Submissions

Author Guidelines

All manuscripts submitted to any journal within SPJ Publications undergo a rigorous double-blind peer-review process, ensuring a transparent, fair, and high-standard editorial workflow. This system facilitates efficient collaboration among authors, reviewers, editors, and the editorial office to maintain the integrity and quality of published research.

Before submission, authors must complete a mandatory checklist. This includes designating a corresponding author with full contact details; ensuring the manuscript aligns with the journal’s Aims & Scope and is prepared using the official Word template; and adhering strictly to authorship criteria, publication ethics as per COPE and ICMJE, and all formatting and copyright guidelines. All co-authors must review and approve the final manuscript. Necessary files—including keywords, high-resolution figures, and tables with clear titles and descriptions—must be uploaded. The text must be thoroughly proofread, and permissions secured for any copyrighted material. For studies involving human or animal subjects, confirmation of ethical approval from a recognized Institutional Review Board (IRB) or Ethics Committee is required and must be stated explicitly.

Manuscripts are submitted exclusively online via the journal’s designated submission portal. The submitting author manages all pre- and post-submission correspondence and is responsible for ensuring all co-authors meet ICMJE authorship criteria. First-time users must complete registration, while returning authors can log in using their credentials or ORCID ID. Complete funding information must be provided during submission to ensure compliance with all relevant policies.

A concise cover letter must accompany every submission. It should include the journal name, manuscript title, and article type; the full names and affiliations of all authors; the corresponding author’s contact details and ORCID ID; a disclosure of any use of AI tools in the preparation of the work; a statement of any conflicts of interest and funding sources; and a brief summary highlighting the work's significance and its relevance to the journal’s readership.

The title page must contain a concise and informative title incorporating primary keywords, alongside a short running title of 40–50 characters. Authors’ full names and institutional affiliations should be listed in the PubMed/MEDLINE format. The corresponding author’s complete contact information, including an institutional email address, is mandatory. Also included should be 3 to 6 MeSH keywords; the total word count; the number of tables and figures; a conflict of interest statement; a financial support declaration; a description of each author’s contributions per ICMJE criteria; and, for case reports, confirmation that informed patient consent for publication was obtained.

SPJ Publications accepts various article types, each with specific structural requirements. Original Research Articles (2,000–4,500 words) require a structured abstract and follow the IMRaD format. Review Articles (2,500–6,000 words) and Meta-analyses/Systematic Reviews (2,500–6,500 words) should provide comprehensive, critical syntheses of existing literature. Case Reports/Series (1,000–2,500 words) present novel clinical findings, while Short Communications (600–1,500 words) offer concise reports of preliminary or significant results. Letters to the Editor (300–800 words) comment on previously published articles, and Editorials (400–1,200 words) are typically invited perspectives. All word counts exclude the abstract, acknowledgements, references, and figure/table legends. Specific limits on the number of figures, tables, and references apply to each category.

Manuscripts must be submitted in Microsoft Word (.docx) format. The text should be in 12-point Times New Roman font, single-spaced, with 1-inch margins. Figures and tables must be of high resolution (minimum 300 DPI) in JPEG, PNG, or TIFF format, and should be cited in consecutive numerical order within the text. Tables are to be created using Word’s built-in table function.

Authors bear full responsibility for the ethical conduct of their research and manuscript preparation. This includes providing clear statements on conflicts of interest, funding sources, and detailed author contributions according to ICMJE criteria. For relevant studies, statements on ethical approval, informed consent, data availability, and clinical trial registration must be included. Any use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools in the writing process must be transparently disclosed in the methods or acknowledgements section.

Supplementary materials, such as extensive datasets, additional figures or tables, or multimedia files, are encouraged and will be published online-only. These files should be clearly labeled (e.g., “Supplementary Figure S1”) and referenced in the main text. Authors are encouraged to deposit large datasets in public, stable repositories.

References must be formatted in the Vancouver (NLM) style, numbered sequentially in the order they first appear in the text. In-text citations should be indicated by superscript numbers. Each reference must be complete, including article titles, journal names abbreviated per Index Medicus, volume, issue, page numbers, and the Digital Object Identifier (DOI) where available. References should not be cited in the abstract. It is important to note that AI-generated content may not be cited as a primary source.

By following these comprehensive guidelines, authors ensure a smooth submission process and contribute to the maintenance of the high scholarly standards upheld by all SPJ Publication journals. For any discipline-specific requirements, authors are advised to consult the individual journal's detailed "Instructions for Authors" page.