Author Guidelines

Process for submission:

Authors are requested to strictly follow the guidelines provided herewith, while preparing the manuscripts for submission to the “Healthline” journal. User needs to register first on website. Once registered, author can submit their manuscript and track progress. Author needs to follow this submission checklist strictly. For any queries or technical issues, please contact: editorhealthline@gmail.com

Types of Manuscripts:

Healthline Journal follows the following categories of manuscripts: Editorial (by invitation only), Continuing Medical Education/Review Article, Original Article, Short Communication, Letter to Editor, Book Review.

Preparation of the Manuscript

Manuscripts should be double-spaced, with 2.54 cm margins, and written in 12-point Times New Roman font (including title and headings). The text should be justified, and pages must be formatted in A4 size with page numbers placed at the bottom right corner.

Language and Writing Style:

Manuscripts should be written in Indian English. The full form for each abbreviation should be written out at its first occurrence in the title, abstract, keywords, and text, unless it is a standard unit of measure. Acronyms and abbreviations should be used sparingly, and the full form should be followed by the acronym or abbreviation in parentheses upon first mention.

Manuscripts will be edited to conform to the style guidelines of the Healthline Journal. Authors are requested to carefully proofread their manuscripts for spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors before submission. Headings and sub-headings should be in sentence case, not all caps. Tables should be formatted according to APA style, and charts should be submitted in an editable format.

Submission of the Manuscript

The submission includes three primary documents: the Manuscript, Title page and IEC certificate.

The manuscript must encompass the title, abstract, keywords, manuscript body (including introduction, methods, results, discussion, and conclusion etc), and references. The acknowledgment section should be appended at the end of the main manuscript, but it must not mention the name of the city or the institution. Template Manuscript for Original research can be downloaded from here: Healthline Manuscript Template

The title page should include the names of the authors along with their affiliations, email ID, and phone number. Healthline Title Page Template

Organization of Sections in an Article

Abstract: An abstract is required for all manuscript types except for editorials and letters to the editor. Abstracts should not exceed 250 words. For original research articles, the abstract should be structured into five subheadings: introduction, objective/s, methods, results, and conclusions. Authors should provide up to five keywords aligned with the MeSH database at the end of the abstract. The abstract must not include figures, tables, references.

Introduction: The introduction must outline the objective of the study. Authors should articulate the specific goal or purpose of the research and its significance. The introduction should also describe the hypothesis to be tested, or the gap in knowledge the study seeks to address. Objectives should be mentioned in the last part of introduction.

Methods: This section must detail the research plan, materials (or subjects), and methods used. It should specify how the disease or condition was confirmed, controls utilized, data collected, and analysis performed. Detailed descriptions of any devices, medications, or apparatus must include the branded name, manufacturer’s details, city, and country.

Study Design: Clearly describe study type, settings, sample size calculation, selection criteria for participants (sampling techniques), including eligibility, exclusion criteria, and the source population.

Technical Information: Provide detailed information on methods, apparatus, and procedures, referencing established methods and explaining any new or modified techniques.

Ethics: Authors must supply evidence of approval by a local ethics committee.

Statistics: Specify statistical methods used, measurement errors, and confidence intervals. Avoid misuse of technical terms and provide precise definitions. All P values must be exact (e.g., P = .032) rather than thresholds (e.g., P < .05).

Results: Results should be presented in a logical sequence aligned with the study objectives. Numeric results should include absolute numbers alongside percentages and other derivatives. Tables and graphs should not duplicate data. Trends and critical findings should be highlighted.

Discussion: The discussion should interpret the findings in the context of the hypothesis, existing evidence, and clinical or policy implications. It must include key findings, strengths, limitations, and a comparison with previous studies. Refrain from reiterating data already presented in the introduction or results sections.

Recommendation: Authors should provide well-grounded recommendations based on the key findings of their study. These recommendations should align with the study objectives and contribute to clinical practice, public health policies, or future research directions. Recommendations should be practical, evidence-based, and clearly linked to the results, avoiding overgeneralization or claims beyond the study’s scope.

Limitation: A clear and transparent discussion of study limitations is essential to ensure scientific integrity. Authors should acknowledge methodological constraints, potential biases, sample size limitations, or other factors that may affect the interpretation and generalizability of the findings. Rather than undermining the study, an honest account of its limitations strengthens credibility and allows readers to understand its applicability in different contexts.

