Author Guidelines

Author Guidelines — ACE Journal of Addiction (ACEJA)

ACE Journal of Addiction (ACEJA) is an international, peer-reviewed, interdisciplinary journal that publishes original research examining depression, anxiety, substance use, addiction, and related psychosocial, clinical, and public health concerns across the lifespan.

The journal welcomes contributions from researchers, clinicians, academicians, public health professionals, and policymakers worldwide.

1. Types of Manuscripts Accepted

ACEJA accepts the following categories of submissions:

  1. Original Research Articles
  2. Review Articles
  3. Case Studies / Case Reports
  4. Short Communications
  5. Technical Notes
  6. Policy Papers

Word limit: Though not strictly enforced, manuscripts should generally fall between 1500 and 4000 words, depending on the subject and article type.

2. Manuscript Formatting Requirements

File Format: Manuscripts must be submitted in Microsoft Word (.doc/.docx). PDF submissions will not be accepted.

Font and Spacing:

  • Font: Times New Roman
  • Size: 12 pt
  • Line spacing: 1.5
  • Margins: 1 inch on all sides

Page Numbering: Pages must be numbered consecutively.

3. Manuscript Structure

Title Page must include:

  • Full manuscript title
  • Author names
  • Institutional affiliations
  • ORCID ID (if available)
  • Corresponding author email
  • Contact number

Abstract

  • Maximum 250 words
  • Structured (Background, Methods, Results, Conclusion) for original research; unstructured for reviews and other article types

Keywords: Provide 4–6 keywords

Main Manuscript Sections

  • Introduction
  • Literature Review
  • Materials and Methods
  • Results/Findings
  • Discussion
  • Conclusion
  • References

4. Tables, Figures and Images

  • Must be clearly numbered, with titles/captions
  • Submit high-resolution images (minimum 300 DPI)
  • Authors must obtain permission for copyrighted materials
  • Any clinical photographs or case-identifiable images require separate, specific patient consent for publication (see Section 6 and the journal's Copyright and Licensing policy)

5. Referencing Style

ACEJA follows the NLM (National Library of Medicine / Vancouver) style for all citations and references. Authors must ensure consistency throughout the manuscript.

In-text citations: Citations appear as numbers in square brackets, not author names or years, and are numbered in the order they first appear in the text.

Example A: Single source

Social media use has been associated with increased psychological distress among adolescents [1].

Example B: Direct quote

"Digital exposure has become an inseparable part of adolescent life" (p. 45) [2].

Example C: Multiple sources cited together

Depression and anxiety frequently coexist with substance use disorders [3,4].

Example D: Range of sources

Several factors contribute to adolescent psychological distress [5-8].

Example E: Citing the same source again later

The same reference number is reused each time that source is cited again — a source is never assigned a new number on a repeat citation.

Reference list: Placed at the end of the manuscript under the heading "References," listed in the numerical order in which they were first cited in the text — not alphabetically.

Journal Article Format:

Author AA, Author BB, Author CC. Title of article. Abbreviated Journal Name. Year;Volume(Issue):Page range.

Example:

Gupta A, Mehta S. Consumer behavior and psychological distress in digital environments. J Behav Health. 2022;14(2):45-60.

Book Format:

Author AA. Title of book. Edition. Place of Publication: Publisher; Year.

Example:

Sharma RK. Principles of clinical psychiatry. 2nd ed. New Delhi: Oxford University Press; 2021.

Website Format:

Organization/Author. Title of webpage [Internet]. Place of publication: Publisher; Date [cited Year Month Day]. Available from: URL

Example:

World Health Organization. Adolescent mental health [Internet]. Geneva: WHO; 2023 [cited 2026 Jan 15]. Available from: https://www.who.int

Chapter in an Edited Book:

Author AA. Title of chapter. In: Editor AA, editor. Title of book. Edition. Place of Publication: Publisher; Year. p. Page range.

Complete Example (how citation and reference connect):

In manuscript text:

Depression and anxiety frequently coexist in adolescent populations [1]. Digital exposure has intensified psychological distress in this group [2]. According to the World Health Organization, adolescent mental health remains a global public health priority [3].

At the end of the manuscript:

References

  1. Gupta A, Mehta S. Consumer behavior and psychological distress in digital environments. J Behav Health. 2022;14(2):45-60.
  2. Sharma RK. Principles of clinical psychiatry. 2nd ed. New Delhi: Oxford University Press; 2021.
  3. World Health Organization. Adolescent mental health [Internet]. Geneva: WHO; 2023 [cited 2026 Jan 15]. Available from: https://www.who.int

Every in-text citation number must correspond to an entry in the reference list, and every reference list entry must be cited at least once in the text.

6. Ethical Guidelines

Authors must confirm that:

  1. The manuscript is original.
  2. It is not under consideration elsewhere.
  3. No plagiarism exists.
  4. Proper citations are provided.
  5. Ethical approval has been obtained from an appropriate institutional ethics committee/IRB where research involves human participants, animals, or sensitive data.
  6. Informed consent (and assent, where applicable) has been obtained and documented, particularly for research involving minors, pregnant individuals, or individuals with substance use or psychiatric disorders.
  7. Plagiarism above 15% similarity index may lead to rejection.

7. AI Usage Disclosure

If AI tools (such as ChatGPT, Grammarly AI, etc.) were used in writing, editing, or data analysis, authors must disclose this in the manuscript. AI tools cannot be listed as authors.

8. Peer Review Process

  1. Initial editorial screening
  2. Double-blind peer review by at least two subject experts
  3. Reviewer comments sent to authors
  4. Final editorial decision by the handling editor or Editor-in-Chief
  5. Indicative timeline: initial screening 3–7 working days; peer review 2–6 weeks; final decision after revisions 1–2 weeks

9. Article Processing Charges (APC)

  1. The APC is applicable only after manuscript acceptance; no fee is charged at submission or for rejected manuscripts.
  2. Payments are processed by the journal's authorized third-party payment associate, Resol Global, which will also issue invoices where requested.
  3. Articles proceed to publication only after APC confirmation.
  4. Fee waivers or discounts may be considered in exceptional cases, on written request at submission.

10. Copyright Policy

At the time of submission, authors are required to complete and sign a publication licensing agreement, which shall take effect only upon acceptance of the manuscript for publication following peer review. If the manuscript is not accepted, withdrawn, or does not proceed to publication for any reason, the agreement is automatically void and confers no rights on either party.

ACEJA follows an Open Access publishing model. Under this policy:

  1. Authors retain the copyright of their published work.
  2. Authors grant the journal the right to publish, archive, distribute, and promote the article.
  3. Published articles are made available under a Creative Commons license — the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0) — unless otherwise specified.

Authors are responsible for ensuring the submitted work is original, that permissions are obtained for copyrighted third-party materials, and that the manuscript does not infringe any intellectual property rights.

Patient and participant material — including clinical photographs, case histories, or identifiable participant information — is not covered by this general license and requires separate, specific consent for publication, as detailed in the journal's Copyright and Licensing policy.

Repository and Self-Archiving Rights: Authors may deposit the final published version in institutional repositories, personal websites, research repositories, or academic networking platforms, provided proper citation to the original publication in ACEJA is included.

11. Open Access Policy

All articles published in ACEJA are freely and permanently accessible online immediately upon publication. Readers may freely read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, and link to full-text articles at no cost. The journal imposes no access restrictions on published content.

12. Submission Process

Authors should submit:

  • Manuscript file
  • Cover letter
  • Signed Publication Licensing Agreement
  • Conflict of interest statement (if applicable)

Submit via the official journal email or online submission portal.