Journal style sheet

1. Purpose of this Style Sheet

This Journal Style Sheet defines the formal requirements for manuscripts submitted to Pollution and Diseases. Its purpose is to ensure consistency, clarity, transparency, and editorial efficiency across all article types published by the journal.

The journal publishes work at the intersection of environmental pollution, disease processes, public health, ecological transformation, environmental responsibility, and the long-term consequences of human activity, including war-related and conflict-related environmental impacts.

The Style Sheet is not intended to impose intellectual conformity. The journal welcomes scientific novelty, conceptual risk, interdisciplinary argumentation, and open discussion. However, all submissions must meet formal standards of academic presentation, documentation, ethical responsibility, and citation accuracy.

2. Language and General Writing Style

All manuscripts must be submitted in English.

The journal uses US English spelling and grammar. Authors should use one form of English consistently throughout the manuscript.

The style of writing should be:

• clear;
• precise;
• analytical;
• scientifically responsible;
• accessible to researchers from adjacent disciplines.

Authors should avoid unnecessary jargon, rhetorical excess, journalistic phrasing, and unsupported claims. Conceptual or theoretical arguments are welcome, but they must be stated clearly and supported by evidence, reasoning, or relevant references.

First-person plural, such as “we,” may be used where appropriate, especially in research articles and conceptual papers. Authors should avoid vague collective expressions when the actor is unclear.

3. Article Types

Pollution and Diseases accepts the following article types.

3.1 Research Articles

Research Articles present original empirical, theoretical, methodological, or analytical work. They may include field studies, laboratory studies, environmental assessments, epidemiological analyses, modeling, GIS-based research, or conceptual frameworks grounded in evidence.

3.2 Review Articles

Review Articles synthesize existing research, identify knowledge gaps, evaluate current interpretations, and may propose new conceptual or methodological approaches.

The journal accepts systematic reviews, critical reviews, integrative reviews, and problem-oriented reviews.

3.3 Editorial Commentaries

Editorial Commentaries are written by members of the editorial board or invited authors. They may introduce a topic, open a debate, frame a new research direction, or respond to urgent environmental-health issues.

3.4 Discussion Contributions

Discussion Contributions are short, focused texts intended to stimulate structured academic debate. They should address a clearly defined problem and contribute to ongoing discussion within the journal.

Discussion texts must remain concise and analytically focused. They should not replace full research articles.

3.5 Perspectives and Conceptual Papers

Perspectives and Conceptual Papers present new interpretations, theoretical arguments, interdisciplinary frameworks, or critical reflections relevant to pollution, disease, human environments, and scientific responsibility.

3.6 Policy and Responsibility Analyses

These articles address environmental governance, public health policy, scientific responsibility, legal or institutional failures, risk management, and practical implications of pollution-related disease processes.

3.7 Conference-Related Papers

Conference-related materials may be published as articles, commentaries, discussion papers, abstracts, proceedings materials, or book-related outputs. Unless otherwise specified, they must follow the same formal standards as journal submissions.

4. Required Manuscript Elements

The manuscript should normally include the following elements in this order:

1. Article type;
2. Title;
3. Author names;
4. Author affiliations;
5. ORCID identifiers, where available;
6. Corresponding author contact information;
7. Abstract;
8. Keywords;
9. Key Points;
10. Main text;
11. Acknowledgments, where applicable;
12. Funding statement;
13. Conflict of Interest statement;
14. Data Availability Statement;
15. Ethics statement, where applicable;
16. References.

The final published version may include additional editorial metadata such as DOI, publication date, volume, page range, and “How to cite” information. These elements are prepared by the journal during production.

5. Title

The title should be informative and specific.

Long descriptive titles are acceptable when they accurately define the subject of the article. Subtitles may be used. Authors should avoid vague titles that do not identify the environmental, health, methodological, or conceptual focus of the paper.

Examples of acceptable title logic include:

• object + process + consequence;
• pollution source + environmental pathway + health effect;
• case study + broader conceptual implication;
• review subject + analytical framework.

6. Abstract

Research Articles and Review Articles must include an abstract.

Recommended length: 150–300 words.

The abstract should clearly state:

• the subject of the study;
• the problem addressed;
• the method, material, or analytical approach;
• the main findings or argument;
• the relevance for pollution, disease, public health, ecological systems, or environmental responsibility.

For Editorial Commentaries and Discussion Contributions, a shorter abstract or summary may be used. Recommended length: 100–200 words.

The abstract should be written as a coherent paragraph or set of short paragraphs. It should not include references unless absolutely necessary.

7. Keywords

Authors should provide 4–8 keywords.

For complex interdisciplinary articles, up to 10 keywords may be accepted when necessary.

Keywords should be separated by commas and should support indexing, discoverability, and thematic classification.

