Before you submit. Check that your manuscript fits the Aims & Scope, has not been published or submitted elsewhere, and has been approved by all co-authors.

Article types and length

Type	Length (excluding references)	Abstract
Original Research Article	3,000–5,000 words	Structured (Background, Methods, Results, Conclusion), up to 300 words
Systematic Review / Meta-analysis	4,000–7,000 words	Structured, up to 300 words
Narrative Review	4,000–7,000 words	Up to 250 words
Case Report	1,500–2,500 words	Up to 150 words
Case Series	2,000–3,500 words	Up to 200 words
Short Communication	1,500–2,500 words	Up to 200 words
Clinical Image	Up to 500 words	Not required
Letter to the Editor	Up to 800 words	Not required

 

File format. Submit the manuscript as a Microsoft Word file (.doc or .docx), Times New Roman 12 pt, 1.5 line spacing, 2.5 cm margins, with page numbers.

Title page (uploaded as a separate file to keep review anonymous):

• Full title
• Names, affiliations and ORCID iDs of all authors
• Corresponding author's email and phone
• Funding statement, conflict-of-interest statement and author contributions

Anonymised manuscript (no author names or affiliations anywhere in the file or its properties):

1. Title
2. Structured abstract (Background, Methods, Results, Conclusion)
3. 4–6 keywords, preferably MeSH terms
4. Introduction
5. Methods (including ethics approval and, for trials, the registration number)
6. Results
7. Discussion, including limitations
8. Conclusion
9. Declarations: ethics, consent, funding, conflicts of interest, data availability, author contributions
10. References

Tables and figures. Number them in order of mention, give each a self-explanatory caption, and supply figures at a minimum of 300 dpi. Obtain written permission for any figure taken from another source.

References. Use the Vancouver style: number references consecutively in the order they are first cited, with numbers in square brackets in the text, and abbreviate journal titles as in the NLM Catalog. Include DOIs where available.

Ethics approval. All research involving human participants, human tissue, patient records or animals must be approved by an institutional ethics committee before it begins. State the committee name and approval number in the Methods. Research must follow the Declaration of Helsinki.

Informed consent. State how written informed consent was obtained from participants (or their guardians). Case reports, case series and clinical images need the patient's written consent to publish; the journal may ask to see it.

Patient privacy. Remove names, initials, hospital numbers, dates and any other identifying details from text, tables and images. Faces or identifying features may be shown only with specific written consent.

Clinical trial registration. Clinical trials must be registered in a public registry recognised by the WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (for example CTRI or ClinicalTrials.gov) before the first participant is enrolled. Give the registration number at the end of the abstract.

Reporting guidelines. Follow the relevant EQUATOR Network guideline and upload the completed checklist: CONSORT (randomised trials), STROBE (observational studies), PRISMA (systematic reviews), CARE (case reports), STARD (diagnostic accuracy) and ARRIVE (animal studies).

Authorship. Authorship follows the four ICMJE criteria. Everyone listed must meet all four; others who helped are named in the Acknowledgements.

Drugs and devices. Use generic drug names. Give doses, routes and durations clearly, and name the manufacturer of devices and reagents.

Data availability. Include a statement saying where the data supporting the results can be found, or why they cannot be shared.

Use of AI tools. Disclose any use of generative AI tools in writing, analysis or images, in the Methods or Acknowledgements. AI tools cannot be listed as authors, and authors remain responsible for all content.

Plagiarism check. All manuscripts are screened with [software name] before review. See the Plagiarism Policy for the limits applied.

How to submit. Submit through the online submission system (Submit Manuscript in the menu) or by email to journal email. Manuscripts received by email are entered into the submission system on the day they arrive, so every paper has a recorded submission date.

After acceptance. The corresponding author signs the Publication Licensing Agreement, pays the article processing charge (if applicable) and checks the proofs within 3 working days.