Declaration: Authors must disclose any conflicts of interest that may have influenced the study, including financial, institutional, or personal relationships. Details of funding sources should be clearly stated, specifying whether the funding body had any role in study design, data collection, analysis, or manuscript preparation. Additionally, authors must declare any use of artificial intelligence (AI) in research, data analysis, or manuscript drafting, ensuring transparency in the research process.

References: References must be numbered sequentially in the order they appear in the manuscript, following Vancouver style. ANSI standard style adapted by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) should be followed. Consult https://www.nlm.nih.gov/bsd/uniform_requirements.html. Alternatively if author using reference manager software like Mendeley or Zotero they can use this specific tailored custom citation style: https://csl.mendeley.com/styles/610628321/Healthline. Citation numbers should be superscripted and enclosed in square brackets after punctuation. Example: “... with no evidence of intratubular testicular neoplasia.^[1]” When there are more than two citation number present in the sequence then cite as a “... with no evidence of intratubular testicular neoplasia.^[1-3]”

Author can refer the examples here: Healthline reference examples

Tables (Maximum 4): Tables must adhere to APA style, include descriptive titles, and be self-explanatory without duplicating text data. Each table must define abbreviations used below the table and ensure arithmetic accuracy. [APA guideline for Tables]

Illustrations (Maximum 4): Graphs: Graphs should be in editable format. Axes must be clearly labelled, and error bars must be defined in the legend. Indicate whether the ± values represent standard error (SEM) or standard deviation (SD). Figures/Images: Images must be in JPEG format with a maximum size of 2 MB. Figures should be numbered consecutively and accompanied by descriptive legends. Titles and detailed explanations should not be placed on the images themselves but in the legends. Written permissions are required for patient photographs, and identifiable features like eyes must be covered. Any reproduction of figures must include a credit line and written copyright permission.

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Specific Details for Each Manuscript Type

Original Manuscript:

Each of the following sections should begin on a separate page. Number all pages in sequence.

Abstract:

Abstract should be a structured condensation of the work not exceeding 250 words for original research articles. It should be structured under the following headings: Introduction, Objectives, Methods, Results, Conclusions, and 3- 5 Key Words to index the subject matter of the article. Please do not make any other heading.

Manuscript:

It must be concise and should include Title, Introduction, Methods, Result, Discussion, Conclusion, Recommendations, Limitations, Declarations and References. The manuscript should not contain names, or any other information related to authors. The matter must be written in a manner, which is easy to understand, and should be restricted to the topic being presented. Insert tables and figures within the text at appropriate places. Written permissions of persons/agency acknowledged should be provided, if applicable.

Review Articles / Continuing Medical Education (CME)

The Healthline publishes various types of review articles, including but not limited to rapid reviews, mapping reviews, and scoping reviews. Only those review articles authored by experts who have published quality original research in the relevant area will be considered. These articles can be up to 4000 words (excluding the abstract and references) and should not exceed 100 references, focusing on recent and relevant literature. The methodology should be clearly defined, including the search strategy employed. The abstract should be unstructured, with a word limit of 250 words. Tables and figures may be included as needed. If any published tables or figures are reproduced, copyright permission must be obtained from the original copyright holder.

Letters to the Editor

Letters to the Editor should be concise, presenting decisive observations. Ideally, they should relate to articles previously published in the journal or comments made within it. The word limit for letters is 750 words, with no more than 5 references.

Short Communications

Short communications should adhere to the same guidelines as original research articles, but with a word limit of 1500 words, and the abstract should not exceed 150 words. The manuscript should include no more than 3 tables and/or figures, and references should be limited to 12.

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Author Responsibilities

The journal accepts only original works that have not been published or submitted elsewhere. Authors must confirm that the manuscript, in whole or in part, has not been previously published or is under consideration for publication elsewhere. Abstracts presented at conferences are not considered prior publication and may be submitted for consideration, provided that the details of such presentations are disclosed in the Acknowledgements section. Any material protected by copyright laws that is used in the manuscript must be properly acknowledged. Publication of material on a website may constitute prior publication and must be disclosed at the time of submission. Additionally, authors should disclose details of related papers, even if authored in a different language.

Once accepted, changes to authorship (additions, removals, or modifications) are not permitted.

