Author Guidelines

Editorial Policy

Journal of Medical Research and Clinical Evidence (JMRCE) strives to publish original research articles, clinical studies, review articles, case reports, and evidence-based medical communications across various specialties and subspecialties of medicine. It emphasizes the publication of evidence-based medicine in a rapidly evolving scenario. Original research articles, review articles, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, case reports, case series, short communications, clinical images, and letters to the editor will be accepted for publication provided that they conform to the scope of the journal and successfully pass the editorial as well as the double-blind peer-review process. Manuscripts being submitted to JMRCE must be original and unpublished anywhere in the past and should not be under consideration for publication by any journal anywhere else. Plagiarised papers, as well as salami publications, will be summarily rejected.

Journal of Medical Research and Clinical Evidence (JMRCE) wants their authors to go through "Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals," as cited in N. Engl. J. Med., 1997, 336: 309-15. These requirements ensure that the medical publications globally conform to the highest standards of publication and is available at http://www.icmje.org

Manuscript Submission

All manuscripts submitted to the Journal of Medical Research and Clinical Evidence (JMRCE) must be accompanied by a covering letter which must clearly state the type of paper i.e, original research article, review article, case report, case series, systematic review, meta-analysis, short communication, clinical image, or letter to the editor. The covering letter should also contain a statement stating that all contributing authors have gone through the final contents of the paper and approved the final draft of the paper.

Every paper must also be accompanied by a copyright transfer form as given on the website of the journal. The copyright transfer form essentially seeks to transfer all copyright ownership to Journal of Medical Research and Clinical Evidence (JMRCE). It has to be signed by the corresponding author who on behalf of him/herself as well as all other authors undertakes and agrees to transfer all copyrights to JMRCE.

JMRCE accepts the following forms of manuscript

Original Research Articles Review Articles Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Case Reports Case Series Short/Brief Communications Clinical Images Letters to the Editor Conference Abstracts

Review Procedure

Every paper submitted for consideration to be published in the Journal of Medical Research and Clinical Evidence (JMRCE) will pass through various processes that include plagiarism check, editorial review, and double-blind peer review. The peer-review process is described on the website of the journal.

General Requirements

Manuscripts that are in English are only accepted for publication in JMRCE and manuscripts in any language other than English will not be considered or further processed. The paper should preferably be typed using Microsoft Word and an A4 layout should be used. A margin of at least 3.5 cms should be kept from all sides. Times New Roman font should be used and font size should be 12. There should be double spacing between lines.

Submission Format

Original Research Article: Maximum 3000 words excluding title page, abstract, references, tables, and figures. The abstract should be structured (Background, Methods, Results, Conclusion) and must not exceed 250 words. Minimum 4 keywords should be included after the abstract. A maximum of 5 tables and 5 figures is allowed. A maximum of 30 references should be given.

Review Article: Maximum 4000 words excluding title page, abstract, references, tables, and figures. The abstract should be unstructured and must not exceed 250 words. Minimum 4 keywords should be included after the abstract. A maximum of 3 tables and 3 figures is allowed. A maximum of 50 references should be given.

Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis: Maximum 4000 words excluding title page, abstract, references, tables, and figures. The abstract should be structured (Background, Objectives, Search Strategy, Selection Criteria, Data Collection, Results, Conclusion) and must not exceed 300 words. Authors are encouraged to follow PRISMA guidelines. A maximum of 40 references should be given.

Case Report/Case Series: Maximum 1500 words excluding title page and abstract. The abstract should be unstructured and must not exceed 150 words. Minimum 4 keywords should be included after the abstract. The total number of tables and figures usually should be limited to 3. A maximum of 10 references should be given.

Short/Brief Communication: Maximum 1000 words excluding title page and abstract. The abstract should be unstructured and must not exceed 150 words. Minimum 3 keywords should be included. The total number of tables and figures should be limited to 2. A maximum of 8 references should be given.

Clinical Image: Maximum 500 words. No abstract required. High-quality clinical image(s) with appropriate legends. A maximum of 5 references should be given.

