Author Guidelines
H0 Journal · A publication of Neural Prosody, LLC
Please read these guidelines in full before preparing your manuscript.
Submissions that do not conform to our formatting and disclosure requirements will be returned without review.
Before You Submit
Authors are responsible for ensuring that their submission is complete, correctly formatted, and accompanied by all required disclosures prior to submission through Open Journal Systems (OJS). The checklist below summarizes the requirements detailed in these guidelines. A submission that is missing any required element will be returned to the corresponding author without entering peer review.
Pre-submission checklist
Manuscript prepared in Microsoft Word (.docx), double-spaced, 12-point Times New Roman or equivalent serif font, 1-inch margins
Title page prepared as a separate file (see Section 3)
Main manuscript file is fully anonymized — no author names, affiliations, acknowledgments, or identifying information
Abstract included and within the 350-word limit
Keywords (5–8) listed below the abstract
All references formatted in APA 7th edition
Tables and figures included at the end of the manuscript, each on a separate page, with callouts in the text
AI use disclosure completed (or confirmed as not applicable)
Conflict of interest statement included
Funding disclosure included (or confirmed as none)
Pre-registration disclosure included (if applicable)
Data availability statement included
Ethical approval statement included for studies involving human or animal participants
Scope and Suitability
H0 Journal publishes peer-reviewed research across psychology and behavioral science. We accept five submission types: original empirical research, Registered Reports, replication studies, systematic reviews and meta-analyses, and methodological or statistical papers. Manuscripts outside these categories, or outside the disciplinary scope of psychology and behavioral science, will be returned without review.
H0 Journal evaluates manuscripts on methodological quality and transparency of reporting. Manuscripts are not evaluated on the basis of whether findings are statistically significant, novel, or confirmatory of a hypothesis. Authors of studies yielding null, negative, or inconclusive results are explicitly encouraged to submit.
Authors uncertain about the suitability of their manuscript for H0 Journal are encouraged to contact the editorial office with a brief inquiry before submitting.
Manuscript Preparation
File requirements
All manuscripts must be submitted as Microsoft Word (.docx) files. PDF submissions are not accepted. Authors must submit two separate files:
Title page file — containing the manuscript title, all author names and affiliations, corresponding author contact information, acknowledgments, and any funding or conflict of interest disclosures that would identify the authors
Main manuscript file — fully anonymized, containing no author names, affiliations, acknowledgments, or any other identifying information. This file is sent to reviewers.
Formatting
| Element | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Font | 12-point Times New Roman or equivalent serif font |
| Line spacing | Double-spaced throughout, including references, tables, and figure captions |
| Margins | 1 inch (2.54 cm) on all sides |
| Page numbers | Bottom center, beginning on the title page |
| Heading levels | APA 7th edition heading format (Levels 1–5 as needed) |
| Abstract | 350 words maximum; see Section 3.3 for format by submission type |
| Keywords | 5–8 keywords listed immediately below the abstract |
| Citations | APA 7th edition in-text citations throughout |
| Reference list | APA 7th edition; double-spaced; hanging indent |
| Tables | End of manuscript, each on a separate page; APA 7th edition format |
| Figures | End of manuscript, each on a separate page; minimum 300 dpi resolution |
Abstract format by submission type
H0 Journal requires different abstract formats depending on the nature of the submission.
Structured abstract (required for original empirical research, Registered Reports, replication studies, and systematic reviews/meta-analyses):
Background: Brief statement of the problem or research question
Objectives: What the study aimed to examine or test
Methods: Design, participants/sample, and primary measures or analytical approach
Results: Primary findings, including relevant effect sizes and confidence intervals
Conclusions: Interpretation and implications of the findings
Unstructured abstract (permitted for methodological/statistical papers and theoretical contributions):
A single paragraph of up to 350 words summarizing the contribution, its context, and its implications for research practice. Section labels are not required.
Statistical reporting
H0 Journal follows APA 7th edition statistical reporting conventions. Authors are expected to report effect sizes and confidence intervals alongside inferential statistics. Reporting of p-values alone, without accompanying effect size estimates, is insufficient. Authors are encouraged to use open reporting frameworks such as JARS (Journal Article Reporting Standards) as appropriate to their study design.
For null results specifically: authors should report observed power or conduct equivalence testing or Bayesian analyses where appropriate, to support interpretation of null findings. A null result accompanied by adequate power analysis or equivalence bounds is a stronger contribution than one without.
Pre-registration
Pre-registration of hypotheses and analytical plans prior to data collection is strongly encouraged for all empirical submissions to H0 Journal. Pre-registration is required for Registered Reports (see Section 4). Authors who pre-registered their study must include the registry name and URL in the Pre-registration Disclosure section of the manuscript. Accepted registries include OSF Registries, AsPredicted, ClinicalTrials.gov, and equivalent institutional or disciplinary registries.
Authors who did not pre-register their study should indicate this in the disclosure section. Absence of pre-registration does not disqualify a submission from review.
Registered Reports
H0 Journal accepts Registered Reports, a submission format in which the introduction, hypotheses, and detailed methods plan are reviewed and provisionally accepted prior to data collection. Provisional acceptance (in-principle acceptance, or IPA) guarantees publication of the completed study provided the authors adhere to the pre-registered protocol and the manuscript meets the journal’s reporting standards.
The Registered Report process at H0 Journal proceeds in two stages:
Stage 1 submission: Authors submit a manuscript (approximately 3,000–5,000 words) comprising a literature review, statement of the research question and hypotheses, detailed methods plan, and proposed analytical approach. Stage 1 manuscripts are reviewed by at least two peer reviewers. Accepted Stage 1 manuscripts receive in-principle acceptance.
