Author Guidelines
Submission Process: Navigating the Path to Publication
- All manuscripts must be submitted electronically / online via the online manuscript submission and review system.
- First-time users will have to register at this site. Registration is free but mandatory. Registered authors can keep track of their articles after logging into the site using their user name and password.
- The submitted manuscripts that are not as per the “Guidelines for Authors” would be returned to the authors for technical correction, before they undergo editorial/ peer-review.
- At the time of submission, include a cover letter that underscores the significance and novelty of research. It should also include-
- complete contact information (affiliation, postal/mail address, email address, and telephone numbers) for the corresponding author
- First and last names, email addresses, and institutional affiliations of all coauthors
- State whether the authors have published, posted, or submitted any related papers from the same study (see Previous Publication, Related Manuscripts and Reports, and Preprints)
- After the manuscript is submitted, the corresponding author will receive an acknowledgment confirming receipt and a manuscript number.
- Authors will be able to track the status of their manuscripts via the online system.
- After manuscript submission, all authors of papers under consideration for publication will be sent a link to the Authorship Form to complete and submit.
Manuscript Preparation: Crafting Clear and Concise Content
Manuscripts must be prepared in accordance with "Uniform requirements for Manuscripts submitted to Biomedical Journals" developed by the (ICJME) International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (October 2006).
Please follow these guidelines to ensure a smooth submission and review process:
- Write your manuscript in English, aiming for clarity and brevity.
- Adhere to the journal’s specific requirements for formatting, such as font type, size, spacing, and margins.
- Your title page should include the article's title, authors' details, affiliations, and contact information.
- Structure your manuscript with sections like Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion, and Conclusion.
- Utilize clear headings and subheadings to enhance the document's readability.
Abstract and Keywords
- Provide a succinct abstract that outlines the research's main goals, methods, findings, and implications.
- Select four to six keywords that reflect the focus and content of your paper.
References
- Accurately cite all sources using a recognized citation style (e.g., APA, MLA), ensuring consistency.
- Verify that all references listed are cited within the text and that all citations have corresponding references.
- Ensure accuracy in your citations and complete all bibliographic details.
Ethical Considerations
- Disclose any ethical approvals related to your research involving human or animal subjects.
- Safeguard the confidentiality of any individuals mentioned in your study.
- Declare any potential conflicts of interest.
Figures, Tables, and Supplementary Materials
- Include necessary figures and tables, ensuring they are high-quality, well-labelled.
- Provide captions that clarify figures and tables.
- If relevant, note any supplementary materials and include clear access instructions.
Review Process
- Your manuscript will undergo a thorough peer-review by experts in the field.
- Be receptive to feedback from reviewers to refine your manuscript.
By following these guidelines, you help uphold the Journal's quality and integrity. We eagerly anticipate your valuable contributions and the opportunity to share your research findings with the global community.
- Formatting : Structuring Your Manuscript for Readability
Title Page
- Title (Provide a concise and informative title)
- Author (s): List the full name of all authors.
- Affiliation (s): Provide the institutional affiliation(s) of each author.
- Running head: Include an abbreviated version of the title for the running head.
- Corresponding Author: Indicate the contact information of the corresponding author.
- Word Count: Specify the total word count of the manuscript, excluding abstract and references.
Abstract
- Provide a concise summary of the study, including the objective, methodology, key findings, and implications.
- Limit the abstract to 200-250 words.
- Include 3-5 keywords that represent the main themes of the study.
Introduction
- Provide an overview of the research topic, its significance, and the research question or objective.
- Include a brief of relevant literature to contextualize the study.
- Clearly state the hypothesis or research question
Method
- Sample: Describe the characteristics of the participants, including sample size, demographics, and inclusion/exclusion criteria.
- Measures: Provide details about the measures used in the study, including scales, questionnaires, or other instruments. Include information about their reliability and validity.
- Procedure: Explain the procedure followed in the study, including the data collection method, experimental design (if applicable), and any ethical considerations.
Results
- Present the findings of the study in a clear and organized manner.
