Submissions

Author Guidelines

Authors who wish to submit a manuscript to Behavioral and Social Studies in Mental Health are requested to carefully follow the journal’s instructions for manuscript preparation, formatting, structure, referencing, ethical compliance, and submission. Manuscripts that do not substantially comply with these requirements may be returned to the authors for technical revision before entering the peer-review process.

1. General Requirements

The full text of all submitted manuscripts must be written in Persian. Manuscripts must be original, scientifically sound, relevant to the aims and scope of the journal, and prepared according to accepted standards of academic writing and research ethics.

Each manuscript must include:

• A Persian title and abstract;
• An English title and abstract;
• Persian and English keywords;
• The complete main text in Persian;
• A reference list prepared according to APA style; and
• A mandatory Extended Abstract in English of 1,000–1,500 words.

The manuscript should be submitted as an editable Microsoft Word document. Authors are responsible for ensuring that the submitted file is complete, readable, and prepared according to the journal's formatting requirements.

2. Language of the Manuscript

The main body of the manuscript must be entirely in Persian. Academic Persian should be clear, accurate, coherent, and grammatically correct. Authors should avoid unnecessarily complicated expressions and should use established terminology appropriate to behavioral sciences, social sciences, psychology, mental health, and related disciplines.

English-language sections, including the English title, abstract, keywords, Extended Abstract, names of international organizations where appropriate, and English-language references, should be written in clear and academically appropriate English.

Authors are responsible for the linguistic accuracy of both Persian and English sections of their manuscript.

3. Font and General Formatting

All Persian text must be prepared using B Zar font. All English-language text must be prepared using Times New Roman.

This requirement applies not only to the main manuscript but also, where applicable, to headings, abstracts, keywords, tables, figures, notes, and references.

The formatting of the manuscript should remain consistent throughout the document. Headings and subheadings should be clearly distinguishable and organized according to a logical hierarchy.

Authors should avoid unnecessary decorative formatting, excessive use of bold or underlined text, unusual fonts, or manual formatting that may interfere with the editorial production process.

4. Title Page

The manuscript should contain a clear and informative title that accurately reflects the content of the study. Both Persian and English titles must be provided.

Author information should include the full name of each author, academic or professional affiliation, and other information requested by the journal's submission system.

One author must be clearly identified as the corresponding author. The corresponding author is responsible for communication with the journal during submission, peer review, revision, production, and publication and should ensure that all co-authors are appropriately informed about the manuscript's status.

Authors are responsible for ensuring that their names and affiliations are entered accurately and consistently.

5. Persian Abstract

Every manuscript must contain a Persian abstract that provides a concise and accurate overview of the study.

For empirical research, the abstract should normally communicate the principal elements of the study, including the research purpose, methodology, major findings, and main conclusion. The abstract should enable readers to understand the essential contribution of the article without consulting the full manuscript.

The abstract should not contain unnecessary background information, extensive methodological detail, undefined abbreviations, tables, figures, or information that is not reported in the main manuscript.

Immediately following the Persian abstract, authors should provide appropriate Persian keywords representing the main concepts of the article.

6. English Abstract

A complete English abstract is mandatory for every manuscript.

The English abstract should accurately correspond to the content of the Persian abstract and should be written in clear academic English. Authors should avoid literal or machine-generated translations that result in unclear or technically inaccurate language.

The English abstract should state the purpose of the research, essential methodological information, principal findings, and main conclusion.

Appropriate English keywords should be provided immediately after the English abstract.

The English abstract is separate from the Extended Abstract and does not replace the requirement for an Extended Abstract.

7. Extended Abstract in English

In addition to the regular English abstract, every accepted manuscript must contain a substantive Extended Abstract in English consisting of approximately 1,000 to 1,500 words.

The Extended Abstract is an essential part of the manuscript and should provide international readers with a sufficiently detailed understanding of the study even when they cannot read the Persian full text.

The Extended Abstract should not simply repeat the short English abstract. It should provide a more comprehensive account of the research and should normally cover the Introduction and Objectives, Methods, Results, Discussion, and Conclusion.

