Submissions

Author Guidelines

Authors are invited to make a submission to this journal. All submissions will be assessed by an editor to determine whether they meet the aims and scope of this journal. Those considered to be a good fit will be sent for peer review before determining whether they will be accepted or rejected.

Submission Guidelines

Types of Manuscripts

We accept the following types of manuscripts:

• Short Communications (≤3,000 words) – Concise reports of negative or null results, providing valuable insights into unsuccessful experiments or unexpected findings.
• Reviews of Null Findings (≤5,000 words) – Systematic or narrative reviews that analyze multiple studies with null results or unexpected outcomes to provide context and insights.

All submissions must report well-structured, scientifically rigorous research that contributes to transparency and reproducibility.

 

Formatting & Style Guidelines

General Formatting

• Manuscripts should be submitted in Microsoft Word (.docx)
• Font: Times New Roman, 12 pt.
• Line Spacing: 1.5 throughout the document.
• Margins: 1-inch (2.54 cm) on all sides.
• Page Numbers (optional): Bottom center of each page.
• Section Headings: Bold, left-aligned, and numbered (e.g., 1. Introduction, 2. Methods).
• Subheadings: Italicized, left-aligned (e.g., 2.1 Experimental Design).

 

Title Page

To facilitate double-blind peer review, the title page must be submitted as a separate page and will be removed from the main manuscript before review.

Title Page Requirements:

• Title: Must begin with “Null:” to clearly distinguish the study as a negative results publication.
• Example Title:
• Null: Lack of Correlation Between Gene X and Metabolic Disorder Y
• Null: No Observed Effect of Drug A on Cancer Cell Line B
• Authors: Full names and affiliations (indicate corresponding author with *).
• Email Address of Corresponding Author.
• ORCID iDs (if available).
• Acknowledgments & Funding Statement (if applicable).
• Conflicts of Interest Declaration.

Abstract & Keywords

• Abstract: ≤250 words, structured (Background, Methods, Results, Conclusion).
• Keywords: 3–6 keywords separated by semicolons (;).

 

Main Manuscript Structure

The main manuscript should NOT include author names or affiliations.

Sections:

1. Introduction: Background, problem statement, significance.
2. Methods: Detailed experimental setup, data collection process.
3. Results: Clear reporting of findings with tables/figures.
4. Discussion: Interpretation of findings and implications.
5. Conclusion: Summary of key takeaways.

Tables & Figures

• Tables: Numbered (e.g., Table 1), placed at the end of the manuscript or uploaded separately.
• Figures: High-resolution (≥300 dpi), numbered (e.g., Figure 1).

References & Citation Style

• Citation Style: Vancouver (numeric, superscript).
• In-Text Citations Example:
• "Prior studies suggest a failure rate of 20% in similar trials¹."
• Reference List Example:

1. Smith J, Doe A. The impact of null results on scientific progress. J Neg Findings. 2022;15(4):123-130.
2. Brown P, White K. Experimental limitations in neuroscience. NeuroSci Rev. 2021;10(2):98-110.

References should be listed in order of appearance and formatted according to Vancouver style.

 

Peer Review & Editorial Process

• Submissions undergo double-blind peer review for fairness and objectivity.
• Reviewers evaluate manuscripts based on methodological rigor, data integrity, and contribution to knowledge, not the presence of statistically significant results.
• Authors may suggest reviewers but must disclose conflicts of interest.
• Manuscripts may be accepted, revised, or rejected based on reviewer feedback.

 

Article Processing Charges (APC)

To support open-access publishing, a one-time Article Processing Charge (APC) of $500 USD applies to accepted manuscripts.

• APC Waiver: We are waiving all APC fees for articles submitted before July 2025.
• Waiver extensions are subject to internal review and not guaranteed.

 

Ethical Considerations

All submissions must adhere to scientific and ethical guidelines, including:

• Plagiarism & Data Integrity: Submissions must be original, and data must not be fabricated or manipulated.
• Authorship Transparency: All listed authors must have contributed significantly to the work.
• Human & Animal Research: If applicable, studies must comply with institutional ethical review board guidelines.

Authors must provide ethical approval statements where applicable.

 

Data Availability Statement

Authors must include a Data Availability Statement describing where and how the data supporting their findings can be accessed.

• If data is publicly available, provide a link (e.g., DOI, GitHub, Dryad, Zenodo).
• If data is available upon request, state the conditions for access.
• If data cannot be shared (e.g., due to privacy or ethical constraints), provide a brief explanation.

Example Statements:

• The datasets generated and analyzed during this study are available at [Repository Name] ([DOI or Link]).
• Data is available upon reasonable request from the corresponding author.
• Due to ethical restrictions, data cannot be shared publicly but may be accessed upon institutional approval.

 

Conflict of Interest Statement

All authors must disclose any potential conflicts of interest that could influence the research findings, including financial, institutional, or personal relationships.

• If no conflicts exist, state: “The authors declare no conflicts of interest.”
• If conflicts exist, provide details of funding, affiliations, or other relevant factors.

 

Funding Disclosure

Authors must disclose all sources of funding that supported the research.

• If no funding was received, state: “This research received no external funding.”
• If funded, specify the funding agency and grant number (if applicable).

Example:
"This work was supported by the [Funding Organization] under Grant No. [XXXXX]."

