Submission Guidelines

Manuscripts for possible publication are received by IMA Kerala Medical Journal (IMA KMJ) provided they are not yet published elsewhere and are not simultaneously submitted elsewhere for publication.

All manuscript submissions to IMA KMJ must be done through the AI Submission portal keralamedicaljournal.in only. Submissions through any other methods will be ignored.

Editorial Review Process

IMA KMJ follows a double-blind peer review process after an initial assessment by the editorial team. Preparing the manuscript for submission requires meticulous planning, diligent writing, and attention to detail.

Manuscript Categories & Formats

The IMA KMJ accepts manuscripts in the following categories:

  • Review Articles

  • Original Research

  • Brief Reports

  • Case Reports

  • Letters to the Editor

  • Images in Practice

Accepted File Formats

The following word processor file formats are acceptable for the main manuscript document. Text should be typed in unjustified format, using Arial font size 11 and 1.5 line spacing.

  • Microsoft Word (DOC, DOCX)

  • Rich Text Format (RTF)

  • Open Document Format (ODT)

General Guidelines for Manuscript Preparation

  1. Covering Letter: A covering letter by the main/corresponding author indicating why the article is worth publishing. The manuscript must be seen and approved by all authors.

  2. Title Page (Separate Document):

    • Must contain the title of the paper, category of submission, and detailed author information (designation, institution, and full contact details of the corresponding author).

    • Full names of authors must be used with initials expanded.

    • Any one author can be the corresponding author.

    • Note: This page should be uploaded as a supplementary file.

  3. Main Manuscript Document:

    • First Page: Should contain the Title, Abstract, and Keywords.

    • Blinding: The abstract and full text must not contain overt or covert information identifying the authors or their institutions to facilitate an unbiased peer-review process.

    • Content: The full text should incorporate everything including figures, tables, graphs, and charts in appropriate places.

    • References: List of references at the end. References should be indicated in the text as superscripts in chronological order.

    • Legends: Legends to figures should be given following the list of references.

  4. Plagiarism: We use a robust and highly accurate plagiarism checking engine. Please ensure you read our plagiarism guidelines online before submitting.

  5. Writing Style: Authors should use a professional writing style and avoid lay language.

  6. Figures & Tables: Should be sequentially numbered, pasted in appropriate locations in the document, and resized to fit inside the page.

  7. Graphs & Charts: Use simple, two-dimensional styles without designer effects. We recommend MS Excel for creating charts.

  8. Tables: Use simple wireframe styles without colors or effects. They should be editable (best created in the word processor program itself).

  9. Photographs: Original full-resolution JPEG versions of photographs (if any) should be uploaded as supplementary files.

  10. Endnotes Section: Must contain a list of abbreviations with expansions, explanations of terminologies (as required), Conflicts of Interest statement, Acknowledgements, and Financial Support.

    • Conflict of Interest: Authors must disclose any financial or non-financial competing interests that may influence the interpretation of data.

  11. References Format: References should be created in the Vancouver style (ICMJE format). We recommend using the free reference management program Zotero.

  12. Data Collection Forms: The format/tool used for data collection should be uploaded as a supplementary file.

Specific Guidelines by Article Type

1. Research Articles & Review Articles

  • Word Limit: 4000 words.

  • Title: Should be descriptive and contain enough information for readers to understand the study.

  • Abstract: Structured (Background, Objectives, Methods, Results, Conclusions). Maximum 400 words.

  • Keywords: 4 to 8 comma-separated keywords.

  • Structure:

    • Background: Elaborate on existing knowledge and how this study adds to it.

    • Objectives: Numbered output indicators (aims).

    • Methods: Study design, subjects, inclusion/exclusion criteria, sample size, materials, duration, data analysis, and ethical considerations.

    • Results: Findings presented via statistical indicators, figures, and tables.

    • Discussion: Evaluation of results in light of existing evidence.

    • Conclusions: Final deductions and new knowledge obtained.

    • Limitations: Describe the limitations of the study.

    • Endnotes & References: (As per general guidelines).

2. Brief Reports

  • Definition: Short accounts of original studies or a series of cases (provided the number of cases is reasonably large).

  • Structure: Follows the same pattern as Original Articles.

  • Word Limit: Maximum 2500 words.

3. Case Reports

  • Word Limit: Maximum 1500 words.

  • Structure:

    • Abstract (75 words)

    • Introduction

    • Case Report

    • Discussion

4. Letters to the Editor

  • Scope: Comments on a recent article in IMA KMJ (within 6 months of publication) or topics of interest/clinical observations.

  • Word Limit: Maximum 150 words.

  • Limits: Maximum 1 Figure/Table and 2 References.

  • Structure: Text need not be divided into sections.

5. Images in Practice

  • Scope: Clinical photographs and accompanying imaging studies or pathological specimens.

  • Word Limit: 50 words and 2 references.

  • Privacy: Figures should not reveal the identity of human subjects. Appropriate consent must be obtained from patients or parents.

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