Submissions

Author Guidelines

AUTHORS GUIDELINES

While submitting manuscripts, please carefully follow the instructions given below:

Submission Preparation Checklist

• The submission has not been previously published, nor is submitted currently to another journal for consideration.
• You may also suggest two to three potential reviewers related to your subject.
• The submission file should be in Microsoft Word document format.
• The text should be double-spaced; 12-point, Times New Roman font; italic for other than English word rather than underlining; and all illustrations, figures, and tables should be placed within the text at the appropriate points, rather than at the end.
• Letter of Undertaking should be signed by all authors which is available on the website. Please scan it and upload it.
• Ethics /Institution Review Committee approval is necessary with every paper for further processing.
• The figures should be in JPEG format with at least 300 dpi of resolution. It should be added in text at appropriate position and upload as supplementary file.
• Do not submit tables as photographs. Give each column an abbreviated heading and elaborate abbreviations below the table.
• Statistical techniques/tests with significance level should be mentioned clearly.

SCOPE OF THE JOURNAL

The Baqai Journal of Health Sciences invites articles in medicine, dentistry, pharmaceutical sciences, veterinary sciences, and all related disciplines of health sciences for publication. The journal is published twice a year (Biannual), without submission or publication charges. This journal will provide a vehicle for the young  medical scientists, research workers as well as senior scholars, for the exchange of information and publication   of their research findings.

BJHS is an open access journal which means that all content is freely available without charge to the user or his/her institution. Users are allowed to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of the articles, or use them for any other lawful purpose, without asking prior permission from the publisher or the author.

PUBLICATION ETHICS / SIMILARITY INDEX

All manuscripts submitted to the journal should be free of plagiarism with respect to ideas, data, words, graphic materials or other forms of communication. Every submitted article will be checked through ‘TURNITIN’ for similarity index. In case of more than 19% or   more than 5% from a single source, the authors need to resubmit the manuscript after revision. The data presented in the manuscript should be unpublished. Authors shall be responsible for the originality and quality of the manuscript. All authors are requested to disclose any actual or potential conflict of interest. The authors must also mention the funding source of the study in the acknowledgment section (if any). All authors should be aware of and in agreement with the submission of this manuscript and share responsibility for its content. All manuscripts will be considered for reviewing with an understanding that they are solely submitted to the Baqai      Journal of Health Sciences and are not under simultaneous consideration by any other journal.

Those studies that involve patient(s), their identification, photographs, reports, etc. should only be used after the consent of the patient or parent or guardian (whichever applicable). Authors should remove patients' names from figures unless they have obtained written consent from the patients. All submissions containing such information are believed to be obtained as per criteria described above and if required the authors are liable to submit the written consent to the Editorial Office.

TYPES OF MANUSCRIPTS

 The following categories of articles are included:

1. Original Articles

An original research article is the experimental or observational study. The text of original articles amounting to utmost 3000 words (excluding Abstract and References) should include Title; structured Abstract; Introduction; Methodology; Results; Discussion; Conclusion; References should not more than 30 and maximum of 4 tables and 3 figures  are allowed. The structured abstract must not be more than 300 words and should include objective, method, results, conclusion and keywords. Overall the original article should not be more than 4500 words.

2. Meta-Analysis / Systematic Review

BJHS encouraged the reviewers to submit systematic reviews and meta-analysis for publication.  They should respectively follow the PRISMA (http://www.prisma-statement.org/) and MOOSE guidelines (http://www.consort-statement.org).

Systematic reviews and meta-analysis must include an abstract of not more than 300 words. The main text should be up to 4000 words excluding references, figures and tables. The references could be up to 70 and total number of tables and graphs should be up to 7.

3. Review Articles

Review article should be written by the author considered experts on the subject. Therefore, the corresponding author of the review article must be one of the authors of at least three articles presented in Reference section. Review articles must include an abstract of not more than 300 words; a main text should be up to 4000 words excluding the references. Manuscript should have up to 70 references, and maximum of 7 tables and/or figures.

4. Short Communications

Short communications are brief reports of research works containing new findings, which are not exceeding 2500 words from introduction through references. The Short Communication consists of Abstract, main body including Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion, Conclusion; Acknowledgement, References. Number of Tables and Figures should not be more than 3.

5. Case Reports / Clinical Case Series

Case reports are accepted provided they are of exceptional interest for the readers. The case report consists of Abstract (unstructured), Introduction, Case Report, Discussion, Acknowledgements, and References. Case reports must not exceed 1,000 words with at most 15 references and two tables or figures.

