Author Guidelines

1. Article Types

Authors must indicate the type of manuscript submitted to Acta Biochimica Indonesiana. The journal accepts three categories of manuscripts: Research Articles, Short Communications, and Review Articles.

1.1. Research Article

Research Articles present original and innovative findings that make significant contributions to biochemistry or molecular biology. Manuscripts should provide substantial scientific advances and an in-depth discussion that improves our understanding of important research questions.

Requirements:

  • Word count: 3,000–5,000 words, including references and figure captions.

  • References: A maximum of 50 references.

  • Scientific content: Original research findings supported by appropriate experimental evidence.

  • Methodology: Experimental procedures must be described in sufficient detail to ensure reproducibility.

1.2. Short Communication

Short Communications are concise reports presenting preliminary findings of potentially exceptional scientific relevance. They may also describe novel models, innovative methodologies, experimental techniques, or scientific apparatus.

Requirements:

  • Word count: Maximum 2,500 words, including references and figure captions.

  • References: At least 10 primary research references.

  • Scientific content: Concise findings with clear scientific significance or methodological innovation.

1.3. Review Article

Review Articles provide comprehensive and critical evaluations of published scientific research within the scope of biochemistry and molecular biology. They should synthesize current knowledge, identify research gaps, and offer perspectives on future developments in the field.

Requirements:

  • Word count: Maximum 5,000 words, including references and figure captions.

  • References: Approximately 80% of cited references must be primary research articles.

  • Scientific content: A critical synthesis of relevant literature rather than a descriptive compilation of previous studies.

2. Manuscript Submission

All manuscripts submitted to Acta Biochimica Indonesiana must be written clearly, concisely, and in a manner accessible to readers from related scientific disciplines.

2.1. Submission Requirements

Manuscripts must be submitted electronically through the journal's submission system. All submitted materials will be treated as confidential documents throughout the editorial and peer-review processes.

Repeated submissions of the same manuscript will not be acknowledged.

2.2. Editorial Assessment and Peer Review

The editorial team conducts an initial assessment to determine whether a submitted manuscript meets the journal's requirements and falls within its focus and scope.

The handling editor is responsible for selecting appropriate reviewers. Authors are not required to suggest potential reviewers.

Manuscripts selected for full peer review will be evaluated by at least two reviewers. Reviewers are generally requested to submit their evaluations within one to two weeks.

2.3. Editorial Decision and Notification

Authors will normally be informed within one week if their manuscripts are not being considered for further evaluation.

Editorial decisions will be communicated to authors by email. The editor will make publication decisions as promptly as possible following the completion of the review process.

Accepted manuscripts may undergo editorial revisions to improve clarity, accuracy, consistency, and length.

All stages of manuscript handling are conducted electronically.

3. Manuscript Preparation and Format

General Formatting Requirements

All manuscripts must comply with the following formatting requirements:

  • File format: Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx).

  • Line spacing: 1.5 throughout the manuscript, unless otherwise specified.

  • Line numbering: Continuous line numbers must be included.

  • Manuscript length: 9–15 pages, including tables and figures.

  • Tables and figures: All tables and figures must be grouped and placed at the end of the manuscript, following the reference list.

  • Manuscript template: Authors must follow the journal's official manuscript template.

Only digital manuscript files are accepted. Authors are responsible for ensuring that submitted files are free from viruses and other malicious software.

Required Manuscript Sections

Research Articles should be organized in the following order:

  1. Title Page

  2. Author Information

  3. Abstract

  4. Keywords

  5. Introduction

  6. Methods

  7. Results

  8. Discussion

  9. Conclusion

  10. Acknowledgments

  11. Funding Information (if applicable)

  12. Conflict of Interest Statement

  13. Author Contributions (CRediT Taxonomy)

  14. References

  15. Figure Captions

  16. Tables

  17. Figures

Figures may also be submitted separately in Microsoft PowerPoint format, as specified in Section 3.14.

For Review Articles: The general manuscript structure remains applicable; however, the Results and Discussion sections should be replaced with appropriate thematic headings and subheadings reflecting the specific topics addressed in the review.

3.1. Title Page

The title page must contain:

  • Full manuscript title: No more than 25 words.

  • Running title: A shortened version of the manuscript title, not exceeding 60 characters, including spaces.

The title should accurately reflect the content of the manuscript and be clear, informative, and concise.

3.2. Author Information

The manuscript must provide complete information for all contributing authors, including:

  • Full names of all authors, without academic or professional titles.

  • Departmental and institutional affiliations where the research was conducted.

  • Current institutional or correspondence addresses, where applicable.

  • Contact details of the corresponding author, including telephone number, fax number (if available), and email address.

  • ORCID identifiers for authors, whenever available.

The corresponding author is responsible for communication with the editorial office throughout the submission, review, and publication processes.

3.3. Abstract

Original Research Articles must include a structured abstract of no more than 250 words, organized under the following headings:

Background: Briefly describe the scientific context and rationale for the study.

Objective: Clearly state the primary objective or research question.

Methods: Summarize the study design, experimental procedures, and analytical approaches.

Results: Present the principal findings of the study.

Conclusion: Highlight the main conclusions and their scientific significance.

Abbreviations, acronyms, and units of measurement should be avoided unless essential for clarity.

The editorial team reserves the right to make editorial adjustments to improve the clarity and readability of the abstract.

3.4. Keywords

Authors must provide three to five keywords that accurately represent the main topics of the manuscript.

Keywords must be arranged in alphabetical order and should facilitate indexing and retrieval of the published article.