Keywords may include:

• pollution type;
• environmental medium;
• disease or health category;
• geographical or regional focus;
• methodological approach;
• conceptual term;
• policy or governance issue.

Authors should avoid overly general keywords that do not help identify the specific content of the article.

8. Key Points

All Research Articles, Review Articles, Editorial Commentaries, and Discussion Contributions should include a Key Points section after the Abstract and Keywords.

Recommended format:

• 3–5 numbered points;
• one sentence per point;
• no more than 25–30 words per point where possible.

Key Points should identify the article’s main contribution. They should not simply repeat the abstract.

For example, Key Points may state:

1. the environmental process being analyzed;
2. the pollution or disease mechanism;
3. the methodological or conceptual contribution;
4. the policy or public health implication;
5. the broader scientific significance.

9. Main Text Structure

The structure of the main text depends on the article type.

9.1 Research Articles

A standard empirical Research Article should normally include:

• Introduction;
• Materials and Methods;
• Results;
• Discussion;
• Conclusions.

Where appropriate, authors may use alternative headings that better fit the research design, especially in interdisciplinary, conceptual, geographical, historical, or policy-oriented studies.

9.2 Review Articles

A Review Article may include:

• Introduction;
• Scope and rationale;
• Review method or selection logic;
• Thematic or analytical sections;
• Critical analysis;
• Knowledge gaps;
• Conclusions.

Systematic reviews should explain search strategy, inclusion criteria, exclusion criteria, and evidence synthesis method.

9.3 Conceptual, Perspective, and Policy Papers

These manuscripts may use a flexible structure. However, the argument must remain clear and logically organized.

Recommended sections include:

• problem statement;
• conceptual framework;
• analysis;
• implications;
• conclusions.

9.4 Editorial Commentaries and Discussion Contributions

Editorial and discussion texts should be concise, focused, and clearly structured. They may use shorter headings and do not need to follow the full IMRaD structure.

They must still meet standards of clarity, citation accuracy, and ethical responsibility.

10. Manuscript Formatting

Submissions should be prepared in DOCX format.

Recommended formatting for submitted manuscripts:

• Font: Cambria, Times New Roman, or another standard serif font;
• Font size: 12 pt;
• Line spacing: 1.5;
• Margins: 2.5 cm on all sides;
• Page numbers: consecutive;
• Text alignment: left or justified;
• Headings: clearly distinguishable from body text.

The submission format does not need to reproduce the final journal PDF layout. Final layout and production formatting are prepared by the journal.

11. Headings and Subheadings

Use clear and informative headings.

Avoid excessive numbering unless it improves readability. A maximum of three heading levels is usually sufficient.

Headings should reflect the analytical structure of the manuscript. They should not be decorative.

Examples:

• Introduction;
• Relevance of the Discussion;
• Subject and Objectives;
• Transformation of Soil and Water Resources;
• Freshwater Infrastructure and Health Risk;
• Scientific Responsibility;
• Conclusions.

12. Tables, Figures, Maps, and Images

All tables, figures, maps, and images must be cited in the text.

Use consecutive numbering:

• Table 1, Table 2, Table 3;
• Figure 1, Figure 2, Figure 3.

Each table or figure must include a clear caption.

Captions should explain what is shown and why it is relevant. They should be understandable without requiring the reader to search extensively in the main text.

Figures and maps should not be used merely as decoration. They should contribute to the scientific argument, clarify an environmental object, show spatial relationships, document pollution processes, or support interpretation.

For maps and GIS-based figures, authors should provide, where applicable:

• data source;
• date of data acquisition;
• coordinate system or projection;
• scale;
• legend;
• explanation of symbols;
• source of satellite imagery or geospatial data.

Accepted image formats include TIFF, PNG, JPEG, and EPS. Minimum recommended resolution: 300 dpi.

13. Units, Numbers, and Scientific Notation

Use SI units throughout the manuscript.

Use decimal points, not decimal commas.

Examples:

• 5.6 mg/L;
• 12.4 km²;
• 3.2 million liters;
• 150 µg/kg.

Chemical formulas, gene symbols, taxonomic names, and technical abbreviations must follow internationally accepted conventions.

Scientific names of species should be italicized.

Abbreviations must be defined at first mention.

14. Terminology

Authors should use internationally recognized scientific terminology whenever possible.

New concepts may be introduced when necessary, but they must be clearly defined. If a manuscript introduces a new term, the author should explain:

• why the term is needed;
• how it differs from existing terminology;
• what environmental, biological, medical, or conceptual object it describes.

Interdisciplinary terminology should be used carefully. Authors should write in a way that remains accessible to readers from related fields.

15. Citations in the Text

The journal uses a numeric citation system.

In-text citations should be placed in parentheses:

• (1)
• (1,2)
• (1–3)
• (2,5,9)

References are numbered in the order in which they first appear in the text.

