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Taylor & Francis

Prepare your manuscript for Contemporary South Asia.

Review the checklist, choose your article type, and turn your draft into a cleaner submission package.

Checked 2026-08-01
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Article types

Review
Research Article
Viewpoint
Book Review
Editorial
Review Article
Clinical Trial
Protocol
Systematic Review
Letter
Lectio

Readiness requirements

Review the key details below, or download the complete checklist with every stored source-backed requirement.

Abstract length

  • Provide an author-written abstract of no more than 200 words.
  • Use a unstructured abstract.
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  • Your abstract should focus on what your research is about, what methods have been used, and what you found out.
  • The instructions for authors for each journal will give specific guidelines on what’s required here, including whether it should be a structured abstract or graphical abstract, and any word limits.
  • o …contain an unstructured abstract of no more than 200 words.

Keywords

  • Include or confirm the keywords required by the journal. Articlo checks this item and flags anything that still needs author input.

Reference style

  • Articlo formats your supplied references to the journal's stored style and checks that citations match the reference list; source validity is not verified.
  • Where applicable, this should include the hyperlink, DOI or other persistent identifier associated with the data set(s).
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  • Readers should be able to interpret the table without reference to the text.
  • A declaration must be included within the submission stating: Confirmation the authors take full responsibility for the integrity of the whole content, including accuracy of references.

Figure and table rules

  • Keep every figure and table numbered, captioned, and cited in the manuscript. Keep figures embedded; Articlo also extracts numbered source files for the package.
  • Group figures at the end of the manuscript.
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  • Group tables at the end of the manuscript.
  • Please indicate in the main document where each figure should be placed (e.g., ‘figure 1, about here’).
  • Figures should be high quality (1200 dpi for line art, 600 dpi for grayscale and 300 dpi for colour, at the correct size).
  • Tables and figures Show clearly in your article text where the tables and figures should appear, for example, by writing [Table 1 near here].
  • If using tables, figures, images or appendices these should also be submitted in a separate document.
  • Tables and figures should include a title and a caption detailing the source.
  • Figures should be saved separately from the text.
  • Tables should present new information rather than duplicating what is in the text.
  • It’s very important that you have been given permission to use any tables or figures you are reproducing from another source before you submit.
  • Figures should be supplied in one of our preferred file formats: PS, JPEG, TIFF, or Microsoft Word (DOC or DOCX) files are acceptable for figures that have been drawn in Word.
  • Check the instructions for authors to see how you should supply tables and figures, whether at the end of the text or in separate files, and follow any guidance given on the submission system.

Funding statement

  • Add or confirm the author-written Funding statement; Articlo flags it if author input is still needed.
  • You should declare only the acquired funds and grants that are directly relevant to the work reported in your article; for example, This work was supported by the [Funding Agency #1] under Grant [number xxxx]; [Funding Agency #2] under Grant [number xxxx]; and [Funding Agency #3] under Grant [number xxxx].
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  • Please submit a separate document titled ‘cover sheet’ with author(s)’ bio(s) and author(s)’ contact details, acknowledgments, declaration of interest statement and funding details.
  • Please submit a separate document titled as ‘ cover sheet ’ with author(s)’ bio(s) and author(s)’ contact details, acknowledgments, declaration of interest statement and funding details.

Competing interests

  • Include or confirm the competing interests required by the journal. Articlo checks this item and flags anything that still needs author input.

Data availability statement

  • Include or confirm the data availability statement required by the journal. Articlo checks this item and flags anything that still needs author input.

Ethics statement

  • Add or confirm the author-written Ethics statement; Articlo flags it if author input is still needed.
  • You must also include the ethics statement on this page (see preceding section on ethics for details).
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  • Where no IRB or ethics committee exists, or where formal approval is not required under institutional guidelines, please explain this in the manuscript and on the cover page.
  • All submissions must include the following: Manuscripts reporting studies involving human participants must demonstrate appropriate consideration of research ethics and ethical oversight.

Cover letter

  • Using Third-Party Material in your Paper You must obtain the necessary permission to reuse third-party material in your article.
  • Review: The use of short extracts of text and some other types of material is usually permitted, on a limited basis, for the purposes of criticism and review without securing formal permission.
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  • If you wish to include any material in your paper for which you do not hold copyright, and which is not covered by this informal agreement, you will need to obtain written permission from the copyright owner prior to submission.
  • Book Review: Please do not attempt to submit book reviews via the submission system as they will be rejected.

Title page and author information

  • Provide the author, affiliation, and correspondence details for the separate title page; Articlo creates the editable companion file.
  • One author will need to be identified as the corresponding author, with their email address normally displayed in the article PDF and the online article.

