Author Guidelines
Author Guidelines and Manuscript Preparation Instructions
Journal Overview
Drug Discovery and Development is an international, peer-reviewed scientific journal dedicated to publishing high-quality research and scholarly contributions in the fields of drug discovery, pharmaceutical sciences, medicinal chemistry, pharmacology, biotechnology, translational medicine, computational drug design, and therapeutic development. The journal provides a multidisciplinary platform for researchers, academicians, clinicians, and industry professionals engaged in the discovery, optimization, evaluation, and clinical translation of novel therapeutic agents and biomedical technologies.
The journal welcomes submissions of original research articles, review articles, short communications, mini reviews, perspectives, methodological advances, and translational studies that contribute significantly to scientific understanding and innovation in drug development and related disciplines. Authors are encouraged to prepare manuscripts in clear, concise, and scientifically rigorous English and to adhere carefully to the following guidelines to facilitate efficient peer review, editorial processing, and publication.
Types of Manuscripts Accepted
The journal considers several categories of manuscripts for publication. Original Research Articles should present comprehensive reports describing novel experimental, clinical, computational, or theoretical investigations that contribute substantially to the advancement of pharmaceutical and biomedical sciences. Review Articles should provide critical and systematic evaluations of recent developments, emerging trends, and current challenges within a defined research area. Short Communications are intended for brief reports presenting significant preliminary findings, innovative methodologies, or noteworthy scientific observations of immediate relevance.
Mini Reviews should summarize emerging concepts, technologies, or specialized areas of contemporary scientific interest in a focused manner. Perspectives and Commentaries may include scholarly opinions, expert viewpoints, policy discussions, or future perspectives addressing important scientific issues and developments. The journal also welcomes Case-Based Translational Studies demonstrating the translation of laboratory discoveries into clinical, industrial, or therapeutic applications, as well as Methodological Papers describing novel experimental protocols, analytical techniques, computational methods, screening approaches, or technological innovations.
General Manuscript Requirements
Submitted manuscripts must represent original work and should not have been previously published, either in whole or in part. Manuscripts must not be under consideration for publication elsewhere at the time of submission. All submissions should be written in clear and grammatically accurate scientific English. Authors are solely responsible for the scientific accuracy, integrity, and authenticity of the submitted work. The journal adheres to internationally recognized standards of publication ethics, research integrity, and responsible scientific conduct.
Manuscript Preparation
Manuscripts should be prepared using Microsoft Word format (.doc or .docx) and organized in a clear and professional manner. Authors should use Times New Roman font, 12-point font size, and double spacing throughout the manuscript. Margins should be maintained at 2.5 cm on all sides. Continuous line numbering and consecutive page numbering throughout the manuscript are required to facilitate the peer-review process.
Structure of the Manuscript
Title Page
The title page should contain the full manuscript title, a short running title not exceeding 60 characters, the full names of all authors, and their institutional affiliations. Corresponding author information must include the full name, email address, telephone number, and complete postal address. ORCID identifiers are strongly recommended for all authors.
Abstract and Keywords
The abstract should provide a concise and informative summary of the study, with a recommended length of 250–300 words. Structured abstracts are encouraged for original research articles and should generally include the following subheadings: Background, Methods, Results, and Conclusion. Authors should provide 4–8 keywords immediately following the abstract to facilitate indexing and retrieval.
Main Text
Original Research Articles should generally be organized under the following headings: Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results, Discussion, Conclusion, Acknowledgements, Funding Information, Conflict of Interest Statement, Author Contributions, and References.
The Introduction should clearly describe the scientific background of the study, current knowledge and existing research gaps, the rationale and significance of the investigation, and the study objectives or hypotheses.
The Materials and Methods section should provide sufficient detail to ensure reproducibility of the study. Authors should include information regarding experimental design, materials and reagents, instruments and analytical procedures, statistical analyses, software and computational tools used, and ethical approval and informed consent where applicable. For studies involving human participants or experimental animals, authors must provide the name of the approving ethics committee together with the approval number and confirmation of informed consent where relevant.