6. Letters to the Editor

Letters could be of two types, commenting either on recently published articles or reporting cases, outbreaks, or original research. The former must be received within 2 months of publication of the article to which they refer. The letter should contain no more than 1000 words altogether including up to 10 references and 2 figures and/or tables. They should not be divided into sections.

7. Study Protocols

Diabetic Medicine now welcomes submission of study protocols. Manuscripts must include a structured abstract (maximum 250 words), should not exceed 3,000 words of text and should be limited to 30 references (AMA style, see section 4). Inclusion of supplementary materials in the form of underlying datasets, multimedia files or accompanying slide sets is encouraged. For study protocols of health care interventions, the last section of the abstract should be Trial Registration: listing the trial registry and the unique identifying number, e.g. Trial Registration: Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN73824458. Please note there should be no space between the letters and numbers of the trial registration number. The trial registers that currently meet all of the ICMJE guidelines can be found at http://www.icmje.org . Publishing your study protocol in Diabetic Medicine does not commit you to submitting subsequent reports of the study to us, although we do, of course, welcome such submissions.

9. Commentary

Commentaries provide expert opinion to hot topics. Whilst typically commissioned by the Editors, unsolicited submissions are welcome. Commentaries should not exceed 1,000 words and 10 references (AMA style, see section 4). No abstracts are required.

10. Other

Other cases such as announcement regarding important meetings, workshops, seminars and other events relating to Health Sciences at National and International level are accepted based on confirmation by Editorial Board.

PREPARATION OF THE MANUSCRIPT

Submitted manuscripts are expected to be concise, well organized, and clearly written both in terms of concept and language. The responsibility for all aspects of manuscript preparation rests with the authors. The following points should be considered during the preparation of the manuscript:

1. The preferred font is Times New Roman with a size of 12.
2. The text should be in single column format with double spacing between the lines. Try to keep the layout of the text as simple as possible.
3. The text in the manuscript should be justified.
4. The authors should use English language throughout the preparation of the manuscript.
5. The articles should be check for spelling and grammar by using such options in the MS Office or Grammarly to avoid unnecessary errors.
6. Define all abbreviations on their first use in the manuscript.
7. The manuscript should be divided into the following sections:

a. Title

Every article should contain an appropriate and concise title as they are of enormous importance for the information retrieval to the reader. Symbols, formulas, or arbitrary abbreviations should not be included in the title. Chemical symbols/medical abbreviation can be included in the title if they are necessary   for the   information   retrieval.

b. Name and Affiliations of the Author(s)

The title of the article should be followed by the full name of the author separated by comma in case of more than one author. The affiliation (department, university /organization) with email address of each author should also be provided. One of the authors should be designated as ‘Corresponding Author’, who will be responsible for all the correspondence at all stages of refereeing and publication. Provide the email address, telephone/cell number, (with country and area code), postal address of the corresponding author after the affiliation(s). Please see template of the title page.

c. Abstract

A self-explanatory structured (Background, Aim, Method, Result & Conclusion) abstract of up to 300 words is required for original research and review articles and up to 150 words for short communications, case reports and case series. The abstract should be in a single paragraph without references. It should state briefly the purpose of the research, the principal results and major conclusions. Footnotes or undefined abbreviations should be avoided. The abstract should be on a separate page followed by the title and authors name. No abstract is required for letters to editor and book reviews.

d. Keywords

Immediately after the abstract (on the same page), provide at least 3 and maximum of 7 keywords. These keywords should reflect the scientific content of the manuscript. Avoid use of words like 'and', 'of', etc. If possible use the keywords from MeSH (Medical English Headings).

e. Introduction

This section should start from a separate page after abstract and keywords. The introduction section is mandatory and it should provide adequate background information along with the literature review, rational and the purpose / objective of the work. Literature review should be short and to the point directing towards the rational and objective of the study.

f. Methodology

This section should appear in the manuscript in continuation after Introduction. It should provide the details of the materials / chemicals and instruments used along with the names of their manufacturer (with city and country). This section should also provide sufficient details of the techniques employed in order to allow the work to be reproduced. Already published methods should be indicated by a reference and if there are any relevant modifications they should be described briefly.

