Submissions

The Acta Kinesiologica Journal (AK) focuses on public health, sport physiology, and performance, and is dedicated to advancing knowledge in sport and exercise science, sport pedagogy, orthopedic sports medicine, and kinesiology. The journal serves sport performance researchers, sport scientists, and related professionals by publishing authoritative peer-reviewed research in biomechanics, sports medicine, exercise physiology, and related disciplines, with an emphasis on studies with direct practical applications for enhancing athletic performance.

Authorship Guidelines

The Acta Kinesiologica adheres to the criteria for authorship as outlined by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors*:

Each author should have participated sufficiently in the work to take public responsibility for the content. Authorship credit should be based only on substantial contributions to:

1. Substantial contributions to the conception or design of the work; or the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data for the work; AND
   b. Drafting the work or revising it critically for important intellectual content; AND
   c. Final approval of the version to be published; AND
   d. Agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.

Conditions a, b, c, and d must all be met. Individuals who do not meet the above criteria may be listed in the acknowledgments section of the manuscript. *http://www.icmje.org/recommendations/browse/roles-and-responsibilities/defining-the-role-of-authors-and-contributors.html

Open Access

Acta Kinesiologica publishes all articles Open Access. Open Access publication fees are required when the article is definitively accepted by the Editor-in-Chief.

Fee

The publication fee is €500 and must be paid within seven days of article acceptance.

For Special Issue submissions or discount applications, the Corresponding Author must include the applicable code number in the Title file.

General Guidelines

Manuscripts

All manuscripts must be written in English and formatted in Times New Roman size 12 font with single-spacing and 2.54 cm margins on all sides. Include an abstract of no more than 300 words. Please activate continuous line numbering and number all pages. Figures should be clearly labeled and submitted as separate files (JPEG or TIFF format, 600 DPI minimum). Number pages in the following order: title page (page 1), abstract, text, references, figure captions.

All submitted articles (except letters to the editor) undergo double-blind peer review. Consequently, manuscripts must not include any identifying information about the authors, their institutions, or affiliated organizations.

Authors who speak English as an additional language should seek the assistance of a colleague experienced in writing for English-language scientific journals. Carefully proofread the final revision and keep a copy of the manuscript.

Do not submit the manuscript to another journal at the same time.

All submissions must be accompanied by a cover letter (signed) and a Statement including the following information:

1. A statement indicating that the manuscript has been read and approved by all the listed co-authors and meets the requirements of co-authorship as specified in the Authorship Guidelines (above).
2. A statement that prior written permission has been obtained for reproduction of previously published material (where appropriate).
3. A statement detailing any potential conflicts of interest (where appropriate).

Style 

Manuscripts should be written in first person using active voice. Writing should be concise and direct. Avoid unnecessary jargon and abbreviations, but use an acronym or abbreviation when it is more commonly recognized than the spelled-out term. Number and unit formats and all other style matters should follow the AMA Manual of Style, 10^th edition. Report measurements of length, height, mass, and volume in metric units (e.g., m, cm, kg, L). Use only standard physiological abbreviations, as nonstandard abbreviations are unnecessary and confusing. Avoid abbreviations in titles. Spell out terms fully before their first abbreviated use.

Peer Review (Double blinded)

Manuscripts that do not fall within the scope and mission statement of the journal or fail to comply with the submission guidelines will not enter the formal review process. The corresponding author is required to nominate three potential reviewers with suitable expertise in the area addressed by the manuscript. The journal is under no obligation to use any of the nominated reviewers. To avoid inviting peer reviewers with significant conflicts of interest, the corresponding author may suggest excluding up to two expert reviewers from consideration. Suggested exclusions may include: (a) individuals who have coauthored manuscripts with the authors in the past decade, (b) individuals affiliated with the same institution as the authors, particularly if they work in the same research area or if the institution is small, and (c) individuals with other conflicts of interest, whether financial or otherwise, that could bias their evaluation of the paper.

Each submitted file must not contain the authors' or institutional names for anonymous review.

Manuscripts will be read by an editor who conducts a preliminary review. If the article meets the journal's criteria, the editor sends it to three reviewers for double-blind review. This process takes 4 to 8 weeks.

Conflict of Interest

Authors must identify potential conflicts of interest involving financial, institutional, and/or personal relationships that might inappropriately influence their actions or statements. Financial relationships that could constitute potential conflicts of interest include employment, consultancy, honoraria, and other payments. Personal conflicts of interest can relate to personal relationships, academic or sporting competition, and intellectual passion. Authors must disclose potential conflicts of interest in the Methods section of the manuscript. Disclosure of conflicts of interest applies to all submissions to AK, including original articles, reviews, invited commentaries, and other features.

