About the Journal
The Kut Journal of Medical and Health Sciences (KJMHS) is an Open Access, international, peer-reviewed journal dedicated to publishing high-quality, original research. For detailed insights into the journal's focus and peer-review policy, please refer to the Aims & Scope section.
Open Access ensures that your research is freely accessible online immediately upon publication, allowing anyone to read, cite, and utilize your work.
Please note: KJMHS only accepts manuscripts written in English.
Accepted Article Types
The journal accepts the following categories of scholarly contributions:
- Original Articles: Comprehensive research articles offering in-depth investigations across diverse medical and health sciences disciplines.
- Short Communications: Concise manuscripts addressing significant topics with a focused scope.
- Review Articles: Broad overviews of specific subjects, often integrating meta-analyses.
- Mini Reviews: Focused reviews that succinctly cover recent and essential advancements in medical or health sciences.
Language Requirements
Manuscripts must be submitted in clear and concise English. Authors who are not fluent in idiomatic English are encouraged to seek language editing assistance before submission.
Note: Reviewers are not responsible for correcting grammatical errors, and poor language quality may negatively impact the manuscript’s evaluation, potentially leading to delays or rejection.
Before Submission
To ensure your manuscript is prepared according to the submission requirements, please verify the following:
- Originality: The manuscript must be an original work and should not have been previously published or submitted for review elsewhere, including other journals or conference proceedings.
- Research Ethics: The study must comply with all relevant research ethics guidelines. For studies involving human or animal subjects, a separate section titled "Ethics Approval" must be included in the manuscript.
- Language Quality: The manuscript should be written in clear and grammatically correct English and free from spelling errors.
- Formatting: Ensure that the manuscript adheres to the formatting requirements of the Kut Journal of Medical and Health Sciences (KJMHS) Manuscript Template.
- Figures: All figures must be of high quality and submitted as separate files during the submission process.
- References: References must be properly formatted and numbered in the order they appear within the text. Adhere to the specified reference style outlined in the journal guidelines.
- Relevance and Quality: The manuscript should maintain a high level of academic quality and align with the Aims and Scope of the journal.
- Adherence to Guidelines: Manuscripts must fully comply with all submission requirements outlined by KJMHS.
Important Note: Submissions that do not meet these criteria may be rejected outright or returned to the author for revision before being considered for the peer review process.
Preparation of Manuscripts
Authors must prepare and submit their manuscripts according to the following detailed guidelines:
Submission Format
Manuscripts must be submitted in Word file format (Word 2007 or later) via the online Manuscript Tracking System. For manuscripts involving complex mathematical content, submission in LaTeX format is also accepted.
Formatting Requirements
- Text Formatting: Use Times New Roman font, size 10 pt, with double line spacing throughout the manuscript. Ensure that the text is fully justified on both the left and right margins. Employ boldface, italics, subscripts, and superscripts wherever necessary for clarity and emphasis.
- Layout: Utilize a single-column format with justified margins. Maintain continuous line numbering throughout the manuscript for easy reference. Ensure that all pages are numbered sequentially.
- Equations: Prepare equations using the Equation Editor or MathType to ensure clarity and accuracy.
- Tables: Use the table function in your word processor to create tables for consistency and ease of formatting.
- Headings: Implement a decimal-based system for headings, limiting to a maximum of three levels (e.g., 1., 2., 2.1, 2.1.1).
- Proofreading: Utilize the spell-check and grammar-check features of your word processor to eliminate errors prior to submission.
Manuscript Preparation and Submission Guidelines
Online Submission: Manuscripts must be submitted through the Manuscript Tracking System (MTS) by one of the authors. Adherence to the following requirements is mandatory:
- Accepted file formats: Word (.doc, .docx, .rtf).
- No page limits: Submissions can be of any length, provided they meet journal standards.
- Submissions by anyone other than the authors are not permitted.
- The submitting author holds responsibility for managing the manuscript throughout the submission and peer review process.
- If there are technical issues preventing submission via MTS, the journal's support team should be contacted for assistance.
Initial Evaluation
All submitted manuscripts undergo an initial screening by the Editorial Office to verify compliance with the following criteria:
- Formatting and Ethical Guidelines: Manuscripts must strictly adhere to the journal’s prescribed formatting and ethical standards.
- Plagiarism Screening: All submissions are checked using iThenticate software to identify potential plagiarism.
- Editorial Review: The Editor-in-Chief evaluates the submission for relevance to the journal’s scope and assesses its scientific validity.
Manuscripts that fail to meet these requirements will be either rejected outright or returned to the authors for revisions prior to proceeding with the peer review.
Submission Declaration and Verification
When submitting a manuscript to the journal, authors confirm adherence to the following:
- Originality: The manuscript has not been previously published or submitted for review elsewhere, except in specific cases such as abstracts or theses.
- Approval: The submission has been approved by all contributing authors and relevant responsible authorities.
- Plagiarism Check: All manuscripts are screened for originality using the Crossref Similarity Check powered by iThenticate to ensure the integrity of submitted content.
Article Structure
Manuscripts should be organized in the following order to maintain consistency and clarity:
- Title Page: Includes the manuscript title, author names, affiliations, and corresponding author details.
- Abstract and Keywords: A concise summary of the manuscript (≤300 words). Keywords: 4–6 relevant terms for indexing and search.
- Introduction: Briefly outlines the study's background, rationale, and objectives.
- Materials and Methods: Provides sufficient detail for reproducibility, including experimental setup, methodology, and tools used.
- Results: Clearly presents findings in a structured manner, supported by figures, tables, and statistical analysis where applicable.
- Discussion: Interprets the results, highlighting their significance, implications, and any limitations.
- Conclusion: Summarizes key findings and recommendations for future research.
- Acknowledgments: Credits contributors, funding sources, or institutions that supported the work.
- Conflicts of Interest: Discloses any potential financial or personal conflicts of interest.
- References: Lists all cited works in the required format, ordered sequentially as they appear in the text.
- Arabic Abstract: A translation of the English abstract into Arabic.
- Tables: Presented on separate pages, each with a descriptive title above and explanatory notes below.
- Figures: High-quality images, graphs, or diagrams with captions placed below each figure.
Detailed Guidelines
Title Page
The title page must include the following elements in both English and Arabic:
- Title: The title should be brief, descriptive, and written in Times New Roman, 14 pt, bold.
- Authors and Affiliations: List the names of all authors and their affiliations in Times New Roman, 11 pt, bold. Use superscript letters to link authors to their respective affiliations.
- Corresponding Author: Indicate the corresponding author with an asterisk (*) and provide their complete contact details, including email address. If available, include a 16-digit ORCID identifier for the corresponding author.
- Running Title: Provide a concise running title with a maximum of 80 characters.
Abstract and Keywords
- Abstract: The abstract should be self-contained and written in Times New Roman, 9 pt. Limit the word count to 300 words and avoid citations.
- Keywords: Include 4–6 keywords, separated by semicolons, in Times New Roman, 10 pt.
Main Sections
- Introduction: Provide a succinct explanation of the study's significance, objectives, and scope.
- Materials and Methods: Detail the experimental or methodological approach, including any statistical tools or software used. Include vendor details for materials when applicable.
- Results and Discussion: Present findings in a logical order using tables and figures where necessary. Explore implications, address limitations, and propose directions for future research. This section may be split into two separate parts if preferred.
- Conclusion: Summarize the primary findings and their relevance. Highlight practical applications or theoretical contributions.
Acknowledgments
List contributors who assisted with the study but do not meet authorship criteria. Mention funding sources or grants that supported the research. Ensure permission is obtained from individuals named in this section.
Conflicts of Interest
Disclose any financial, personal, or professional interests that could be perceived as influencing the work. If no conflicts exist, include a statement declaring the absence of conflicts of interest.
Formatting and Technical Guidelines
Figures
- Submit high-quality figures in either vector or bitmap formats such as EPS, JPEG, or TIFF.
- Ensure a minimum resolution of 300 dpi for all images.
- Keep labels and images in separate layers to allow adjustments during the publishing process.
- Include captions below the figures, formatted in Times New Roman, 9 pt, bold.
Tables
- Add descriptive titles above each table.
- Avoid using vertical rules in the tables to ensure clarity and simplicity.
- Provide captions for tables, formatted in Times New Roman, 9 pt, bold.
Additional Requirements
Funding Statement
Clearly disclose all funding sources that supported the research, including grant numbers where applicable. If the research was conducted without external funding, state the employer or organization under whose auspices the work was carried out.
Nomenclature and Units
Use SI units (International System of Units) consistently throughout the manuscript. Non-SI units, if necessary, should be included in parentheses alongside their SI equivalents.
Statements & Declarations
All manuscripts must include a 'Statements and Declarations' section after the references. Submissions lacking this section will be returned to the authors as incomplete.
Funding
Authors are required to disclose all sources of financial support for their research. If no funding was received, this must also be explicitly stated.
Example Statements:
- With Funding: "This work was supported by [Funding Agency Name] (Grant numbers [Grant Number 1] and [Grant Number 2]). Author A.B. has received research support from Company A."
- Without Funding: "The authors declare that no funds, grants, or other support were received during the preparation of this manuscript."
Competing Interests
Authors are required to disclose any financial or non-financial interests directly or indirectly related to the submitted work. Interests within the last three years of initiating the research (conducting the study and preparing the manuscript for submission) must be reported. Interests outside this timeframe should also be disclosed if they could reasonably influence the interpretation or evaluation of the submitted work.
Example Statements:
- Financial Interests: "Author A and B declare they have no financial interests." "Author C has received speaker and consultant honoraria from Company M. Dr. C has received research funding from Company M and Company N." "Author D has received travel support from Company O."
- Non-Financial Interests: "Author D has served on advisory boards for Company M and Company N."
- No Relevant Interests: "The authors declare no relevant financial or non-financial interests."
For further clarification, refer to the Competing Interests section in the journal’s policies.
Author Contributions
Authors are encouraged to provide a detailed statement specifying each author's contribution to the research and manuscript preparation. This information should be included in the 'Statements and Declarations' section.
