Submissions

Author Guidelines

Authors who wish to submit a manuscript to Behavioral and Family Research and Couple Therapy should prepare their article in accordance with the following instructions. Manuscripts that do not follow the journal’s technical, structural, ethical, and referencing requirements may be returned to the authors for correction before entering the peer-review process.

1. Language of the Manuscript

The full text of the article must be written in Persian. The manuscript should be prepared in clear, formal, academic Persian and should follow accepted conventions of scientific writing.

Each manuscript must also include:

• a Persian abstract;
• an English abstract; and
• an Extended Abstract in English of 1,000–1,500 words.

The English sections must be written in accurate academic English and should be carefully proofread before submission. Authors are responsible for the linguistic quality of both Persian and English sections.

2. General Formatting

The manuscript should be prepared in Microsoft Word format.

For all Persian sections, authors must use B Mitra font. For all English-language sections, including the English abstract, keywords, references in English, and Extended Abstract, authors must use Times New Roman.

Formatting should be consistent throughout the manuscript. Authors should avoid unnecessary decorative formatting, excessive use of bold or underline, and non-standard fonts.

Tables, figures, headings, footnotes, references, and all other manuscript components should be presented in a clear and consistent format.

3. Manuscript Structure

A standard research article should normally contain the following sections:

Title
The title should be concise, informative, and accurately reflect the main subject of the study.

Author Information
Authors should provide their full names, academic affiliations, and necessary contact information in the submission system. Because the journal follows a double-blind peer-review process, identifying information should not appear in the anonymized manuscript file if a separate title page is requested.

Persian Abstract
The Persian abstract should provide a concise summary of the study, including the research objective, method, major findings, and conclusion.

Persian Keywords
Authors should provide relevant keywords that accurately represent the content of the article.

Introduction
The introduction should clearly explain the research problem, theoretical background, significance of the study, relevant literature, research gap, and objectives or research questions.

Method
The method section should provide sufficient detail regarding the research design, participants or population and sample, sampling procedure, data collection instruments, research procedures, ethical considerations, and methods of data analysis.

Results/Findings
The findings should be presented clearly, logically, and objectively. Tables and figures may be used where they improve understanding of the results.

Discussion and Conclusion
This section should interpret the findings in relation to the research objectives and relevant literature. Authors should explain the theoretical, practical, or clinical implications of the study and avoid merely repeating the results.

Limitations and Suggestions, where applicable, should be presented clearly.

Ethical Considerations, Funding, Conflict of Interest, and Acknowledgments should be reported where relevant.

References must be prepared according to APA style.

The precise organization may vary depending on the type and methodology of the manuscript, but all essential scientific components should be included.

4. Persian Abstract

The Persian abstract should be a self-contained and accurate summary of the manuscript. It should briefly describe:

• the purpose or objective of the research;
• the research method;
• the principal findings; and
• the main conclusion.

The abstract should not contain unnecessary background information, extended discussion, tables, figures, or references unless absolutely necessary.

5. English Abstract

Every manuscript must contain an English abstract corresponding closely to the Persian abstract.

The English abstract should accurately reflect the objective, methodology, main findings, and conclusion of the study. Authors should ensure that the English abstract is not a literal or unclear translation and that it follows accepted academic English usage.

English keywords should also be provided immediately after the English abstract.

6. Extended Abstract in English

Submission of an English Extended Abstract is mandatory for all manuscripts.

The Extended Abstract must be between 1,000 and 1,500 words and should provide a comprehensive summary of the complete article. It should be sufficiently detailed to allow international readers to understand the study without referring extensively to the Persian full text.

The Extended Abstract should normally include the following components:

Introduction and Objective:
A concise explanation of the theoretical background, research problem, significance of the study, research gap, and main objective or research questions.

Method:
A clear description of the research design, study population or participants, sample size, sampling method, instruments or measures, data collection procedure, and statistical or qualitative analysis methods.

Results:
A sufficiently detailed account of the principal findings. Important numerical results, statistical indicators, themes, categories, or other key findings should be included where relevant.

Discussion and Conclusion:
An interpretation of the findings in relation to previous research and the theoretical framework, followed by the main conclusion and important practical, theoretical, or clinical implications.

The Extended Abstract should not merely repeat the short English abstract. It should provide substantially greater detail and represent the complete study in a condensed academic form.

The Extended Abstract must be written in Times New Roman font.

7. Keywords

Authors should provide appropriate keywords in both Persian and English.

Keywords should:

• represent the principal concepts of the study;
• be sufficiently specific for indexing and retrieval;
• correspond closely between Persian and English versions; and
• avoid unnecessarily broad terms where more precise terminology is available.

8. Referencing Style

The journal follows the American Psychological Association (APA) style for in-text citations and references.

Authors are responsible for ensuring that all citations and references are complete, accurate, and consistent.

Every source cited in the manuscript must appear in the reference list, and every source listed in the references must be cited in the manuscript.

In-text citations should follow APA conventions, for example:

• One author: (Smith, 2023)
• Two authors: (Smith & Jones, 2023)
• Three or more authors: (Smith et al., 2023)

For direct quotations, the relevant page number should be included when available.

Authors should follow the current APA standards for journal articles, books, book chapters, reports, electronic sources, and other materials.

9. Tables

Tables should be numbered consecutively in the order in which they are mentioned in the manuscript.

Each table should have a clear and informative title. Tables should be understandable without excessive reference to the main text.

Authors should avoid duplicating the same information in both tables and text. Only important results should be tabulated.

Abbreviations, statistical symbols, and explanatory notes should be defined where necessary.

