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Format a manuscript

SG Publishing

Prepare your manuscript for Journal of Community Safety and Well-Being.

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

Checked 2026-07-25
Check readiness freePrepare this manuscript

Article types

Research Article
Review
Systematic Review
Letter

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 250 words.
  • Use a unstructured abstract.
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  • Tweets can be up to a maximum of 280 characters; however we recommend approximately 180 characters or less for a tweetable abstract.
  • All papers must contain the following items, when applicable: Abstract and Key Words.
  • All papers must contain the following items, when applicable: Tweetable Abstract (Optional).

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 in APA style and checks that citations match the reference list; source validity is not verified.
  • Some Quick Reference Tips on Using APA in The Journal of CSWB: Obtain written permission of author(s) and publisher(s) to use any previously published materials (figures, tables, or quotations of more than 100 words), which must be attached to your License to Publish form if your manuscript is accepted for publication.
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  • Supplemental Tables: Supplemental tables should be inserted in the document and numbered consecutively according to the order of citation as Table S1, Table S2, etc. See also instructions in the section Tables above.
  • Supplemental Figures: Supplemental figures should be inserted in the document and numbered consecutively according to the order of citation as Figure S1, Figure S2, etc. See also instructions in the section Figures above.
  • Any reference to or use of previously published material must be explicitly acknowledged in the manuscript and the authors must obtain permissions where necessary.
  • Review: Please provide only pertinent references and do not review the subject extensively.
  • Reference Lists should follow the body of the paper and be organized consecutively in alphabetical order, following the prescribed APA (7th Edition) format.
  • Some Quick Reference Tips on Using APA in The Journal of CSWB: Include an “available from” note for documents that may not be readily accessible.
  • Cite in parentheses in the text the name of the person and the date of communication when a reference to “personal communication” is used.
  • Some Quick Reference Tips on Using APA in The Journal of CSWB: Do not use ibid. or op cit.
  • Tables (together with their footnotes and legends) should be completely intelligible without reference to the text.
  • All tables (including their associated title, footnotes, and legends) should appear in consecutive numerical order after the references and any figure legends.
  • The legend should permit the figure to be understood without reference to the text.
  • Title and legend information for each figure should be included with the article text, grouped and placed at the end of the manuscript, after the reference list.
  • References: All references cited within the supplemental document must be included in a separate reference section, including those that also were cited in the main manuscript.
  • All papers must contain the following items, when applicable: References.
  • Commentaries and Editorials: Text (with limited or no subheadings), Acknowledgements (if applicable), Disclosures, References, Tables and Figures Legends.
  • Letters to the Editor: Text (with limited or no subheadings), Disclosures, and References.
  • Food for Afterthought: Text (with limited or no subheadings), Acknowledgements (if applicable), Disclosures, References, Tables and Figures Legends.

