Manuscript Preparation

Manuscripts are expected to contain sections like title, author(s) list, affiliations, abstract, keywords, introduction, materials and methods, results, discussion, conclusions, limitations, acknowledgments, author(s) contributions, institutional review board statement, informed consent statement, data availability statement, conflicts of interest, funding source(s), and references. Reviews are not required to include sections such as materials and methods, results, or discussion. Authors may organize the contents in a structure that best suits the nature of the review. Meta-analyses should include details of the search strategy, study selection, data extraction, and statistical methods in line with established guidelines (e.g., PRISMA). Outbreak Reports should include essential components such as background, case description(s), epidemiological findings, control measures, and key lessons learned. For manuscript preparation, follow the Manuscript Template.

Title - The manuscript title should be concise, specific, and relevant. Avoid using abbreviations, except for well-established and widely recognized terms.

Author(s) List and Affiliations - Full names of all authors should be provided. Affiliations must include complete address details such as city, postal/zip code, state or province, and country. One author should be clearly identified as the corresponding author, with an active email address included for correspondence. Superscript numbers should be used to link each author to their respective affiliation(s).

Abstract - The abstract should adhere to the word limit defined for each article type and be presented as a single, continuous paragraph. It should provide a structured summary covering the following elements: 1) Background – context of the study and its purpose; 2) Methods – brief description of the main methods or treatments used; 3) Results – concise presentation of the key findings; and 4) Conclusion – main interpretations or implications of the study.

Keywords - Authors should provide four to seven relevant keywords immediately following the abstract. Keywords should be specific to the content of the article, while also reflecting commonly used terms in the field to enhance discoverability.

One Health Perspective - In 3–5 sentences, explain how your work relates to the One Health idea. Describe any links between humans, animals, and the environment that your study shows. Mention why these links matter for health or disease, and how your findings could help different fields work together.

Introduction - The introduction should provide a clear background to the study, outlining the broader context of the problem being addressed. It should briefly summarize what is already known in the field, highlight gaps or unresolved questions, and establish the rationale for the current work. Authors should clearly state the main objective(s) and hypothesis of the study. The introduction should be concise, focused, and avoid presenting detailed results or conclusions.

Materials and Methods - This section should provide sufficient detail to allow the study to be understood and reproduced by others. Authors should describe the study design, setting, participants or experimental models, interventions or exposures, and the methods of data collection and analysis. Established methods may be cited with references, while new or modified methods should be described in detail. Statistical methods used for data analysis should be clearly specified.

Results - This section should present a clear and concise account of the study findings without interpretation or extensive discussion. Data should be organized logically, supported by tables and figures where appropriate, and reported in a way that highlights the most significant outcomes. Only results that are relevant to the study objectives should be included.

Discussion - The discussion should provide a critical interpretation of the study’s results rather than simply repeating them. Authors are expected to compare their findings with those of previous studies and explain how their work confirms, extends, or contrasts with existing knowledge. The section should explore the possible mechanisms or explanations behind the observed results, emphasize the novelty and significance of the study, and place the findings in a meaningful context. Where appropriate, the practical implications, clinical relevance, or policy significance of the findings may be addressed. The discussion should avoid overstatement or unsupported claims.

Conclusions - The Conclusions should provide a concise summary of the main findings without repeating all details of the Results or Discussion. Authors should highlight the key message of the study, emphasizing its significance and contribution to the field. The section may also briefly indicate the practical applications or implications of the findings. Conclusions should be based strictly on the data presented and avoid unsupported claims or speculation.

Limitations - This section should acknowledge the constraints of the study that may affect the interpretation or generalizability of the findings. Authors should briefly describe methodological, experimental, or analytical limitations, such as sample size, study design, measurement tools, or potential sources of bias. Recognizing these limitations provides transparency and helps place the results in the proper context. Where appropriate, suggestions for how future studies could address these limitations may be included.