Authorship Criteria: Authorship credit should be granted based on substantial contributions to the conceptualisation and design of the study, data acquisition, or data analysis and interpretation; drafting or critically revising the manuscript for important intellectual content; final approval of the version to be published; and accountability for the accuracy and integrity of all aspects of the work.

Each author must take responsibility for their contributions and publicly affirm the manuscript’s content. The sequence of authorship should reflect each contributor’s relative contributions and cannot be changed post-submission without written consent from all authors.

The Corresponding Author is responsible for all communication with the journal and for ensuring that the final manuscript reflects the required changes from editors and reviewers.

Ethics

Research must adhere to the Code of Ethics of the World Medical Association (Declaration of Helsinki) for studies involving humans. Scientific misconduct, as defined by the Federal Research Misconduct Policy, includes data falsification, which refers to the fabrication, distortion, or selective reporting of findings, and plagiarism, which involves using another’s language, ideas, or work without permission or presenting it as original. Authors must ensure that no text has been inadvertently copied verbatim from previously published work.

Institutional Review Board Approval and Informed Consent: All human studies must have approval from an institutional review board. Signed informed consent from participants is mandatory. If applicable, a waiver of consent granted by the board should be explicitly stated in the manuscript. Articles lacking these requirements will not be considered for publication. Patient consent and ethical approval details, including protocol numbers and dates, must be included in all research articles.

Patient Privacy: Informed consent must be obtained from all participants (or their guardians for minors under 16) and explicitly stated in the manuscript. Identifiable information, such as names, initials, or hospital numbers, should not be included unless essential for scientific purposes. In such cases, written informed consent for publication must be obtained and documented.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): Authors must disclose any use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in research, data analysis, manuscript drafting, or editing. The statement should specify the AI tool used, its purpose, and the extent of its contribution while ensuring that human oversight, critical interpretation, and intellectual input remain central to the research. AI-generated content must be verified for accuracy, and authors bear full responsibility for any errors or ethical concerns arising from its use.

Reporting Guidelines

Authors should adhere to following guidelines while preparing manuscript,

For other study types, reporting guidelines can be accessed at https://www.equator-network.org/reporting-guidelines/.

Conflict of interest and financial support

The situations where conflict of interest arises are when an author (or the author's institution), reviewer, or editor has financial or personal relationships that inappropriately influence (bias) his or her actions (such relationships are also known as dual commitments, competing interests, or competing loyalties). The potential of influences can vary from the insignificant ones to the significant ones where the results of the reviews or publication process. The conflict of interest can also occur if an individual believes that the relationship affects his or her scientific judgment. Financial relationships (such as employment, consultancies, stock ownership, honoraria, paid expert testimony) are also one of the identifiable conflicts of interest and the most likely to undermine the credibility of the journal, the authors, and of science itself. The other potential conflicts can occur for other reasons, such as academic rivalry, personal relationships and intellectual desire. (Source: International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (“Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals”), February 2006) A brief statement on source of funding and conflict of interest should be included in the manuscript.

Data Sharing Policy

The authors must submit a statement of data sharing that, the data pertaining to original articles, published in “Healthline” journal must be provided, without restrictions, whenever asked for by the editorial board of the journal. Failure to comply this condition may lead to rejection of the article.

Manuscript Processing Charges

The manuscript processing charges (APC- Article Processing Charges) are applicable only at the time of acceptance of the manuscript for publication in “Healthline” journal, as mentioned below. Authors are instructed to avoid doing upfront payment at the time of submission of manuscript.

Charges are applicable to all the manuscripts accepted for publication in Healthline Journal from 1^st April 2023 onwards.

• First author – IAPSM Member: Rs 5000
• First author – Non-IAPSM Member: Rs 7000

(Applicable for Letter to Editor, Original Article, Review Article, Short Communication & Book review)

The charges as mentioned above can be paid by cheque / online transfer in favour of below mentioned account.

Following online payment of charges, the receipt of fund transfer should be emailed to editorhealthline@gmail.com.

If paid by cheque, duly prepared cheque should be sent to Dr. Viral Dave, Editor in Chief, Community Medicine Department, GCS Medical College, Opp. DRM Office, Nr. Chamunda Bridge, Naroda Road, Ahmedabad-380025, Gujarat, India.

Creative Commons Licensing

This is an open access journal, and articles are distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0), which allows others to remix, tweak, and build upon the work non-commercially, as long as appropriate credit is given, and the new creations are licensed under the identical terms.