Submissions

Submission Preparation Checklist

All submissions must meet the following requirements.

• This submission meets the requirements outlined in the Author Guidelines.
• This submission has not been previously published, nor is it before another journal for consideration.
• All references have been checked for accuracy and completeness.
• All tables and figures have been numbered and labeled.
• Permission has been obtained to publish all photos, datasets and other material provided with this submission.

MANUSCRIPT FILES

• * Manuscript document submitted as Microsoft Word (.docx) file (Do not submit as PDF or any other format)
• * Manuscript is double-spaced throughout, including references and figure legends. (Includes abstract, main text, acknowledgements)
• * 12pt font (Times New Roman or Arial) used consistently throughout (No mixed fonts or sizes in the main text)
• * Continuous line numbering applied throughout the entire document. (Essential for reviewer comments and editorial correspondence)
• * All pages numbered consecutively in the bottom centre. (Starting from the title page)
• * Margins of at least 2.5 cm (approx. 1 inch) on all sides
• * All sections present and in the correct order. (Title page, Abstract, Keywords, Main text, Declarations, References, Tables, Figure legends)
• Figures submitted as separate high-resolution image files. (TIFF, EPS, or JPEG; min 300 dpi photos, 600 dpi line art. Not embedded in Word document)

TITLE PAGE

• * Full manuscript title included (maximum 20 words; no abbreviations)
• * Short running title included (maximum 8 words)
• * Full names of ALL authors listed (first name, middle initial if used, surname) (No initials-only authorship)
• * Institutional affiliation(s) provided for each author at time of research (Include city and country)
• ORCID identifier provided for each author (where available) (Register free at orcid.org if not yet registered)
• * Corresponding Author clearly designated with full name, address, phone, and email
• * Word count of main text stated on title page (Main text only — excludes title page, abstract, references, tables, figure legends)
• * Number of tables and number of figures stated on title page
• Any prior presentations of the work disclosed (conference abstract, preprint, etc.) (Including preprint server name and DOI/URL if applicable)

ABSTRACT AND KEYWORDS 

• * Abstract is present and formatted correctly for the manuscript category. (Structured (Original Research, Systematic Review, Case Series) or Unstructured (all others)
• * Abstract is within the word limit for the manuscript category (Original Research: 300 words; Systematic Review: 350; Case Report/Narrative Review: 250; Short Comms: 150)
• * Structured abstract uses required headings: Background, Objectives, Methods, Results, Conclusion (Required for Original Research, Systematic Reviews, Case Series only)
• * Abstract does not contain any references or citations
• * All abbreviations are defined within the abstract itself (if used)
• * 5–8 keywords provided immediately below the abstract (Use MeSH terms (nlm.nih.gov/mesh) where applicable)
• Keywords do not duplicate terms already in the title. (Avoid generic terms such as 'hospital' or 'patient').
• Clinical trial registration number stated at end of abstract (for clinical trials) (Include registry name and registration number)

MAIN TEXT AND STRUCTURE

• * Main text is structured correctly for the manuscript category. (Original Research: Intro/Methods/Results/Discussion/Conclusion. Case Report: Intro/Case Presentation/Discussion/Conclusion, etc.)
• * Word count of main text is within the limit for the manuscript category (Original Research: 3,000–4,500. Case Report: up to 2,000. Check AG §2 table)
• * Introduction clearly states the research gap and specific objectives
• * Methods describe study design, setting, participants, data collection, variables, and statistical analysis (Must be sufficiently detailed for replication)
• * Ethics approval and informed consent stated in the Methods section. (Include committee name and approval reference number)
• * Results reported objectively without interpretation. (Interpretation belongs in Discussion)
• * Discussion interprets findings, compares with existing literature, and states limitations honestly
• * Conclusion is concise and directly supported by the data (Avoid overstating or speculating beyond the data)
• All abbreviations defined at first use in the main text (Also define independently in abstract)
• SI units used throughout (Generic (INN) drug names used; trade names in parentheses at first mention)