Article structure and word limits

  • This could be adapted from your departmental website or academic networking profile and should be no more than 100 words.
  • Margins Margins should be at least 2.5cm (1 inch).
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  • It should be a maximum width of 525 pixels.
  • Review: These instructions will ensure we have everything required so your paper can move through peer review, production and publication smoothly.
  • Your research funder or your institution may require you to publish your article open access.
  • Use our APC finder to view the APC for this journal.
  • Research Article: Research articles should be the product of primary research, using data generated by ‘fieldwork’ (see definition below).
  • Review: Submissions must include an anonymised copy for review.
  • Research Article: Other aspects of Expert Viewpoints should follow the remaining criteria for Research Articles.
  • Notes from the Field should draw on research currently taking place.
  • Research Article: Other aspects of Notes from the Field should follow the remaining criteria for Research Articles.
  • These should be ‘state of the art’ reviews that elucidate the contemporary literature on a key topic, related to contemporary South Asia and/or South Asian diaspora’s.
  • Review: Literature review articles do not need to be based on original research but should be of a very high standard.
  • Review: Other aspects of Literature review articles should follow the remaining criteria for Research Articles.
  • Queries Should you have any queries, please visit our Author Services website or contact us here.
  • A declaration must be included within the submission stating: Originality and accuracy of content has been confirmed by the authors.
  • Authors must provide full methodological details and adhere to relevant reporting guidelines where applicable.
  • Authors must retain the original and revised versions which must be shared upon request.
  • The PLSP guidelines for authors must be followed at all times.
  • Before you submit your article, make sure you’ve checked the instructions for authors for your chosen journal, so you are aware of everything required.
  • Most journals create image descriptions during the production process, but a minority may require authors to provide image descriptions.
  • Review: Running heads and received dates These aren’t required when submitting a manuscript for review.
  • Historical and archive-based articles (including those using data from pre-colonial and colonial periods) are welcome but should be clearly connected to the ‘contemporary’ (defined as postcolonial) context.
  • Research Article: Research articles must….
  • Expert Viewpoints are not expected to be based on primary research, but should be informed by a high-level of expertise, and focus on issues or events that are unfolding or entering public debate at the time of submission.
  • Expert viewpoints must….
  • Notes from the Fields must….
  • Review: Literature review articles must….
  • Please use SI units (non-italicized).
  • Special characters If you are preparing your manuscript in Microsoft Word and your article contains special characters, accents, or diacritics, we recommend you follow these steps: European accents (Greek, Hebrew, or Cyrillic letters, or phonetic symbols): choose Times New Roman font from the dropdown menu in the “Insert symbol” window and insert the character you require.
  • Special characters If you are preparing your manuscript in Microsoft Word and your article contains special characters, accents, or diacritics, we recommend you follow these steps: Asian languages (such as Sanskrit, Korean, Chinese, or Japanese): choose Arial Unicode font from the dropdown menu in the “Insert symbol” window and insert the character you require.
  • Please do not embed it in the manuscript file but save it as a separate file, labelled GraphicalAbstract1.
  • Research Article: All research articles need to make an original contribution to studies of contemporary South Asia and/or South Asian diasporas.
  • Expert viewpoints need to offer a clear argument with regard to the events or issues being covered.
  • Notes from the Field need to hone in on one or more aspects of fresh data that is of significant interest to the CSA readership, but not yet published.
  • Book Review: Please note that we do not accept unsolicited book reviews.
  • If you are submitting in LaTeX, please convert the files to PDF beforehand (you will also need to upload your LaTeX source files with the PDF).
  • If you are at the early stage of your research, you may also need to read how to start writing a journal manuscript.
  • Image descriptions are typically used by systems such as pronouncing screen readers to make images accessible to people that cannot read or see the object due to a visual disability.

Reporting guidelines

  • Include or confirm the reporting guidelines required by the journal. Articlo checks this item and flags anything that still needs author input.

Artificial intelligence disclosure

  • Add or confirm the author-written Artificial intelligence statement; Articlo flags it if author input is still needed.
  • Please include a statement disclosing whether and how generative AI has been used in the research and manuscript preparation process.
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  • Use of AI tools as part of ethical research studies is permitted.
  • A declaration must be included within the submission stating: The name and version number of the AI tool used.
  • Systematic Review: Use of AI tools as part of ethically conducted literature reviews, systematic reviews, meta-analysis and bibliometrics studies is permitted.
  • Use of AI tool assisted plain language summaries (PLS) of authors own work is permitted.
  • Please read our guidance on using AI tools in your research and manuscript preparation to understand scenarios where their use may be permissible, and the required information that must be disclosed.
  • A declaration must be included within the submission stating: Confirmation the authors have checked terms of use for the specific AI tool used, and therefore confirm suitability for publication.

Article type and manuscript length

  • We do allow fluidity in the narrative structure of articles but they should include the following elements: title page; abstract; keywords; main text introduction; methods; results; discussion; and conclusion.

Language and text style

  • Please use single quotation marks, except where ‘a quotation is “within” a quotation’.
  • Please note that long quotations should be indented without quotation marks.
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  • Headings This will show you the different levels of the heading section in your article: Fourth-level headings should be in bold italics, at the beginning of a paragraph.
  • Headings This will show you the different levels of the heading section in your article: Fifth-level headings should be in italics, at the beginning of a paragraph.
  • Letter: Headings This will show you the different levels of the heading section in your article: Second-level headings should be in bold italics, with an initial capital letter for any proper nouns.
  • Letter: Headings This will show you the different levels of the heading section in your article: Third-level headings should be in italics, with an initial capital letter for any proper nouns.

Author contributions

  • You may be required to provide CRediT roles (contributor details) for yourself and your co-authors.

Study reporting guidelines

  • Authors must provide full methodological details and adhere to relevant reporting guidelines where applicable (e.g. CONSORT-AI, STARD-AI, GAMER, TRIPOD-AI, etc).

Manuscript structure

  • Authors must retain full records of the methods undertaken, including full descriptions and records of the prompts used, which must be shared with the journal upon request.
  • Letter: Headings This will show you the different levels of the heading section in your article: First-level headings (e.g. Introduction, Conclusion) should be in bold, with an initial capital letter for any proper nouns.
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What your package checks

Abstract: 200 words
Title page: separate file
Declarations: Funding, Ethics, Artificial intelligence
Format: Times New Roman

Source transparency

This preparation guide uses published journal-specific author requirements. Journal instructions can change, so authors should complete a final review before submission.

Open official guideline source