Author Guidelines

General Formatting Guidelines

Preparing Your Manuscript

This section offers general guidelines on style and formatting. Specific formatting requirements for different article types are detailed in the sections that follow.

Preparing Your Figures

When preparing figures, you must adhere to the following formatting guidelines:

  • Numbering and Order: Figures should be numbered in the sequence they are first referenced in the text and uploaded in that order. Multi-panel figures (e.g., a, b, c, d) should be combined into a single composite file.
  • Orientation: Ensure figures are uploaded in the correct orientation.
  • Titles and Legends: Provide figure titles (maximum 15 words) and legends (maximum 300 words) within the main manuscript, not within the graphic file itself.
  • Figure Keys: Integrate figure keys directly into the graphic rather than including them in the figure legend.
  • Cropping: Crop each figure tightly to minimize surrounding white space. This enhances accuracy when the figure is combined with other elements during the preparation of the accepted manuscript for publication. Refer to our detailed instructions for more information on specific figure file formats.
  • File Size: Individual figure files should not exceed 10 MB. This file size is sufficient for producing extremely high-quality figures when using an appropriate format.
  • Permissions: Authors are responsible for obtaining permission from the copyright holder to reproduce figures (or tables) that have been previously published elsewhere. To ensure all figures are open access, authors must obtain permission from the rights holder if they wish to include images that have been published in non-open access journals. Indicate permission in the figure legend and include the original source in the reference list.

Figure File Types

Here are the acceptable file formats for submitting your figures:

  • EPS (suitable for diagrams and/or images)
  • PDF (suitable for diagrams and/or images)
  • Microsoft Word (suitable for diagrams and/or images, figures must be a single page)
  • PowerPoint (suitable for diagrams and/or images, figures must be a single page)
  • TIFF (suitable for images)
  • JPEG (suitable for photographic images, less suitable for graphical images)
  • PNG (suitable for images)
  • BMP (suitable for images)
  • CDX (ChemDraw – suitable for molecular structures)

Figure Size and Resolution

During publication, figures are resized to these standard IJOMAHIP dimensions for web and PDF versions:

Web Figures:

  • Width: 600 pixels (standard), 1200 pixels (high resolution).

PDF Figures:

  • Half-page width: 85 mm
  • Full-page width: 170 mm
  • Maximum height (figure + legend): 225 mm
  • Image resolution: ~300 dpi at final size

Ensure all figure elements, including text, are legible at these dimensions. Lines should be thicker than 0.25 pt, and all fonts must be embedded.

Figure File Compression

  • Vector Figures: Submit as PDF files if possible, as they are typically smaller than EPS files.
  • TIFF Files: Save with LZW compression for lossless file size reduction.
  • JPEG Files: Save at maximum quality.
  • File Conversion: Minimize converting images between file types (especially lossy formats like JPEG) to prevent quality loss.

Preparing Your Main Manuscript Text

Here are some key formatting points for your manuscript:

  • Double-space the text.
  • Include line and page numbers.
  • Use SI units. Embed all special characters in the text to avoid loss during PDF conversion.
  • Do not use page breaks.

Acceptable file format for the main manuscript

  • Microsoft Word (DOC, DOCX)

Length of Journal Article:

  • Typically, submissions should not exceed 5,000 words.
  • For other approaches like qualitative and mixed- method research, up to 10,000 words may be accepted.

The IJOMAHIP Chief Editor reserves the right to request that a manuscript be either shortened or expanded, either before or after the peer review process, to ensure it aligns with journal standards and effectively communicates the ideas presented.

Authors are required to download and use the IJOMAHIP Paper Template Guide, available in MS Word format, to prepare your submissions and for review purposes.

Important: We need editable files for production purposes. If your manuscript includes non-editable formats (such as PDFs), you must resubmit an editable version either with your revision or after acceptance if no revisions are required. Not providing this will result in delays in the production process.