AUTHORSHIP AND MANDATORY DECLARATIONS

• * All listed authors meet ALL FOUR ICMJE authorship criteria (Conception/design + drafting/revising + final approval + accountability)
• * No honorary, gift, or ghost authors included (Contributors who do not qualify for authorship must be listed in Acknowledgements only)
• * Author Contribution Statement included (for manuscripts with 2+ authors) (Use CRediT taxonomy: Conceptualization, Methodology, Investigation, Writing, etc.)
• * Conflict of Interest Declaration included (Declare all financial and non-financial interests. If none, state: 'The authors declare no conflict of interest')
• * Funding Statement included (Disclose all funding sources with grant numbers. If none: 'This research received no specific grant from any funding agency')
• * Ethics Statement included (State ethics committee name, approval reference number, and date of approval)
• * Data Availability Statement included (State how underlying data may be accessed, or provide reason if unavailable)
• Acknowledgements section present (where applicable) (Acknowledge contributors who do not qualify as authors, and institutional support)

ETHICS AND RESEARCH INTEGRITY

• * Ethics approval obtained before commencing research — committee name and reference number in manuscript (Required for all research involving humans, patient data, biological specimens, or animals)
• * Written informed consent obtained from all human participants (or legal guardians) (Must be confirmed in the manuscript text)
• * Patient anonymity protected — all identifying information removed or anonymised (Remove name, DOB, hospital number, location beyond city level, occupation, etc.)
• * Patient Consent for Publication Form submitted (for case reports or identifiable images) (Use the ARD Medical Journal Patient Consent for Publication form)
• * Manuscript is original and has not been previously published in any form (Including journal articles, conference proceedings, book chapters, or institutional publications)
• * Manuscript is not currently under review at any other journal (Simultaneous submission to multiple journals is strictly prohibited)
• Preprint disclosure in cover letter (if manuscript posted on preprint server) (Include server name (e.g., medRxiv) and preprint DOI/URL)
• * Clinical trial registration number and registry name included in manuscript (for clinical trials) (Must appear in Methods section AND at end of abstract. Prospective registration required)
• AI tool use disclosed in Methods or Author Contribution Statement (if applicable) (Specify tool name and nature of its contribution. AI may not be listed as an author)

REPORTING GUIDELINES (tick applicable; N/A if not relevant)

• CONSORT checklist submitted — Randomised Controlled Trial (Mandatory for RCTs)
• STROBE checklist submitted — Observational study (cohort, case-control, cross-sectional) (Mandatory for observational studies)
• PRISMA 2020 checklist and flow diagram submitted — Systematic review / meta-analysis (Mandatory for systematic reviews and meta-analyses)
• STARD checklist submitted — Diagnostic accuracy study (Mandatory for diagnostic accuracy studies)
• CARE checklist submitted — Case report (Mandatory for all case reports)
• ARRIVE 2.0 checklist submitted — Animal research (Mandatory for animal studies)
• SQUIRE 2.0 checklist submitted — Quality improvement study (Recommended for quality improvement studies)
• N/A — No specific reporting guideline applies to this manuscript type (Check with the Editorial Secretary if uncertain)

STATISTICAL REPORTING

• * Statistical software named and version cited in the Methods section (e.g., SPSS version 27.0, R version 4.3.1, Stata version 17)
• * Statistical tests are appropriate for the data type and study design, and justified in Methods
• * Exact p-values reported (e.g., p = 0.032) — not 'p < 0.05' unless p < 0.001
• Effect sizes and confidence intervals reported where applicable
• * Continuous variables: mean and SD (normally distributed) OR median and IQR (non-normal)
• * Categorical variables: frequencies and percentages reported
• Missing data reported — proportion missing and method of handling stated
• Kaplan-Meier curves provided for survival data (where applicable)

