Submissions

The Acta Kinesiologica Journal (AK) focuses on public health, sport physiology and performance and is dedicated to advancing the knowledge of sport and exercise science, sport pedagogy, orthopaedic sports medicine, sport-performance researchers, other sport scientists and kinesiology issues. The journal publishes authoritative peer-reviewed research in biomechanics, sports medicine, sport physiology and related disciplines, with an emphasis on work having direct practical applications in enhancing sport performance in sport physiology and related disciplines. 

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 is pleased to allow our authors having their articles published Open Access. Open Access provide payment when the article will be accepted definitively by Editor in Chief.

Fee

The registration fee for the publication of the article is 350 Euros and must be paid within a week of the acceptance of the article for publication. 

For "Special Issue / Discount" the Correspondig Author must to include in the "Title" file the Code number related to it.

General Guidelines

Manuscripts

All manuscripts must be written in English, typed one-spaced in Times New Roman size 12 font with wide margins, and include an abstract of no more than 300 words. Please activate continuous line numbering and number pages; margin page 2.54 cm upper/down - right/ left. Clearly label any figures and submit them as separate files (JPGs, TIFFs, 600 DPI). Number all pages in this order: title page (page 1), abstract, text, acknowledgments (if any), references, figure captions, tables.

All articles received (except letters to the Editor) will be reviewed through a double-blind peer review system, therefore the main document cannot report informations related to the Author-s/University/Agency

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 the active voice. Writing should be concise and direct. Avoid using unnecessary jargon and abbreviations but use an acronym or abbreviation if it is more commonly recognized than the spelled-out version of a term. Formats of numbers and units and all other style matters should follow the AMA Manual of Style, 10^th edition. Measurements of length, height, mass, and volume should be reported in metric units (m, kg). Only standard physiological abbreviations should be used because nonstandard abbreviations are unnecessary and confusing. Avoid abbreviations in the title. The full wording should precede the first use of an abbreviation.

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 3 potential reviewers for the manuscript with suitable expertise in the area addressed by the manuscript. The journal is under no obligation to use any of the nominated reviewers. The corresponding author can also identify up to 3 potential reviewers who might have a potential conflict of interest with the content of the submitted manuscript and/or with one or more of the manuscript co-authors. Each file submitted cannot report the author's or his Institution name in anonimous - table files.

Manuscripts will be read by an editor who conducts a preliminary peer review process. If the article meets the journal's criteria, the editor sends it to the address of 3 reviewers for a double-blind review. This process will take 4 to 8 weeks.

Conflict of Interest

Authors must identify potential conflicts of interest in the areas of financial, institutional, and/or personal relationships that might inappropriately influence their actions or statements. Financial relationships that could form a potential conflict of interest include employment, consultancy, honoraria, and other payments. Personal conflict of interest can relate to personal relationships, academic or sporting competition, and intellectual passion. Authors must disclose potential conflicts of interest to the subjects in the study being reported and state this explicitly in the Methods section of the manuscript. Disclosure of conflict 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. In instances where the study has been funded by a third party with a proprietary or financial interest in the outcomes, the corresponding author should include the following statement in the cover letter accompanying 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 with the published manuscript in the Acknowledgments section: “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 or company, manufacturer, or third-party institution or organization 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 in length. Authors should include specific and sensitive wording appropriate for electronic retrieval.

2. Submission type. Original Investigation, Technical Report, Case Study, or Letter to the Editor.

3. Full names of the authors and institutional/corporate affiliations (Alphabetic order). Do not list academic degrees. Names should be listed as First name Middle initial. Surname (eg, John A. Citizen [or, if appropriate, J. Andrew Citizen]).

4. ORCID. Full names of the authors, e-mail addresses and ORCID numbers (if available)

5. Contact details for the corresponding author. The name, institution, mail address, telephone and fax numbers, and e-mail address of the corresponding author.

6. Preferred running head. Limited to 50 characters in length, including spaces.

7. Abstract word count. Limited to 300 words.

8. Text-only word count. The total word count for the text only (excluding the abstract, acknowledgments, figure captions, and references) (limited to 5000 words).