Author(s)' Contributions - To ensure transparency, contributions should be reported according to the CRediT (Contributor Roles Taxonomy) system. The following format is recommended when listing author roles: “Conceptualization: XX and YY; Methodology: XX; Software: XX; Validation: XX, YY, and ZZ; Formal Analysis: XX; Investigation: XX; Resources: XX; Data Curation: XX; Writing – Original Draft Preparation: XX; Writing – Review & Editing: XX; Visualization: XX; Supervision: XX; Project Administration: XX; Funding Acquisition: YY”. Each “XX” or “YY” should be replaced with the initials of the contributing author(s). Multiple authors can be assigned to the same role if applicable.

Institutional Review Board Statement - For research involving human participants or animals, authors should provide details of ethical approval, including the name of the approving committee and the reference or approval number. A typical statement may confirm that the study complied with the Declaration of Helsinki and was approved by the relevant Institutional Review Board or Ethics Committee, specifying the protocol code and date of approval. If ethical approval was not required, authors should clearly explain the reason (e.g., studies using publicly available data or non-interventional designs). In cases where the study does not involve humans or animals, this section may be marked as Not applicable. Authors may be asked by the Editorial Office to provide further documentation if needed.

Informed Consent Statement - For studies involving human participants, authors should confirm that informed consent was obtained from all individuals, or from their legal guardians in the case of minors. The form of consent (e.g., written or oral) should be specified. Where informed consent was waived, the justification and the name of the approving ethics committee should be provided. If the manuscript includes identifiable personal data, case details, or images, authors must confirm that specific consent for publication was obtained from the participants or their legal guardians. If the study does not involve human participants, this section may be marked as Not applicable.

Data Availability Statement - Authors should provide information on where and how the data supporting the findings of the study can be accessed. If the data are publicly available, the repository name, link, and accession number (if applicable) should be included. If data are available upon reasonable request, this should be clearly stated along with contact details. In cases where data cannot be shared due to privacy, legal, or ethical restrictions, authors should provide a brief explanation. If the study did not generate any new data, this section may be marked as Not applicable.

Funding Sources - All financial support for the research, including grants, institutional funding, or sponsorship from public, private, or commercial bodies, should be clearly stated in this section. Authors should provide the full name of the funding organization(s), the grant number(s) if applicable, and specify which author(s) received the funding. If the research did not receive any external funding, authors should state: “This research received no external funding”.

Acknowledgments - This section should recognize individuals, groups, or organizations who contributed to the research but do not meet the criteria for authorship. Funding bodies or institutions that supported the work but are not listed under Funding Sources may also be acknowledged here. Authors are responsible for ensuring that all individuals mentioned in this section have agreed to be acknowledged.

Conflicts of Interest - All authors are required to disclose any financial, personal, or professional relationships that could be perceived as influencing the research or its interpretation. If no conflicts exist, the authors should state: “The authors declare no conflict of interest.” Disclosures should cover funding sources, employment, consultancies, stock ownership, honoraria, paid expert testimony, patent applications, or other relevant activities. Transparency in this section is crucial for maintaining trust and integrity in scholarly publishing.

References - References in the list must follow Vancouver style and be listed alphabetically by the first author's last name. In-text citations should use the author–year format, for example, Smith et al. (2025), (Smith et al., 2025), Smith and Gold (2024), (Smith and Gold, 2024), Smith (2023), (Smith 2023), or (Smith et al., 2025; Smith and Gold, 2024; Smith, 2023). Use the official abbreviations of journal titles as listed in PubMed/Medline. Ensure that all references cited in the text are included in the list and that all listed references are cited in the text. Authors are responsible for the accuracy and completeness of their references.

Reference Format Examples

·     Journal Articles
Author(s). Title of article. Journal Name. Year;Volume(Issue):Page range.
Example: Smith AB, Khan T, Zhao Y. Inflammatory pathways in rheumatoid arthritis. Clin Rheumatol. 2023;42(5):1123-34.

·     Books
Author(s). Book Title. Edition (if not the first). Place of publication: Publisher; Year.
Example: Brown C, Wilson J. Principles of Epidemiology. 3rd ed. New York: Oxford University Press; 2021.