- Use tables, figures, or graphs as appropriate to present the data.
- Provide statistical analyses, including descriptive statistics and inferential tests.
Discussion
- Interpret the results and relate them to the research questions of the hypothesis.
- Discuss implications of the findings & research alignment with previous research.
- Address limitations of the study and suggest directions for future research.
Conclusion
- Summarize the main findings and their implications in a concise manner.
- Restate the significance of the study and its contribution to the field.
- Avoid introducing new information or references in the conclusion.
References
- List all the references cited in the manuscript following the APA format guidelines.
Manuscript Structure: Organizing Your Research Effectively
Types of Manuscripts
Original articles:
These include observational studies, clinical trials, studies of screening and diagnostic test, outcome studies, cost effectiveness analyses, case-control series, and surveys with high response rate. The text of original articles amounting to up to 3000 words (excluding Abstract, references and Tables) should be divided into sections with the headings Abstract, Key-words, Introduction, Material and Methods, Results, Discussion, References, Tables and Figure legends.
Introduction: State the purpose and summarize the rationale for the study
Materials and Methods: It should include and describe the following aspects:
Ethics:
When reporting studies on human beings, indicate whether the procedures followed were in accordance with the ethical standards of the responsible committee on human experimentation (institutional or regional) and with the Helsinki Declaration of 1975, as revised in 2000 (available at http://www.wma.net/e/policy/17-c_e.html). For prospective studies involving human participants, authors are expected to mention about approval of (regional/ national/ institutional or independent Ethics Committee or Review Board, obtaining informed consent from adult research participants and obtaining assent for children aged over 7 years participating in the trial. The age beyond which assent would be required could vary as per regional and/ or national guidelines. Evidence for approval by a local Ethics Committee (for both human as well as animal studies) must be supplied by the authors. Animal experimental procedures should be as humane as possible and the details of anesthetics and analgesics used should be clearly stated. Patient consent and or Ethical approval statements along with Protocol number and date must be included in all research articles. The journal will not consider any paper which is ethically unacceptable.
Study design:
Selection and Description of Participants:
Describe your selection of the observational or experimental participants (patients including controls) clearly, including eligibility and exclusion criteria and a description of the source population.
Technical information: Identify the methods, apparatus (give the manufacturer's name and address in parentheses), and procedures in sufficient detail to allow other workers to reproduce the results. Give references to established methods, including statistical methods; provide references and brief descriptions for methods that have been published Identify precisely all drugs and chemicals used, including generic name(s), dose(s), and route(s) of administration.
Reporting Guidelines for Specific Study Designs
Reporting Guidelines for Specific manuscript types are given below. A statement of compliance with the appropriate guideline must be included on the title page of the manuscript.
Guideline |
Type of Study |
Source |
---|---|---|
STROBE |
Observational studies including cohort, case-control, and cross-sectional studies |
https://www.strobe-statement.org/index.php?id=available-checklists |
CONSORT |
Randomized controlled trials |
|
SQUIRE |
Quality improvement projects |
http://squire-statement.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=Page.ViewPage&PageID=471 |
PRISMA |
Systematic reviews and meta-analyses |
|
STARD |
Studies of diagnostic accuracy |
|
CARE |
Case Reports |
|
AGREE |
Clinical Practice Guidelines |
https://www.agreetrust.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/AGREE-Reporting-Checklist-2016.pdf |
The reporting guidelines for other types of studies can be found at https://www.equator-network.org/reporting-guidelines/.
Statistics: Whenever possible quantify findings and present them with appropriate indicators of measurement error or uncertainty (such as confidence intervals). Authors should report losses to observation (such as, dropouts from a clinical trial). When data are summarized in the Results section, specify the statistical methods used to analyze them. For all P values include the exact value and not less than 0.05 or 0.001. Mean differences in continuous variables, proportions in categorical variables and relative risks including odds ratios and hazard ratios should be accompanied by their confidence intervals.
