Publishing with Us

Author Guidelines

Full submission guidelines for The Practical Medicine, including manuscript preparation, structure, word limits, ethical requirements, and how to submit.

Before You Submit

Before preparing your manuscript, please ensure that your work falls within the journal's scope as described on the Aims & Scope page. Manuscripts that are clearly out of scope will be returned without review.

All submissions must comply with the applicable reporting guidelines for the study type. Authors are strongly encouraged to complete and submit the relevant checklist alongside their manuscript:

Study TypeReporting Guideline
Randomised controlled trialCONSORT 2010
Observational study (cohort, case-control, cross-sectional)STROBE
Systematic review & meta-analysisPRISMA 2020
Case reportCARE
Diagnostic accuracy studySTARD
Qualitative researchCOREQ
Animal researchARRIVE 2.0

Reporting guideline checklists are available at the EQUATOR Network (www.equator-network.org).

Manuscript Preparation

Language & Style

Manuscripts must be written in clear, grammatically correct English. Both British and American English are accepted, provided usage is consistent throughout. Authors whose first language is not English are encouraged to have their manuscript reviewed by a fluent English speaker before submission. The journal does not provide language editing services.

File Format

Manuscripts should be submitted as a Microsoft Word document (.doc or .docx). Do not submit PDF files for the main manuscript. Figures should be submitted as separate image files at a resolution sufficient for clear reproduction.

Structure

Original research articles and clinical trial reports should follow the standard IMRaD structure:

  • Title page — full title, all authors' names and affiliations, corresponding author contact details, word count, and conflict of interest statement
  • Abstract — structured (Background, Methods, Results, Conclusions) for original research; unstructured for reviews and case reports
  • Keywords — 4–8 MeSH-compatible terms
  • Introduction — background and rationale; specific objectives or hypotheses
  • Methods — study design, setting, participants, interventions, outcomes, statistical analysis; sufficient detail to allow replication
  • Results — findings presented objectively without interpretation
  • Discussion — interpretation of findings, limitations, comparison with existing literature, implications
  • Conclusions — brief summary of principal conclusions; avoid overstating
  • Declarations — ethics approval, informed consent, trial registration, data availability, conflicts of interest, funding, author contributions, acknowledgements
  • References
  • Tables and figures — each on a separate page with captions

Word Limits

Article TypeMax Words (excl. abstract, references, tables)Max References
Original Research5,00060
Systematic Review & Meta-Analysis8,000100
Narrative Review6,00080
Clinical Trial Report5,50070
Case Report2,00025
Letter to the Editor80010

References

References should be formatted according to the Vancouver style (numbered, in order of appearance). Citations should be superscripted numerals in the text. Examples:

Journal article: Doe J, Smith A, Brown C. Title of article. J Med Sci. 2025;12(3):45–52.

Book chapter: Jones R. Chapter title. In: Williams P, editor. Textbook of Medicine. 3rd ed. London: Publisher; 2024. p. 100–115.

References to unpublished data, personal communications, or conference abstracts should be minimised and clearly identified as such in the text. URLs must include the date of access.

Tables & Figures

Tables should be editable (not images) and included at the end of the manuscript document. Each table must have a concise title and be cited in the text. Figure legends should be provided in the manuscript document. All figures and tables must be original or accompanied by written permission from the copyright holder.

Statistical Reporting

Statistical methods must be described in sufficient detail to allow verification of results. Report exact p-values to two decimal places (e.g., p = 0.03), not as p < 0.05. Confidence intervals should accompany all primary outcome estimates. The statistical software used must be named and referenced.

Ethical Requirements

All submissions must include the following declarations in the manuscript:

  • Ethics approval — name of the IRB or ethics committee and reference number
  • Informed consent — confirmation that written consent was obtained from all participants (or justification for waiver)
  • Trial registration — registry name and registration number for all clinical trials
  • Data availability — statement on whether data are available and how to access them
  • Conflicts of interest — declaration for all authors; write "None declared" if no conflicts exist
  • Funding — sources of financial support; write "No funding received" if applicable
  • Author contributions — using CRediT taxonomy (Conceptualisation, Methodology, Investigation, etc.)

How to Submit

Manuscripts are currently accepted by email submission. Please send your submission to:

weopenaccess@gmail.com

Use the subject line: Submission — [Article Type] — [Abbreviated Title]

Your email should include:

  1. The main manuscript file (Word document)
  2. A cover letter (see below)
  3. All figure files (separate image files)
  4. Completed reporting guideline checklist
  5. Supplementary materials (if applicable)

Cover Letter

A cover letter must accompany every submission. The cover letter should:

  • State the article type and confirm the manuscript has not been submitted elsewhere
  • Summarise the significance of the work in 2–3 sentences
  • Confirm compliance with all ethical requirements
  • Suggest 3–5 potential reviewers with their affiliations and email addresses (optional but encouraged)
  • Identify any individuals who should be excluded from review due to conflicts of interest

After Submission

The editorial office will acknowledge receipt of your submission and provide an initial editorial assessment within 2 business days. Manuscripts that pass initial assessment will be sent for peer review, with a target first decision time of 21 days from submission.