General Structure

IJOMAHIP promotes complete and transparent reporting in biomedical and biological research. Authors are required to complete the checklist below before peer review and make it available to the Chief Editor and reviewers.

• Randomized controlled trials (CONSORT)

We strongly recommend that authors consult the minimum reporting guidelines for health research provided by the EQUATOR Network when preparing their manuscript, as well as FAIRsharing.org for relevant reporting checklists for biological and biomedical research.

Additionally, IJOMAHIP encourages the use of the following checklists and reporting guidelines:

• Protocols for randomized controlled protocols (SPIRIT)

• Systematic reviews and meta-analyses* (PRISMA) and protocols (PRISMA-P)

• Observational studies (STROBE)

• Case reports (CARE)

• Qualitative research (COREQ)

• Diagnostic/prognostic studies (STARD and TRIPOD)

• Economic evaluations (CHEERS)

• Pre-clinical animal studies (ARRIVE)

• Statistics checklists for editors and reviewers to use when evaluating the statistics in manuscripts:

o Life Sciences journals

o Medical journals

o Statistics, Mathematics and Computer Science journals

Please note that IJOMAHIP may have additional reporting guidelines depending on the article type. 

Authors of systematic reviews should also provide a link to an additional file from the ‘methods’ section that includes all details of the search strategy. For guidance on presenting a search strategy, see the Cochrane Reviewers’ Handbook.

For more details, see Editorial Policies- Standards of Reporting

  • Title: The title must be clear and concise, reflecting the research aims, methodology, and objectives. Avoid abbreviations.
  • Abstract: The abstract should not exceed 300 words and must not include citations. It should summarize the goal, research design, methodology, main findings, and conclusions.
  • Keywords: Provide three to seven relevant keywords.
  • Sections: Submissions must follow the standard structure:
    • Introduction
    • Methodology
    • Results
    • Discussions
    • Conclusion and Recommendations
  • List of abbreviations, if any
    • Define any abbreviations used in the text upon their first use and include a comprehensive list of all abbreviations used.
  • Declarations
    • All manuscripts are required to include a section titled ‘Declarations’ which must contain the following:
      • Ethics approval and consent to participate
      • Consent for publication
      • Availability of data and materials
      • Competing interests
      • Funding
      • Authors’ contributions
      • Acknowledgements
      • Authors’ information (optional)
  • References: Include at least 20 references formatted based on the latest International Committee of Medical Journal Editors for Medical Research recommendations and American Psychological Association (APA) for other types of health research for the citation and referencing style and ensure they comply with the Initiative for Open Citations (I4OC).
  • Figures, tables and additional files: See General formatting guidelines for information on how to format figures, tables and additional files.

Note: Refer to article type for specific instructions.

Data and Materials

IJOMAHIP highly recommends that all datasets supporting the conclusions of your manuscript be deposited in public repositories (if suitable and available) or presented within the main article or supplementary files in a machine-readable format (e.g., spreadsheets instead of PDFs).

All manuscripts should include an “Availability of data and materials” section detailing data availability. See the Declarations section of the journal’s Instructions for Authors and our editorial policies for further information.

Formatting the ‘Availability of data and materials’ section of your manuscript

Use the following format for your manuscript’s “Availability of data and materials” section:

  • Data in a Repository: “The dataset(s) supporting the conclusions of this article is(are) available in the [repository name] repository, [unique persistent identifier and hyperlink to dataset(s) in http:// format].”
  • Data in Supporting Files: “The dataset(s) supporting the conclusions of this article is(are) included within the article (and its additional file(s)).”

IJOMAHIP supports the Force 11 Data Citation Principles. All publicly available datasets must be fully referenced in the reference list with an accession number or DOI.

For Databases:

Include the web/ftp address and any usage restrictions for non-academics.

