Instructions for Authors

The journal Sportis Scientific Technical Journal of School Sport, Physical Education and Psychomotricity is a monthly publication that accepts original manuscripts for review, including empirical research and reviews, related to Sport Science, Physical Education, and Psychomotricity at different stages of development (infancy, childhood, adolescence, and adulthood).

Submitted works must be original, unpublished, and not under review by another journal. Authors retain responsibility for the content of their manuscripts, and the concepts, judgments, and opinions expressed are their sole responsibility. If accepted, authors grant the journal the necessary rights for publication and dissemination of the article, in accordance with the journal's editorial and open access policy. Authors can find complete information about the journal's peer review process in the About the Journal section.

The guidelines for submitting manuscripts are presented below. For a more efficient editorial process, please read and strictly adhere to the following guidelines; otherwise, your article will be rejected at the first review by the editor-in-chief:

GUIDELINES FOR AUTHORS

All submissions must use this official template. Download the appropriate one for Spanish or English (click here).

1. General Guidelines

1.1 Submitted works must be original and unpublished, and simultaneous submission to another journal is not permitted. Sportis retains all copyrights to published works; however, subsequent transcription is permitted, provided the source is properly cited. The journal does not offer any form of remuneration to authors.

1.2 Sportis will only accept submissions in the following languages: Spanish or English. Authors are responsible for the texts and their respective translations when necessary. Submissions must be written precisely and clearly, avoiding ambiguities. Authors must submit the title, abstract, and keywords of the article in both English and Spanish. The full text may be submitted in either language.

1.3 Sportis reserves the right to submit all original works to the Editorial and Scientific Committees for evaluation, as well as to any external reviewers they appoint. All article reviews will be peer-reviewed using a double-blind system. When necessary, the journal's editorial board may request a third, fourth, or fifth reviewer.

1.4 Accepted articles will be published on the journal's website and included in the corresponding issue and volume.

1.5 The dates of receipt, acceptance, and online publication of the work must be included at the end of the author information and before the abstract on the first page of each published article.

2. Formats

Authors may submit works developed within the field of analytical research (theoretical reviews, historical analyses, or syntheses), quantitative research, experimental research, and/or qualitative research. The journal's editorial board establishes the following article formats:

2.1. Original Articles: This includes quantitative, experimental, qualitative research, or case studies in the field of Sports Science, Physical Education, or Psychomotor Development in childhood, adolescence, or adulthood. The maximum length of the manuscript is 6,000 words, including a minimum of 30 updated bibliographic references (50% from the last five years) and abstracts in both Spanish and English.

2.2. Reviews: This includes systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and narrative reviews, corresponding to topics related to the journal's focus: Sports Science, Physical Education, and Psychomotor Development in childhood, adolescence, or adulthood. Authors may refer to the sub-areas outlined in the journal's guidelines. The maximum length of the manuscript body is 8,000 words, including up to 100 updated bibliographic references (50% from the last five years) and abstracts in both Spanish and English. For systematic reviews, the PRISMA Statement (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) is required (Click here).

2.3. Due to editorial needs and/or agreements with the author, these formats may vary to further Sportis' mission.

3. Continuous Improvement Plan for Editorial Quality

The journal has an established continuous improvement plan for quality. This plan requires authors to include the DOI of all references with this identifier, as well as to search for articles published in 

The last 5 years were conducted in the Web of Science and Scopus databases.

How to find out if a scientific document has a DOI
Access this link. Copy and paste the bibliographic references from your article into the space provided within the link above. The platform will indicate which references have a DOI. Then, copy and paste each complete DOI and add it to the end of each of your article's references. It is very important that each bibliographic reference in your work includes its corresponding DOI at the end, if available. This allows search engines to locate works cited by other authors more quickly and easily and is a quality requirement of our journal. Remember that the journal requires that the DOI of each referenced article be in blue with the link active.

Example of how the DOI should appear at the end of each bibliographic reference:

Yanci, J., Arcos, A. L., Castillo, D., & Cámara, J. (2017). Sprinting, Change of Direction Ability, and Horizontal Jump Performance in Youth Runners According to Gender. Journal of Human Kinetics, 60(1), 199–207. https://doi.org/10.1515/hukin-2017-0103

4. Manuscript Submission

4.1. General Manuscript Format

Manuscripts submitted to Sportis must be written with 1.5 line spacing (except for the abstract and keywords, which should be single-spaced) and without paragraph spacing before or after, on A4 paper (21 x 29.7 cm), with 3 cm margins on the top and bottom and 2.5 cm margins on the left and right, using Times New Roman font, 12 pt, black ink, and page numbers centered at the bottom of the page, starting from the first page. The beginning of each paragraph throughout the text will be marked with a 1.25-point indent, except in the abstract. Section titles will be in bold and lowercase (only the first letter capitalized).

