Formatting guidelines

Font & Size:

  • Font Type: Times New Roman
  • Font Size: 12-point

Line Spacing:

  • Double-spaced (2.0) throughout the manuscript, including references, tables, and figure legends.

Margins:

  • 1-inch (2.54 cm) on all sides

Paragraph Alignment:

  • Left-aligned (not justified)

Other Considerations:

  • Title Page: The title is usually in bold, 14-point font
  • Headings: Should follow the journal’s style, often bold or italicized
  • Page Numbers: In the upper right or lower center of each page

 

For photographs or figures

File Format:

  • Formats: TIFF (.tif) or JPEG (.jpg)

Resolution:

  • Minimum: 300 DPI (dots per inch) for color and grayscale images
  • For Line Art (graphs, diagrams, illustrations): 600-1200 DPI

Color Mode:

  • For color images: CMYK or RGB
  • For grayscale images: 8-bit grayscale

Image Size:

  • Minimum 5 inches (12.7 cm) on the longest side at 300 DPI
  • File size should not exceed 10 MB

Background & Quality:

  • Ensure a clear, high-contrast background
  • Avoid overexposure, excessive compression, or blurriness
  • Do not add text, arrows, or labels unless required (submit a separate labeled version if needed)

Figure Legends:

  • Submitted separately in the manuscript file
  • Should include abbreviations and explanations

 

The citation and referencing style for medical journals is Vancouver style, as recommended by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE).

Key Features of Vancouver Style:

  1. Citation Format (In-text):
    • Uses numbers in superscript
  2. Reference List Format (End of Manuscript):
    • Numbered in the order of citation (not alphabetically).
    • Uses abbreviated journal names from Index Medicus.
  3. DOI Inclusion (if available):

 

Units of measurement

General Guidelines:

  1. Use SI (Système International) Units
    • Mass: gram (g), kilogram (kg), milligram (mg), microgram (µg)
    • Volume: liter (L), milliliter (mL), microliter (µL)
    • Length: meter (m), centimeter (cm), millimeter (mm), micrometer (µm)
    • Temperature: degrees Celsius (°C)
    • Time: seconds (s), minutes (min), hours (h), days (d)
  2. Laboratory & Clinical Measurements:
    • Concentrations:
      • Molarity: moles per liter (mol/L)
      • Mass Concentration: grams per liter (g/L), milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL)
    • Hematology & Biochemistry:
      • Hemoglobin: g/dL
      • Blood glucose: mmol/L or mg/dL
      • Creatinine: µmol/L or mg/dL
    • Pressure: millimeters of mercury (mmHg) for blood pressure
    • Energy: joules (J) or kilocalories (kcal)
  3. Drug Dosages:
    • Given in mg, µg, or IU (International Units)
  4. Radiological & Imaging Units:
    • Radiation dose: gray (Gy), sievert (Sv)
    • Radioactivity: becquerel (Bq)
  5. Accepted Non-SI Units:
    • Blood Pressure: mmHg
    • Temperature: °C
    • Heart Rate: beats per minute (bpm)

Formatting Notes:

  • No periods after unit abbreviations (e.g., 5 mg, not 5 mg.)
  • Space between number and unit (e.g., 10 mL, not 10mL)
  • Do not pluralize units (e.g., 3 cm, not 3 cms)