Results: Present your results in a logical sequence in the text, tables, and illustrations, giving the main or most important findings first. Do not repeat in the text all the data in the tables or illustrations; emphasize or summarize only important observations. Extra- or supplementary materials and technical detail can be placed in an appendix where it will be accessible but will not interrupt the flow of the text; alternatively, it can be published only in the electronic version of the journal. When data are summarized in the Results section, give numeric results not only as derivatives (for example, percentages) but also as the absolute numbers from which the derivatives were calculated, and specify the statistical methods used to analyze them. Restrict tables and figures to those needed to explain the argument of the paper and to assess its support. Use graphs as an alternative to tables with many entries; do not duplicate data in graphs and tables. Where scientifically appropriate, analyses of the data by variables such as age and sex should be included.
Discussion: Include summary of key findings (primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, results as they relate to a prior hypothesis);
Strengths and limitations of the study (study question, study design, data collection, analysis and interpretation);
Interpretation and implications in the context of the totality of evidence (is there a systematic review to refer to, if not, could one be reasonably done here and now?, what this study adds to the available evidence, effects on patient care and health policy, possible mechanisms);
Future research directions (for this particular research collaboration, underlying mechanisms, clinical research).
Do not repeat in detail data or other material given in the Introduction or the Results section. In particular, contributors should avoid making statements on economic benefits and costs unless their manuscript includes economic data and analyses. Avoid claiming priority and alluding to work that has not been completed. About 30 references can be included. These articles generally should not have more than six authors.
Review Articles:
It is expected that these articles would be written by individuals who have done substantial work on the subject or are considered experts in the field. A short summary of the work done by the contributor(s) in the field of review should accompany the manuscript. The prescribed word count is up to 3000 words excluding tables, references and abstract. The manuscript may have about 90 references. The manuscript should have an unstructured Abstract (250 words) representing an accurate summary of the article. The section titles would depend upon the topic reviewed. Authors submitting review article should include a section describing the methods used for locating, selecting, extracting, and synthesizing data. These methods should also be summarized in the abstract.
Case reports:
New, interesting and rare cases can be reported. They should be unique, describing a great diagnostic or therapeutic challenge and providing a learning point for the readers. Cases with clinical significance or implications and of educational value will be given priority. These communications could be of up to 1000 words (excluding Abstract and references) and should have the following headings: Abstract (unstructured), Key-words, Introduction, Case report, Discussion, Reference, Tables and Legends in that order.
Case Series:
The the journal also accepts series of interesting and clinically useful cases. The manuscript could be of up to 1800 words (excluding references and abstract) and could be supported with up to 15 references. Case Reports could be authored by up to four authors. Cases with clinical significance or implications and of educational value will be given priority. These communications could be of up to 1000 words (excluding Abstract and references) and should have the following headings: Abstract (unstructured), Key-words, Introduction, Case report, Discussion, Reference, Tables & Legends in that order.
Letter to the Editor:
They should be short and decisive and be related to articles previously published (including editorials/commentaries) in the Journal or views expressed in the journal. They should not be preliminary observations that need a later paper for validation nor can it be case reports. The letter could have up to 500 words and maximum of 5 references. It could be generally authored by not more than four authors if reporting a new data.
Experience Pieces:
In the Experiences section, medical students are invited to share their experiences in areas such as academics, social outreach, student exchanges, research, and more. Submissions for this section should not exceed 1000 words and must include at least one figure, with the option to include up to five pictures. If no pictures are available, a mandatory diagram illustrating the concept—such as a conceptual framework, examples, or steps—must be provided instead.
Others:
Editorial, Guest Editorial, and Commentary are solicited by the editorial board.
References
References should be numbered consecutively in the order in which they are first mentioned in the text (not in alphabetic order). Identify references in text, tables, and legends by Arabic numerals in superscript with square bracket after the punctuation marks. References cited only in tables or figure legends should be numbered in accordance with the sequence established by the first identification in the text of the particular table or figure. Use the style of the examples below, which are based on the formats used by the NLM in Index Medicus.
The titles of journals should be abbreviated according to the style used in Index Medicus. Use complete name of the journal for non-indexed journals. Avoid using abstracts as references. Information from manuscripts submitted but not accepted should be cited in the text as "unpublished observations" with written permission from the source.
