Instructions for Authors

Manuscripts submitted to Laodikeia Rehabilitation Sciences (LRS) should be prepared in accordance with the principles outlined in the Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing, and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals published by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE).

Authors are encouraged to follow the appropriate international reporting guidelines according to the study design. These include CONSORT for randomized controlled trials, STROBE for observational studies, PRISMA for systematic reviews and meta-analyses, CARE for case reports, ARRIVE for animal studies, and other relevant reporting guidelines where applicable.

For manuscripts written in Turkish, the current spelling and language rules of the Turkish Language Association (Türk Dil Kurumu) should be followed. English manuscripts and English abstracts should be carefully checked for language quality before submission. The editors may request English language editing when deemed necessary.

Article Types

Original Research Article

Original research articles present novel scientific findings on current and relevant topics, extend previous research, or contribute to clinical and scientific practice. Original research articles should not exceed 4,000 words and 40 references.

Case Report

Case reports describe interesting, original, or clinically instructive cases. Case reports should not exceed 2,000 words and 20 references.

Editorial

Editorials are invited articles prepared by experts on topics related to education, clinical practice, or current scientific developments. Editorials should not exceed 1,000 words and 10 references.

Review, Systematic Review, and Meta-analysis

These articles provide comprehensive evaluations of current literature on topics related to health sciences, physiotherapy and rehabilitation, and clinical practice. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses should be prepared in accordance with the appropriate reporting guidelines. Review articles should not exceed 6,000 words and 100 references.

Letter to the Editor

Letters to the Editor may provide scientific comments, critiques, or contributions regarding articles previously published in the journal. When referring to a previously published article, the relevant article should be appropriately cited. Letters to the Editor should not exceed 500 words and 5 references.

General Formatting Requirements

• Manuscripts should be prepared in Microsoft Word on A4-size pages.
• The Times New Roman font, 12-point size, and 1.5 line spacing should be used throughout the manuscript.
• Margins should be 2.5 cm on all sides.
• Pages and lines should be numbered.
• Main section headings should be written in bold type and organized consistently throughout the manuscript.
• Abbreviations should be defined at first mention, followed by the abbreviation in parentheses. The abbreviation should then be used consistently throughout the manuscript.
• Decimal numbers should be presented using a comma (,) in Turkish manuscripts and a period (.) in English manuscripts.
• Statistical values should be reported in accordance with accepted scientific reporting standards.

Title Page

The title should be concise, clear, informative, and consistent with the content of the manuscript. Abbreviations should not be used in the title.

The title should be provided in both Turkish and English. The title page should also include a short title in both languages and the total word count of the manuscript.

For each author, the following information should be provided:

• Full name and surname
• Academic title
• Institutional affiliation and department
• ORCID iD
• E-mail address

Author affiliations should be indicated using superscript numbers. The contact information of the corresponding author should be provided separately.

Abstract and Keywords

All manuscripts should include both Turkish and English abstracts.

Turkish Abstract

The Turkish abstract should not exceed 250 words and should include the purpose, methods, main findings, and conclusion of the study.

For original research articles, the abstract should be structured under the following headings:

• Amaç
• Yöntem
• Bulgular
• Sonuç

There should be 3–5 keywords. Keywords should preferably be selected from the Türkiye Bilim Terimleri terminology.

English Abstract

The English abstract should not exceed 300 words.

For original research articles, the abstract should be structured under the following headings:

• Purpose
• Methods
• Results
• Conclusion

English keywords should preferably be selected from the Medical Subject Headings (MeSH).

The Turkish and English abstracts should be consistent in terms of content.

Sections of an Original Research Article

Original research articles should generally consist of the following sections:

Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion, Conclusion

Introduction

The Introduction should briefly present the relevant and current literature, explain the rationale for the study, and clearly state its purpose.

Methods

The study design, participants, data collection procedures, measurement instruments, interventions, and statistical methods should be described in sufficient detail.

For studies involving human participants, ethical approval should be stated, including the name of the ethics committee, approval date, and approval/protocol number. Authors should state that the study was conducted in accordance with relevant ethical principles and that informed consent was obtained from participants when applicable.

The Methods section should include a subsection entitled Statistical Analysis. The statistical methods used, the name and version of the statistical software, and information regarding sample size determination should be reported, with appropriate justification where applicable.

For studies involving animals, the relevant ethics committee approval and compliance with applicable animal welfare standards should be stated.

When identifiable photographs or other images of individuals are used, the necessary written publication consent must be obtained.

