Submissions

Author Guidelines

Information for authors

The journal “Problems of Forensic Sciences” / “Z Zagadnień Nauk Sądowych” is a quarterly published by the Institute of Forensic Research in Kraków. All submitted papers are assessed by two reviewers (see: Reviewing procedure). The papers published in the journal are also available free of charge on the journal's website.The journal’s primary language is English.

Papers submitted to the journal should comply with the following rules:

1. Format of submitted papers. Manuscripts for publication in Problems of Forensic Sciences should be submitted to the Editorial Board (via Journal's Editorial Panel) in electronic form (articles in *.doc or *.docx files, figures – see section 4c). The body of the message accompanying the submission should also include a list of at least four suggested reviewers of the paper (specialists in the field) with their contact details.
   
   
2. Field and language of the paper:
   •  The editors accept experimental papers, case studies, methodological papers and reports (as long as they contain new and important information) in the broad field of forensic sciences, including toxicology, forensic genetics, forensic medicine, forensic science, forensic psychology and psychiatry, traffic accident investigation, and papers in related sciences;
     
     
   • Review papers in the journal “Problems of Forensic Sciences” are published upon invitation from the editors. In exceptional cases, unsolicited review submissions may be considered, provided the work was prepared by authors with a proven track record in the field, and the paper presents a current, critical, and original review of the literature, identifying key research issues or gaps in knowledge. Review papers submitted without invitation will be automatically rejected at the initial screening stage unless, in the editors’ judgment, they meet the above criteria.
     
     
   • Papers must be written in English or Polish and will be printed in English and Polish after positive review. Translation will be done by the editors.
     
     
3. The length of the article should not exceed 40,000 characters including spaces. In justified cases, the Editorial Board may accept longer papers for publication.
   
   
4. Research ethics. Conducting research involving humans, animals, or biological material derived from humans or animals without proper approval from a bioethics or ethics committee is considered unethical. For manuscripts based on such research, authors are required to declare in the manuscript the resolution or approval number issued by the bioethics/ethics committee, the name of the institution where the committee operates, and the date of issuance of the approval.
   
   When presenting data from forensic expertise (e.g., case reports), authors are obliged to ensure full anonymization of the material and to assess whether approval from the relevant ethics committee or consent from the data subject is required. The editors may request an official declaration or opinion from the institutional bioethics committee.
   
   If no approval from a bioethics committee or no appropriate declaration is provided, the editors may reject the article during the initial evaluation or review process.
   
   A sample declaration form for an article is as follows: “The study was approved on [date of approval] by the Bioethics Committee at [name of institution] (resolution number: XYZ/2025)”.
   
   
5. The article should contain:
   
   
   1. Information about the authors. Authors should include:
      • Name and academic degree/title;
      • Affiliation;
      • ORCID number;
      • E-mail address;
      • Telephone number;
      • Full correspondence details.
        
        
   2. Abstract. Authors must include at the beginning of the article an abstract in English of no more than 20 lines, containing 6 mandatory elements:
      • Purpose of the article;
      • The type of research methodology/approach used;
      • The main findings of the research/analysis;
      • Practical implications for forensic science;
      • 3–6 keywords.
        
        
   3. Figures and tables attached to the article must meet the following conditions:
      • we accept the following files: graphic files in *.bmp, *.jpg, *.tif formats with an image resolution of 300–400 dpi, *.eps files or files from programs such as Corel Draw, Excel, etc.;
      • numbers of tables and figures should be marked with Arabic numerals;
      • both figures and tables should be described in English;
      • figures and tables are published exclusively in the English language version of the article.
        
        
   4. Declaration regarding the use of AI tools in the writing process. Only human beings can be recognized as authors of a scientific pubication – generative AI (GAI) cannot be considered an author. AI tools should be used with caution, solely to enhance language, clarity, orreadability. If AI tools were used in the preparation of the article, the following statement must be includedimmediately before the references at the end of the paper:
      
      Declaration regarding the use of AI tools in the writing process
      
      In preparing this paper, the authors used [AI TOOL/SERVICE NAME] for [PURPOSES/OBJECTIVES]. After using this tool/service, the authors reviewed and edited the content and they take full responsibility for the content of the publication.
      