For Software:

Include the following:

  • Project name: e.g., My bioinformatics project
  • Project home page: e.g., http://sourceforge.net/projects/mged
  • Archived version: DOI or unique identifier (e.g., enodo)
  • Operating system(s): e.g., Platform independent
  • Programming language: e.g., Java
  • Other requirements: e.g., Java 1.3.1+, Tomcat 4.0+
  • License: e.g., GNU GPL, FreeBSD, etc.
  • Any restrictions for non-academic use: e.g., license needed

See our editorial policies for information on repositories for other scientific data types, including clinical data.

References

Refer to our Editorial Policies for guidance on proper citation practices. Consult also specific article type.

What to cite?

Cite only published or in-press articles, clinical trial records, abstracts, or those available on public e-print/preprint servers.

Do not include unpublished abstracts, data, or personal communications in the reference list. These may be mentioned in the text as “unpublished observations” or “personal communications,” with the names of the researchers involved. It is your responsibility to get permission to cite personal communications and unpublished data. Footnotes only are permitted. Use Index Medicus/MEDLINE abbreviations for journals.

Provide any in-press articles cited in the references if requested by the editorial office for review purposes.

How to format your references

Please check the Instructions for Authors for the article type for examples of the relevant reference style.

Web links and URLs: All web links and URLs, including links to the authors’ own websites, should be given a reference number and included in the reference list rather than within the text of the manuscript. They should be provided in full, including both the title of the site and the URL, as well as the date the site was accessed, in the following format: The Mouse Tumor Biology Database. http://tumor.informatics.jax.org/mtbwi/index.do. Accessed 20 May 2013. If an author or group of authors can clearly be associated with a web link, such as for weblogs, then they should be included in the reference.

Authors may wish to make use of reference management software to ensure that reference lists are correctly formatted.

Preparing Your Tables

When formatting tables, adhere to these guidelines:

  • Number tables sequentially using Arabic numerals (Table 1, Table 2, etc.) and cite them in the text.
  • Tables shorter than one A4 or Letter page can be placed within the manuscript.
  • Tables longer than one page should be placed at the end of the document. Cite the table in the text where it should appear, for correct placement during production.
  • Large datasets or wide tables can be uploaded as separate files. See below for details.
  • Additional files with tabular data should be in Excel (.xls) or comma-separated values (.csv) format, using standard file extensions.
  • Include table titles (maximum 15 words) above the table and legends (maximum 300 words) below.
  • Format tables using your word processor’s “Table object” function, not as embedded figures or spreadsheets.
  • Do not use color or shading. Highlight table parts with superscripts, numbers, letters, symbols, or bold text, explaining their meaning in the legend.
  • Do not use commas to denote numerical values.

Preparing Your Additional Files

Because there are few limits on data length and quantity for many article types, you can include datasets, tables, videos, and other information as additional files.

These files will be published alongside your accepted article. Do not include patient consent forms, language editing certificates, or revised manuscripts with tracked changes. If requested, these should be emailed to the journal, referencing the manuscript number. Only send consent forms if specifically asked.

Information marked as “data not shown” should be included as additional files. Because web links often become broken, IJOMAHIP requires that supporting data be included as additional files or deposited in a recognized repository, not linked to personal/departmental websites. Exclude all individual participant details.

Additional files have a maximum size of 20 MB each and will be virus-scanned upon submission. Cite each file sequentially within the text.

If you include additional files, provide this information in a separate section of the manuscript:

  • File name (e.g., Additional file 1)
  • File format (e.g., .pdf, .xls, .txt, .pptx) and a URL for a suitable viewer if the format is uncommon
  • Title of the data
  • Description of the data

Name files “Additional file 1,” “Additional file 2,” etc., and refer to them explicitly by file name in the text, like this: “An additional movie file shows this in more detail [see Additional file 1].”

Language Editing Services

Presenting your work in well-written English gives it its best chance for editors and reviewers to understand it and evaluate it fairly. We have some editing services that can help you to get your writing ready for submission. 