Stage 2 submission: Following data collection and analysis, authors submit the completed manuscript for final review. Reviewers assess adherence to the pre-registered protocol and the quality of reporting. Deviations from the pre-registered plan must be explicitly disclosed and justified.
Authors interested in submitting a Registered Report are encouraged to contact the editorial office prior to Stage 1 submission to confirm topical fit.
Required Disclosures
All submissions to H0 Journal must include the following disclosures in a dedicated Disclosures section at the end of the main manuscript file, prior to the reference list. Each item must be present; authors who have nothing to declare for a given item should state “None” or “Not applicable” rather than omitting the section.
| Disclosure | Requirement |
|---|---|
| AI use | Disclose any use of AI-assisted technologies in manuscript preparation, including the tool used and the purpose. If no AI tools were used, state: “No AI-assisted technologies were used in the preparation of this manuscript.” |
| Conflict of interest | Disclose any financial, professional, personal, or intellectual relationships that could be perceived as influencing the research or its reporting. If none, state: “The authors declare no conflicts of interest.” |
| Funding | Disclose all funding sources that supported the research, including grant numbers where applicable. If the research received no external funding, state: “This research received no external funding.” |
| Pre-registration | Provide the name of the registry and the URL of the pre-registered protocol, if applicable. If the study was not pre-registered, state: “This study was not pre-registered.” |
| Data availability | Provide the URL or DOI of the openly available dataset, or state the reason data cannot be shared (e.g., participant confidentiality, institutional restrictions). See Section 6 for data sharing requirements. |
| Ethical approval | For studies involving human or animal participants, provide the name of the approving institutional review board or ethics committee and the approval number. For studies not requiring ethical review, provide a brief statement of explanation. |
Data and Materials Sharing
Data sharing
H0 Journal requires authors to make their research data openly available unless sharing is precluded by participant confidentiality obligations, institutional policy, legal restrictions, or other documented ethical constraints. Authors must include a Data Availability Statement in the Disclosures section specifying where data can be accessed, or providing a clear explanation of why data cannot be shared.
Acceptable data repositories include OSF (Open Science Framework), Zenodo, Figshare, institutional repositories, and discipline-specific archives. Data must be deposited prior to submission and the repository URL or DOI included in the manuscript. Requests for data to be made available “upon reasonable request” are not accepted in lieu of open deposition.
Open materials
Authors are strongly encouraged to share study materials (stimuli, survey instruments, codebooks, analysis scripts, and protocols) in an openly accessible repository. Where materials are shared, the repository URL or DOI should be included in the manuscript. Where materials cannot be shared, authors should indicate this in the Data Availability Statement.
Authorship and Contributorship
Authorship of manuscripts submitted to H0 Journal must reflect genuine intellectual contribution to the work. H0 Journal follows the ICMJE criteria for authorship, which require that each author has: (1) made substantial contributions to conception or design, or to acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data; (2) drafted or critically revised the work for important intellectual content; (3) approved the final version for publication; and (4) agreed to be accountable for all aspects of the work.
Authors are required to include a Contributor Roles statement (using CRediT taxonomy or equivalent) specifying each author’s contribution to the work. AI-assisted technologies do not meet the ICMJE criteria for authorship and may not be listed as authors or co-authors under any circumstances.
Submission Process
All manuscripts are submitted through H0 Journal’s Open Journal Systems (OJS) portal. Authors must create a free OJS account to submit. The corresponding author is responsible for the submission and for all editorial correspondence on behalf of the author team.
The submission process requires the following steps:
Create or log in to your OJS account at [OJS portal URL]
Begin a new submission and select the appropriate submission type
Upload the anonymized main manuscript file (.docx)
Upload the title page as a separate file (.docx)
Upload supplementary files (data, materials, appendices) if applicable
Complete all metadata fields, including abstract, keywords, and disclosure statements
Confirm agreement with H0 Journal’s Author Guidelines and policies
Submit
Authors will receive an automated acknowledgment upon submission. The handling editor will conduct an initial desk review for completeness and scope fit, typically within five business days. Manuscripts that pass desk review will be assigned to peer reviewers. Authors will be notified of the editorial decision following completion of peer review.
Editorial Process and Decisions
H0 Journal conducts double-anonymized peer review. All manuscripts that pass initial desk review are assigned to at least two independent peer reviewers with relevant subject matter expertise. Reviewers are compensated for their work; see our For Reviewers page for details.
Editorial decisions fall into four categories:
Accept — the manuscript is accepted for publication as submitted or with minor typographical corrections only
Minor revision — the manuscript requires limited revisions; authors are typically given 30 days to resubmit
Major revision — the manuscript requires substantial revisions; authors are typically given 60 days to resubmit
Reject — the manuscript is not suitable for publication in H0 Journal in its current form
Rejection at desk review or following peer review does not preclude submission of a substantially revised manuscript, at the editor’s discretion. Authors wishing to appeal an editorial decision should contact the editorial office within 14 days of the decision, providing a written statement of the grounds for appeal.
After Acceptance
Upon acceptance, the corresponding author will receive a proof for review. Authors are responsible for reviewing proofs carefully and returning corrections within the specified timeframe, typically five business days. Only typographical and factual errors may be corrected at the proof stage; substantive changes to the manuscript will not be accepted.
Accepted articles are published continuously upon completion of production. H0 Journal does not hold articles for issue compilation. Articles are assigned a DOI and are immediately and permanently open access under CC BY 4.0 upon publication.
Authors retain copyright to their work. By submitting to H0 Journal, authors grant Neural Prosody, LLC a non-exclusive license to publish, distribute, and archive the article under CC BY 4.0.
Questions about these guidelines?
Contact the H0 Journal editorial office before submitting. We are happy to advise on scope fit, submission format, or any aspect of the preparation process.