Submission Guidelines

LTS Preprint Server Submission Guidelines

The Langtaosha (LTS) Preprint Server is a permanently open-access repository built on blockchain technology by the Shenzhen Medical Academy of Research and Translation (SMART). It enables researchers to share scientific findings prior to formal peer review. The platform is dedicated to accelerating the dissemination of life sciences research and to fostering efficient scientific communication and collaboration.

1. Platform Overview

Scope: The platform welcomes submissions across all fields of life sciences research. All submissions must be original research papers within the biological or biomedical domains. The platform currently does not accept manuscripts involving human research, clinical trials, or epidemiological studies. Academic articles such as case reports, reviews, editorials, protocols, and theses will not be accepted. Non-academic content such as advertisements and non-scientific articles will also be rejected. Manuscripts must not be under consideration at another preprint server or already published elsewhere (to prevent version confusion in citations).

Permanence & Citation: Once a manuscript is deposited, it becomes a permanently citable document and cannot be withdrawn. Each manuscript is assigned a Digital Object Identifier (DOI) for formal citation. Revised versions retain the same DOI assigned to the initial submission. Specific versions may be cited by indicating the appropriate version number in the DOI link.

Screening & Responsibility: All manuscripts undergo basic screening to ensure they do not contain offensive, non-scientific, or potentially hazardous content that could compromise human health or biosafety. Posted manuscripts are not peer-reviewed; authors bear full responsibility for their accuracy and integrity. Authors must also ensure that their studies comply with all relevant national and institutional ethical requirements.

Rights & Licensing: Copyright remains with the authors. By submitting, authors agree to make their work available under the distribution license chosen by the authors among CC BY, CC BY-NC, CC BY-ND, CC BY-NC-ND, CC0, or no reuse. Authors also explicitly consent to text and data mining of their work (e.g., by search engines), unless otherwise specified.

2. Manuscript Formatting

Manuscripts should be submitted in a clear, readable format to facilitate rapid screening and dissemination. The recommended format is PDF; manuscripts in other formats will be automatically converted to PDF before final submission.

General Requirements

  • Language: English is preferred. Submissions in Chinese must include an English abstract and keywords. Please note that submissions in languages other than English or Chinese are not currently accepted.
  • Length: No strict limits; concise manuscripts are encouraged.
  • Font and Spacing: Optional, but use of 12-point Times New Roman or Arial font, double spacing, and 1-inch margins is recommended.
  • Structure: Please organize manuscripts in the following order:
    • Title: Concise and informative.
    • Authors and Affiliations: Full names of all authors, institutional affiliations, and contact details of the corresponding authors (including email and ORCID if available).
    • Abstract: a single paragraph summarizing background, methods, results, and conclusions.
    • Keywords: 3–6 terms for indexing.
    • Main Text: Structured as Introduction, Results, Discussion, Methods, etc. (or adapted as appropriate).
    • Acknowledgments: Optional.
    • Funding: Disclosure of all funding sources.
    • Conflict of Interest: Declaration of any potential conflicts.

Figures and Tables

  • Embed figures and tables within the manuscript text or at the end, with captions below figures and above tables.
  • If separate high-resolution files are required, use TIFF, EPS, JPEG, or PNG formats (minimum 300 DPI).
  • Number figures and tables consecutively (e.g., Figure 1, Table 1) and refer to them sequentially in the text.

Data and Supplementary Materials

The platform encourages open data sharing to enhance transparency, reproducibility, and impact. Adherence to the FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) data principles is recommended.

Data Sharing

  • Deposit raw data in public repositories (Figshare, Zenodo, EMPIAR, or field-specific databases like GEO for genomics).
  • Include a Data Availability Statement in the manuscript (e.g., "Data available upon request" or provide a direct access link).
  • For sensitive data (e.g., patient-related information), provide a de-identified summary or implement controlled access in compliance with GDPR/HIPAA standards.

Supplementary Files

  • Submit supplementary materials as separate files (PDF, ZIP, or other formats).
  • May Include extended methods, additional figures or tables, datasets, or code (e.g., GitHub links).
  • Clearly label files (e.g., Supplementary Figure S1.pdf).
  • No explicit size limit, but total upload size should preferably remain under 100 MB for efficient submission.

3. Submission Process & Workflow

Once you have prepared your manuscript, the submission and screening process at the LTS Preprint Platform follows these stages:

  1. Registration: Please create an account using a valid institutional email address at https://langtaosha.org.cn.
  2. New Submission: Log in and select "Start A New Submission" to upload your manuscript and supplementary materials.
  3. Metadata Entry: Provide all required information, including the manuscript title, abstract, keywords, author details, and the most appropriate subject categories.
  4. Select Rights & Licensing: Select and confirm your preferred rights and distribution license.

After Submission – Understanding the Status Flow:

Once you complete the submission steps, your manuscript will progress through the following statuses, which you can monitor in your author dashboard:

  • In Preparation: A draft version of your manuscript has been created and saved. Please note that all submission elements remain editable, allowing you to make revisions and upload files until the formal submission is completed.
  • Under Screening: Your manuscript has entered the screening queue. It is locked for editing and is undergoing automated and manual checks. These include checks for completeness, formatting, potential plagiarism, scope appropriateness, and compliance with our policies on ethics, biosecurity, and legal norms (e.g., adherence to the laws of Mainland China).
  • Posted: Your preprint is now live and publicly accessible on the platform with a permanent DOI. You will receive a notification email with a direct link. You may submit a revised version in the future if needed.
  • Rejected: If the manuscript fails screening (e.g., due to being out of scope, plagiarism, or unresolved policy violations), it will be rejected. You will receive a notification detailing the reason.

Submitting a Revision:

Authors may submit a revised version of their preprint at any time by clicking "Submit Revision" in the author dashboard. The new version (e.g., v2) will inherit the original DOI and undergo the same screening process as a new submission. All previous versions remain accessible on the platform. Supplementary materials must be resubmitted or confirmed with each new version.

For technical support, please contact: ltspreprint@smart.org.cn

4. Publication Ethics

Authors must uphold the high ethical standards. The platform adheres to the principles and best practices of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

Key Principles

  • Originality: Manuscripts must be original and not under consideration elsewhere or already published.
  • Authorship: All listed authors must have made substantial contributions and approved the final version.
  • Plagiarism and Fabrication: Zero tolerance; manuscripts with confirmed misconduct will be retracted.
  • Human/Animal Research: Provide ethics approval details (e.g., IRB number) and confirm compliance with the Declaration of Helsinki or ARRIVE guidelines.
  • Informed Consent: Mandatory for studies involving human participants.
  • Corrections and Retractions: Authors may request updates. Notices may be added to the preprint page in cases of significant error.

Violations of publication ethics may lead to rejection and potential blacklisting.

5. Contact and Support

For general inquiries, please consult the FAQ page or contact us at ltspreprint@smart.org.cn. You can also follow our official WeChat account (@LTSPreprint) for news and updates.

Thank you for contributing to open science!