10. Figures and Graphs

Figures, diagrams, charts, and graphs should be numbered consecutively and cited in the text.

Each figure should include a clear title or caption and should be of sufficient quality for publication.

Authors should ensure that all labels, numbers, legends, and symbols are readable.

Figures should not contain unnecessary decorative elements. If previously published material is used, authors are responsible for obtaining any required permission.

11. Statistical Reporting

Quantitative studies should report statistical analyses accurately and sufficiently.

Authors should provide relevant statistical information such as test statistics, degrees of freedom, significance values, effect sizes, confidence intervals, and model-fit indicators where applicable.

Statistical results should be presented consistently throughout the manuscript, and interpretation should correspond to the reported analyses.

Authors should avoid reporting only statistical significance without considering the magnitude or practical importance of findings where relevant.

12. Qualitative Research

Qualitative manuscripts should clearly describe:

• the qualitative approach or research tradition;
• participant selection;
• data collection procedures;
• interview or observation procedures where applicable;
• coding and analysis methods;
• procedures used to establish credibility, dependability, or trustworthiness; and
• relevant ethical considerations.

Themes and categories should be supported by appropriate evidence from the data where necessary.

13. Research Ethics

Research involving human participants must comply with appropriate ethical standards.

Where applicable, manuscripts should include information concerning:

• approval by an institutional or research ethics committee;
• ethical approval code;
• informed consent;
• participant confidentiality;
• voluntary participation; and
• protection of vulnerable participants.

For clinical, counseling, family, and couple-related studies, special attention should be given to privacy, confidentiality, psychological safety, and the protection of sensitive personal information.

14. Conflict of Interest

All authors must disclose any actual or potential conflict of interest that may have influenced, or may reasonably be perceived to have influenced, the research or its interpretation.

If no conflict of interest exists, authors should provide an appropriate statement indicating this.

15. Funding

Authors should disclose all sources of financial or material support for the study.

Where no external funding was received, this may be stated explicitly.

The role of any funding organization in the design, implementation, analysis, interpretation, or publication of the research should be disclosed where relevant.

16. Acknowledgments

Individuals or organizations that contributed to the research but do not meet authorship criteria may be acknowledged in this section.

Authors should obtain permission from individuals whose names are included in the acknowledgments where appropriate.

17. Originality and Previous Publication

Submitted manuscripts must be original and must not have been previously published in substantially the same form.

A manuscript must not be under consideration by another journal at the same time.

Authors must disclose any substantial overlap with their previous publications or related manuscripts.

All submitted manuscripts may be screened using iThenticate for textual similarity.

18. Authorship

Only individuals who have made a substantial scholarly contribution to the research and manuscript should be listed as authors.

All listed authors should approve the final manuscript and agree with its submission.

Gift authorship, honorary authorship, guest authorship, and ghost authorship are not acceptable.

The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring that authorship information is accurate and that all authors have approved the submitted version.

19. Double-Blind Peer Review

The journal follows a double-blind peer-review process.

Authors should therefore ensure that the manuscript submitted for review does not contain information that directly reveals their identity, where an anonymized file is required.

Names, affiliations, acknowledgments, and other identifying information should be provided separately according to the journal's submission system instructions.

Each eligible manuscript is normally reviewed by two or three independent reviewers.

20. Revisions

When revisions are requested, authors should carefully address all comments made by the reviewers and the editorial team.

A revised manuscript should normally be accompanied by a clear response explaining how each reviewer comment has been addressed. Where the authors do not make a requested change, they should provide a clear academic justification.

Revised manuscripts may be returned for additional review when necessary.

21. Language and Writing Quality

Authors are responsible for the clarity and accuracy of their manuscripts.

Persian text should be written in formal academic language with appropriate spelling, punctuation, terminology, and consistency.

English sections must be written in clear and grammatically correct academic English. Manuscripts containing substantial linguistic problems may be returned for language revision before further processing.

22. Abbreviations and Terminology

Abbreviations should be used only when necessary. The complete term should be written at first mention, followed by the abbreviation in parentheses.

Technical and specialized terminology should be used consistently throughout the manuscript.

Authors should avoid unnecessary jargon and should define unfamiliar terms where required.

23. Submission Files

Authors should normally prepare the following materials, as required by the online submission system:

• anonymized main manuscript;
• title page containing author information;
• Persian abstract and keywords;
• English abstract and keywords;
• English Extended Abstract of 1,000–1,500 words;
• tables and figures, where applicable;
• ethical approval information, where applicable; and
• supplementary files, where necessary.

All submitted files should be complete, readable, and consistent with the final version of the manuscript.

24. Final Acceptance and Proofreading

Acceptance of a manuscript is subject to completion of the scientific review process and fulfillment of all editorial requirements.

After acceptance, the manuscript may undergo copyediting, formatting, and technical preparation for publication.

Authors may be asked to review proofs before publication. At the proof stage, only minor corrections should normally be made. Major changes to the content, authorship, data, or conclusions are generally not permitted unless specifically approved by the journal.

25. Article Processing Charge

For manuscripts accepted for publication, the journal charges an Article Processing Charge (APC) of 3,000,000 Tomans.

Payment of the APC is required only after acceptance or at the stage officially specified by the journal. Payment does not influence the peer-review process or editorial decision.

26. Author Responsibility

Authors are ultimately responsible for the accuracy, originality, ethical integrity, and completeness of their manuscripts.

Submission of a manuscript to Behavioral and Family Research and Couple Therapy indicates that the authors have read and accepted the journal’s author guidelines, publication ethics policies, peer-review procedures, copyright and licensing conditions, and other relevant editorial requirements.