Authors must state explicitly whether potential conflicts of interest exist. When a study has been funded by a third party with proprietary or financial interest in the outcomes, the corresponding author should include the following statement in the cover letter accompanying the submission: "I had full access to all of the data in this study and take full responsibility for their integrity and analysis." The following statement should be included in the Acknowledgments section of the published manuscript: "The results of the current study do not constitute endorsement of the product by the authors or the journal." The name of any funding agency, company, manufacturer, or third-party institution that provided funding, equipment, or technical support should be stated.

Article Types

AK features the following article types:

Format

Title Page (Separate file, one example Title.docx)

The title page should contain the following information:

1. Title of the article. The title should accurately reflect the content of the manuscript and be limited to 30 words. Authors should include specific and sensitive wording appropriate for electronic retrieval.
2. Submission type. Original Investigation, Brief Review, Technical Report, Case Study, Invited Commentary, Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis, or Letter to the Editor.
3. Full names of authors and institutional/corporate affiliations (alphabetical order). Do not list academic degrees. Names should be listed as First name Middle initial. Surname (e.g., John A. Citizen [or, if appropriate, J. Andrew Citizen]).
4. ORCID. ORCID numbers for all authors (if available).
5. Contact details for the corresponding author. The name, institution, mailing address, telephone and fax numbers, and email address of the corresponding author.
6. Preferred running head. Limited to 50 characters, including spaces.
7. Abstract word count. Limited to 300 words.
8. Text-only word count. The total word count for text only, excluding the abstract, acknowledgments, figure captions, and references (limited to 5,000 words).
9. Number of figures and tables.
10. Statement detailing any potential conflicts of interest (where appropriate).
11. Ethics committee approval (code number).
12. Informed consent statement.
13. Funding. If funding was provided, list sources. If no funding was received, state: "No funding was received for this investigation."
14. Topic (select one only): Sport Science, Sport Pedagogy, Kinesiology, Sports Medicine, Sport Traumatology, Sport Performance, Sport Physiology, Sport Psychology, Public Health.
15. Acknowledgments. List individuals making limited contributions to the study, with their institutional affiliations and a brief statement of their involvement. These might include individuals who provided technical assistance, expert opinion, access to facilities and equipment, manuscript review, and/or coaches and athletes (participants) involved in the study. Acknowledge any financial and material support, providing specific details of research grants if appropriate. All individuals cited in the acknowledgments should be advised of their inclusion before submission, as their appearance in this section can be inferred as endorsement of study findings and applications.
16. Author-s contribution in according to ICMJE guidelines (https://www.icmje.org/recommendations/browse/roles-and-responsibilities/defining-the-role-of-authors-and-contributors.html)

Main document (anonymous for the reviewers)

Original research articles and brief reports should include the following elements, in order: Abstract, Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion, Practical Applications, Conclusions, Acknowledgments (where needed), References, figure captions, and tables (if any).

Abstract. Abstracts must be limited to 300 words and accurately reflect the content of the manuscript. For reports of original data, include the following headings: Purpose, Methods, Results, and Conclusions. The abstract should provide the context or background for the study and appropriate details under the specified headings. Results should state the magnitude of effects, precision of estimation, and/or statistical significance. Conclusions should emphasize the practical application of the main findings and not simply restate the results. A list of 5 keywords or phrases, not repeating wording used in the title, should follow the abstract to assist in indexing and cross-referencing.

Introduction. The Introduction should provide a succinct statement of the context or background of the study. The justification, practical importance of the study, and specific purpose or research objective should be clearly stated. Secondary objectives may also be presented. The purpose stated as a research question or objective is preferable to an explicit hypothesis. Only pertinent references should be cited, and data or conclusions from the work being reported should not be presented here.

Methods. The Methods section should be limited to material available at the time of study design, whereas information obtained during the study should appear in the Results section. The Methods section should include a description of the design, participant information (including a statement that institutional review board approval was granted, in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki), interventions, outcome measures, and statistical analyses.

Participants—Study subjects or participants should be described in terms of number, age, and sex. All investigations with human participants should conform to the Code of Ethics of the World Medical Association (Declaration of Helsinki).

Design—The experimental approach should be clearly stated (e.g., randomized controlled study, case study, observational research), as well as the incorporation of control participants, if appropriate.

Methodology—The methodology, including facilities, equipment, instruments, and procedures, should be presented with sufficient detail to permit an independent researcher to repeat the study. References should be cited for established methods. Sufficient explanatory detail should be provided for new or unconventional methods.

Statistical Analysis—Authors are encouraged to consult a statistician during the planning and analysis phases of the study. The experimental design and statistical methods should be clearly detailed. Sample variability should be reported with standard deviation, and uncertainty (or precision) of estimates should be indicated using confidence limits or intervals. Magnitudes of effects can be shown and interpreted with established criteria. Reporting the clinical or practical significance in a sport setting will help readers determine the real-world value or application of the main findings. Precise P-values should be shown, as indirect indications such as P < .05 or P = NS are unacceptable and difficult for other researchers undertaking meta-analyses. Results should be reported so the number of digits is scientifically relevant. Standard and nonstandard statistical terms, abbreviations, and symbols should be defined, and details of computer software should be provided.

