. Reading them carefully before submitting avoids documentary adjustments and accelerates the editorial process. Submission is exclusively through the online system — start at Submit Manuscript.

1. Mandatory Files

Every submission requires two files:

• Identified manuscript — complete version with the title page: full title, short title (running head), all authors with affiliations and ORCID iDs, corresponding author with e-mail, acknowledgements, funding, conflicts of interest, author contributions (CRediT), ethics approval, informed consent, data availability and AI-use statements.
• Anonymized manuscript — same body text with all identifying elements removed: author names, institutions, e-mails, identifiable acknowledgements, self-citations that reveal authorship (cite as "Author, year" when unavoidable) and internal document metadata (check File > Info in your editor).

Accepted formats: DOC, DOCX, PDF, ODT, RTF. Supplementary files (datasets, instruments, additional tables) are optional.

2. General Formatting

• A4 page, 2.5 cm margins, 12-pt font (Times New Roman, Arial or equivalent), 1.5 line spacing;
• Continuous line numbering and numbered pages;
• Title in the manuscript language and in English; abstract of up to 300 words; 3 to 6 keywords separated by semicolons (prefer DeCS/MeSH descriptors);
• Languages accepted: English, Portuguese or Spanish — with English title, abstract and keywords mandatory in all cases.

3. Structure by Article Type

Original articles (up to 5,000 words, excluding abstract, references, tables and figures): Introduction; Methods (design, participants, instruments, procedures, statistical analysis, ethics approval with protocol number); Results; Discussion (including limitations); Conclusion. Reviews (up to 6,000 words): justified method of search, selection and synthesis; systematic reviews must follow PRISMA and state registration (e.g., PROSPERO). Brief communications (up to 2,000 words) and case reports (CARE guidelines) follow simplified versions of the same structure. Reporting guidelines appropriate to the design (CONSORT, STROBE, PRISMA, CARE, SRQR) should be followed and may be requested.

4. Tables, Figures and Data

Tables and figures are inserted in the manuscript body, numbered in citation order, each with a self-explanatory title (tables: title above; figures: caption below) and source when applicable. Figures must be legible at final size; on acceptance, editable or high-resolution versions (≥300 dpi) may be requested. Underlying data should preferably be deposited in a recognized repository and referenced in the Data Availability Statement.

5. References — ABNT or APA

Oxton Science Journal accepts references in ABNT (NBR 6023) or APA 7th edition. Choose one style and apply it consistently throughout the manuscript — mixing styles is not accepted. All references must be cited in the text, and every citation must appear in the reference list. DOIs must be informed whenever they exist.

5.1 ABNT (NBR 6023) — citation and examples

In-text citation by author and year: (SILVA; COSTA, 2025) or, in the sentence, "according to Silva and Costa (2025)". Reference list in alphabetical order, without numbering:

• Journal article: SILVA, A. B.; COSTA, R. M. Sleep quality and cognitive performance in shift workers. Oxton Science Journal, v. 1, n. 1, e26001, 2026. DOI: https://doi.org/10.99999/oxj.2026.0001.
• Book: MENDES, C. Métodos de pesquisa em ciências da saúde. 2. ed. São Paulo: Editora Acadêmica, 2024.
• Book chapter: PEREIRA, L. Avaliação funcional. In: MENDES, C. (org.). Reabilitação baseada em evidências. Rio de Janeiro: Editora Clínica, 2023. p. 45-68.
• Online document: WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION. Global report on physical activity. Geneva: WHO, 2024. Disponível em: https://www.who.int/publications/example. Acesso em: 12 jun. 2026.

5.2 APA (7th edition) — citation and examples

In-text citation author–date: (Silva & Costa, 2025); three or more authors: (Silva et al., 2025). Reference list in alphabetical order, hanging indent:

• Journal article: Silva, A. B., & Costa, R. M. (2026). Sleep quality and cognitive performance in shift workers. Oxton Science Journal, 1(1), e26001. https://doi.org/10.99999/oxj.2026.0001
• Book: Mendes, C. (2024). Métodos de pesquisa em ciências da saúde (2nd ed.). Editora Acadêmica.
• Book chapter: Pereira, L. (2023). Avaliação funcional. In C. Mendes (Ed.), Reabilitação baseada em evidências (pp. 45–68). Editora Clínica.
• Online document: World Health Organization. (2024). Global report on physical activity. https://www.who.int/publications/example

6. Mandatory Declarations

The submission wizard collects formal declarations of: research ethics (committee approval and protocol number for studies with human participants or animals), informed consent (when applicable), conflicts of interest, funding, data availability and use of artificial intelligence tools. These statements are published with the article. See the journal's Publication Ethics and AI Use Policy.

7. Submission, Evaluation and Publication

Submissions pass automatic documentary validation, editorial screening and double-blind peer review (minimum two reviewers). Decisions are communicated with the anonymized reviewer reports; revised versions require a point-by-point response letter. Accepted manuscripts undergo copyediting and layout, authors approve the final proof, and the article is published in open access with DOI-ready metadata. There is no submission fee and no APC; an optional fast track administrative service is available.

8. Checklist Before Submitting

• Identified and anonymized manuscripts prepared (metadata cleaned in the anonymous file);
• Abstract ≤ 300 words and 3–6 keywords, with English versions;
• Structure and word limit compatible with the article type;
• References complete and consistent in ABNT or APA 7, with DOIs;
• Ethics documentation in hand (approval number, consent);
• All authors aware of and in agreement with the submission.