Do not use author–date citation style in the main text unless specifically requested by the editorial office.

16. Reference List

The reference list should appear at the end of the manuscript.

References must be listed in numerical order according to their first citation in the text.

Authors are responsible for the accuracy and completeness of references.

Where available, DOI links must be included.

16.1 Journal Article

Author(s). Title of article. Journal Name. Year;Volume(Issue):page range. DOI.

Example:

Olson KR, Morton LW. Long-term fate of Agent Orange and dioxin TCDD contaminated soils and sediments in Vietnam hotspots. Open Journal of Soil Science. 2019;9:1–34. https://doi.org/...

16.2 Book

Author(s). Book Title. Publisher; Year.

16.3 Book Chapter

Author(s). Chapter title. In: Editor(s), editors. Book Title. Publisher; Year. p. page range.

16.4 Online Source or Report

Author(s) or organization. Title. Website or publisher. Year. Available from: URL. Accessed date.

16.5 Non-English Sources

For non-English sources, provide the original title where appropriate, followed by an English translation in brackets or after a slash. Indicate the language at the end of the reference.

Example:

Author. Original title / English translation. Journal or publisher. Year;Volume(Issue):pages. DOI. (In Russian).

17. Data Availability Statement

A Data Availability Statement is mandatory for all submissions.

Examples:

• The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
• All data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this published article.
• No new data were created or analyzed in this study.
• The datasets used in this study are available in [repository name], [identifier or accession number].

For studies using sensitive environmental, medical, military, geospatial, or personal data, authors should explain any restrictions on access.

18. Funding Statement

All manuscripts must include a Funding Statement.

Examples:

• This research received no external funding.
• This work was supported by [name of funder], grant number [number].
• The funder had no role in study design, data collection, analysis, interpretation, or manuscript preparation.

19. Conflict of Interest Statement

All manuscripts must include a Conflict of Interest statement.

If no conflict exists, use:

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

If a conflict exists, it must be described clearly.

20. Acknowledgments

Acknowledgments may be included where appropriate.

Authors may acknowledge institutional support, technical assistance, field assistance, language editing, or other contributions that do not meet the criteria for authorship.

If not applicable, authors may write:

Not applicable.

21. Ethics Statement

Studies involving human participants, animals, medical data, personal data, sensitive interviews, or vulnerable communities must include an ethics statement.

Where applicable, authors must state:

• name of ethics committee or institutional review board;
• approval number;
• date of approval;
• consent procedure;
• data protection measures.

If ethical approval was not required, authors should explain why.

22. Research Involving War, Conflict, and Sensitive Sites

The journal welcomes research on war-related environmental impacts, military pollution, post-war recovery, damaged infrastructure, landmines, freshwater systems, contaminated soils, and public health consequences of conflict.

However, authors must handle sensitive information responsibly.

Manuscripts should not disclose information that creates unnecessary risk for civilians, researchers, field teams, medical personnel, protected sites, or critical infrastructure.

When working with conflict-related data, authors should consider:

• safety of local communities;
• sensitivity of exact coordinates;
• military relevance of infrastructure information;
• risks associated with field photographs;
• responsible use of satellite imagery and maps;
• protection of informants and local collaborators.

23. AI, Modeling, and Computational Methods

If artificial intelligence, machine learning, automated image analysis, large language models, GIS automation, or other computational tools are used in the research process, authors should describe their role clearly.

Authors remain fully responsible for:

• accuracy of the manuscript;
• validity of data and interpretation;
• correctness of references;
• originality of the work;
• ethical compliance.

AI tools cannot be listed as authors.

If AI tools were used only for language editing, this may be stated briefly in the Acknowledgments or in a note if requested by the editorial office.

24. Plagiarism, Originality, and Redundant Publication

Submissions must be original and must not be under consideration by another journal.

Plagiarism, self-plagiarism, data fabrication, image manipulation, and misleading citation practices are not acceptable.

Authors may build on their previous work, but overlap must be transparent, properly cited, and scientifically justified.

25. Revisions, Versions, and Corrections

The journal may publish updated versions of articles where appropriate. Versioning must preserve the integrity of the scholarly record.

Substantive corrections after publication may be handled through:

• corrected versions;
• correction notices;
• editorial notes;
• expressions of concern;
• retractions, where necessary.

The DOI and article landing page should preserve the publication record and provide access to relevant version information.

26. Submission Compliance

Manuscripts that do not comply with this Style Sheet may be returned to authors for correction before peer review or editorial evaluation.

Formal requirements are not intended to suppress the author’s analytical position. They exist to make the manuscript readable, verifiable, citable, and suitable for publication as part of the scientific record.

27. Updates to the Style Sheet

This Style Sheet may be updated periodically.

Authors are responsible for consulting the most recent version available on the journal website before submission.

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