Results. Results should be presented in logical sequence, giving the most important findings first and addressing the stated objectives. Do not duplicate results between the text and figures or tables. Use graphs to summarize large amounts of information and avoid creating large tables of numeric data. Avoid inappropriate use of statistical terms such as random, significant, normal, sample, and population.

Discussion. Authors should emphasize new and important findings of the study and the practical applications and conclusions that follow from them. Material from the Results section should not be repeated, nor should new material be introduced. The relevance of the findings in the context of existing literature or contemporary practice should be addressed.

Practical Applications. The Practical Applications section is an important feature of manuscripts published in AK. Authors should summarize how the findings could be useful for coaches and athletes and/or other researchers in sport physiology and sport performance. The study's limitations and generalizability should also be addressed and, where necessary, recommendations made for future research.

Conclusions. Include only conclusions supported by the study findings.

References. Designate each citation in the text with a superscripted numeral and provide full and accurate information in the reference list. Limit references to published works or papers that have been accepted for publication; usually this can be achieved with fewer than 40 references, although review papers may have more extensive reference lists. Order the reference list in the order works are first cited, numbered serially, with no repeated entries. Entries in the reference list should follow the latest edition of the AMA Manual of Style.

Examples of the main types of publications follow:

in the main document:

...........................Numerous research endeavours have delved into exploring the variability inherent in different forms of bipedal human gait, including activities like pedaling,^1,2 walking,^3,4 race walking,^5–7 and running.^8–14

 While in the reference list

• Journal articles— Gomes Neto M, Conceição CS, De Lima Brasileiro AJA, De Sousa CS, Carvalho VO, De Jesus FLA. Effects of the FIFA 11 training program on injury prevention and performance in football players: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Clin Rehabil. 2017;31(5):651-659. doi:10.1177/0269215516675906
• Book references—Pearl AJ. The Female Athlete. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics; 1993.
• Chapter in an edited book—Perrin DH. The evaluation process in rehabilitation. In: Prentice WE, ed. Rehabilitation Techniques in Sports Medicine. 2nd ed. St Louis, MO: Mosby Year Book; 1994:253–276.
• Web site - Air Quality. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Updated June 28, 2021. Accessed July 28, 2021. https://www.cdc.gov/air/default.htm

Figures and Tables. Provide each figure and table with a brief caption or title that defines all abbreviations used within it. Figures and tables must be numbered and referenced in the text in consecutive numerical order. Figures should be in JPEG or TIFF format and no larger than approximately 19.5 cm (7.5 in.) by 23.5 cm (9.5 in.), which is the size of the print area on a single journal page, and all labels should be legible at that size. Figures should be professional in appearance and have clean, crisp lines. Hand drawings and hand lettering are not acceptable. Although online articles support color figures, bear in mind that the journal prints in black and white, and most color PDFs will be printed in black and white. Ensure that any color figures submitted will be interpretable in grayscale. Photographic images should be at a resolution of 600 dots per inch (dpi), and line art should be at 1200 dpi. Figure captions must be listed on a separate page; each figure must be clearly identified (numbered), preferably as part of its filename. Authors are encouraged to submit illustrations rather than tables. When tabular material is necessary, it should not duplicate information in the text. Tables must be prepared using Microsoft Word's table-building functions. Tables should be single-spaced, include brief titles, and be uploaded as separate files. Explanatory notes should appear in footnotes below the table. Authors wishing to reproduce previously published material must obtain prior written permission from the copyright holder(s). The phrase "used by permission" should appear in the caption.

Data Sharing and Data Availability

Acta Kinesiologica encourages data sharing and is committed to creating a more open research landscape that facilitates faster and more effective research discovery by enabling reproducibility and verification of data, methodology, and reporting standards. We encourage authors to share their research data, including but not limited to raw data, processed data, software, algorithms, protocols, methods, and materials.

Authors are encouraged to archive data and other artifacts supporting their results in appropriate public repositories. All manuscripts must include a data availability statement that describes the presence or absence of shared data. When data have been shared, this statement must include:

• A description of how the data can be accessed
• A persistent identifier (e.g., DOI or accession number) from the repository
• A link to the repository used
• Proper citation of the shared data

Authors may use standard templates or draft their own data availability statements. Whenever possible, scripts and other artifacts used to generate analyses should also be publicly archived. Shared data must be properly cited in the manuscript.

Authors are not expected to share data when doing so would compromise ethical standards or violate legal requirements.