1. Aims and Scope

The Saudi Veterinary Journal (SVJ), (ISSN: 3122-3168) is published by Qassim University. SVJ is a peer-reviewed, open-access journal that publishes original research articles, review articles, innovation and invention reports, short papers, forums, and book reviews in all areas of Veterinary Medicine.

SVJ considers articles on all aspects of Veterinary Medicine, including: infectious diseases, parasitology, endocrinology, applied biochemistry, microbiology, immunology, pathology, pharmacology, physiology, epidemiology, molecular biology, surgery, dermatology, oncology, animal reproduction, veterinary public health, zoonotic diseases, One Health, and safety and hygiene of food of animal origins.

2. Article Types

3. Manuscript Preparation

3.1 General Formatting

• Font: Times New Roman, 12pt throughout
• Line spacing: 1.5 throughout the entire manuscript
• Units: Use SI units (encouraged) or CGS. Do not mix unit systems
• Decimals: Use a zero before decimal points (e.g., 0.25, not .25)
• File format: Microsoft Word (.docx)

3.2 Manuscript Structure

• Title: Times New Roman 14pt, bold
• Authors: First initial, middle initial, surname — affiliation, city, country, email
• Abstract: Single paragraph, maximum 250 words. Include: background, methods, results, conclusion. No headings in abstract
• Keywords: 3–6 keywords specific to the article, separated by semicolons
• Introduction: Broader context, significance, state of research, primary aim
• Materials and Methods: Sufficient detail for replication. Include ethical approval codes
• Results: Clear presentation with figures/tables. Include statistical analysis
• Discussion: Interpretation, limitations, future directions
• Acknowledgment: Spell as "Acknowledgment" (American spelling)
• References: Numbered consecutively in square brackets

3.3 Figures and Tables

• Insert figures and tables centered on the page immediately after they are cited in the text
• Figure captions: Placed below the figure. Use 10pt Times New Roman. Use "Fig. 1" abbreviation
• Table headings: Placed above the table. Use 10pt Times New Roman
• Tables must not be split over two pages
• Axis labels must use words, not symbols (e.g., "Temperature (K)" not "T/K")
• Minimum figure resolution: 300 DPI

3.4 Equations

• Use the equation editor for all equations
• Number equations consecutively with numbers in parentheses flush right, e.g., (1)
• Refer to as "(1)" except at sentence start: "Equation (1) is…"

3.5 References

• Number citations consecutively within square brackets: [1] or [2,3] or [4–6]
• Sentence punctuation follows the bracket
• Unpublished papers: cite as "unpublished"
• Accepted papers: cite as "in press"

4. Ethical Requirements

4.1 Animal Studies

All animal experiments must be reviewed by an Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC). Studies with pathogens requiring high biosafety must pass review by an Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC). Authors are encouraged to follow the ARRIVE reporting guidelines. Manuscripts will be rejected for failure to meet ethical requirements or if the study involves unnecessary pain or harm to animals.

4.2 Human Studies

All studies involving human subjects must be reviewed and approved by an Institutional Review Board (IRB). Authors must follow the Declaration of Helsinki principles.

4.3 AI Use Policy

SVJ has adopted ICMJE policies on AI use. Generative AI may be used to enhance readability and language accuracy. However: (1) AI tools cannot be listed as authors; (2) AI-generated or AI-altered images are not permitted; (3) brightness, contrast, or color balance adjustments are acceptable if they do not obscure original information.

4.4 Authorship and Copyright

All manuscripts must be prepared according to guidelines by CSE, ICMJE, and WAME. Each author's contribution must be clearly stated. All named authors must agree with the manuscript contents. All authors must sign the Copyright Agreement Form. SVJ is published under CC BY 4.0.

4.5 Conflict of Interest

The corresponding author must disclose any potential conflicts of interest. Even when no conflicts exist, a declaration must be included: "The authors declare no conflicts of interest."

5. Submission

Manuscripts must be submitted through the SVJ online submission system. At the time of submission, please prepare:

• Manuscript file (.docx) — complete manuscript including all sections
• Cover letter — addressed to the Editor-in-Chief, confirming originality and no dual submission
• Figures — high resolution, minimum 300 DPI, separate files
• Supplementary files — if applicable

6. Editorial Process

1. Pre-Check: Initial screening for scope, plagiarism, and formatting compliance
2. Peer Review: Double-blind review by 2 or more experts. All identifying author information is removed
3. Editorial Decision: Accept / Minor Revision / Major Revision / Reject. Maximum two rounds of major revisions
4. Author Revision: Authors respond to reviewer comments with a point-by-point response letter
5. Production: Copyediting, language editing, typesetting, proofreading
6. Publication: Open access — full article freely available immediately upon publication

7. After Publication

Authors retain copyright under CC BY 4.0. Corrections are published separately when errors do not invalidate the study. Retractions are made if scientific integrity is substantially undermined. Author names cannot be modified after publication. Appeals against rejection may be submitted with detailed point-by-point arguments.