The commonly cited types of references are shown here, for other types of references such as newspaper items please refer to ICMJE Guidelines (http://www.icmje.org or http://www.nlm.nih.gov/bsd/uniform_requirements.html).
Articles in Journals
- Standard journal article (for up to six authors): Lundstrom CJ, Foreman NA, Biltz G. Practices and applications of heart rate variability monitoring in endurance athletes. Int J Sports Med 2023; 44:9-19.
- Standard journal article (for more than six authors): List the first three contributors followed by et al. Manzi V, Castagna C, Padua E, et al.Dose-response relationship of autonomic nervous system responses to individualized training impulse in marathon runners. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 2009; 296:H1733-40.
- Volume with supplement: Shen HM, Zhang QF. Risk assessment of nickel carcinogenicity and occupational lung cancer. Environ Health Perspect 1994; 102 Suppl 1:275-82.
- Issue with supplement: Payne DK, Sullivan MD, Massie MJ. Women's psychological reactions to breast cancer. Semin Oncol 1996; 23(1, Suppl 2):89-97.
Chapter in a book: Boushey CJ. Application of research paradigms to nutrition practice.In: Coulston AM, Boushey CJ, Ferruzzi MG, eds. Nutrition in the Prevention and Treatment of Disease. 3rd ed. Academic Press; 2013. Pp. 99-105.
Electronic Sources as reference : Journal article on the Internet
Abood S. Quality improvement initiative in nursing homes: the ANA acts in an advisory role. Am J Nurs [serial on the Internet]. 2002 Jun [cited 2002 Aug 12];102(6):[about 3 p.]. Available from: http://www.nursingworld.org/AJN/2002/june/Wawatch.htm
Tables
- Tables should be self-explanatory and should not duplicate textual material.
- Tables with more than 10 columns and 25 rows are not acceptable.
- Number tables, in Arabic numerals, consecutively in the order of their first citation in the text and supply a brief title for each.
- Place explanatory matter in footnotes, not in the heading.
- Explain in footnotes all non-standard abbreviations that are used in each table.
- Obtain permission for all fully borrowed, adapted, and modified tables and provide a credit line in the footnote.
- For footnotes use the following symbols, in this sequence: *, †, ‡, §, ||,¶ , **, ††,
- Tables with their legends should be provided at the end of the text after the references. The tables along with their number should be cited at the relevant place in the text.
Illustrations (Figures)
- Upload the digital images in JPEG format with minimum resolution of 300 dpi or 1800 x 1600 pixels
- Figures should be numbered consecutively according to the order in which they have been first cited in the text.
- Labels, numbers, and symbols should be clear and of uniform size.
- Titles and detailed explanations belong in the legends for illustrations not on the illustrations themselves.
- When graphs, scatter-grams or histograms are submitted the numerical data on which they are based should also be supplied.
- The photographs and figures should be trimmed to remove all the unwanted areas.
- If photographs of individuals are used, their pictures must be accompanied by written permission to use the photograph.
- Legends for illustrations: Type legends (maximum 40 words, excluding the credit line) for illustrations using single spacing, with Arabic numerals corresponding to the illustrations. When symbols, arrows, numbers, or letters are used to identify parts of the illustrations, identify and explain each one in the legend. Explain the internal scale (magnification) and identify the method of staining in photomicrographs.
The Journal reserves the right to crop, rotate, reduce, or enlarge the photographs to an acceptable size
Ethical Considerations: Upholding Integrity in Research
The JOURNAL NAME maintains stringent peer-review standards aligning with the guidelines from the Committee on Publication Ethics (CoPE) to ensure the quality and integrity of published research. This thorough process engages expert reviewers who evaluate the scientific validity, methodology, and significance of submitted manuscripts. By upholding these exacting standards, the journal assures that published research meets the benchmarks of scientific excellence and contributes significantly to knowledge advancement. This dedication to rigorous peer review ensures that only the most credible and impactful research findings are included in the journal's publications.