Our expert services can help you polish your manuscript and language, offering:

  • English language improvement
  • In-depth scientific editing and strategic advice
  • Figure and table formatting
  • Manuscript formatting to journal specifications

A. English Language Editing

Our language editing services offer:

  • Achieving standards set by IJOMAHIP.
  • Editors with relevant research or clinical backgrounds, comprehensive training, and ongoing quality reviews.
  • Price is at $100 to maximize your paper’s publication potential.

B. Scientific Editing

Scientific Editing provides:

  • Examination of all facets of your scientific document.
  • Editing by advanced degree holders in your field, adhering to IJOMAHIP’s quality standards.
  • A thorough report with feedback and publishing advice tailored to journal manuscripts, based on the editors’ assessment.
  • Pricing per-paper at $300.

C. Manuscript Formatting

We will format your manuscript to precisely match a specific journal’s guidelines for initial submission or resubmission.
Price is at $100 to maximize your paper’s publication potential.

To avail both Scientific Editing and Manuscript Formatting, discounted price is at $ 375. Send us email for more details.

It is important to note that using these services is optional and does not guarantee acceptance or even selection for peer review.

Prepare Supporting Information

Before you submit, ensure you have the following:

  • Author Details
    • Complete names and email addresses for all co-authors.
  • Cover Letter

Your cover letter must contain:

  • Why IJOMAHIP is the right venue for your work.
    • Clarification of any issues related to journal policies.
    • A statement declaring any competing interests.
    • Verification that all authors have given their approval for submission.
    • Confirmation that the manuscript’s content is original and not under consideration elsewhere (see Duplicate Publication Policy).
    • If applicable, the specific name of the special issue you’re targeting.
  • Suggested Peer Reviewers (Optional)

You can suggest reviewers, ideally with institutional email addresses, ORCID IDs, or Scopus IDs. Providing false information about reviewers is prohibited.

  • Opposed Reviewers (Optional)

You can specify individuals you prefer not to review your submission.

Include in the submission of the article, the accomplished forms:

  1. IJOMAHIP Authorship Declaration Form
  2. IJOMAHIP Potential Conflict of Interest Disclosure Form (individually for each author)
  3. IJOMAHIP License to Publish Form

Conditions of Publication

You must agree to the conditions of IJOMAHIP regarding copyright and license agreement, and Article Processing Charge (APC).

During submission, you will need to accept and confirm the following conditions:

  • All authors have read and agreed to the manuscript’s content and are responsible for its accuracy and integrity, as per ICMJE criteria.
  • The article is original, unpublished, and not under consideration elsewhere.
  • You agree to IJOMAHIP’s Copyright and License Agreement (and Open Data policy, if applicable). We highly recommend reading these documents.
  • If you cannot hold copyright (e.g., Crown Copyright, US government employees), contact us to arrange a non-standard copyright line.
  • An article-processing charge (APC) applies for each article accepted for publication in IJOMAHIP . For further details please see our Article Processing Charge page.

Refer to our Copyright Policy for more details.

Manuscript Transfers

Manuscript transfer offers a simple way to resubmit your manuscript and reviewer feedback to another journal within our publishing group. We are dedicated to assisting you in finding the ideal publication venue for your research, providing guidance and support throughout the transfer process.

Promoting Your Publication

Our team actively promotes individual articles through various channels, including email updates, table of contents alerts, website postings, social media, blogs, and press releases. These efforts can significantly increase visibility, views, and downloads of your published work.

We also encourage you to actively promote your article using your own networks, such as email lists, social media platforms, conference presentations, and any other creative methods you choose.

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NOTE: Submissions to this journal must meticulously adhere to all specified requirements. Failure to do so may lead to rejection or necessitate a request for thorough revisions to rectify issues on originality, formatting, and overall compliance with the policies. Ensuring that your manuscript meets these standards is crucial for a successful submission.