Submissions

Author Guidelines

Authorship and Manuscript Submission Guidelines

(Adapted for JOIMS in line with international editorial standards)

1. Authorship Criteria

Authorship credit shall be based exclusively on substantial contributions to all of the following components:

1. Concept and Design of the study, or acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data.
2. Drafting the manuscript or revising it critically for significant intellectual content.
3. Final approval of the version to be published.

Each contributor must have participated sufficiently in the work to take public responsibility for appropriate portions of the manuscript. The order of authorship should be decided collectively before submission; once submitted, changes to the author order will only be permitted with written consent from all authors.

The journal prescribes limits on the number of authors according to the type and scope of the manuscript. In exceptional circumstances, where the number exceeds these limits, authors must provide a clear justification.

2. Author Contributions

All submissions must include a contributor statement, specifying the role of each author. Contributions should be categorized under:

• Conceptualization
• Study design
• Definition of intellectual content
• Literature search
• Clinical or experimental studies
• Data acquisition
• Data analysis and interpretation
• Statistical analysis
• Manuscript preparation
• Manuscript editing
• Manuscript review

One or more authors must assume responsibility for the integrity of the work as a whole and will be designated as the guarantor(s).

3. Conflicts of Interest

Authors must disclose all potential conflicts of interest, including financial relationships, personal associations, or institutional affiliations that could inappropriately influence the work. This includes:

• Products or institutions mentioned in the manuscript.
• Competing products or services related to those discussed in the manuscript.

A formal conflict-of-interest statement for each author is required.

4. Clinical Trial Registration

The journal supports the ICMJE policy on clinical trial registration and adheres to the “Statement on Publishing Clinical Trials in Indian Biomedical Journals.”

• Only trials registered in a public trial registry with free online access will be considered.
• Acceptable registries include:
• Clinical Trials Registry - India (CTRI)
• ANZCTR
• ClinicalTrials.gov
• ISRCTN
• Netherlands Trial Register
• UMIN Clinical Trials Registry

Trials enrolling participants after June 2008 must be prospectively registered. Retrospective registration will only be accepted for trials commenced prior to this date.

5. Manuscript Submission

All manuscripts must be submitted online at:
???? https://www.iapsmupuk.org/journal/index.php/IJCH/index

• First-time users must register (free of charge).
• Authors may track the status of their submission through their registered accounts.
• The journal does not charge submission, processing, or publication fees.

For assistance, contact the Editorial Office at: chiefeditor@iapsmupuk.org

5.1 Submission Files

Manuscripts must be submitted as separate files:

1. Title Page / Cover Letter
   Includes:
• Type of manuscript
• Title and running title
• Author names, degrees, affiliations, and departmental credits
• Word counts (abstract and main text separately)
• Number of pages, tables, and figures
• Sources of funding
• Acknowledgments
• Clinical trial registration details (if applicable)
• Conflict of interest statement for each contributor
• Confirmation of author approval and authorship compliance
• Contact details of the corresponding author
2. Blinded Manuscript File
• Contains abstract, keywords, main text, references, tables, and figure legends.
• Must not include author names, affiliations, acknowledgments, or identifying details.
• File size must not exceed 1 MB.
3. Images
• High-quality color images (JPEG preferred).
• Maximum size: 4 MB per image.
• Resolution: up to 1800 × 1600 pixels or 5–6 inches.
• Legends should be provided at the end of the main text.
4. Contributor Form
• Signed by all authors, uploaded in PDF/JPEG format.
5. Ethics Approval Document
• Clearance letter from the Institutional Ethics Committee or equivalent body.

6. Manuscript Preparation

Manuscripts must comply with the ICMJE “Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts” (October 2006 revision).

• Use structured abstracts (Original Articles) or unstructured summaries (Review, Short Articles).
• Follow the IMRAD format (Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion) where applicable.
• Word limits vary by manuscript type:
• Original Article: 3,500 words
• Review Article: 3,000 words
• Short Article: 1,500 words
• Letter to Editor: 500 words
• References must follow Vancouver style; PubMed-indexed references are preferred.

7. Ethical Considerations

• All research involving human participants must comply with the Helsinki Declaration (2000 revision).
• Animal studies must adhere to the CPCSEA guidelines.
• All manuscripts must clearly state ethical approval and informed consent procedures.
• Identifying patient information must not be published unless written consent has been obtained.

8. Tables, Figures, and Illustrations

• Tables must be self-explanatory and not duplicate textual data.
• Figures must be submitted separately in JPEG format with appropriate legends.
• Permissions must be obtained for previously published material.
• Patient photographs require written informed consent.

9. References

• Number references consecutively in the order cited in the text.
• Identify references using superscript numerals.
• Avoid abstracts, unpublished material, or personal communications unless essential.
• Journal titles must follow Index Medicus abbreviations.

Examples:

• Journal article: Shukla N, Husain N, Agarwal GG, Husain M. Utility of cysticercus fasciolaris antigen in Dot ELISA for the diagnosis of neurocysticercosis. Indian J Med Sci. 2008;62:222–7.
• Book chapter: Phillips SJ, Whisnant JP. Hypertension and stroke. In: Laragh JH, Brenner BM, editors. Hypertension: Pathophysiology, Diagnosis, and Management. 2nd ed. New York: Raven Press; 1995. pp. 465–78.

10. Patient Privacy

The journal adheres to ICMJE privacy guidelines:

• Authors must obtain and retain patient consent forms.
• Consent must be explicitly stated in the manuscript where applicable.

11. Editorial Policy

• The views expressed in published articles are solely those of the authors.
• The editorial board and publisher do not endorse any product or service advertised in the journal.
• Policies may be revised periodically at the discretion of the Editorial Board.