For all manuscripts presenting data from studies involving human participants or animals, it is mandatory to obtain formal review and approval, or a formal review waiver, from an appropriate institutional review board or ethics committee. This process should be detailed in the Methods section. In cases where investigators lack formal ethics review committees, adherence to the principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki is required. Authors must specify in the Methods section how informed consent was obtained from study participants (e.g., orally or in writing) and whether participants received any compensation.
Authors conducting human research should not independently decide on exemption or exclusion from IRB or ethical review; instead, they should reference the institutional or regulatory policy governing this determination. Editors may request documentation demonstrating formal review and recommendations from the institutional review board or ethics committee overseeing the study. Authors must adhere to these requirements. Deviations detected during or after publication may lead to retraction of the article from journal.
Authors looking to publish with us must comply with the following standards:
- Originality: Submissions must be original and keep plagiarism below 20%.
- Exclusivity: Manuscripts should not be previously published or under consideration elsewhere.
- Language Quality: Submissions must be free from spelling and grammatical errors.
- Ethical Research Practices: Conduct research ethically, complying with all relevant laws.
- Transparent Presentation: Report findings honestly, avoiding data fabrication, falsification, or inappropriate manipulation.
- Reproducibility: Clearly describe methods to enable replication of results.
- Accuracy & Consistency: Ensure content is accurate, consistent, and free from bias.
- Content Integrity: Avoid content that is misleading, offensive, illegal, or harmful and does not promote harmful software or activities.
- Acknowledgment: Properly attribute original works and ideas used in your research.
- Adherence to Copyright Laws: Only use copyrighted content with necessary permissions and acknowledgments.
- Collaboration Disclosure: Clearly define each author’s contribution (multi-author paper).
- Disclosure of Support: Fully disclose all research support, including financial, material
- Respect for Privacy: Do not publish identifiable personal details without explicit consent.
Plagiarism and Misconduct
The publication will maintain a zero-tolerance policy and a strict stance against plagiarism and misconduct, employing measures to prevent and identify such practices. Authors are expected to submit original work, duly acknowledging any previously published material. Furthermore, the journal will establish protocols to address and respond to allegations of plagiarism or unethical practices.
Copyright and Licensing: Managing Ownership and Permissions
Authors/contributors are responsible for obtaining permissions to reproduce any copyrighted material. A copy of the obtained permission must be included with the manuscript. Additionally, copies of all published articles or other manuscripts in preparation or submitted elsewhere that are relevant to the manuscript must also be provided with the submission.
Review Process: Understanding the Path of Peer Review
To safeguard the integrity of the publication process, all submissions to JOURNAL NAME undergo rigorous plagiarism checks and verification procedures before undergoing peer review. Upon approval by an editor for evaluation, every manuscript sent to the journal undergoes thorough scrutiny adhering to a stringent Double-Blind peer-review process. Each article is anonymized, stripping away the author's identity to preserve confidentiality ensuring that both reviewers and authors remain unaware of each other's identities mitigating biases and fostering impartiality throughout the evaluation process.
Each manuscript is dispatched to a minimum of two impartial subject matter experts as reviewers proficient in their pertinent field. These experts conduct a thorough assessment, evaluating aspects such as scientific validity, methodology, significance, and overall quality of the research presented.
By implementing this rigorous peer review system, assures a fair and unbiased evaluation of each submission, underscoring the journal's dedication to maintaining the highest standards of scientific excellence and safeguarding the credibility of published research.
Adherence to CoPE Guidelines:
In alignment with the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (CoPE), our editors and reviewers ensure that all authors comply with these standards.
Ethical Standards:
The review policy may include a statement reaffirming the journal's commitment to ethical standards in research and publication, encompassing plagiarism, data manipulation, and authorship disputes.
Confidentiality:
The journal will maintain confidentiality of all submitted and reviewed manuscripts. Reviewers are expected to uphold confidentiality and refrain from disclosing manuscripts or comments to third parties.
Conflict of Interest:
All reviewers and editors must disclose any potential conflicts of interest that could affect their objectivity during manuscript evaluation. Reviewers with conflicts of interest will not be allowed to assess the manuscript.