·     Book Chapters
Author(s). Title of chapter. In: Editor(s), editors. Book Title. Place of publication: Publisher; Year. p. page range.
Example: Miller P, Davis R. Vector-borne diseases. In: Johnson L, editor. Global Health Challenges. London: Springer; 2020. p. 155-78.

·     Thesis/Dissertation
Author(s). Title [type of thesis]. Place of publication: Institution; Year.
Example: Ahmed R. Oxidative stress markers in cardiovascular disease [dissertation]. Lahore (PK): University of Health Sciences; 2022.

·     Conference Proceedings (Published)
Author(s). Title of paper. In: Editor(s), editors. Proceedings Title. Place of publication: Publisher; Year. p. page range.
Example: Wang T, Lopez M. Artificial intelligence in infectious disease modeling. In: Proceedings of the 12th International Conference on Global Health; 2023 Jun 10–12; Berlin, Germany. Berlin: Springer; 2023. p. 55-62.

·     Conference Abstracts (Unpublished)
Author(s). Title of abstract. Presented at: Conference Name; Date; Location.
Example: Kumar S, Lee J. Gut microbiota modulation in hypertension. Presented at: 15th Annual Meeting of the International Society for Hypertension; 2024 May 5–8; Tokyo, Japan.

·     Websites
Author(s)/Organization. Title of webpage/document. Available from: URL (accessed on Date).
Example: World Health Organization. One Health. Available from: https://www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/one-health (accessed 7 Sep 2025).

·     Unpublished Work (Accepted/Forthcoming)
Author(s). Title. Journal Name. Forthcoming Year.
Example: Lee M, Ahmed R. Advances in zoonotic disease surveillance. J Infect Dis. Forthcoming 2025.

 

Acronyms, Abbreviations, and Initialisms

• First use in each section - Define every acronym, abbreviation, or initialism the first time it appears in a section (e.g., Abstract, Introduction, Results, or Discussion).
• Formatting rule - When defining a term for the first time in a section, the abbreviation/initialism should appear in bold, placed in parentheses after the full term. E.g., Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α).

 

Units of Measurement

• Preferred system - Use the International System of Units (SI) throughout the manuscript.
• Conversions - If original data are in Imperial, US customary, or other units, convert them to SI units.

 

Preparing Figures, Tables, Images, and Schemes

• Resolution and quality - Figures and schemes must have high clarity for publication. Recommended resolution is 300 dpi or higher, or a minimum of 1000 pixels in width or height. Preferred file formats are TIFF and JPEG; however, other common formats are also acceptable.
• Placement and numbering - Insert all Figures, Schemes, and Tables close to their first mention in the text. Number them sequentially in the order they appear: Figure 1, Scheme 1, Table 1, etc. Avoid skipping numbers.
• Titles and captions - Every Figure, Scheme, and Table should have a concise title and a descriptive caption that clearly explains its content without requiring reference to the main text.
• Tables – 1) Use the Table tool in Microsoft Word for proper formatting; 2) Each column should have a clear heading; 3) Smaller font sizes may be used for large tables, but do not go below 8 pt.
• Colour and format considerations - Authors are encouraged to use colour graphics (RGB, 8-bit per channel) for better clarity. There is no extra fee for colour figures.
• Legibility and consistency - Ensure that all text, symbols, and labels in figures, schemes, and tables are readable after resizing or printing. Maintain a uniform style (fonts, line thickness, symbols) across all figures and schemes.
• Definition location - Any abbreviations or acronyms used in a figure or table should be defined in the figure/table footnote.
• Formatting - In the footnote, abbreviations may be written in bold for clarity. E.g., “HR = Heart rate; BP = Blood pressure; TNF-α = Tumor necrosis factor-alpha.”
• Consistency - Use the same abbreviation consistently across all figures or tables. Do not redefine the same abbreviation in multiple footnotes if it appears in multiple items.
• Images – 1) should be cropped and edited to show only relevant data. Avoid excessive background or irrelevant elements; 2) Adjust brightness, contrast, and colour balance to ensure clarity, but do not manipulate data; 3) Label all image panels clearly (e.g., a, b, c) if multiple panels are included; 4) Include scale bars for microscopy or other spatial images, with units in SI.