3.5. Introduction

The Introduction should establish the scientific background, research problem, and rationale for the study.

It should clearly identify the relevant knowledge gap and state the objectives of the investigation.

A detailed literature review should be avoided, and the Introduction must not contain descriptions of the study's results.

3.6. Methods

The Methods section must provide sufficient information to allow other researchers to reproduce the study.

Authors should describe the experimental materials, study design, procedures, instruments, and analytical techniques used.

Specific requirements include:

  • Provide sufficient methodological details to ensure reproducibility.

  • Describe novel experimental methods comprehensively.

  • When established methods are used, cite the original sources and provide a concise description of the procedures.

  • Clearly explain any modifications made to previously published methods.

  • Include product names and manufacturers only when such information is essential for experimental reproducibility or when alternative sources may not be suitable.

3.7. Results

The Results section must present the principal findings of the study clearly, accurately, and objectively.

Results should be presented in a logical sequence, supported by appropriate tables, figures, and statistical analyses.

Authors must avoid unnecessary duplication of information already presented in tables or figures.

Interpretations and discussions of the significance of the findings should be reserved for the Discussion section.

References should not be included in the Results section.

3.8. Discussion

The Discussion section should provide a critical interpretation of the study's findings in relation to the research objectives and existing scientific knowledge.

Authors should explain the significance of the results, discuss their implications, and compare them with relevant previously published studies.

The Discussion must remain focused on the study's findings and should not become a general literature review.

3.9. Conclusion

The Conclusion should summarize the principal findings and emphasize their contribution to the relevant field of research.

Where appropriate, authors may include recommendations, potential applications, or suggestions for future investigations.

3.10. Acknowledgments

The Acknowledgments section should recognize individuals or organizations that made substantial contributions to the study but do not meet the criteria for authorship.

Acknowledgments should be concise and relevant to the research.

3.11. Author Contributions

Authors must provide a statement describing the specific contributions of each author using the Contributor Roles Taxonomy (CRediT).

The CRediT taxonomy provides a standardized framework for identifying individual contributions to scholarly publications.

Authors should refer to the official taxonomy for further guidance:

CRediT Contributor Roles Taxonomy

3.12. References

Acta Biochimica Indonesiana follows the Vancouver citation style.

Authors using reference management software should select the PLOS reference style, as specified by the journal.

3.12.1. General Requirements

  • References must consist of published works or manuscripts formally accepted for publication.

  • At least 80% of the references must be primary research articles published in scientific journals.

  • References should be relevant, accurate, and consistent with the journal's citation format.

  • Manuscripts accepted for publication but not yet published should be provided as supporting documentation in the manuscript appendix.

3.12.2. Online Sources and Unpublished Materials

Website references, personal communications, and unpublished data should be cited within the manuscript text in parentheses rather than included in the reference list.

Example of an online resource citation:

To identify genes with sequence similarities to the obtained DNA sequence, a homology search was performed using BLAST (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/blast).

Example of personal communication:

(William 2007, personal communication)

Personal communication citations must include the name of the source and the year of communication.

3.13. Tables

Tables must be prepared clearly and consistently to ensure accurate presentation of data.

Formatting Requirements:

  • Each table must be placed on a separate page at the end of the manuscript.

  • Tables must be single-spaced.

  • Tables must be numbered consecutively using Arabic numerals (Table 1, Table 2, Table 3, etc.).

  • Each table must have a brief, descriptive title.

  • Vertical and horizontal ruling lines should be avoided.

  • Explanatory notes, including definitions of nonstandard abbreviations, must appear as table footnotes.

  • Table numbers and titles must use 10-point Times New Roman.

If a table contains data reproduced or adapted from previously published or unpublished sources, authors must obtain the necessary permission and provide appropriate acknowledgment.

3.14. Figures

Figures must be of sufficient quality and resolution to ensure accurate reproduction in the published article.

3.14.1. Figure Preparation

  • Figures must be numbered consecutively using Arabic numerals (Figure 1, Figure 2, Figure 3, etc.).

  • Each figure should be submitted as a separate file in Microsoft PowerPoint format.

  • The resolution must be at least 300 dpi.

  • Photographs should be prepared at a size as close as possible to their intended publication dimensions.

  • Arrows may be used to indicate specific features or objects.

  • Where magnification is important, a scale bar should be provided rather than a magnification factor in the figure legend.

3.14.2. Figure Captions and Legends

Each figure must be accompanied by a concise but sufficiently informative caption.

Figure captions should allow readers to understand the figures without repeatedly referring to the main text.

All figure captions must be grouped together in the manuscript.

3.14.3. Previously Published Figures

If a figure has been published previously, authors must:

  1. Clearly acknowledge the original source.

  2. Obtain written permission from the copyright holder when required.

  3. Submit documentation of the permission to the editorial office.

3.15. Statistical Graphs

Statistical graphs must present data clearly and accurately.

Where mean values are reported, the corresponding standard deviations (SD) must be provided.

Authors who use Microsoft Excel for statistical analyses or graph preparation must provide the underlying raw data.

3.16. Abbreviations and Units

All measurements must be expressed using the International System of Units (SI) whenever applicable.

Authors must use abbreviations, symbols, and unit notations consistently throughout the manuscript.

Particular attention should be given to capitalization because uppercase and lowercase letters may represent different scientific quantities or units.

For biochemical terminology, enzyme nomenclature, abbreviations, and symbols, authors should follow the recommendations of the International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (IUBMB) and the IUPAC-IUBMB Joint Commission on Biochemical Nomenclature whenever applicable.

Relevant Resources: