Full submission guidelines for The Practical Medicine, including manuscript preparation, structure, word limits, ethical requirements, and how to 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 Type | Reporting Guideline |
|---|---|
| Randomised controlled trial | CONSORT 2010 |
| Observational study (cohort, case-control, cross-sectional) | STROBE |
| Systematic review & meta-analysis | PRISMA 2020 |
| Case report | CARE |
| Diagnostic accuracy study | STARD |
| Qualitative research | COREQ |
| Animal research | ARRIVE 2.0 |
Reporting guideline checklists are available at the EQUATOR Network (www.equator-network.org).
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.
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.
Original research articles and clinical trial reports should follow the standard IMRaD structure:
| Article Type | Max Words (excl. abstract, references, tables) | Max References |
|---|---|---|
| Original Research | 5,000 | 60 |
| Systematic Review & Meta-Analysis | 8,000 | 100 |
| Narrative Review | 6,000 | 80 |
| Clinical Trial Report | 5,500 | 70 |
| Case Report | 2,000 | 25 |
| Letter to the Editor | 800 | 10 |
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References to unpublished data, personal communications, or conference abstracts should be minimised and clearly identified as such in the text.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 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 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.
All submissions must include the following declarations in the manuscript:
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:
A cover letter must accompany every submission. The cover letter should:
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.