The Results section should present findings clearly, logically, and concisely using appropriate tables, figures, graphs, and statistical analyses. Unnecessary duplication of data between tables and figures should be avoided.
The Discussion should critically interpret the findings in relation to previously published literature, scientific and clinical significance, mechanistic insights, strengths and limitations of the study, and future research directions.
The Conclusion should summarize the principal findings of the study and highlight their scientific relevance and potential applications.
Tables and Figures
Tables should be editable and numbered consecutively in the order of citation within the text. Each table should include a concise and descriptive title placed above the table, while explanatory notes and abbreviations should be provided as footnotes below the table.
Figures should be of high quality with a minimum resolution of 300 dpi. Acceptable file formats include TIFF, JPEG, PNG, and EPS. Each figure must be accompanied by a clear and descriptive legend.
Graphical Abstract
Submission of a graphical abstract is optional but strongly encouraged. The graphical abstract should visually summarize the principal findings or conceptual framework of the study using minimal text and clear scientific illustrations.
Abbreviations and Units
All abbreviations should be defined at their first appearance in the text. SI units must be used throughout the manuscript. Scientific terminology and nomenclature should conform to internationally accepted standards and guidelines.
References
The journal follows the APA referencing style or a modified journal format. Authors are responsible for ensuring the accuracy, completeness, and consistency of all references. Inclusion of Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs) wherever available is strongly encouraged.
Ethical Requirements
The journal strictly adheres to internationally recognized ethical standards in scientific publishing. Authors must ensure the originality of submitted work, appropriate citation and acknowledgement of sources, absence of plagiarism, data fabrication, and image manipulation, as well as ethical approval for studies involving humans or animals. Compliance with informed consent requirements is mandatory where applicable. All submitted manuscripts may be screened using plagiarism detection software during editorial evaluation.
Conflict of Interest
All authors must disclose any potential conflicts of interest, including financial relationships, institutional affiliations, personal associations, or commercial interests. If no conflicts exist, authors should state: “The authors declare no conflict of interest.”
Funding Statement
Authors should clearly identify all sources of financial support associated with the research. For example: “This research was supported by the National Research Foundation under Grant No. XXXXX.”
Author Contributions
Authors are encouraged to specify individual contributions using internationally recognized contributor role classifications whenever possible. These may include conceptualization, methodology, investigation, data analysis, writing – original draft, and writing – review and editing.
Supplementary Material
Authors may submit supplementary materials including additional datasets, experimental protocols, computational resources, videos, and extended figures or tables. Supplementary files should be clearly labeled and referenced appropriately within the manuscript.
Peer Review Process
All submitted manuscripts undergo a rigorous editorial and peer-review process, including initial editorial screening, plagiarism assessment, double-blind peer review by independent experts, and final editorial evaluation and decision. Possible editorial decisions include Accept, Minor Revision, Major Revision, or Reject.
Submission Process
Manuscripts should be submitted through the journal’s official online submission system or designated editorial communication channels. Authors are requested to submit the manuscript file, cover letter, figures and tables, and supplementary materials where applicable.
Cover Letter Requirements
The cover letter should include the manuscript title, article category, a brief statement describing the significance of the study, confirmation of originality, and confirmation that all authors have approved the submission.
Article Processing Charges (APC)
Information regarding article processing charges, publication fees, waivers, and payment policies is available on the journal website.
Copyright and Licensing
Upon acceptance, authors may be required either to transfer copyright to the publisher or to publish the article under an open-access licensing agreement. Detailed information will be provided during the production process.
Research Data and Reproducibility
The journal encourages transparency and reproducibility in scientific research. Authors are encouraged to deposit datasets in publicly accessible repositories, provide accession numbers where applicable, and share computational codes, analytical workflows, and experimental protocols whenever possible.
Contact Information.
For submission-related queries and additional information, authors may contact the editorial office through the official communication channels:
