Submission Guideline

    Hits: 68

    Instructions for Authors

     

    Journal of Clinical & Health Sciences (JCHS) 

    The Journal of Clinical & Health Sciences (JCHS) is a double-blind, peer-reviewed, open access journal committed to publishing high-quality scholarly work in clinical and health sciences.

    Authors must ensure that all submissions comply strictly with the journal’s formatting, ethical, and submission requirements. Manuscripts that do not adhere to these guidelines may be returned for correction or rejected at the initial editorial screening stage.

     

    1.  Submission Policy

    1.1 Online Submission

    All manuscripts must be submitted through the official JCHS online submission system at https://journal.uitm.edu.my/ojs/index.php/JCHS/submissions. Submissions must be made by one of the authors of the manuscript. Submission by third parties is not permitted.

    The corresponding author assumes full responsibility for:

    • The integrity of the manuscript
    • Communication with the journal during submission and peer review
    • Ensuring that all co-authors have read and approved the final version Maximum file size: 40 MB per file.

     

    1.2  Mandatory Submission Files

    Each submission must include the following separate files:

    1. Main Manuscript File (blinded)
    2. Title Page
    3. Cover Letter
    4. Author Information File
    5. Supplementary Materials (if applicable)


    2.  Article Types

    JCHS accepts the following article categories:


    Word Limits

    Abstract

    • Review Articles: ≤ 250 words
    • Case Reports: ≤ 150 words

    Manuscript Body

    • Review Articles: ≤ 5000 words (excluding abstract and references)
    • Case Reports: ≤ 2000 words (excluding abstract and references)

    Figures and Tables

    • Original Articles: Maximum 5 tables/figures combined
    • Review Articles: Maximum 5 tables/figures combined
    • Case Reports: Maximum 4 tables/figures combined

    Authors are encouraged to present data concisely and avoid unnecessary duplication between text, tables, and figures.


    3.  Cover Letter (Mandatory) (Submit in Separate File)

    The cover letter must be addressed to the Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Clinical & Health Sciences (JCHS) and include:

    • Full manuscript title
    • Article type
    • Brief background and rationale
    • Explanation of suitability for JCHS
    • Declaration of originality
    • Confirmation of no concurrent submission elsewhere
    • Disclosure of any competing interests
    • Suggestion of three potential reviewers:
      • From different institutions than the authors
      • Without conflicts of interest
      • Including full name, affiliation, and email address

    Manuscripts submitted without a cover letter will not be processed. The editorial office reserves the right to select reviewers independently of the authors’ suggestions.


    4.  Title Page (Mandatory) (Submit in Separate File)

    To preserve double-blind peer review integrity, the Title Page must be uploaded separately and must contain:

    • Full article title
    • Full names of all authors (without academic titles)
    • Institutional affiliations
    • Email addresses of all authors
    • Clear identification of corresponding author
    • Full corresponding author contact details
    • Running title (maximum 50 characters including spaces)

    Author-identifying information must not appear in the main manuscript file. Manuscripts submitted without a title page will not be processed.


    5.  Manuscript Preparation

    5.1 File Format 

    • Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx) format only
    • Editable document (not PDF)
    • File name format: docx (example: norhafizarazali.docx)
    • Use either UK or US English consistently; mixed spelling is not


    5.2  Template and Formatting

    Authors must prepare manuscripts using the official JCHS template. Do not:

    • Modify predefined formatting styles
    • Change font types or sizes
    • Adjust paragraph indentation or spacing manually
    • Add page numbers
    • Create new heading styles 

    Line numbers must not be removed

    If formatting inconsistencies occur, use “Clear Formatting” and reapply the correct style from the Styles Gallery.