Manuscripts containing data generated from animal and/or human studies must specify the committee and the institution that approved the experimental protocols used to generate these data. This section should also include the software(s) and statistical techniques used for data analysis in detail. Sample size calculation and the significant level for rejecting the null hypothesis should also be mentioned.

g. Results

The results should be presented clearly and concisely in continuation to Methodology under separate headings. Do not present same data in more than one figure or table or both in a figure and a table. Only important information from the tables and graphs should be mentioned.

h. Discussion

Discussion should be presented separately from the results. Do not repeat the information in the discussion which is already presented in the results section. This section should emphasize present findings & the variations or similarities with other work done in the field by other workers. Emphasize the new and important aspects of the study and the conclusions that follow from them. It must be mentioned whether the hypothesis mentioned in the article is true, false or no conclusions can be derived. This section should also include as to what new information it has added to the medical literature and its clinical significance. By the end this section the limitations and points to be addressed in the future studies can also be mentioned.

i. Conclusions

The main conclusions of the study should be presented in a short paragraph, which may stand alone or form a subsection of a Discussion or Results and Discussion section.

j. Acknowledgment

It should appear at the end of the manuscript after Conclusions. This section should acknowledge financial support, technical assistance, gifts, etc. List here those individuals who provided help during the research (e.g., providing language and statistical help,  or proof reading the article, etc.). Authors can also write none, if not available.

k. Funding Statement

It should appear at the end of the manuscript after Acknowledgment. State clearly if any funding agency is involved. If no funding agency is involved it should be written that “No funding source is available for this study”.

l. Author’s Contribution

It should appear at the end of the manuscript after funding statement. This should be presented as per the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) guidelines as follows:

• Substantial contributions to the conception or design of the work; or the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data for the work; AND
• Drafting the work or revising it critically for important intellectual content; AND
• Final approval of the version to be published; AND
• Agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.

m. Conflicts of Interest

It should appear at the end of the manuscript after authors’ contribution. When authors submit a manuscript they must disclose all financial and personnel relationship that might bias their work. Authors must state explicitly whether potential conflicts do or do not exist. Additional details can be provided if necessary in a covering letter which accompanies the manuscript.

Authors of study funded by an agency with proprietary or financial interest in the outcome must sign a statement that they had full access to all the data in the study and take complete responsibility for the integrity of the data and the accuracy of the data analysis. This statement should be submitted along with the manuscript.

n. Ethical Approval & Ethical Consent

All research projects that involve Human Subjects or pose serious threat to ecological system must be accompanied with certificate of Institutional Review Board / Ethics Committee Approval. All manuscripts reporting the results of experimental investigations involving human subjects should also include a statement confirming the informed consent was obtained from each subject or subject’s guardian.

o. Clinical Trial Registration

All clinical trials should be registered in a trial registry at the time or before enrolling the first patient.

p. References

References should be placed at the end of the manuscript on a separate page after conflict of interest. References should be numbered consecutively in square bracket [---] in the order in which they are first mentioned in the text, for e.g. citation [1], citation [2-5], citation [1, 5, 9-12], etc.

The responsibility for accuracy of references with correct spelling lies with the respective authors. Unpublished results and personal communications should be avoided in the reference list. All references should follow the Vancouver style for referencing:

Journal Articles (Published), Vancouver Style

• Rehman IU. Biodegradable polyurethanes: biodegradable low adherence films for the prevention of adhesions after J Biomater Appl. 1996; 11(1):182–257. DOI: ----------------.
• Rehman I, Bonfield Characterization of hydroxyapatite and carbonated apatite by photo acoustic FTIR spectroscopy. J Mater Sci Mater Med. 1997; 8 (3):1–4. DOI: ----------------.
• Ahmad I, Mirza T, Iqbal K, Ahmed S, Sheraz MA, Vaid FHM et al. Effect of pH, buffer and viscosity on the photolysis of formylmethylflavin: A kinetic study. Aust J Chem. 2013; 66(6):579–585. DOI: --.

Journal Article (In Press, Accepted)

Citation of a reference as 'in press' implies that the item has been accepted for publication and a DOI number should be provided (if available).

• Ahmed S, Sheraz MA, Rehman Studies on tolfenamic acid-chitosan intermolecular interactions: effect of pH, polymer concentration and molecular weight. AAPS PharmSciTech, in press, 2013; doi: 10.1208/s12249-013- 9974-9.
• Ahmad I, Bano R, Sheraz MA, Ahmed S, Mirza T, Ansari SA et al. Photodegradation of levofloxacin in aqueous and organic solvents: A kinetic study. Acta Pharmaceutica. 2013;

Chapter Reference in an Edited Book

• Ahmad I, Ahmed S, Sheraz MA, Vaid FHM. Borate: toxicity, effect on drug stability and analytical applications, In: Chung, MP (Ed.), Handbook on Borates: Chemistry, Production and Applications, Nova Science Publishers, , New York, USA, 2010; pp. 19–58.

Book Reference

• Ahmad I, Ahmed S, Sheraz MA, Vaid FHM. Borates: Chemical, Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Aspects, 1st , Nova Science Publishers, Inc., New York, USA, 2011; pp. 111–132.

Thesis Reference

• Sheraz Formulation and Stability of Ascorbic Acid in Liquid and Semisolid Preparations, Ph.D. Thesis, Baqai Medical University, Karachi, 2009.

