Submissions

Author Guidelines

ACGN Nexus welcomes submissions across four sections. Please identify which section best fits your work:

Nexus Papers – Original research connecting ACGN culture with social science
Ethics Arena – Ethical inquiry and debate on ACGN-related moral issues
Deep Dive – In-depth critical commentary and analysis
Crossover – Interdisciplinary dialogues, interviews, and collaborative pieces
Community – A forum for academic correspondence, editorial announcements, and lighter content celebrating ACGN culture. Includes three sub-types: Announcements (editorial notices), Correspondence (short scholarly responses to published work), and Omake (informal, humorous, or creative pieces).

MANUSCRIPT FORMAT

File format: Word (.docx)
Languages accepted: Chinese or English
Font: 12pt, 1.5 or double-spaced
Word limits: See individual Section Policies

MANUSCRIPT STRUCTURE

For Nexus Papers and Ethics Arena:
Authors may choose any coherent structure suited to their argument. Common approaches include:
- Thematic structure (organized by themes or concepts)
- Argumentative structure (thesis → evidence → counterargument → conclusion)
- Narrative structure (chronological or case-based progression)
- Comparative structure (analyzing parallels across works, cultures, or theories)
The traditional IMRaD format (Introduction-Methods-Results-Discussion) is not required but is acceptable if appropriate.

For Deep Dive:
Free-form critical essay. No prescribed structure, but should have a clear analytical thread.

For Crossover:
Format depends on the piece type (dialogue, interview, joint essay). Contact the editorial office to discuss format before submission.

WRITING STYLE

First-person narration and subjective argumentation are permitted across all sections. Authors are encouraged to develop a distinctive voice while maintaining intellectual rigor.

However, all claims—whether empirical or interpretive—should be supported by evidence, citations, or well-reasoned argument. Unsupported assertions and logical fallacies will be flagged during editorial review.

LANGUAGE POLICY

Chinese and English submissions are both welcome.
- Chinese manuscripts must include an English abstract (200–300 words) and 3–6 English keywords.
- English manuscripts must include a Chinese abstract (300–500 characters) and 3–6 Chinese keywords. If unable to provide Chinese translations, the editorial team can assist.

REFERENCES

Use a consistent citation format throughout the manuscript. We recommend but do not mandate APA 7th edition. Other widely recognized formats (Chicago, MLA, GB/T 7714) are acceptable, provided they are applied consistently.

For ACGN-specific sources (anime episodes, game versions, manga chapters, visual novel routes, etc.), please provide sufficient identifying information for readers to locate the referenced material. 

FIGURES AND IMAGES

When using copyrighted images from ACGN works (screenshots, artwork, etc.), authors must:
- Use images only to the extent necessary for critical analysis (fair use / fair dealing)
- Provide proper attribution (work title, creator, copyright holder, year)
- Not use images purely for decoration
- Indicate the source clearly in figure captions

The editorial team reserves the right to request removal or replacement of images that do not meet fair use standards.

DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT

All submissions must include a data availability statement. We recognize that ACGN research often relies on qualitative, interpretive, or media-based evidence rather than traditional datasets. Appropriate statements include:

- "All data supporting the findings of this study are available within the article and its supplementary materials."
- "This study is based on publicly available media works cited in the References section."
- "The datasets analyzed during this study are available from [repository name] at [URL/DOI]."
- "The interview transcripts/survey data that support this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request, subject to participant consent."

If your research involves quantitative data (surveys, content analysis coding sheets, network data, etc.), we encourage deposit in a public repository such as Zenodo, Figshare, or the Open Science Framework (OSF).

REFERENCE PRESERVATION POLICY

ACGN scholarship frequently cites web-based, ephemeral, or non-traditional sources—fan wikis, forum discussions, social media posts, streaming platform pages, official announcements, blog posts, and similar materials. These sources are vulnerable to deletion, modification, or link rot.

To ensure the long-term integrity of cited evidence, ACGN Nexus requires the following:

1. For all non-DOI, non-ISBN online sources: authors must archive the referenced page using the Wayback Machine (web.archive.org) or a similar public archiving service at the time of writing, and include the archived URL in the citation alongside the original URL.

2. If a public archive is not feasible (e.g., paywalled content, social media requiring login, dynamic web applications, game interfaces): authors must retain a local snapshot (screenshot, PDF printout, or screen recording) and be prepared to provide it to the editorial team upon request.

3. Citation format for archived sources:
   Username. (Year, Month Day). Title or description. Platform. Original URL (Archived at: archived URL, accessed YYYY-MM-DD)

4. For game content, visual novel routes, and other interactive media: provide sufficient identifying information (game title, version, platform, specific scene/chapter/route) for independent verification.

The editorial team may request snapshots or archived links during review. Failure to provide verifiable references may result in the removal of unsupported claims.

AI USAGE STATEMENT

Authors must disclose any use of generative AI tools (including but not limited to large language models, image generators, and AI-assisted translation or editing tools) in the preparation of their manuscript.

Required disclosures:
- Which AI tool(s) were used (name, version if known)
- What purpose(s) they served (e.g., drafting, editing, translation, literature search, data analysis, image generation, coding)
- Which sections or elements of the manuscript were produced or substantially assisted by AI

Disclosure should be placed in an "AI Usage Statement" section at the end of the manuscript, before the References.

Guidelines:
- AI tools may be used to assist with writing, translation, literature review, data analysis, and similar tasks.
- AI tools may NOT be listed as authors. Authorship requires intellectual accountability, which AI cannot bear.
- Authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, and integrity of all content, including any content generated or revised with AI assistance.
- AI-generated images used as figures must be clearly labeled as such.
- If no AI tools were used, authors may state: "No generative AI tools were used in the preparation of this manuscript."

CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

Authors must disclose any financial, personal, professional, or ideological conflicts of interest that could be perceived as influencing the work. This includes but is not limited to:
- Employment, consultancy, or financial relationships with companies, studios, or platforms discussed in the manuscript
- Personal relationships with creators or industry figures who are the subject of analysis
- Involvement in fan communities or organizations whose activities are analyzed in the manuscript

If there are no conflicts, authors should state: "The authors declare no conflicts of interest."

ARTICLE PROCESSING CHARGES

A flat article processing charge of 100 USD applies to all sections.

Promotional Policy: APC is currently waived for all submissions as a long-term introductory offer. Authors will not be charged during this promotional period. Any future changes to this policy will be announced in advance on the journal website.

QUESTIONS?

For submission inquiries: [email protected]