Submission Preparation Checklist

As part of the submission process, authors are required to check off their submission's compliance with all of the following items, and submissions may be returned to authors that do not adhere to these guidelines.

• The manuscript has not been previously published and is not under consideration by another journal.
• The manuscript fits the aims and scope of JOST.
• The manuscript is written in clear English and has been checked for grammar, style, and scientific clarity.
• The main manuscript file is blinded and does not include author names, affiliations, identifying acknowledgments, or other information that may reveal the authors’ identities.
• A separate title page has been uploaded and includes the manuscript title, article type, author names, affiliations, corresponding author details, ORCID iDs when available, funding information, conflict of interest statement, authors’ contributions, and acknowledgments when applicable.
• The manuscript is prepared in Microsoft Word or a compatible word-processing format.
• The text is double-spaced, uses 12-point font, includes continuous line numbering, and has page numbers on all pages.
• Tables, figures, and figure legends are cited in numerical order in the manuscript and uploaded according to the journal’s instructions.
• Ethics approval, informed consent, patient consent, trial registration, and reporting guideline checklists have been provided when applicable.
• References are complete, accurate, and formatted according to the journal’s reference style.
• All authors have approved the final version of the manuscript and agree with its submission to JOST.
• Any use of artificial intelligence tools has been disclosed in accordance with the journal’s policy.