Publication Criteria:
Manuscripts will be assessed based on the following criteria:
- Relevance and significance of the research topic or inquiry
- Originality and distinctiveness of the study
- Validity of the research methodology and data analysis
- Clarity and coherence of the argument and presentation
- Contribution to the existing literature and theory
Reviewer Selection:
We have a diverse global pool of reviewers from various disciplines and geographic locations, enabling us to review research across disciplines and languages. Reviewers will be selected based on their expertise and qualifications in the relevant field. The journal aims to ensure diversity of perspectives by recruiting reviewers from various academic institutions and geographical regions.
Reviewer Guidelines:
Reviewers will receive clear instructions regarding manuscript evaluation criteria and expected evaluation timelines. Constructive feedback aiding manuscript revision is anticipated from reviewers.
Editorial Decision:
Based on reviewers' comments, the editor-in-chief will decide whether to approve, reject, or request revisions to the submitted manuscript. Authors will be promptly notified of the decision.
Fast Track Review:
For authors seeking expedited assessment of their manuscript, the journal may offer a fast-track review option. This may involve shorter review periods or expedited editorial processing for an additional fee.
Review & Publication Workflow:
- An editor, typically from the relevant research field, conducts an initial evaluation.
- Submissions that do not meet the required quality standards may be declined before undergoing peer review, facilitating prompt decisions for authors.
- Following this, submissions are matched with expert reviewers in the relevant subject area and language.
- Reviewers assess submissions using a 10-point scale based on criteria such as title relevance, scholarly quality, originality, technical accuracy, and clarity of conclusions.
- Authors may receive suggestions for revisions, and any delays exceeding one month require resubmission, restarting the review process.
- Submissions achieving a score of 75% or higher proceed to publication. After peer review, final adjustments may be made by an editor prior to publication.
Plagiarism Detection Measures
Plagiarism may occur when submissions heavily rely on existing sources, indicating a lack of originality or unique methodology.
In order to uphold our commitment to originality, we utilize Turnitin, a specialized software designed to identify plagiarism. This tool cross-checks citations in papers against a comprehensive database of online sources. Submissions found to exceed a 10% plagiarism threshold are disqualified, and authors are notified accordingly.
With these measures in place, JOURNAL NAME reaffirms its dedication to publishing only authentic, high-quality research.
Corrections and Retractions: Maintaining Journal Integrity
Clear guidelines are established for rectifying errors and retracting articles that are found to be inaccurate, fraudulent, or in violation of ethical standards. These procedures ensure that corrections or retractions are promptly and transparently executed, with readers being promptly notified of any modifications to previously published works.
Open Access: Embracing Accessibility in Scholarly Publishing
All articles in the journals are published under a Creative Commons (CC) license.
The principle that timely and broad access to scientific research is fundamental to sound science is widely acknowledged. Such access allows scientists to refine their hypotheses and explore new research avenues, thus speeding up further discoveries and innovations.
Rapid and fair access to new research is also crucial for those who depend on this information to craft policies and establish practices that enhance medicine and public health. This commitment to widespread access not only supports transparency but also strengthens the rigor and reproducibility of scientific work, enhancing the trust all stakeholders place in science.
The journal supports these principles through publishing policies that are both equitable and accessible, enabling authors to choose the most appropriate publishing pathway for their work and ensuring that scientific results are immediately available to readers.
We offer authors of research articles the option to publish the article open access. Original Investigations, Research Letters, and Brief Reports are eligible for open access. Non - research articles are not eligible for open access.
Author Responsibilities: Meeting Expectations and Collaboration
Authorship criteria and contributions are crucial aspects of scholarly publications, ensuring proper attribution and accountability. According to the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) guidelines, authorship credit should adhere to the following criteria:
Substantial Contributions: Authors should contribute significantly to the conception, design, acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data, as well as in drafting or critically reviewing the work for important intellectual content.
Final Approval: Authors must give final approval for the version to be published.