      
   5. Literature cited. The list of references is published exclusively in the English-language version of the article and should be prepared in English. References in the text to works cited should follow the standards of the Vancouver system, thus:
      
      
      1. Citation format:
         
         Citations are numbered in the order in which they appear in the text and are indicated by Arabic numerals in square brackets [1]. Authors’ names are abbreviated to a maximum of two initials.
         
         
      2. Journal articles
         
         Leurs R, CChurch MK, Taglialatela M. H1-antihistamines: inverse agonism, anti-inflammatory actions and cardiac effects. Clin Exp Allergy. 2002 Apr;32(4):489–98.
         
         If the journal maintains continuous page numbering throughout, months and number may be omitted:
         Thomas MC. Diuretics, ACE inhibitors and NSAIDs – the triple whammy. Med J Aust. 2000;172:184–185.
         
         If the article was written by more than six authors, et al. is written after the sixth:
         Guilbert TW, Morgan WJ, Zeiger RS, Mauger DT, Boehmer SJ, Szefler SJ, et al. Long-term inhaled corticosteroids in preschool children at high risk for asthma. N Engl J Med. 11 May 2006;354(19):1985–97.
         
         
      3. Books
         
         Rang HP, Dale MM, Ritter JM, Moore PK. Pharmacology. 5th ed. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone; 2003.
         
         If the authors are editors:
         Beers MH, Porter RS, Jones TV, Kaplan JL, Berkwits M, editors. The Merck manual of diagnosis and therapy. 18th ed. Whitehouse Station (NJ): Merck Research Laboratories; 2006.
         
         Where citation is for a chapter in an edited publication:
         Glennon RA, Dukat M. Serotonin receptors and drugs affecting serotonergic neurotransmission. In: Williams DA, Lemke TL, editors. Foye’s principles of medicinal chemistry. 5th ed. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2002.
         
         
      4. Electronic resources
         World Health Organization (WHO). Mortality country fact sheet 2006 [Internet]. Geneva: WHO; 2006. Available from: www.who.int/whosis/mort_emro_pak_pakistan.pdf.
         
         
6. The editors do not pay any royalties for the published texts.
   
   
7. The editors reserve the right to make necessary corrections, abbreviations, title changes, and other editorial changes without the author’s consent. Please pay particular attention to the correct spelling of all names, forenames, titles of quoted objects, dates, numbers, statistical data, dimensions, weights, etc. mentioned in the article.
   
   
8. By submitting an article for publication, the author declares that the article has not been published before and has been written with respect for the copyrights of other authors. The editors will not accept articles submitted to more than one publisher at the same time, and all such articles, as well as other articles submitted in the future by the same author(s), will be returned. Submission of an article also implies that the author(s) agree(s) to its publication and to the transfer of the exclusive right of use of the publisher’s copyright, including the recording and dissemination of the work in print and electronically in various media, including database systems and the Internet.
   
   
9. The submitted texts, after an initial evaluation and selection by the thematic editors who are members of the Editorial Board, will be peer-reviewed (see: peer-review process) by two reviewers according to a form that includes questions about the scientific value of the work, significant elements of novelty, correct and satisfactory presentation of the methodology, reliability and clarity of the presentation of the results and their interpretation and conclusions, as well as the adequacy and inclusion of the necessary items of the literature review.

Principles of publication ethics and scientific integrity regarding Authors

Authors are required to submit only original work that has not been previously published or submitted for publication in other journals, publishing houses, or electronic media (e.g., websites). Manuscripts must be prepared in accordance with the guidelines specified by the journal’s editorial office, and submitted together with a completed declaration of each author’s individual contributions to the publication. The submitting author is responsible for the accuracy of this declaration. Ghostwriting (e.g., omitting the names of individuals who contributed to the publication) and guest authorship (e.g., attributing authorship to individuals who did not contribute to the work) are strictly prohibited.

For works based on research involving humans, animals, or biological material derived from humans or animals, authors are required to include a declaration that meets the requirements outlined in section 4 of the Instructions for Authors. Furthermore, authors should note that any forensic data presented in their work must be fully anonymized, and its use may require obtaining appropriate consent.

Scientific texts published in “Problems of Forensic Sciences” must be authored exclusively by humans. If the authors used AI tools at any stage of the article’s development, this must be indicated in the appropriate declaration. The authors therefore bear full responsibility for the content of the published text.

The editorial office informs that any instance of concealing the use of AI tools in the preparation of an article will be treated as a violation of the principles of publication ethics. In such cases, the editorial team reserves the right to reject the article and withhold its publication in the journal.