Types of Articles

Manuscripts should be prepared in a clear and consistent format, preferably using Times New Roman font, double spacing, and A4 page size. Pages and lines must be numbered consecutively using automatic functions.

HAF accepts the following types of contributions:

• Research Articles
• Short Communications
• Review Articles

 

1. Research Articles

Research Articles should present original scientific findings and be structured as follows:

• Abstract (150–250 words, single paragraph)
• Introduction
• Materials and Methods
• Results
• Discussion (including conclusions)
• Acknowledgements
• Statement of Animal Ethics (where applicable)
• Conflict of Interest Statement
• References

 

2. Short Communications

Short Communications present concise original data and should not exceed approximately 2000 words, with a maximum of 3 tables/figures and 20 references.

The structure follows that of Research Articles. The abstract should be 150–250 words.

 

3. Review Articles

Review Articles are welcomed; however, authors are encouraged to consult the Editor-in-Chief before submission.

 

Manuscript Submission

Submission of a manuscript implies that:

• the work has not been published previously;
• it is not under consideration elsewhere;
• all authors and relevant institutions have approved the submission.

Authors are responsible for ensuring that manuscripts comply with the journal’s formatting and ethical requirements.

 

Title Page

The title page must include:

• A concise and informative title
• Full names of all authors
• Institutional affiliations (department, institution, city, country)
• Corresponding author’s email address
• ORCID identifiers (if available)

 

Abstract and Keywords

Each manuscript must include:

• An abstract of 150–250 words
• 4–6 keywords for indexing

 

Text Formatting

Manuscripts should be submitted in Word (.docx) format.

General guidelines:

• Use a standard font (e.g., Times New Roman)
• Apply automatic page and line numbering
• Use italics for emphasis
• Use the table function for tables
• Define abbreviations at first use

 

References

References must be cited in the text using the author–year system.

The reference list should include only cited works and be arranged alphabetically by the first author’s surname.

Whenever possible, include DOI links for all references.

 

Statements and Declarations

All manuscripts must include the following sections:

• Funding
• Competing Interests
• Author Contributions
• Data Availability

Where applicable, the following must also be provided:

• Ethical approval (for animal or human studies)
• Consent to participate
• Consent to publish

 

Ethical Standards

Research involving animals must comply with national and institutional guidelines. Ethical approval details (including committee name and protocol number) must be provided where required.

Authors are strongly encouraged to follow recognized reporting standards (e.g., ARRIVE guidelines).

 

Use of Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence tools (e.g., large language models) do not qualify for authorship and must not be used to generate scientific content, including data, results, interpretations, or peer review reports.

The use of AI tools is permitted solely for language editing purposes, such as improving readability, grammar, and clarity of text originally written by the authors. AI must not be used to generate original scientific text or intellectual content.

If artificial intelligence tools are employed for specific and justified purposes beyond language editing, their use must be clearly and transparently disclosed in the appropriate section of the manuscript (e.g., Methods or Statements and Declarations). The journal reserves the right to evaluate such use on a case-by-case basis and to determine its acceptability.

Authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, and integrity of all submitted and published content.

 

Revision of Manuscripts

Revised submissions must include:

• A clean version of the manuscript
• A version with tracked changes or highlighted revisions
• A point-by-point response to reviewer

 

Archiving

The University of Milan provides an institutional archiving solution through its proprietary system, Dataverse, which serves as the official FAIR-compliant research data repository. 

Authors are encouraged to deposit and share their research data, code, and associated materials within this platform, thereby enhancing transparency, reproducibility, and visibility of their research outputs, while also receiving appropriate academic recognition.

Dataverse allows users to organize datasets, manage files and metadata, and monitor usage metrics within a dedicated repository environment. Each dataverse acts as a structured container for datasets, supporting efficient data management and long-term preservation.

The platform is designed to facilitate seamless data publication, ensuring accessibility and compliance with open science principles. Authors interested in creating and managing their own dataverse repository can access detailed guidance and instructions directly through the platform.

 

Plagiarism

Editors have a duty to act promptly in case of errors and misconducts, both proven and alleged. This duty extends to both published and unpublished papers. In case such as errors in articles or in the publication process, fraudulent publication or plagiarism, appropriate steps will be taken, following the recommendations, guidelines and flowcharts from di COPE.  Corrections will happen with due prominence, including the publication of an erratum (errors from the publication process), corrigendum (errors from the Author(s)) or, in the most severe cases, the retraction of the affected work. Retracted papers will be retained online, and they will be prominently marked as a retraction in all online versions, including the PDF, for the benefit of future readers.

 

iThenticate

The journal performs a Similarity Check on the submissions received, through iThenticate software.

 

Submission languages

The journal welcomes submissions written in English.

 

Copyright Policy

The author grants International Journal of Health, Animal Science and Food Safety the right of first publication of the work within one year from submission, as well as the perpetual right to distribute the work free of charge by any means or medium.

The author retains the right to create derivative works and to reproduce, distribute, perform, or publicly display the work, provided that the original publication in the journal is properly acknowledged.

The author also retains the right to make the work openly accessible immediately upon publication, including through personal websites or institutional and disciplinary repositories.

In agreement with the Publisher, the author waives any entitlement to compensation provided under applicable national laws for non-commercial reprographic reproduction or library lending.