Author Guidelines — NDU Scientific Journal

1. Acceptable File Formats

Manuscripts must be submitted according to the following guidelines:

Text format: Microsoft Word (.docx) or LaTeX (.tex).
Figures: TIFF or EPS format, minimum **300 DPI** resolution, embedded in the text and uploaded as separate files.
Tables: Must be editable Word tables (not inserted as images).

2. Manuscript Structure

Original research articles must adhere to the IMRAD format:

Title: Concise, informative, and up to **15 words**.
Author Details: Full names, affiliations, country, email of corresponding author, and **ORCID IDs** for all authors.
Abstract: **150–300 words**, summarizing study's objective, methodology, key findings, and scientific novelty.
Keywords: **4–6 terms**, indexing-appropriate terms.
Body Text: Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results, Discussion, Conclusion.
References: Prepared according to the **APA** style (or IEEE/Vancouver based on the discipline). DOIs must be included if available.

3. Length Limits

Original Research Article: 3000 – 8000 words (including tables, figures, and references). Maximum 20 pages.
Review Article: Up to 10000 words, including a comprehensive literature review.
Short Communication: Up to 2500 words, including up to 3 tables/figures.

4. Required Documents for Submission

The following attachments are mandatory during submission:

Cover Letter: Addressed to the Editor, outlining the study's value and certifying the paper is not under review elsewhere.
Conflict of Interest Statement: Signed statement confirming no conflicts of interest.
Data Availability Statement: Statement explaining where the research datasets are hosted.
Suggested Reviewers: Contact details (names, emails) of at least 2 potential independent reviewers.

5. Pricing and Waiver Policy

There are no submission or publication fees. The journal is fully supported by Nakhchivan State University, operating on a Gold Open Access model with **zero APC (Article Processing Charge)**. A **100% waiver** automatically applies to all authors globally.

6. Copyright and Licensing

Authors retain copyright of their published work. All articles are published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license, which allows others to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the work, even commercially, as long as the original author is credited.

7. Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy

In accordance with Scopus 2024 directives, authors must declare the use of generative AI tools (such as ChatGPT, Claude, etc.) in the writing process. AI tools can only be used to improve readability, grammar, and language style. AI cannot be listed as a co-author and must not be used to generate or manipulate scientific data/results.