Figure and table rules

  • Keep every figure and table numbered, captioned, and cited in the manuscript.
  • Group figures at the end of the manuscript.
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  • Group tables at the end of the manuscript.
  • Tables should also have a title (above the table) that summarizes the whole table; it should be no longer than 15 words.
  • Permissions Written permission must be obtained for material that has been published in copyrighted material; this includes tables, figures, and quoted text that exceeds 150 words.
  • Title Page The first page (or title page) of the manuscript should include: the number of figures, tables and supplemental material; and.
  • The results should be presented in logical sequence and do not repeat data in the text that is provided in Tables or Figures.
  • Abbreviations used in figures must be defined in the figure legend.
  • Tables Each table should be created in Word, typed on a separate page, and should have a legend at the top indicating the information contained.
  • The tables should appear at the end of the manuscript.
  • The same data should not be presented in both a table and a figure.
  • Every table column and row should be provided with an explanatory title stub, with units of measure applicable to the row or column clearly indicated.
  • Review: Tables must be formatted using the table tool in a word processing program to ensure that columns of data remain aligned when the file is sent electronically for review.
  • Tables must not be embedded as figures or spreadsheet files.
  • Footnotes follow the table body and should be indicated using superscripted lowercase letters (a, b,c, and so on).
  • The table legends come after the footnotes and should be as concise as possible.
  • Figures Format: Figures for reproduction should approximately fit within the typeset area of the journal.
  • Authors should supply electronic versions of the figure content in GIF, TIFF, or JPEG format.
  • This should be included in the figure and table legends for the article submitted to the Journal.
  • If a figure has several panels, each panel should be identified using a uppercase alphabetic character (A, B, C, and so on).
  • Each figure should have a title and an explanatory legend that clearly identifies the meaning of any symbols, arrows, numbers, or abbreviations used in the illustration.
  • Letter: If the figure has been previously published, a credit line should be included and a permission letter supplied by the author with their “ License to Publish ” form.
  • How to Supply Supplemental Material Supplemental material, with the exception of audio and video, must be submitted in a single Word document.
  • Video: Submit videos according to the following specifications: Maximum file size: 10 MB.
  • Video: Submit videos according to the following specifications: Maximum length: 1 minute.
  • Letters should have no tables or figures.
  • Similarly, try to minimize the use of abbreviations, and if abbreviations must be used, use well-known and accepted forms to minimize the need for the reader to constantly refer to the table legend.
  • All papers must contain the following items, when applicable: Figure Legends.
  • All papers must contain the following items, when applicable: Tables.

Funding statement

  • Add or confirm the author-written Funding statement; Articlo flags it if author input is still needed.
  • Sources of support for research, including funding and grants, must be identified within the Acknowledgements section of the manuscript.
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  • Title Page The first page (or title page) of the manuscript should include: the heading “Statements of Declaration” and include the following statements (Note: these statements must also appear within the text of your article, in the appropriate location, but should also be included in your title page so they are easily accessible to Editors and Reviewers): source(s) of support in the form of grants or funding.

Competing interests

  • Add or confirm the author-written Conflict of interest statement; Articlo flags it if author input is still needed.
  • All manuscript submissions to the Journal must include the disclosure of any and all relationships that could be viewed as presenting a potential conflict of interest.
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  • All papers must contain the following items, when applicable: Conflict of Interest Disclosures.

Ethics statement

  • Add or confirm the author-written Ethics statement; Articlo flags it if author input is still needed.
  • If a study was granted exemption from requiring ethics approval, this should also be detailed in the manuscript (including the reasons for the exemption).
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  • In some cases, complete anonymity is difficult to achieve, and informed consent should be obtained if there is any doubt.
  • Please do not submit the participants actual written informed consent with your article, as this breaches the participant’s confidentiality.
  • Review: Studies Involving Human Participants Authors who describe studies with human participants are required to provide assurance in the manuscript that appropriate ethical standards have been followed, that the study has been reviewed and approved by their institution’s ethics review committee (where applicable, see below), and that the participants have provided informed consent.
  • Review: Ethics approval When reporting a study that involves human participants, their data or biological material, authors must include a statement (in the Methods section) that confirms that the study was approved (or granted exemption) by the appropriate independent ethics or institutional review board committee (including the name of the ethics committee).
  • If doubt exists whether the research was conducted in accordance with relevant guidelines/regulations or comparable standards, the authors must explain the reasons for their approach, and demonstrate that an ethics committee explicitly approved the doubtful aspects of the study.
  • Identifying Information & Informed Consent Identifying details of participants that were studied should not be published, unless the information is essential to the understanding of the manuscript and the participant (or parent or guardian if the participant is incapable; next of kin if deceased) gave written informed consent for publication.
  • When appropriate, authors must state in the Methods section the procedure used to ensure adherence to ethical guidelines on informed consent and should affirm that such consent was obtained.
  • Title Page The first page (or title page) of the manuscript should include: the heading “Statements of Declaration” and include the following statements (Note: these statements must also appear within the text of your article, in the appropriate location, but should also be included in your title page so they are easily accessible to Editors and Reviewers): Ethics Approval and Informed Consent - All papers reporting a study that involves human participants, their data or biological material must include a statement on ethics approval and consent (even where the need for approval was waived).
  • Review: For those investigators who do not have formal ethics review committees, the Journal may consider your submission if it can be demonstrated that ethical principles (such as those outlined in the Canadian Tri-Council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans or similar international policies on research ethics) were followed, and this is outlined in the methods section of the manuscript.