Example Statement:
- "All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation, data collection, and analysis were performed by [Full Name], [Full Name], and [Full Name]. The first draft of the manuscript was written by [Full Name], and all authors reviewed and approved the final manuscript."
Guidelines for Completion:
- Clearly specify the roles and contributions of each author.
- Ensure all listed authors meet the journal’s authorship criteria.
- Confirm that all authors have reviewed and approved the final manuscript.
For additional guidance, refer to the Authorship Principles section of the journal.
Data Availability
The journal encourages authors to include a Data Availability Statement in their articles. This section should specify where data supporting the study's findings can be accessed or provide reasons if the data cannot be shared.
Example Statements:
- Public Repository: "The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are available in the [Repository Name] repository at [Persistent Link to Datasets]."
- Available on Request: "The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request."
- No Data Available: "No datasets were generated or analyzed during the current study."
For more information, refer to the Research Data Policy and Data Availability section.
Ethics Approval
Authors conducting research involving human or animal subjects must include a statement affirming that the study was approved or exempted by the appropriate ethics committee or review board. This statement should include the committee's name and reference number.
Example Statements:
- "This study was performed in line with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. Approval was granted by the Ethics Committee of [Institution Name] (Approval Number/Date)."
- "This is an observational study. The [Ethics Committee Name] confirmed that no ethical approval was required."
For additional details, consult the sections on Research Involving Human Participants and Research Involving Animals.
Consent to Participate
For studies involving human subjects, researchers must obtain informed consent from participants or their legal guardians (for minors).
Example Statements:
- "Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study."
- "Written informed consent was obtained from the parents."
For further assistance, refer to the Informed Consent guidelines.
Consent to Publish
If a manuscript contains identifiable data (e.g., individual details, images, videos), authors must secure explicit consent for publication from the individuals involved or their legal representatives.
Example Statement:
- "The authors affirm that human research participants provided informed consent for publication of the images in Figure(s) 1a, 1b, and 1c."
Refer to the Informed Consent section for more comprehensive guidance.
Proofs
Once your manuscript has been typeset, one set of page proofs (in PDF format) will be emailed to the corresponding author. These proofs are provided solely for the purposes of checking typesetting accuracy, editing completeness, and ensuring correctness in text, tables, and figures.
Proof Correction Timeline: All corrections must be returned in a single communication within 48 hours of receipt.
Responsibility: Proofreading is the sole responsibility of the author. If no response is received within the specified timeframe, the publisher may proceed with publication as is.
Revised Manuscripts
For manuscripts requiring revisions, authors must include the following files when resubmitting:
- Revised Manuscript (with Changes Highlighted): Use the "Track Changes" feature in Microsoft Word to clearly indicate all modifications. Save this file as: "Revised Article with Changes Highlighted."
- Response to Reviewers: Provide detailed responses addressing each reviewer and editor comment. Specify changes made in the manuscript corresponding to each comment. Save this file as: "Response to Reviewers."
- Revised Manuscript (Clean Copy): Submit a final version of the revised manuscript with all changes incorporated, free of visible markup. Save this file as: "Manuscript."
Adhering to these guidelines ensures your revised submission is complete and ready for reevaluation.
After Acceptance
Upon acceptance, the manuscript will proceed to production for typesetting. Once typesetting is completed, proofs will be sent to the corresponding author for final review.
Peer Review Process
All submitted manuscripts undergo a double-blind peer review process, ensuring anonymity between authors and reviewers.
- Editorial Decision: The editorial board will make final decisions based on peer reviewer recommendations.
- Special Cases: Manuscripts with significant ethical, societal, or biosecurity implications may be referred to external experts for additional evaluation.
Ethical Guidelines
Authors are expected to comply with ethical standards for research involving human or animal subjects:
Studies Involving Human Subjects
Must adhere to the Declaration of Helsinki (1964) and its amendments.
- Include a statement confirming informed consent from all participants.
- Approval from the appropriate ethical committee, with relevant details provided.
- Any experimental work with potential risks must outline measures to minimize harm.
Studies Involving Animal Subjects
- Detailed descriptions of anesthetic or surgical procedures must be provided.
- Efforts to minimize animal suffering should be clearly documented.
- Adhere to ARRIVE Guidelines and relevant national or international regulations.
Ethics Approval Statement
For manuscripts involving humans, animals, plants, or sensitive datasets, the following must be included:
For Research Involving Humans
- Name of the ethics committee or institutional review board.
- Ethics approval number or ID.
- Confirmation that informed consent was obtained.
For Research Involving Animals
- Details of adherence to humane treatment standards.
- Ethics committee names and approval details.
- Justification for the use of specific species.
- Methods for minimizing suffering, including details on anesthesia and euthanasia.
Supplementary Materials
Authors may submit supplementary files for online publication alongside their articles.
Required Information:
- Each supplementary file must include:
- Article Title
- Journal Name
- Authors' Names and Affiliations
- Corresponding Author’s Email Address
Submission and Publication: Supplementary files are published as provided by authors, with no conversion, editing, or reformatting by the journal.
Article Publishing Charge
The Kut Journal of Advanced Studies does not charge Article Processing Charges (APCs) for submissions during its first two years of operation.