The introductory portion should briefly explain the research problem, relevant background, significance of the study, research gap, and principal objective or research questions.

The methods section should provide sufficient information about the research design, participants or study population, sampling approach, instruments or data sources, data collection procedures, and analytical methods.

The results section should present the principal findings clearly and accurately. The discussion should interpret the major findings in relation to the research objectives and relevant scientific literature rather than merely repeating numerical results.

The conclusion should summarize the main contribution and implications of the study and, where appropriate, identify important practical, clinical, social, educational, policy, or research implications.

The Extended Abstract must be written in Times New Roman and should be carefully edited for grammar, academic style, terminology, coherence, and readability.

8. Structure of the Main Manuscript

The precise organization of a manuscript may vary according to study design and article type. However, original research articles should generally follow a recognizable scientific structure.

The main text will normally include an Introduction, Method, Results, Discussion, and Conclusion, together with any additional sections necessary for the particular study.

The Introduction should clearly establish the research problem, relevant theoretical and empirical background, research gap, significance of the study, and study objectives or hypotheses.

The Method section should provide enough information to allow readers to understand and evaluate the research design. Where applicable, it should describe participants, sampling, instruments, procedures, ethical considerations, and data-analysis methods.

The Results section should report findings objectively and systematically. Interpretation that properly belongs in the Discussion section should generally be avoided in the Results.

The Discussion should interpret the findings in relation to previous research, theoretical expectations, and the study objectives. Authors should also discuss important implications and limitations where appropriate.

The Conclusion should present the principal conclusions derived from the research without introducing unsupported claims or new results.

9. Tables and Figures

Tables and figures should be used only when they contribute meaningfully to the presentation or interpretation of the research.

Each table and figure must be numbered consecutively and referred to in the main text. Titles should be clear and sufficiently informative to allow the content to be understood.

Information presented in a table or figure should not be unnecessarily repeated in full in the main text. The text should instead emphasize the most important findings.

All abbreviations, symbols, and statistical notation that may not be immediately understandable should be explained appropriately.

Authors are responsible for obtaining permission where copyrighted tables, figures, instruments, or other materials from previously published sources are reproduced or adapted.

10. Statistical Reporting

Quantitative findings should be reported accurately and consistently. Authors should identify the statistical procedures used and report relevant statistics in accordance with accepted conventions in the behavioral and social sciences.

Whenever appropriate, reporting should include measures such as test statistics, degrees of freedom, exact p values, effect sizes, confidence intervals, and relevant model-fit or diagnostic indicators.

Statistical significance should not be treated as equivalent to theoretical, practical, or clinical importance. Authors are encouraged to interpret findings in light of effect magnitude, research design, sample characteristics, and substantive significance.

11. Abbreviations and Terminology

Abbreviations should be used only when they improve clarity or avoid excessive repetition. Non-standard abbreviations should be defined at first appearance.

Authors should use terminology consistently throughout the manuscript. Specialized psychological, psychiatric, behavioral, methodological, and statistical terms should be used according to accepted disciplinary conventions.

Where a Persian equivalent of a specialized term may be ambiguous, authors may provide the established English term at its first occurrence.

12. Citation and Reference Style

Behavioral and Social Studies in Mental Health uses APA style for in-text citations and reference lists.

Authors should prepare citations and references according to the current applicable conventions of the American Psychological Association (APA).

Every source cited in the text must appear in the reference list, and every item included in the reference list must be cited in the manuscript. Authors are responsible for verifying the accuracy and completeness of references, including author names, publication dates, titles, journal information, volume and issue numbers, page ranges, and DOI information where applicable.

Authors should preferentially cite relevant original and peer-reviewed scholarly sources. Unnecessary citation of unrelated publications and citation manipulation are not acceptable.

For works with a DOI, the DOI should be included whenever available.

13. Research Ethics

Authors must ensure that their research complies with applicable ethical principles and institutional requirements.

For research involving human participants, ethical approval from a recognized ethics committee or institutional review body should be obtained where required. Relevant ethical approval information should be reported in the manuscript.

Informed consent must be obtained where applicable, and participant confidentiality and privacy must be protected.