 

Reference to Related Positive Results (Optional)

If the study is part of a broader research project that has produced positive or confirmatory results published elsewhere, authors may optionally refer to that work.

• The citation should be included in the Introduction or Discussion.
• Authors must ensure that referencing does not compromise anonymity in double-blind peer review.

Example Statement:

"A related study reporting the positive findings of this experiment is published in [Journal Name] ([DOI or Reference]). This article focuses solely on the null findings and unexpected results of the study."

 

Data Reproducibility Statement

Authors should ensure that their study provides sufficient detail to allow other researchers to reproduce the findings.

• Methods must be clearly described, including protocols, sample sizes, statistical analyses, and any computational models used.
• If applicable, code, scripts, or analysis pipelines should be shared in publicly accessible repositories (e.g., GitHub, Zenodo).
• If experimental materials or reagents are commercially available, authors should provide catalog numbers and supplier details.

Example Statement:

• "All experimental procedures, data processing steps, and analysis scripts are described in detail to allow reproducibility. The source code and raw datasets are available at [Repository Name] ([DOI/Link])."
• "Due to proprietary restrictions, only summary data can be shared, but methodological details are provided for reproducibility."

 

Preprint Policy

Authors are encouraged to share their manuscripts as preprints on platforms such as bioRxiv, arXiv, OSF Preprints, or institutional repositories before or during the submission process.

• Posting a preprint will not influence the editorial decision or peer review process.
• If the manuscript was previously posted as a preprint, authors must include a Preprint Statement in the main manuscript.

Preprint Statement Example (to be included in the manuscript body):
"A preprint version of this manuscript was previously made available on [Preprint Server Name] ([DOI or Link])."

• Upon acceptance, authors should update the preprint version with a link to the final published article.

 

Use of AI & Author Responsibility

Authors must disclose any use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in manuscript preparation, data analysis, or figure generation.

• AI-generated text, images, or results must be explicitly acknowledged in the Methods or Acknowledgments section.
• The authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, and ethical compliance of their submission, even if AI-assisted tools were used.

Example Disclosure Statement:

"Portions of this manuscript were generated with the assistance of [AI Tool Name] for language editing and summarization. The final manuscript was reviewed and approved by all authors."

• AI tools must not be listed as authors, as authorship implies accountability, which AI cannot assume.
• AI-assisted plagiarism or fabrication of data is strictly prohibited and will result in immediate rejection.

 

Author Contributions

To ensure transparency in authorship, all submissions must include an Author Contributions Statement, specifying each author's role in the research and manuscript preparation.

We recommend using the CRediT (Contributor Roles Taxonomy) system to define contributions. Examples of roles include:

• Conceptualization – Who designed the study?
• Methodology – Who developed or applied the methods?
• Data Curation – Who collected or analyzed the data?
• Writing – Original Draft – Who drafted the manuscript?
• Writing – Review & Editing – Who revised the manuscript?
• Supervision – Who oversaw the research?

Example Author Contributions Statement:

"A.B. conceived the study and designed the experiments. C.D. performed data analysis. E.F. and G.H. wrote the original draft. All authors reviewed and approved the final manuscript."

• Ghost authorship (uncredited contributors) and honorary authorship (credit without contribution) are not allowed.
• Corresponding authors must ensure that all listed authors approve the final submission.

 

Post-Publication Updates & Corrections

We recognize that scientific research evolves, and errors may occasionally require correction. Post-publication changes follow these guidelines:

• Corrections – Minor updates (e.g., typographical errors, missing references) can be issued as a Corrigendum upon request. Please note that changes to the authorship of an article after publication will incur an additional fee and are generally discouraged. Changes in authorship will only be considered in exceptional circumstances, subject to the editorial team's decision. Authors requesting such changes should contact the editor at editor@nullscientific.com
• Retractions – If significant errors or ethical concerns arise, the article may be retracted following COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) guidelines.
• Commentaries & Updates – Authors may submit a follow-up Letter to the Editor to address new developments related to their work.

Requests for corrections or updates should be sent to editor@nullscientific.com with a justification

Supplementary Materials

Authors may submit Supplementary Materials to provide additional context, datasets, extended methodologies, or supporting figures/tables that are not essential to the main manuscript but enhance the study's reproducibility and transparency.

• File Formats: Accepted formats include PDF (text, figures), CSV (data), TXT (code), and MP4 (videos).
• Referencing: Supplementary materials should be cited in the main text (e.g., "See Supplementary Figure S1 for additional details.").
• Hosting: Supplementary files will be published alongside the main article and should be clearly labeled (e.g., Supplementary Table 1, Supplementary Figure 2).
• Data & Code Sharing: If large datasets or computational scripts are involved, authors are encouraged to upload them to open-access repositories (e.g., Zenodo, Figshare, Dryad, GitHub) and provide a DOI or link.

 

Withdrawal & Retraction Policy

• Authors may withdraw their manuscript before peer review without penalty.
• After acceptance, withdrawal requests require editorial approval and justification.
• Retractions follow COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) guidelines in cases of misconduct, ethical violations, or fundamental errors.

 

Submission Process

• Manuscripts must be submitted through our online submission system 
• The corresponding author must confirm that all co-authors approve the submission.
• If you experience any issues, please contact us at editor@nullscientific.com.