Results

The Results section should present the findings of the study clearly and systematically. Interpretation of the findings should be reserved for the Discussion section. Data presented in tables and figures should not be unnecessarily repeated in the text.

Discussion

The Discussion should interpret the main findings of the study and compare them with the existing literature. The strengths and limitations of the study and its contribution to the literature and clinical practice should be addressed. Data not obtained from the study should not be discussed as study findings.

Conclusion

The Conclusion should briefly and clearly summarize the main findings of the study and their scientific or clinical implications.

Ethical and Other Declarations

Where applicable, the following sections should be included after the Discussion:

Ethics Committee Approval: The name of the ethics committee, approval date, and approval/decision number should be stated.

Informed Consent: Whether informed consent was obtained from participants should be stated.

Conflict of Interest: Any potential conflicts of interest should be disclosed.

Funding: Financial support received for the study should be reported, including the name of the funding organization(s).

Author Contributions: The individual contributions of all authors should be clearly stated.

Acknowledgments: Individuals or organizations who contributed to the study but do not meet authorship criteria may be acknowledged in this section.

Declarations: If the study has previously been presented at a congress, meeting, or other scientific event, the relevant information should be provided.

References

References should be formatted according to the Vancouver citation style.

References should be numbered consecutively according to their first appearance in the text. Reference numbers should be indicated using Arabic numerals in parentheses.

When multiple references are cited, individual references should be separated by commas, while consecutive references should be presented as a range. Examples: (2, 5, 7) or (3-7).

Authors are encouraged to include current and relevant literature and to provide a balanced selection of both recent and foundational references.

Tables

• Tables should be prepared in Microsoft Word format.
• Each table should be placed on a separate page at the end of the manuscript.
• Tables should be numbered consecutively according to their order of appearance in the text.
• The total number of tables and figures should not exceed six.
• Table titles should be placed above the corresponding table.
• The table number should be written in bold type and separated from the title by a period. Example: Table 1. Sociodemographic characteristics of the participants.
• Vertical lines should preferably not be used in tables.
• Abbreviations and necessary explanatory notes should be provided below the table.
• Units of measurement should be indicated for relevant variables.
• Decimal values should be presented using a comma in Turkish manuscripts and a period in English manuscripts.

Figures and Illustrations

Figures and illustrations should be numbered consecutively according to their order of appearance in the text.

Figure legends should be provided in a separate section at the end of the manuscript. Figures should be submitted in JPEG, TIFF, or PNG format and in publication-quality resolution.

When photographs include identifiable individuals, written permission for publication must be obtained and appropriate measures must be taken to protect personal identity.

Manuscript Submission Format

Manuscripts should be submitted electronically through the journal's online submission system in Microsoft Word format.

When requested by the journal's submission system, separate files containing author information and an anonymized manuscript should be uploaded to ensure an impartial peer-review process.

Author names and institutional information should not appear in the anonymized manuscript prepared for peer review.

Peer Review Process

Manuscripts submitted to the journal are initially evaluated by the Editor or an assigned editor for compliance with the journal's scope, author guidelines, scientific suitability, and basic ethical requirements.

Manuscripts that do not comply with the journal's requirements or contain missing information may be returned to the authors for technical corrections.

Manuscripts considered suitable for scientific evaluation are reviewed by at least two independent external reviewers with expertise in the relevant field. Revision may be requested based on the reviewers' comments.

During the revision process, authors should respond to each reviewer comment individually and upload a revised version of the manuscript.

The final decision regarding acceptance or rejection is made by the Editorial Board based on the editorial assessment and peer-review reports.
Publishing Rights Transfer Agreement
Conflict of Interest Declaration Form
 

Ethical Principles and Publication Policy

General Information

Laodikeia Rehabilitation Sciences (LRS) is the official scientific publication of the Faculty of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation, Pamukkale University. The journal is an open-access and free-of-charge scientific journal that follows the principles of independent, impartial, and double-blind peer review. The publication languages of the journal are Turkish and English.

LRS publishes original research articles, invited reviews, systematic reviews and meta-analyses, case reports, and letters to the editor. The journal aims to publish original studies of high scientific and ethical value in the fields of health and rehabilitation sciences and to contribute to the dissemination and advancement of scientific knowledge.

Manuscripts submitted to LRS must not have been previously published or be under consideration for publication elsewhere. Manuscripts should be prepared for scientific purposes and should not be submitted for commercial purposes. All authors must approve the content of the manuscript and its submission to the journal.

Ethical Responsibilities

Editors and Section Editors

Editors and Section Editors perform their duties and responsibilities in accordance with the relevant guidelines published by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and internationally accepted principles of publication ethics.

