Submission Preparation Checklist

Manuscript Formatting Requirements

All manuscripts submitted to the Pakistan Journal of Clinical Research (PJCR) must strictly follow the formatting requirements below.

Font and Layout

• Font: Cambria throughout the manuscript.
• Line Spacing: Single spacing.
• Page Size: A4.
• Margins: 1 inch (2.54 cm) on all sides.
• Alignment: Justified.
• Language: English (UK or US spelling consistently throughout).
• Page Numbers: Bottom center.
• Units: SI Units.
• Abbreviations: Define at first mention and use consistently thereafter.

Font Specifications

Reference Style

PJCR follows the ICMJE Vancouver Referencing Style.

• In-text citations must be presented as superscript Arabic numerals in order of appearance.
• Multiple citations should be written as superscript numbers separated by commas or ranges (e.g., ¹˒³˒⁵ or ²–⁴).
• References must be numbered consecutively.
• The reference list must appear in the same numerical order as cited.
• DOI should be included whenever available.

Example

The prevalence has increased significantly over the past decade.¹

Reference

1. Smith J, Ahmed R, Brown T. Diabetes management in primary care. J Clin Med. 2024;13(4):215-223. doi:10.xxxx/xxxxx

Article Types Accepted

PJCR publishes the following manuscript categories.

1. Original Research Articles
2. Systematic Reviews
3. Meta-Analyses
4. Narrative Reviews
5. Scoping Reviews
6. Umbrella Reviews
7. Rapid Reviews
8. Case Reports
9. Case Series
10. Clinical Audits
11. Short Communications
12. Brief Reports
13. Study Protocols
14. Technical Notes
15. Methodology Papers
16. Editorials
17. Letters to the Editor
18. Perspectives
19. Commentaries
20. Clinical Images

Original Research Articles

Recommended word count: 3,000–6,000 words

Maximum references: 60

Maximum figures/tables: 10

Required Structure

• Title
• Author Information
• Abstract
• Keywords
• Article Information Table
• INTRODUCTION
• METHODOLOGY
• RESULTS
• DISCUSSION
• CONCLUSION
• Ethical Approval
• Informed Consent
• Funding
• Conflict of Interest
• Author Contributions
• Data Availability
• References

Structured Abstract

• Background
• Objective
• Methods
• Results
• Conclusion
• Keywords

Maximum: 300 words

Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses

Must comply with:

• PRISMA 2020
• PRISMA Abstract
• PRISMA Checklist
• PROSPERO registration (recommended)

Recommended sections

• Abstract
• INTRODUCTION
• METHODOLOGY
• RESULTS
• DISCUSSION
• CONCLUSION

Quality assessment tools may include:

• Cochrane RoB 2
• ROBINS-I
• Newcastle–Ottawa Scale
• JBI Critical Appraisal
• QUADAS-2
• GRADE

Maximum references: 150

Narrative Review Articles

Recommended sections

• Abstract
• INTRODUCTION
• Current Evidence
• Discussion
• Future Directions
• Conclusion

Scoping Reviews

Must follow:

PRISMA-ScR Guidelines

Recommended sections

• Abstract
• INTRODUCTION
• METHODS
• RESULTS
• DISCUSSION
• CONCLUSION

Umbrella Reviews

Must follow

PRIOR Guidelines

Include

• Search Strategy
• Eligibility Criteria
• Quality Assessment
• Evidence Mapping

Rapid Reviews

Must clearly describe methodological modifications from conventional systematic reviews.

Case Reports

Must follow CARE Guidelines.

Recommended Structure

• Abstract
• INTRODUCTION
• Case Presentation
• Investigations
• Management
• Outcome
• Discussion
• Conclusion
• Patient Consent
• Ethical Approval (if applicable)
• References

Maximum references: 30

Case Series

Recommended Structure

• Abstract
• INTRODUCTION
• Cases
• Discussion
• Conclusion

Clinical Audits

Recommended Structure

• Abstract
• INTRODUCTION
• Standards
• Audit Methods
• Results
• Recommendations
• Conclusion

Short Communications

Maximum 2,000 words.

Recommended Structure

• Abstract
• INTRODUCTION
• METHODS
• RESULTS
• DISCUSSION
• Conclusion

Maximum references: 20

Brief Reports

Maximum 2,500 words.

Study Protocols

Must follow SPIRIT Guidelines.

