Aims and Scope

JAPST publishes pharmaceutical development and technology research that delivers measurable pharmaceutics outcomes across the lab-to-scale pipeline, from formulation and delivery systems to analytical validation, stability and PK, and manufacturing and quality engineering.

Centerline scope

We focus on research that advances pharmaceutical science and technology with clear deliverables such as formulation strategy, delivery performance, validated analytics, stability or PK evidence, scalable manufacturing, or quality control improvements. Manuscripts should explain the development decision enabled by the data, such as formulation selection, process optimization, or QC strategy. Cross-disciplinary work is welcome only when the pharmaceutical science contribution is explicit and central.

Scope keywords

Use these terms to assess fit or to guide your title and keyword selection. They reflect the topics reviewers expect to see in a JAPST manuscript.

Core domains

Scope fit checklist

A strong submission typically answers most of the points below. These criteria help us maintain a clear pharmaceutical development and technology focus.

• Does the work deliver a formulation or delivery strategy with performance evidence?
• Are analytical methods validated and linked to quality or regulatory use cases?
• Is stability, PK, or bioavailability data connected to formulation choices?
• Does the study address manufacturability, scale up, or process controls?
• Are results reproducible and supported by clear characterization?
• Is the pharmaceutics contribution central rather than peripheral?

We prioritize manuscripts that

• Deliver a clear formulation strategy with characterization, stability, and performance evidence.
• Demonstrate delivery performance, release control, or bioavailability improvement.
• Provide validated analytical methods or PAT workflows used for quality control.
• Include stability or PK evidence tied directly to formulation decisions.
• Show scalable processes, quality controls, or manufacturability validation.
• Translate materials or excipient innovations into measurable pharmaceutics outcomes.
• Link computational or modeling work to experimental or manufacturing deliverables.

Examples of strong fit

• A controlled release formulation with validated dissolution, stability, and in vivo correlation data.
• Analytical method validation that enables batch release or regulatory submission.
• Process development showing scale up performance and quality control improvements.
• Delivery system optimization with measurable PK or bioavailability enhancement.

Editorial screening priorities

During initial screening, editors confirm that the manuscript delivers a pharmaceutical technology contribution and includes sufficient evidence for the claims. This reduces review delays and ensures consistent fit across submissions.

• Clear connection between formulation decisions and observed performance.
• Validated analytics that support quality, safety, or regulatory readiness.
• Stability or PK data that links to development decisions.
• Manufacturing feasibility and defined critical quality attributes.

Scope boundaries

JAPST is not a general clinical or biomedical outlet. We do not prioritize work that lacks a concrete pharmaceutical science or technology contribution.

• Purely clinical pharmacotherapy studies without formulation, delivery, or analytical innovation.
• Purely biological or molecular research without a pharmaceutics or technology outcome.
• Clinical case reports or epidemiology studies with no pharmaceutical development angle.

Cross-disciplinary submissions

Interdisciplinary research is welcome when the pharmaceutical science contribution is explicit and measurable. For example, clinical data may be included if it demonstrates the impact of a formulation change, delivery technology, or manufacturing decision.

If your study is primarily clinical, biological, or epidemiological, please consider a more suitable clinical journal unless a direct pharmaceutics or technology advancement is central to the work.

Reporting expectations

To ensure reproducibility and development relevance, manuscripts should provide sufficient experimental detail and a clear description of the pharmaceutics deliverable. Strong reporting accelerates review and improves citation potential.

• Clear methods and validation details for analytics and performance testing.
• Transparent stability, release, and PK reporting tied to formulation decisions.
• Manufacturing or scale up parameters with defined quality attributes.

When possible, include acceptance criteria, controls, and benchmarking so reviewers can interpret development relevance.

Article types and fit

We publish original research, reviews, methods, and short communications that advance pharmaceutical development and technology. Interdisciplinary submissions are welcome when they stay anchored in pharmaceutics and provide clear deliverables for formulation, delivery, analysis, or manufacturing. We encourage concise titles and precise keywords to improve indexing.

If you are unsure about fit, review the Instructions for Author or contact the editorial office for guidance.

Have a submission question?

Email the editorial office with your abstract or scope question and we will advise on fit.