Title page and author information

  • Provide the author, affiliation, and correspondence details for the separate title page; Articlo creates the editable companion file.
  • Use superscript Arabic numerals to indicate which are associated with which affiliations.
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  • Title Page The first page (or title page) of the manuscript should include: the title of the article (80 characters maximum, using sentence case).
  • Title Page The first page (or title page) of the manuscript should include: a shortened version of the title for use as a running header (no more than 60 characters, upper case).
  • Review: Title Page The first page (or title page) of the manuscript should include: authors are requested to provide the names of 2-3 potential reviewers (name, affiliation, and institution/workplace email address), who could, in their opinion, expertly review their manuscript.
  • A title page that includes all required details as outlined in the Author Guidelines, is provided as the first page of the manuscript file.
  • Authors must include a relevant Disclosure Statement on the title page of their submission.
  • Title Page The first page (or title page) of the manuscript should include: the names of the authors (written as first name, initial(s) and surname).
  • Title Page The first page (or title page) of the manuscript should include: the affiliation(s) for each author.
  • Title Page The first page (or title page) of the manuscript should include: the full name of the corresponding author, with postal address, e-mail address, and fax and telephone numbers.
  • Title Page The first page (or title page) of the manuscript should include: full details on any possible previous or duplicate publication of any content of the paper (if applicable).
  • All papers must contain the following items, when applicable: Title Page.
  • Title Page The first page (or title page) of the manuscript should include: the heading “Statements of Declaration” and include the following statements (Note: these statements must also appear within the text of your article, in the appropriate location, but should also be included in your title page so they are easily accessible to Editors and Reviewers): acknowledgments of grant support and of individuals who were of direct help in the preparation of the study or the manuscript.

Article structure and word limits

  • Use a common typeface such as Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, or Times in a readable size (11 or 12 points is usually adequate).
  • File name(s) should be one word with no spaces and the appropriate extension at the end (eg. VideoS1.mov).
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  • File name(s) should be one word with no spaces and the appropriate extension at the end. (eg. AudioS1.mp3).
  • If no conflicts exist, this must be explicitly stated as well.
  • The consent must be stored and archived by the authors/investigators themselves.
  • General Format Manuscripts should be in Microsoft Word format.
  • Do not include abstracts for Commentaries, Editorials, Food for Afterthought and Letters to the Editor.
  • The key words should be different than those used in the title.
  • Key words should only be included for Original Research, Social Innovation Narratives, Practice Guidelines and Reviews.
  • The tweet should summarize the key message or findings of the article and include any relevant hashtags.
  • If you viewed an article on the Internet, do not cite it as if it were a print one.
  • Audio: Please submit audio files according to the following minimum requirements: Acceptable file formats:.mp3,.wav, or.aiff.
  • Audio: Please submit audio files according to the following minimum requirements: Maximum file size: 10 MB.
  • Audio: Please submit audio files according to the following minimum requirements: Sampling rate should be either 44.1 kHz or 48 kHz.
  • Audio: Please submit audio files according to the following minimum requirements: Bit rate should be either 16 or 24 bit.
  • It should summarize the key message or findings of the article and include any relevant hashtags.
  • The process of obtaining consent to publish should include sharing the article with the individual (or whoever is consenting on their behalf), so that they are fully aware of the content of the article before it is published.
  • Review: Letters should be interesting, personal (when appropriate), and provide constructive analysis and/or criticism (if a review or in response to a paper published in the Journal).
  • Audio: Please submit audio files according to the following minimum requirements: To achieve the best quality, when saving audio files as an mp3, use a setting of 256 kbps or higher for stereo or 128 kbps or higher for mono.
  • All papers must contain the following items, when applicable: Text.
  • All papers must contain the following items, when applicable: Acknowledgements.
  • Submission Preparation Checklist As part of the submission process, authors are required to check off their submission's compliance with all of the following items, and submissions may be returned to authors that do not adhere to these guidelines.
  • Manuscripts that do not meet the specifications will be returned to the author upon submission for ammendments.
  • If authors are not comfortable with the Journal promoting their article along with their personal Twitter handle(s) then please do not supply them.

