Submission Guidelines

Journal of Immersive Simulation and Learning in Digital Healthcare and Education (JISL) welcomes high-quality manuscript submissions that advance research and practice in immersive simulation, digital healthcare education, XR-based learning environments, AI-supported training, learning analytics, and technology-enhanced education.

Submitted manuscripts should present original, previously unpublished work and must not be under consideration for publication elsewhere. All submissions should be relevant to the aims and scope of JISL and prepared in accordance with the journal’s ethical and academic standards.

Article Types

JISL accepts the following article types:

1) Original Research Paper

Recommended length: 6,000–8,000 words

Original Research Papers present primary, original, and unpublished research. These articles may report empirical studies, experimental or quasi-experimental research, design-based research, qualitative or mixed-methods studies, validation studies, or other research that makes a clear contribution to immersive simulation, digital healthcare, and education.

2) Brief Report

Maximum length: 1,500 words

Brief Reports present concise research findings, preliminary results, pilot studies, innovative practices, or focused empirical observations. This article type is suitable for manuscripts that report meaningful findings in a shorter format.

3) Review Paper

Review Papers provide a comprehensive and balanced synthesis of existing research on a clearly defined topic. Review Papers may include narrative reviews, systematic reviews, scoping reviews, or meta-analyses, depending on the research purpose and methodology. Review articles should identify major trends, research gaps, theoretical issues, practical implications, and future directions. For systematic reviews, scoping reviews, or meta-analyses, authors are encouraged to clearly describe the search strategy, inclusion and exclusion criteria, data sources, and review procedures.

Submission Instructions

Authors should submit their manuscripts through the JISL online submission system.

JISL does not require a fixed manuscript template at the initial submission stage. Authors may submit manuscripts in a free format, provided that the manuscript is clearly organized, readable, and includes all essential academic elements such as title, author information, abstract, keywords, main text, references, tables, figures, and ethical statements where applicable.

Manuscripts may be submitted as editable files, preferably in Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx) format. PDF files may be submitted for review purposes, but an editable version may be requested during the editorial or production process.

All figures, tables, and images should be clearly presented and appropriately cited in the main text. Tables should be editable, and figures should be of sufficient quality for review and publication.

Manuscript Preparation

The title should be concise and clearly reflect the main focus or contribution of the manuscript. Abbreviations should be avoided in the title unless they are widely recognized. Frontiers also recommends that titles be concise and that abstracts clearly communicate the significance and conceptual contribution of the work to a broad readership.

The abstract should summarize the purpose, methods, key findings, and implications of the study. It should be written as a single paragraph unless otherwise required by the article type.

Authors should provide 5–8 keywords that accurately represent the manuscript’s topic, methods, and field of contribution. This is consistent with Frontiers’ author guidance, which requires a minimum of five and a maximum of eight keywords.

The main text should be organized with appropriate headings and subheadings. For Original Research Papers, the recommended structure is Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion, or equivalent headings suitable for the field and research design.

References should be accurate, relevant, and up to date. All in-text citations must appear in the reference list, and all references listed should be cited in the manuscript. Authors should avoid relying heavily on non-academic or non-peer-reviewed sources unless they are directly relevant to the manuscript.

If generative AI tools were used in writing, editing, image generation, data processing, or other parts of manuscript preparation, authors should disclose their use in the manuscript. Authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, and integrity of all submitted content. Frontiers similarly states that generative AI technologies should not be listed as authors and that authors are responsible for checking accuracy, citations, references, and plagiarism issues.

Paper Submission

All submitted manuscripts should report original and previously unpublished research, review, or scholarly work. Manuscripts must not be under consideration for publication elsewhere.

Authors are responsible for ensuring that the manuscript complies with ethical standards, including appropriate citation, avoidance of plagiarism, disclosure of conflicts of interest, and protection of research participants where applicable.

For studies involving human participants, authors should provide information regarding ethical approval, informed consent, or an explanation of exemption where appropriate.

About Paper Review

All manuscripts submitted to JISL are subject to editorial screening and peer review.

The editorial office first reviews each submission for relevance to the journal’s aims and scope, completeness of submission materials, originality, and basic academic quality. Manuscripts that do not meet these requirements may be returned to authors or declined before external review.

Manuscripts that pass the initial screening are sent to expert reviewers for peer review. Reviewers evaluate the manuscript’s originality, methodological rigor, theoretical and practical contribution, clarity of presentation, ethical soundness, and relevance to the field.

For manuscripts requiring revision, authors should submit a revised manuscript and a response letter explaining how each reviewer comment has been addressed.

The Editor-in-Chief and editorial board reserve the right to make the final decision regarding acceptance, revision, or rejection.