Authors will submit two Word files. The first, titled "AUTHORS' INFORMATION," will contain the article title in Spanish and English, the authors' information and affiliations, and the corresponding author's information in Spanish and English. It will also include information regarding funding, informed consent, conflict of interest, and author contributions to the text. This latter information should be completed as follows:

Specific contributions of the authors: Indicate each section of the article and, in parentheses, include the initials of the authors who contributed to it.
Funding: Indicate whether the article is the result of funded research. If it is unfunded, state "No funding was provided for this project."

Informed consent of study participants: Indicate whether it was obtained. If not, state "Not applicable."
Conflict of interest: Indicate if there is a conflict of interest. If there is no conflict of interest, state "The authors declare no conflict of interest."

This file will be named AUTHORS' DATA.

The full text of the article, including the title, abstract, and keywords in both Spanish and English, will be included in a separate Word file named FULL TEXT. This file will not contain the authors' information; it will be anonymous and will be submitted for peer review. This file will also be named FULL TEXT.

4.2. AUTHORS' DATA File (Includes the title of the work in Spanish and English, the authors' information, and information on conflicts of interest, etc.).

- The article title should be informative and concise, describing the work presented, with a maximum of 15 words, in both Spanish and English. It should be in bold, lowercase, and centered. Use 1.5-point line spacing. Include the variable studied, the type of study, and the sample type. For example: Correlational study of academic performance and physical activity in a youth population.

- Authors must be clearly identified with their first and last names. These should be placed below the title, in lowercase, not bold, and centered. Separate the first and last names with semicolons. Each author's name must exactly match the name entered in the platform's metadata. The journal will not accept author changes once the work has been submitted. It is important that authors also ensure the order of their names matches the order in the article's metadata.

- The affiliation(s) of each author at the time of writing the work should be listed below the authors' names. If all authors belong to the same institution, the institution's name should be listed below the authors' names. If they belong to different institutions, each author's affiliation should be indicated by a number, always placed below the authors' names (see example in previously published articles).

- Contact email

The name of the person responsible for the publication should be placed below the affiliation, in regular font, and centered.

- Source of financial support, if applicable, identifying the project and the sponsoring institution.

4.3. FULL TEXT File

- In a separate file, include the title in both Spanish and English, the abstract, and the keywords separated by semicolons (maximum 5 words, preferably using the Sportdiscus Thesaurus, ensuring that the keywords in the manuscript are also correctly included, in the correct quantity and order, in the metadata on the website). The abstract should be no more than 330 words. It should be structured according to IMRD format, including a brief introduction, the objective of the work, the methodology, the results, and the main discussion/conclusion. Sections should not be explicitly listed, e.g., Introduction: xxxxxx. The abstract and keywords should be single-spaced. The abstract should contain one or two lines outlining the rationale for the work, one or two lines stating the objective, one or two lines describing the methodology, one or two lines presenting the results, and one or two lines outlining the conclusions. Submissions that do not include this format will be rejected. The abstract and keywords should be single-spaced.

- Three to five keywords in both Spanish and English should be included, prioritizing terms from the Sport Discus Thesaurus. Section titles should always be in bold and lowercase.

The full text will be added later, and the entire file will be anonymized.

4.3.1 Original articles must follow the IMRD structure according to the Equator Network Reporting Guidelines specific to the study design, containing the following in each section:

  • Introduction: This section should provide context for the topic, referencing recent research and clearly establishing the importance or relevance of conducting the study. Conclude with a clear and concise statement of the research objective. Write in the present tense and third person.
  • Materials and Methods: Identify the methods, equipment, and procedures with sufficient detail to allow for their replication by other researchers. Published methods should be cited, and those that are little known, modified, or new should be briefly described. Include an adequate description of: a) Study design; b) Target population; c) Selection criteria; d) Variables; e) Measurement and/or follow-up; f) Statistical analysis; and g) Bioethical considerations. Write in the third person and past tense.
  • Results: Present the results in an organized and coherent manner, without personal comments or explanations, highlighting those most relevant to the study objective. They may be accompanied by a maximum of six tables, graphs, and/or figures when necessary for better understanding. These should be inserted in their corresponding places within the text. Tables, figures, and images must comply with APA 6th or 7th edition guidelines (choose only one style). Images, graphs, and figures must have a caption below them, while tables must have a caption above them. All tables must be numbered with consecutive Arabic numerals. For example, Table 1: Strength levels of 12-13 year old children.
  • Discussion: Emphasize the novel and important aspects of the study, interpreting the results without repeating them. Relate the findings to existing knowledge, noting points of agreement and disagreement with other relevant studies on the topic.
  • Conclusions: Include conclusions when the nature of the study and its results allow. They must align with the proposed objectives and be supported by the results obtained, thus answering the working hypothesis. The author should briefly summarize the most significant contribution of their work to the scientific community. It is recommended to include limitations of the work and proposals for improvement or future lines of research.