    5.3  Font and Layout Specifications

    The template uses Times New Roman as the standard font family. Formatting includes:

    • Single-column layout
    • Preset heading levels
    • Figure captions (9 pt)
    • Table captions (8–9 pt)
    • Footnotes (8 pt)
    • Figure labels: Times New Roman, 9 pt


    6.  Manuscript Structure

    Manuscripts must be arranged in the following order:

    1. Title
    2. Abstract
    3. Keywords (3 - 6 keywords)
    4. Main Text
    5. Acknowledgements/Funding (compulsory)
    6. Conflict of Interest Statement (compulsory)
    7. Authors’ Contributions (compulsory)
    8. Declaration of Generative AI Use (if applicable)
    9. Data Availability Statement (if applicable)
    10. Ethics Statement
    11. References
    12. Appendix (if applicable)


    7.  Abstract and Keywords

    • Concise and self-contained
    • No citations
    • Provide 3–6 keywords arranged in ascending alphabetical


    8.  Tables, Figures and Illustrations Tables

    • Embedded within text
    • Caption above table
    • Numbered consecutively
    • Horizontal lines only
    • Source indicated where applicable
    • Font must be Times New Roman
    • All text within tables, including table titles and legends, must be presented in Times New Roman

    Figures

    • Embedded within text
    • Caption below figure
    • Minimum 300 dpi
    • Minimum 500 × 500 pixels
    • Editable/vector graphics preferred
    • No blurry or pixelated images
    • Authors must use Times New Roman font for all text appearing in figures and figure


    9.  Abbreviations and Units

    • Abbreviations should be used sparingly
    • Define at first mention
    • SI units must be used throughout
    • Scientific notation must follow standard conventions


    10.  Referencing Style

    JCHS follows Vancouver Style

    • In-text citation: [Number]
    • Reference list arranged according to number cited in text
    • DOI included (compulsory)
    • Reference format:

    Source Type

    Reference List Format

    Journal Article

    Author(s). Title of article. Abbreviated title of journal. Year;Volume(Issue):Page numbers. DOI

    Book

    Author(s). Title: subtitle. Edition (if not 1st). Place of publication: Publisher; Year. DOI (if applicable)

    Website

    Author or Organisation. Title [Internet]. Place: Publisher; Date of publication [cited Year Month Day]. Available from: URL.

    Unpublished data and personal communications should not appear in the reference list but may be cited in text where necessary.

    Authors are responsible for ensuring reference accuracy.


    11.  Ethical and Transparency Requirements

    11.1 Authorship Criteria

    JCHS adheres to the ICMJE recommendations for authorship. An author must:

    1. Contribute substantially to conception/design, data acquisition, analysis, or interpretation
    2. Participate in drafting or critical revision
    3. Approve the final version
    4. Agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work

    Acquisition of funding or general supervision alone does not justify authorship.


    11.2  Conflict of Interest

    Authors must disclose all financial and non-financial conflicts of interest. If none exist, authors must state:

    “The author(s) declare that they have no conflict of interest.”


    11.3  Acknowledgements

    Individuals who do not meet authorship criteria but contributed to the work should be acknowledged.

    Authors must obtain permission from all individuals named in the Acknowledgements section.

    Funding sources must be disclosed.


    11.4  Ethics Statement (Mandatory)

    All manuscripts must include an ethics statement. For research involving human or animal subjects:

    • Institutional ethics approval
    • Approval number
    • Confirmation of informed consent
    • Adherence to recognised ethical standards If not applicable, authors must explicitly state


    11.5  Plagiarism Screening

    All manuscripts undergo similarity screening prior to peer review. Manuscripts with unacceptable similarity levels (plagiarism index of >30%) may be rejected without external review.


    11.6  Generative AI Disclosure

    If generative AI tools were used:

    • Disclosure is mandatory
    • AI tools cannot be listed as authors
    • AI use is limited to language refinement and generation of figures
    • Authors retain full responsibility for content


    11.7  Data Availability

    Authors are encouraged to:

    • Deposit data in reputable repositories
    • Include a Data Availability Statement


    12.  Author Information (Separate File)

     Submit a separate file titled “Author Information” including:

    • Full name (without titles)
    • Institutional affiliation
    • Short biography (maximum 100 words)
    • Institutional email address


    13.  Editorial Screening and Peer Review

    All submissions undergo initial editorial screening for:

    • Scope alignment
    • Ethical compliance
    • Formatting adherence
    • Similarity assessment

    Only manuscripts meeting these criteria will proceed to double-blind peer review.

    The editorial board reserves the right to reject manuscripts at any stage if they do not meet journal standards.


    14.  Publication Fees

    JCHS does not charge submission or publication fees.


    15.  Manuscript Template 

    All manuscripts must be prepared using the official JCHS template.

    Download the JCHS Manuscript Template