MANUSCRIPT WRITING & SETTING GUIDELINES
Manuscript Submission Checklist:
- Title Page
- Author Declaration Document (Click here)
- Ethical Approval
- Complete Manuscript
- Tables/Figures
- Clinical trial registration number in case of Experimental/Interventional studies (to be added at end of abstract)
Title Page:
The title page should be uploaded as separate and should include the following
- The manuscript title
- Article category, abstract word count, manuscript word count
- All authors' names and affiliations
- A complete address for the corresponding author, including an e-mail address
- Acknowledgments
Manuscript Formatting – General Overview:
Lower case times new roman font should be used for writing the manuscript, with text size 14 (centralized and bold) for the title, 12 (left Indented and bold) for headings, and 12 (justified) for the body of the manuscript. A spacing of 1.5 should be used between lines of the text, and no extra spacing should be used before or after the para. A 1-inch margin page margin should be used and pages should be numbered using Arabic numerical (1, 2, 3, 4, etc.)
Manuscript Formatting - Tables:
Data should be presented clearly and concisely to enable the reader to comprehend easily. Tables should be numbered consecutively in Arabic numerals (i.e. 1, 2, 3, 4 etc.) and cited in the text. The tables should be placed along with the results where they are being stated along with the text. Tables should be added/provided in editable format (MS Word). Tables should be centralized with short and self-explanatory legends/titles and should be written on top of the table and should be centralized. If any data or table has been included from a published article or source, the source should be properly cited and the author should seek proper admissions
Manuscript Formatting - Figures and Photographs:
Figures and photographs should clarify and augment the text. The selection of sharp, high-quality illustrations with at least 300 dpi or greater resolution. Internal scale markers. Symbols, arrows, or letters used in photographs for measurements should stand out on the background. Figures should be centralized and legends/titles should be placed below the figure along with detailed explanations, which should also be centralized. Figures/pictures included from a published article or source should be cited along with proper permission.
Manuscript Formatting - Abbreviations and Units:
Except for units of measurement, the first time an abbreviation appears, it should be preceded by the words for which it stands. System International (S.I.) Unit measurement should be used.
Manuscript Formatting - Abstract:
An abstract should briefly state the background, objective, time, and location of the study, basic procedures, main findings, and principal conclusions. Mention the clinical trial number after the abstract in case of randomized controlled trials. Do not use references in abstracts. The structure of an abstract should be in accordance with the article type: Download the template Here
Structured Abstracts (Original Research, Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analysis):
Word Count: 250 words
A structured abstract should consist of five paragraphs, under the following headings: Background, Objective, Methods, Results, and Conclusion followed by Keywords.
Unstructured Abstracts (Case reports, case series, narrative reviews, and special communications):
Word Count: 150 words
An unstructured abstract should follow a logical sequence but does not require headings to be mentioned. Provide keywords after the abstract. Download the template Here
Manuscript Formatting - Body of the manuscript:
The body of the manuscript should contain Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion, and Conclusion. Other additional information included should be, Disclaimer, Conflict of Interest, and Grants & Funding Disclosure.
Methods should constitute of ethical review statement, study design, description of selection of the observational or experimental subjects such as randomization protocol and Inclusion and exclusion criteria, Study setting and duration, Sample size calculation and justification with references, Follow-up period, outcome measurement tool, and data collection procedures, and statistical procedures applied for data analysis.
Present the results in a logical sequence in the text, tables, and illustrations and do not repeat all the data of the tables or illustrations in the text. Emphasize or summarize important observations. Frequencies and percentages both should be mentioned. Exact p values should be reported and decimal figures should be presented up to 2 decimals only.
The discussion should begin with a summary of the main results which are then discussed with the results of previously published relevant studies. Any new findings of the research should be emphasized and the relevance should be stated. Limitations and recommendations of the study should be stated at the end of the discussion in a separate paragraph.
The conclusion should be a brief summary of the study. Neither state any findings which have not been presented in the results, nor do state any benefits which have not been studied.
Authors are strongly encouraged to refer to the scientific reporting guidelines for health research, hosted by the EQUATOR Network as mentioned below.
| Manuscript type | Abstract Structure | abstract word count | Maximum Authors* | Word Count | Number of References | Total Table and Figures |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Case Report/Case Series | Unstructured | 150 | 6 | 1250 | 10 | 3 |
| Letter to the Editor | N/A | N/A | 3 | 500 | 5 | 1 |
| Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis | Structured | 250 | 6 | 4000 | 50 | 5 |
| Original Article | Structured | 250 | 6 | 3000 | 35 | 4 |
| Special Communication | Unstructured | 150 | 6 | 3000 | 30 | 4 |
| Narrative Review | Unstructured | 150 | 6 | 4000 | 40 | 5 |
Manuscript Formatting according to article category
| Study Design | Checklist |
|---|---|
| Observational Studies in Epidemiology(cohort, case-control, and cross-sectional studies) | STROBE |
| Case Reports | CARE |
| Randomized Control Trials | CONSORT |
| Non-Randomized Controlled Trials | TREND |
| Diagnostic Accuracy Studies | STARD |
| Reliability and Agreement Studies | GRRAS |
| Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses | PRISMA |
| Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies | MOOSE |
| Qualitative Research Studies | SRQR |
| Qualitative Research (focus groups and interviews) | COREQ |
*additional authors need to be justified with details of authorship criteria and contributor-ship
Acknowledgment:
Contributors who do not meet the ICMJE criteria for authorship, but helped in the study, may be listed in the acknowledgment section. These may be named and their function or contribution should be defined. Authors are responsible for obtaining written permission from the person acknowledged by name. Provide details of all acknowledgment on the title page and not as part of the manuscript.
Disclaimer/Disclosure:
Nonmonetary disclosures regarding being part of a thesis or dissertation, a pilot project, or an ongoing study should be made explicitly at the time of submission.
Conflict of Interest/Competing interest:
Conflict of interest should be clearly stated by all authors. This may include grants or honorarium, credits, promotions, memberships, or any personal or professional relationships which may appear to influence the manuscript. Such competing interests are not unethical but should be declared.
If there is no conflict of interest, authors should still include this in the manuscript and write “none to declare” or “Authors declared no conflict of interest”.
For additional details regarding conflict of interest/competing interest, please see Editorial Policy
Grants and Funding disclosure:
Any organization, university, governmental organization, company, or institution that has financially contributed to the study must be acknowledged.
Patient Consent:
Authors should explicitly state that the consent of the patient/guardian was taken prior to the inclusion of participants in the study.
References:
References should be mentioned at the end of the manuscript and must be listed in the Vancouver Style. All references should be numbered sequentially in the text and entered after full stop and listed in the same numerical order in the reference section at the end of the manuscript.
To start the submission process Click Here