9. Number of figures and tables.

10. A statement detailing any potential conflicts of interest (where appropriate)

11. Ethical Committee approval (Code number)

12. Informed Consent Statement

13. Funding (if provided), in alternatively (No funding was received for this investigation, need to be declared)

14. Topic: (one only) Sport Science, Sport Pedagogy, Kinesiology, Sports Medicine, Sport Traumatology, Sport Performance, Sport Physiology, Sport Psychology, Public Health

15. Acknowledgments.List individuals making a limited contribution 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, because their appearance in this section can be inferred as endorsement of study findings and applications.

16. Author-s contribution in according to ICMJE (https://www.icmje.org/recommendations/browse/roles-and-responsibilities/defining-the-role-of-authors-and-contributors.html)

Main document (anonymous for the reviewers)

1. Title of the article. The title should accurately reflect the content of the manuscript and be limited to 30 words in length. Authors should include specific and sensitive wording appropriate for electronic retrieval.
2. Submission type. Original Investigation, Technical Report, Case Study, Brief Review, Meta Analysis/Systematic Review or Letter to the Editor.

Parts and Order of the Manuscript (All pages should be numbered with a continuous interline)

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, and figure captions, and tables (if any).

Abstract. Abstracts must be limited to 300 words or fewer 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 the appropriate details under the specified headings. The results should state the magnitude of effects, precision of estimation, and/or statistical significance. The 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 of the article.

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 can 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 the study design, whereas information obtained during the study should appear in the Results section. The Methods section should include a description of the design, participants information (including a statement that institutional review board approval was granted, in the spirit of the Helsinki Declaration), interventions, outcome measures, and statistical analyses.

• Participants—The 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 (eg, 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 in 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 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 Pvalues 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 provided.  

Results. The results should be presented in a logical sequence, giving the most important findings first and addressing the stated objectives. Do not duplicate results between the text and the 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 new material 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. Only include conclusions supported by the study findings.

References. Designate each citation in the text by 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 might have more extensive reference lists. Order the reference list in the order the works are first cited, numbered serially, with no repeated entries in the list. 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 called out in the text in consecutive numerical order. Figures should be in JPG or TIF 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, with all labels then legible at that size. Figures should be professional in appearance and have clean, crisp lines. Hand drawing and hand lettering are not acceptable. Although our 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. Make sure that any color figures submitted will be interpretable in grayscale/black and white. Photographic images should be at a resolution of 600 dots per inch (dpi) for full-size photos and 600 dpi for line art. Figure captions must be listed separately, on a page by themselves; however, each figure must be clearly identified (numbered), preferably as part of its filename. Authors are urged to submit illustrations rather than tables. When tabular material is necessary, it should not duplicate 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 be shown in footnotes below the table. Authors wishing to reproduce previously published material should obtain prior written permission to reprint from the copyright holder(s) of the figure or table. The phrase "used by permission" should appear in the caption of the figure or table.

Data Sharing and Data Availability

Acta Kinesiologica journal encourages data sharing. This journal is committed to a more open research landscape, facilitating faster and more effective research discovery by enabling reproducibility and verification of data, methodology and reporting standards. We encourage authors of articles published in our journals to share their research data including, but not limited to: raw data, processed data, software, algorithms, protocols, methods, materials. The journal encourages authors to share the data and other artefacts supporting the results in the paper by archiving it in an appropriate public repository. Authors may provide a data availability statement, including a link to the repository they have used, in order that this statement can be published in their paper. Shared data should be cited. All accepted manuscripts may elect to publish a data availability statement to confirm the presence or absence of shared data. For authors who have shared data: this statement will describe how the data can be accessed, and include a persistent identifier (e.g., a DOI for the data, or an accession number) from the repository where you shared the data. You may use the Standard Templates for Author Use or draft your own. The journal expects that data supporting the results in the paper will be archived in an appropriate public repository. Authors are required to provide a data availability statement to describe the availability or the absence of shared data. When data have been shared, authors are required to include in their data availability statement a link to the repository they have used, and to cite the data they have shared. Whenever possible the scripts and other artefacts used to generate the analyses presented in the paper should also be publicly archived. If sharing data compromises ethical standards or legal requirements then authors are not expected to share it.