TABLES AND FIGURES

• * Each table appears on a SEPARATE page, AFTER the references, in the manuscript document (One table per page)
• * Tables created using Microsoft Word's table function — NOT tabs, spaces, or images
• * Each table has a concise descriptive title placed ABOVE the table (e.g., 'Table 1. Baseline characteristics of study participants')
• * All abbreviations in tables defined in a footnote BELOW the table
• * Tables cited consecutively in text (Table 1, Table 2, etc.) in order of first mention
• * Data in tables NOT duplicated in the main text (Summarise in text; do not repeat the same numbers)
• Figures submitted as SEPARATE high-resolution image files (not embedded in Word) (TIFF/EPS/JPEG. Min 300 dpi for photos; 600 dpi for line art)
• Figure legends listed together on a SEPARATE page at end of manuscript (Legends must be self-explanatory without reference to main text)
• Figures cited consecutively in text (Figure 1, Figure 2, etc.)
• Written permission obtained for figures reproduced from published sources (Source attribution included in figure legend)
• Patient consent form submitted for any clinical photograph in which patient may be identifiable

REFERENCES

• * Vancouver referencing style used throughout (Numbered consecutively in order of first citation in text)
• * In-text citations are superscript Arabic numerals immediately after punctuation (e.g., ...was 38%.¹  or ...findings.³⁻⁵'⁸)
• * Reference list appears after declarations, before tables (All references numbered and formatted in Vancouver style)
• * All references verified against the original source for accuracy
• * Reference count is within the limit for the manuscript category (Original Research: up to 45. Case Report: up to 20. See AG §2 table)
• Retracted papers, preprints, and non-peer-reviewed sources identified as such in the reference list
• Personal communications and unpublished data cited in text only, not in reference list (e.g., (Amadi BC, personal communication, 2025)
• No footnotes used for references — all references in numbered reference list only

COVER LETTER

• * Cover letter addressed to the Editor-in-Chief, ARD Medical Journal
• * Full manuscript title and manuscript category stated in cover letter
• * Brief 3-sentence summary of aims, key findings, and significance included
• * Confirmation that manuscript is original and not under review elsewhere
• Preprint disclosure included (if applicable) (Server name and DOI/URL)
• Related manuscripts (published, under review, or in preparation) disclosed
• * Conflict of interest disclosure in cover letter (financial and non-financial) (Even if none — state explicitly)
• Up to 3 suggested peer reviewers named with email addresses and statement of no conflict (Editorial Board is not obliged to use suggested reviewers)
• Names of individuals requested to be excluded from review provided (with reasons)
• * Confirmation that all authors have read and approved the submitted manuscript

SUPPLEMENTARY AND ADDITIONAL FILES

• Reporting guideline checklist attached as supplementary file (where required) (CONSORT, STROBE, PRISMA, STARD, CARE, ARRIVE — as applicable)
• PRISMA flow diagram attached as a figure file (systematic reviews/meta-analyses) (Submit as separate image file, min 300 dpi)
• Patient Consent for Publication form attached (case reports; identifiable images) (Use the ARD Medical Journal form — available from Editorial Secretary)
• Ethics approval letter attached (if requested by Editorial Board) (Scan or digital copy of original approval letter)
• Supplementary data files attached and clearly labelled (if applicable) (Additional data, appendices, or supporting material referenced in manuscript)
• All supplementary files named clearly (e.g., Supplementary_Table_1.xlsx, Appendix_A.pdf)

CORRESPONDING AUTHOR DECLARATION

By signing below, the Corresponding Author confirms, on behalf of all co-authors, that:

• I have read and completed this Submission Checklist in full and confirm that the submission complies with all applicable requirements of the ARD Medical Journal Author Guidelines and Terms and Conditions.
• All co-authors have read, approved, and consented to the submission of this manuscript in its current form.
• All declarations, disclosures, and statements made in this checklist and in the manuscript are true, accurate, and complete to the best of my knowledge.
• I understand that submission of a non-compliant or incomplete manuscript, or the provision of false or misleading information in this checklist, may result in the rejection of the manuscript or other sanctions in accordance with the ARD Medical Journal Author Terms and Conditions.