Include

• Background
• Objectives
• Methods
• Statistical Analysis
• Ethics
• Dissemination Plan

Technical Notes

Describe new laboratory, clinical or analytical techniques.

Methodology Papers

Describe validation of research methods, instruments or analytical techniques.

Editorials

Usually invited.

Maximum 1,500 words.

No abstract required.

Letters to the Editor

Maximum 800 words.

Maximum 10 references.

No abstract.

Perspectives

Discuss emerging concepts, policy implications or future directions.

Commentaries

Critical discussion on recently published work.

Clinical Images

Maximum 500 words.

Maximum 5 references.

High-resolution images required.

Article Information Table

Each manuscript should include an article information table after the abstract containing:

• Article Type
• Submission Date
• Accepted Date
• Published Date
• Running Title
• Corresponding Author
• ORCID ID
• Keywords
• Word Count
• Number of Tables
• Number of Figures

(Font: Cambria 8.5 pt)

Tables

• Insert within the manuscript near first citation.
• Number consecutively.
• Provide concise titles.
• Avoid vertical lines.
• Explain abbreviations below each table.

Figures

• High-resolution (minimum 300 dpi).
• TIFF, PNG or JPEG preferred.
• Number consecutively.
• Legends should be self-explanatory.

Statistical Reporting

Authors should report:

• Statistical software and version.
• Tests performed.
• Confidence intervals.
• Effect sizes.
• Exact P values.
• Regression models where appropriate.
• Missing data handling.
• Sample size calculation where applicable.

Ethical Requirements

Human studies must comply with:

• Declaration of Helsinki
• ICMJE Recommendations

Animal studies must comply with:

• ARRIVE Guidelines

Clinical trials should include registration number.

Ethical Approval

Provide:

• Institutional Review Board/Ethics Committee name.
• Approval number.
• Approval date.

(Font: Cambria 9 pt Bold heading)

Informed Consent

State whether written informed consent was obtained.

Required for:

• Case Reports
• Case Series
• Clinical Images

Author Contributions

Follow CRediT Taxonomy where applicable.

Examples include:

• Conceptualization
• Methodology
• Investigation
• Formal Analysis
• Writing – Original Draft
• Writing – Review & Editing
• Supervision

Funding

Clearly disclose all funding sources.

If none:

"The authors received no external funding."

Conflict of Interest

Declare all financial and non-financial conflicts.

If none:

"The authors declare no conflict of interest."

Data Availability

Specify one of the following:

• Available upon reasonable request.
• Included within the manuscript.
• Public repository (provide DOI/accession number).
• Not applicable.

Artificial Intelligence Disclosure

Authors must disclose the use of artificial intelligence tools during manuscript preparation.

AI tools may assist with language editing only.

Authors remain fully responsible for the scientific integrity, originality and accuracy of the manuscript.

Submission Requirements

The following documents must accompany every submission:

• Cover Letter
• Letter of Undertaking signed by all authors
• Ethical Approval Letter
• Manuscript
• Figures
• Supplementary Files (if applicable)

Submission Checklist

Before submission, authors must ensure that:

✓ The manuscript is original.

✓ The manuscript is not under consideration elsewhere.

✓ Ethical approval has been obtained where required.

✓ Patient consent has been obtained where applicable.

✓ Vancouver superscript referencing style has been used.

✓ Figures and tables are embedded within the manuscript.

✓ Reporting guidelines appropriate to the study design have been followed.

✓ ORCID IDs are provided where available.

✓ All authors have approved the final manuscript.

Peer Review Process

PJCR follows a double-blind peer-review process.

Initial Editorial Assessment: approximately 1–2 weeks

External Peer Review: approximately 6–10 weeks

Final Editorial Decision: approximately 2–4 weeks

Average publication timeline: 3–4 months

Fast-track review is not available.

Scope

PJCR welcomes clinically relevant, methodologically rigorous, and ethically conducted research in medicine, surgery, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, allied health sciences, public health, biomedical sciences, clinical epidemiology, medical education, healthcare management, translational research, digital health, and multidisciplinary clinical research.

Routine KAP studies, simple descriptive surveys without scientific novelty, and manuscripts lacking methodological rigor are generally not considered.

Privacy Statement

The names, affiliations, ORCID IDs, and email addresses entered into the Pakistan Journal of Clinical Research (PJCR) submission system will be used solely for editorial, peer-review, publication, indexing, and journal administration purposes. Personal information will not be shared with third parties except where required for publication services, indexing agencies, DOI registration, or legal obligations.