Web Reference

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Vaccine information Website: http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/vis/default.htm (Accessed on 08 June, 2023).
• Wikipedia – The Free Infectious diseases. Website: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_infectious_diseases (Accessed on 16 June, 2023

q. Tables

Insert tables on appropriate positions within the text. Prepare tables by using the Table function option given in MS Office. Do not prepare tables by using ‘tab’ or ‘spacebar’ keys. Number them consecutively with Arabic numerals in the order of their appearance in the text and supply a brief title for each table above it. Tables should be self-explanatory and avoid duplication of the material presented in a figure. Place footnotes to tables below to explain all non-standard abbreviations that are used in each table in footnotes. Fully borrowed, adapted, and modified tables should not be reproduced without obtaining permission and a credit line should be provided in the footnote.

r. Figures

Insert figures on appropriate positions within the text number them consecutively with Arabic numerals. Number them consecutively with Arabic numerals in the order of their appearance in the text and supply a brief title for each figure below it. Figures should be self-explanatory and avoid duplication of the material presented in the tables. Figures should be in good quality and appropriate size in order to facilitate the reader. Permission to reproduce any borrowed illustration must be obtained from the author and the publisher. A credit line should appear in the caption or as a footnote for such figures. The Journal reserves the right to crop, rotate, reduce, or enlarge the photographs to an acceptable size.

REVIEW POLICY

The editor holds the right to reject or send back any manuscript before being considered for reviewing due to lack of originality, poor presentation, not following instruction for authors, etc. All manuscripts submitted to the journal will be peer-reviewed by two or more reviewers. Based on the remarks of the reviewers the decision about the manuscript will be taken by the editor. The comments and suggestions (acceptance / rejection / minor or major revision) received from reviewers are conveyed to the corresponding author. If required, the author is requested to provide a point by point response to reviewers’ comments and submit a revised version of the manuscript. All the changes made should be marked as yellow in order to facilitate reviewing. This process is repeated till reviewers and editors are satisfied with the manuscript

SUGGESTED REVIEWERS

The authors are also required to provide the names of at least three potential reviewers at the time of submission with their complete postal and email address. The reviewers should not be affiliated with the same institutes as the contributor(s). However, the selection of reviewers is at the sole discretion of the editor.

ACCEPTANCE OF THE MANUSCRIPT

On acceptance of the manuscripts, the corresponding author will first receive the galley proof of the article for any typo-grammatical mistake or minor corrections. It is expected that the galley proof should be returned after the changes through email within 48 hours to the editorial office. The authors are not allowed to make any major changes in the manuscript at this stage regarding its concept and description.

ARTICLE PROCESSING CHARGES

There are no article processing charges or any other charges for the submission and publication of articles in Baqai Journal of Health Sciences.

CORRECTIONS

If errors are found in the published paper due to the editorial office, a correction of the error should be sent by the author to the Editor-in-Chief for publication in the journal’s Errata Section.

USE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND AI-ASSISTED TECHNOLOGY IN PREPARATION OF THE MANUSCRIPT

Baqai journal of health sciences, Baqai medical University follow the ICMJE recommendations that Use of AI for writing assistance should be reported in the acknowledgement section.

Use of AI based on the following criteria:

1. At submission, authors must disclose weather they used artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted technologies (such as Large Language Models [LLMs], Chatbots, or image creators) in the production of submitted work.
2. Authors who use such technology should describe, in the submitted work if applicable how they used it. For example, if AI was used for writing assistant describe this in the acknowledgement section.
3. If AI was used for data collection analysis or figures and generation authors should describe this use in the methods. Chatbots (such as ChatGPT) should not be listed as authors, because they cannot be responsible for the accuracy, integrity, and originally of the word and these responsibilities are required for authorship.
4. Therefore authors are responsible for any submitted material that included the use of AI assisted technologies.
5. Authors shoot carefully review and added the result because AI can generate authoritative sounding output that can be incorrect, incomplete or biased.
6. Authors should not list AI and AI-assisted technologies as an author or co-author nor cite AI as an author.
7. Author should be able to assert that there is no plagiarism in their paper including in text and images produced by the AI.
8. Humans must ensure there is appropriate attribution of all quoted material, including full citations.

(Ref:https://www.icmje.org/news-and-editorials/icmje-recommendations_annotated_jan24.pdf)

SEE THE TEMPLATES

• Letter of undertaking
• Title Page
• Cover letter

PRIVACY STATEMENT

The names and email addresses entered in this journal site will be used exclusively for the stated purposes of this journal and will not be made available for any other purpose or to any other party.