4.3.2 For literature reviews, systematic reviews, or meta-analyses, the IMRD structure must be followed according to the Equator Network Reporting Guidelines specific to the study design and considering the PRISMA protocol recommendations (Click here).

  • Introduction: This section should provide context for the topic, referencing recent research and clearly establishing the importance or relevance of conducting the study. It should conclude with a concise statement of the research objective. It should be written in the present tense and third person.
  • Materials and Methods: The methods, equipment, and procedures must be identified in sufficient detail to allow for their replication by other researchers. Previously published methods should be cited. Those that are well-known, modified, or new should be briefly described. The review should include an adequate description of: a) Study design; b) Population of interest; c) Selection criteria; d) Variables; e) Measurement and/or follow-up; f) Data analysis; and g) Bioethical considerations. It should be written in the third person, past tense.
  • Results: These should be presented in an organized and coherent manner, without personal comments or explanations, highlighting those most relevant to the study's objective. They may be accompanied by a maximum of 6 tables and/or graphs and/or figures when necessary for better understanding. These should be inserted in their corresponding place in the text. Tables, figures, and images should comply with APA 6th or 7th edition guidelines (choose only one style) and should include a caption below the image, graph, and figure, and a caption above the table. All tables will be numbered with consecutive Arabic numerals. For example, Table 1. Strength levels of 12-13 year old children.
  • Discussion: Emphasize the novel and important aspects of the study, interpreting the results obtained without repeating them. Relate the findings to existing knowledge, noting points of agreement and disagreement with other relevant studies on the topic.
  • Conclusions: When the nature of the study and its results allow, they should align with the proposed objectives and be supported by the results obtained, thus answering the working hypothesis. The author should briefly summarize the most significant contribution of their work to the scientific community. It is advisable to include limitations of the study and suggestions for improvement or future lines of research.

4.4. Bibliographic References

References should be cited as they appear in the text using APA 6th or 7th edition guidelines. Authors must choose one of these guidelines and adhere to a single format/style throughout the manuscript. This style guide will also be used for citing authors and for the placement of tables, figures, images, and graphs. It is very important that authors check the DOIs of their referenced articles using this application: https://search.crossref.org/references. Once located, they should be added to the bibliographic references. It is mandatory that all references include their DOI, unless they do not have one. References should be listed without numbers. In the metadata, a blank line should be left between each reference. Failure to comply with this may result in the article being rejected. All reference DOIs must be in blue and have the link enabled.

4.5. Illustrations, Tables, and Graphs

These should be created using programs compatible with Word. Tables, charts, graphs, figures, and photographs must be numbered sequentially with Arabic numerals and cited in parentheses within the text. Tables should be numbered as follows (Table 1, Table 2, etc.), as should illustrations, graphs, etc. (Figure 1, Figure 2, etc.). The legend for tables should be centered above the table; for all other elements, it should be centered below the figure/image/graph, in 10-point font with single spacing. All of these should be inserted in their proper place within the text.

- Tables and graphs must have a title, and any uncommon abbreviations should be explained below the table. Tables should be single-spaced. It is the author's responsibility to place tables correctly within the text.

- Photographs and illustrations must be of an appropriate size for proper viewing and have a resolution of 300 dpi (dots per inch). A 10x7.5 centimeter image should have an approximate resolution of 1200x900 pixels. All captions for illustrations must be placed at the bottom.

4.6. Scientific Terms

Scientific terms should not be abbreviated. Units of measurement must be presented rigorously according to the International System of Units (SI).

5. Evaluation

The maximum review time, from confirmation of receipt to the first response, will be 45 days. The average review time at Sportis can be found on the journal's website, in the statistics section, as well as the percentage of accepted and rejected articles. Occasionally, due to special circumstances, the review time may be extended by an additional 30 days.