Statistical reporting

  • Estimates of dispersion (e.g., standard deviation, range, or confidence interval) and p-values should be provided.

Preprints and prior publication

  • Manuscripts that are submitted to JCSWB should not have been previously published or under consideration elsewhere.

Article type and manuscript length

  • Research Article: Abstract and key words Include an unstructured abstract of no more than 250 words for Original Research articles, Social Innovation Narratives, Practice Guidelines and Reviews.
  • Title Page The first page (or title page) of the manuscript should include: the article type.
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  • Title Page The first page (or title page) of the manuscript should include: a word count for the text only (excluding abstract, acknowledgments, figure legends, and references).
  • Text Word Count: When submitting manuscripts, the following maximum word counts must be adhered to.

Authorship and originality

  • Authorship Regarding authenticity of authorship, only those individuals who contributed directly to the intellectual content of the paper should be listed as such, with the implication that all of the following criteria have been met by the author(s) listed: Contributed substantially to conception and design, or acquisition of data, or analysis and interpretation of data, or composition of the associated interpretation and/or narrative.
  • Authorship Regarding authenticity of authorship, only those individuals who contributed directly to the intellectual content of the paper should be listed as such, with the implication that all of the following criteria have been met by the author(s) listed: Drafted the article or revised it critically for important intellectual content.
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  • Authorship Regarding authenticity of authorship, only those individuals who contributed directly to the intellectual content of the paper should be listed as such, with the implication that all of the following criteria have been met by the author(s) listed: Grants final approval of the version to be published; and.
  • Authorship Regarding authenticity of authorship, only those individuals who contributed directly to the intellectual content of the paper should be listed as such, with the implication that all of the following criteria have been met by the author(s) listed: Agrees to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.

Submission forms and permissions

  • International copyright laws, ethical conduct, and cost-effective use of resources require that readers can be assured that what they are reading is original.
  • A copy of all permission forms must accompany the License to Publish agreement.
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  • Other persons who have made substantial, direct contributions to the work but cannot be considered authors should be acknowledged with their permission in the Acknowledgments section of the article.

Manuscript structure

  • The main heading of the online-only text should be in 12 point and boldface; subheadings should be in 10 point and boldface.
  • Headings are numbered, to a maximum of three levels: LEVEL ONE HEADING.
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  • If further divisions of the text are required, use inline headings: In-line Heading Level One: Paragraph text.
  • The Introduction should state the purpose and summarize the rationale for the study.
  • The Methods section should describe subjects and justify sample size, as well as detailing the study methods applied.
  • The Discussion section should summarize study findings, compare with existing studies, and describe what is novel about the paper.

Supplementary material

  • Formatting requirements for each supplemental material type are outlined below: Supplemental Text: Supplemental text should be set in Times New Roman font, 10 point in size, and single-spaced.
  • In other words, a manuscript must stand on its own without the supplemental material.
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  • Supplemental material must include a cover page that provides the article title, authors, listing of supplemental files and corresponding author information.
  • Supplemental material should be uploaded with your manuscript submission.
  • They should be formatted just as in the main manuscript and numbered and cited consecutively in the supplemental material.
  • Referencing supplemental material in the paper Authors must ensure that each piece of supplemental information is referred to at least once in the manuscript.
  • Files cannot be altered, nor new supplemental information added, after the paper has been accepted for publication unless requested or approved by the Editorial Office.
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What your package checks

Abstract: 250 words
References: APA
Title page: separate file
Declarations: Funding, Conflict of interest, Ethics, Acknowledgements

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