Accountability: Authors must agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work, ensuring that questions regarding accuracy or integrity are addressed appropriately.
Each author should be able to identify their specific contributions to the work, and confidence in the integrity of each author's contributions is essential. All authors meeting these criteria should be identified as such, while those who do not meet all criteria should be acknowledged. Authors are required to complete an electronic Authorship Form, providing statements on authorship responsibility, criteria, and contributions, as well as confirming reporting conflicts of interest and funding.
Equal contributions or shared authorship positions may be considered if justified. For reports of original data, authors' specific contributions will be published in the Acknowledgment section. Other contributors who do not meet authorship criteria should be named in the Acknowledgment with their specific contributions and affiliations. Non-human artificial intelligence, language models, or similar technologies do not qualify for authorship. Authors using these tools must take responsibility for the integrity of the content generated. Authors should disclose the use of such technologies in the
Authors must certify the validity of the manuscript and confirm that it has not been published elsewhere. Authors of manuscripts reporting original data must provide an access to data statement and be prepared to provide data upon request by editors.
Role of the Corresponding Author
A single corresponding author (or coauthor designee in the event that the corresponding author is unavailable) will serve on behalf of all coauthors as the primary correspondent with the editorial office during the submission and review process. If the manuscript is accepted, the corresponding author will review an edited manuscript and proof, make decisions regarding release of information in the manuscript to the news media or federal agencies, handle all post publication communications and inquiries, and will be identified as the corresponding author in the published article. The corresponding author also is responsible for ensuring that the Acknowledgment section of the manuscript is complete and that the conflict-of-interest disclosures reported in the manuscript are accurate, up-to-date, and consistent with the information provided in each author's potential conflicts of interest section in the Authorship Form. He must confirm that written permission to include the names of all individuals included in the Acknowledgment section has been obtained in the Authorship Form.
Data Sharing and Replicability
Authors will be encouraged to share their data and methodologies with fellow researchers to facilitate replicability of findings. For all research reports, authors must include a Data Sharing Statement indicating whether data will be shared. The manuscript submission system contains specific queries about data sharing. Authors' decisions regarding data sharing will be documented in a Data Sharing Statement published in an online supplement linked to the article. Authors are required to specify the data, including individual patient data, a data dictionary defining each field, and supporting documentation (e.g., statistical code), to be shared, as well as details on when, where, and how the data will be accessible (e.g., a data repository link). Authors can also specify permitted types of analyses and any data use restrictions. Optionally, authors may provide reasons for not sharing data. The National Library of Medicine offers a list of generalist public repositories authors may utilize. The journal will also implement policies to address concerns regarding the quality or reproducibility of published research data or methodologies.
Formatting Guidelines: Polishing Your Manuscript to Perfection
The manuscript should be prepared with 1.5 line-spacing, with a 2.5 cm margin, 12-point Arial font and justified. The pages of the manuscript should be numbered on the bottom right corner.
Manuscript Components
Include in the manuscript file a title page, abstract, text, references, and as appropriate, figure legends and tables. An abstract is required for all categories of manuscripts. The abstract should not exceed 500 words. The content should not have any subheadings. For an Original Research article, the abstract should be structured and divided into four sections: Objective, Methods, Results, and Conclusions. It should not exceed 500 words. A review article includes a concise unstructured abstract limited to 500 words. Each Short Communication must have an abstract of no more than 100 words. No abstract should contain any figures, tables, or references, trade names, or manufacturer’s names.Start each of section of the manuscript on a new page, numbered consecutively, beginning with the title page. Figures should be submitted as separate files (1 file per figure) and not included in the manuscript text.
Language and Writing Style
The manuscript should be written in British English. The author should write the full term for each abbreviation at its first use in the title, abstract, keywords and text separately unless the abbreviation is a standard unit of measure. The use of acronyms and abbreviations must be kept to a minimum. When used, they are defined at first mention, followed by the acronym or abbreviation in parentheses. If a brand name is cited, supply the manufacturer’s name and address (city, state, and country). The authors are requested to check the manuscript for spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors before submission.