Editors and Section Editors are responsible for:

• Ensuring that published articles comply with the journal's publication policies and relevant international standards;
• Maintaining and improving the scientific quality, originality, and readability of the journal;
• Conducting editorial processes in a transparent, impartial, and ethical manner;
• Identifying and managing potential conflicts of interest among authors, reviewers, and other parties;
• Evaluating manuscripts based on their scientific significance, originality, validity, clarity, and relevance to the aims and scope of the journal.

Editors ensure that the review process is conducted fairly, impartially, confidentially, and within a reasonable timeframe.

When an editor or a member of the Editorial Board is an author of a submitted manuscript, an independent editor may be appointed to manage the evaluation process in order to avoid conflicts of interest.

Reviewers

Manuscripts submitted to LRS undergo a double-blind peer-review process. Each manuscript is evaluated by at least two independent external reviewers with expertise in the relevant field.

Reviewers are expected to:

• Maintain the confidentiality of the manuscripts they receive;
• Use the manuscript solely for the purpose of scientific evaluation;
• Inform the editor of any potential conflict of interest;
• Provide objective, constructive, respectful, and scientifically appropriate comments;
• Complete the review within the requested timeframe.

Reviewers must not use or disclose information obtained from a manuscript for any purpose until the peer-review and publication processes have been completed.

Authors

Authors are responsible for the scientific content of their manuscripts and for compliance with applicable ethical standards.

Research involving human participants must be conducted in accordance with the World Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki and relevant national and international ethical principles. Where required, ethical approval must be obtained from the appropriate ethics committee before the study begins.

For studies requiring ethics committee approval, the name of the ethics committee, approval date, and approval/decision number must be stated in the Methods section of the manuscript. For studies involving human participants, informed consent should be obtained when applicable.

For studies that do not require ethics committee approval, an appropriate exemption document or a statement from the responsible author explaining why ethics committee approval was not required should be submitted, where applicable.

For studies involving animals, the relevant ethics committee approval must be obtained, and internationally accepted principles for the care and use of laboratory animals must be followed.

Authorship Criteria

All individuals listed as authors must meet the authorship criteria defined by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE). Each author should:

1. Make a substantial contribution to the conception or design of the study, acquisition of data, or analysis and interpretation of data;
2. Contribute to drafting the manuscript or critically revising it for important intellectual content;
3. Approve the final version of the manuscript to be published;
4. Agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work and ensure that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.

Similarity, Plagiarism, and Research Ethics

All manuscripts submitted to the journal may be screened using an appropriate similarity detection software during the technical evaluation process.

Similarity reports are evaluated in the context of the manuscript, taking into account standard and technical matches such as references, tables, figures, and commonly used terminology. The journal reserves the right to determine the acceptability of the similarity level based on editorial assessment.

In cases where plagiarism, self-plagiarism, fabrication, falsification, citation manipulation, or other forms of research or publication misconduct are detected or reasonably suspected, the journal will follow the relevant COPE guidelines and take appropriate action.

Manuscripts involving suspected ethical misconduct may not be sent for peer review or may be withdrawn from the review process at any stage.

Corresponding Author

The corresponding author is responsible for communication with the journal from manuscript submission through publication.

Where applicable, the corresponding author is responsible for ensuring that the following documents are uploaded to the submission system:

• Ethics committee approval document or relevant ethical statement;
• Copyright or licensing documents;
• Author contribution statement;
• Conflict of interest declaration;
• Other required publication and ethical documents.

After submission, changes to the authorship, including the addition or removal of an author or changes in author order, may only be considered in accordance with the journal's editorial policies and with the written approval of all authors.

Copyright and Previously Published Material

When previously published text, tables, figures, photographs, questionnaires, scales, or other copyrighted material are used, authors are responsible for obtaining the necessary copyright and permission to use such material.

Relevant permission documents should be submitted to the journal together with the manuscript.

When photographs or other images that may identify patients or participants are used, written permission for publication must be obtained from the individual or their legal representative. The manuscript should state in the Methods section that the necessary permission was obtained.

If the study has previously been presented at a scientific meeting, the name, location, and date of the meeting should be stated on the title page or in the relevant declaration section.

Copyright

Copyright and licensing conditions for articles published in the journal shall be governed by the relevant publication and licensing agreement established with the authors.

Disclaimer

The opinions, findings, and statements expressed in articles published in Laodikeia Rehabilitation Sciences are the sole responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors, Editorial Board, or the Faculty of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation, Pamukkale University.

The authors bear full scientific and legal responsibility for the published content.