5.1 All manuscripts will undergo double-blind peer review.

5.2 Manuscripts that do not comply with any of the presentation guidelines published here will be returned for revision before being evaluated.

5.3 Each submission will be reviewed by 

At least two experts in the field addressed in the work will review the manuscript anonymously.

5.4 Peer reviewers may suggest rejection, the need for minor changes, major changes, or acceptance of the manuscript. In all cases, the authors will be informed of the reviewers' comments, along with the editorial decision.

If minor changes are requested, the manuscript will be accepted once it includes the requested modifications, without the need for additional reviewers.

In the case of major changes, the revised manuscript will be evaluated by only one of the original reviewers, in order to ensure the greatest consistency and efficiency in the process. This new review will take a maximum of 30 days.
In the event of rejection, the editorial decision will be at its discretion to request a new submission of the revised manuscript or to reject it definitively.

5.5 Accepted manuscripts will be assigned and published in the first available issue of the journal, according to the journal's needs. Authors will be informed of this information and the publication date at the time of acceptance.

5.6 Sportis strictly adheres to the publication dates for its journal issues, which are the 1st of each month. Twelve issues are published annually, on a monthly basis. All registered users will receive each new issue via email.

6. Manuscript Submission

Manuscripts must be submitted solely and directly to the journal's editor, Dr. Víctor Arufe Giráldez, Editor-in-Chief of the Sportis Technical-Scientific Journal. To do so, authors must register as both authors and readers on the journal's website. They will then upload their article and track its progress using their login credentials. During the submission process, authors are encouraged to select the reviewer option to collaborate with the journal in reviewing other manuscripts.


SUBMISSION PREPARATION CHECKLIST CHECKLIST

Authors are provided with a checklist of aspects they should verify before submitting their article. This checklist contains the most important aspects of the guidelines and aims to prevent the rejection of articles due to formatting errors.

  • The article has not been previously published, nor has it been submitted to another journal (or an explanation has been provided in the Comments to the Editor).
  • The manuscript has been prepared strictly following the instructions for authors.
  • At least 50% of the bibliographic references are from the last five years. APA 6th or 7th edition format is used.
  • The text has 1.5 line spacing; the font size is Times New Roman, 12 points; All illustrations, figures, and tables are correctly identified in the text (tables with the caption centered at the top and not bold, and images and figures with the caption centered at the bottom and not bold). The page margins are 3 centimeters on the top and bottom edges and 2.5 centimeters on the left and right edges. The abstract and keywords are formatted with single spacing and no tabs. The separation between the title and the text is 1.5 points. The article title, in both English and Spanish, is bold, Times New Roman 12-point, 1.5-point line spacing, and centered. Below the title, the authors' names are included, separated by semicolons. Below the authors' names, the institution is listed, and below that, the contact email address. All of this is written in regular font. Each paragraph begins with a 1.25-point indent on the first line. Tables and table captions are sized... The text should be in Times New Roman 10-point font, single-spaced, with the caption centered at the top, not bold, and numbered.
    Photographs, images, graphs, and figures should be in Times New Roman 10-point font, with the caption centered at the bottom, not bold, and numbered.
  • References include their DOI after being searched using the DOI search engine https://search.crossref.org/references.
  • I confirm that the metadata for the title, abstract, and keywords of the article is in both languages ​​(Spanish and English). Articles that do not meet this requirement will be rejected.
  • I confirm that I am submitting two separate Word files: AUTHOR DATA and FULL TEXT. The first file contains all the author information specified in the submission guidelines: full names of all authors and their order of appearance, affiliations, ORCID, and the corresponding author's email address. The second file contains the title of the work, abstract, and keywords in both languages. languages; Spanish and English, followed by the full text of the work with the different sections or subsections and finally the bibliographic references
  • The article is formatted according to APA 6th edition guidelines and includes the DOI of all articles that have one.
  • I understand that this journal, lacking public or private funding, is obliged to charge a small fee to authors to maintain minimum quality standards and the entire professional structure of the journal, as well as to pay the salaries of the staff involved: IT specialists, administrative staff, layout designers, etc. This fee of 300 euros (taxes included) will only be charged if the article is accepted. Submission and review of the article are free of charge. This fee is payable upon acceptance and is necessary to maintain the journal's quality standards.

COPYRIGHT NOTICE

The copyright of all articles published in Sportis belongs to Sportis. Publication of the information contained in the journal is authorized provided it is properly cited (Sportis).

PRIVACY STATEMENT

The names and email addresses entered in this journal will be used exclusively for the purposes stated by this journal and will not be made available for any other purpose or to any other person.