Studies involving vulnerable individuals or sensitive mental health information require particular attention to informed consent, confidentiality, risk minimization, and appropriate ethical safeguards.

14. Originality and Plagiarism

Submitted manuscripts must represent original work.

The journal uses iThenticate for similarity screening. Authors must properly acknowledge all sources and must not reproduce text, data, ideas, tables, figures, or other material without appropriate attribution.

Plagiarism, data fabrication or falsification, inappropriate text recycling, duplicate publication, and simultaneous submission to multiple journals are contrary to the journal's publication-ethics policies.

A manuscript submitted to the journal must not be simultaneously under consideration by another journal.

15. Authorship

Authorship should be limited to individuals who have made substantial contributions to the conception or design of the study; collection, analysis, or interpretation of data; or preparation and critical intellectual revision of the manuscript.

All listed authors should approve the final manuscript and accept responsibility for their contribution to the work.

Honorary, guest, or gift authorship is not acceptable. Individuals who assisted with the study but do not meet authorship criteria may be acknowledged where appropriate.

Changes in authorship after manuscript submission must be appropriately justified and require the agreement of the relevant authors and approval of the journal.

16. Conflict of Interest

Authors must disclose any financial, professional, institutional, personal, or other relationship that could reasonably be perceived as influencing the research or its interpretation.

If no relevant conflict of interest exists, this should be stated explicitly.

Disclosure of a conflict of interest does not necessarily prevent publication; its purpose is to ensure transparency for editors, reviewers, and readers.

17. Funding

All financial or material support received for the research should be disclosed.

Authors should identify the funding organization, grant or project information where applicable, and any role played by the funder in study design, data collection, analysis, interpretation, manuscript preparation, or the decision to submit the manuscript.

If the research received no external financial support, this may be stated accordingly.

18. Acknowledgments

Individuals or organizations that contributed to the research but do not meet authorship criteria may be acknowledged in an Acknowledgments section.

Authors should obtain permission before naming individuals in the acknowledgments where appropriate.

Financial support should normally be reported separately under the funding statement rather than being included only in the acknowledgments.

19. Use of Artificial Intelligence Tools

Authors remain fully responsible for all content submitted to the journal, including content prepared with the assistance of artificial intelligence tools.

Artificial intelligence systems cannot be listed as authors.

If generative or other AI-based tools have been used in a manner that materially contributed to manuscript preparation, analysis, interpretation, or presentation, such use should be transparently disclosed where appropriate.

Authors must verify all AI-assisted content, references, factual claims, analyses, and interpretations. AI tools must not be used to fabricate data, create nonexistent references, manipulate research findings, or substitute for the authors' scientific responsibility.

20. Submission and Double-Blind Review

The journal follows a double-blind anonymous peer-review process.

Authors should therefore ensure that the manuscript file prepared for review does not unnecessarily reveal their identity. Information that directly identifies the authors should be provided through the appropriate title-page or submission-system fields rather than being included in the blinded manuscript where the journal's submission process requires separate files.

Authors should also avoid self-identifying statements that would unnecessarily compromise anonymity during review.

Manuscripts that pass the initial editorial evaluation are normally reviewed by two or three independent reviewers with expertise relevant to the subject of the manuscript.

21. Revision of Manuscripts

When revision is requested, authors should carefully address all comments made by the reviewers and editors.

A revised manuscript should ordinarily be accompanied by a clear response explaining how each substantive comment was addressed. When an author decides not to implement a particular recommendation, an academic and evidence-based explanation should be provided.

Authors should ensure that all revisions are incorporated consistently throughout the manuscript.

22. Final Author Checklist

Before submission, authors should ensure that the manuscript is written in Persian; Persian text uses B Zar; English sections use Times New Roman; Persian and English titles, abstracts, and keywords are included; the mandatory 1,000–1,500-word English Extended Abstract is provided; citations and references follow APA style; all references are complete and consistent; tables and figures are properly numbered; ethical approval and informed-consent information are reported where required; funding and conflicts of interest are disclosed; and the manuscript has been carefully proofread before submission.

Compliance with these guidelines facilitates efficient editorial screening, peer review, production, and publication.