Letter to the Editor: Maximum 500 words. No abstract required. A maximum of 5 references should be given.

Sections of Paper

Original Research Article: (1) Title Page (2) Structured Abstract (3) Introduction (4) Materials and Methods (5) Results (6) Discussion (7) Conclusion (8) References

Review Article: (1) Title Page (2) Unstructured Abstract (3) Introduction (4) Review of Literature (5) Discussion (6) Conclusion (7) References

Case Report: (1) Title Page (2) Unstructured Abstract (3) Introduction (4) Case Report (5) Discussion (6) Conclusion (7) References

Brief Communication: (1) Title Page (2) Unstructured Abstract (3) Introduction (4) Case Report (5) Discussion (6) Conclusion (7) References

Abbreviations and Symbols

Do not use abbreviations except for units of measurements. If at all abbreviations are used then they must be used in the CBE style manual. When exhaustive terminology needs to be used repeatedly then its first use should be the full name followed by the abbreviation in brackets which then can be repeated in the ensuing article.

Drug Names

Journal of Medical Research and Clinical Evidence (JMRCE) discourages the use of brand names of any drug and generic names must be used unless different brands of a drug are being compared in a study in which case brand names can be used.

Tables

Tables must be made in Microsoft Word and images of tables are not desirable. Each table must be cited in the text at the appropriate place. One common mistake which needs to be avoided is that the content of the table should not be described in text rather supplement the text. The titles of tables should be brief, informative, and precise. Statistical data such as mean, standard deviation, and p values should be incorporated into the tables whenever necessary.

Illustrations

One of the most important parts of any paper is its illustrations and images. It is particularly important in cases of research papers dealing with imaging. The illustration should be of high quality and proper arrow marks must be placed in cases wherever necessary. Legends of all images, as well as illustrations, must be brief, informative, and precise. There must not be a repetition of illustration data into text and vice versa.

All illustrations, as well as images, must be cited in the text at appropriate places. All images and illustrations will become the property of the journal upon its submission.

Policy on Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Tools for Authors

Introduction Our journal recognizes that generative AI and AI-assisted technologies ("AI Tools") can support authors in research, writing, and presentation of medical manuscripts when used responsibly. AI tools can assist in language editing, summarizing background literature, improving structure, and enhancing readability.

However, AI tools must never replace human expertise, judgment, or interpretation. Authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, and integrity of all content submitted for publication.

Author Accountability Authors are personally accountable for the entire manuscript content, including any sections generated or assisted by AI tools. They must:

Critically review and verify all AI-generated or AI-assisted material for accuracy, factual correctness, and impartiality. Ensure references and citations are genuine, verifiable, and not fabricated by AI. Adapt, edit, and refine AI outputs to represent their own analysis, reasoning, and interpretation. Confirm that data privacy and patient confidentiality are not violated when using AI tools. Acknowledge the use of AI tools transparently at submission.

Responsible Use of AI Tools When using AI tools, authors must:

Disclosure and Transparency All authors must disclose any AI tool used in manuscript preparation in a dedicated "AI Use Declaration" section at the end of the manuscript. This declaration should mention:

The name of the tool (e.g., ChatGPT, Grammarly, Bing Copilot, etc.), The purpose of use (e.g., grammar editing, reference formatting, draft organization, summarizing background literature), The extent of human oversight and verification. Simple grammar, spelling, or reference-formatting assistance need not be declared. However, AI use for drafting, summarizing, data interpretation, or content generation must be declared.

Authorship AI tools cannot be credited as authors or co-authors. Authorship requires human responsibility and accountability for the scientific validity and ethical integrity of the manuscript. All listed authors must:

Review and approve the final version, Take full responsibility for content accuracy, Be accountable for investigation and correction of any error post-publication.

Figures, Images, and Illustrations The use of AI-generated or AI-modified images in submitted manuscripts is not permitted unless AI-based imaging forms part of the study methodology (e.g., diagnostic AI models in radiology).

If such AI-based imaging is part of the research design, authors must:

Describe in the Methods section how the AI tool was used, Mention the tool name, version, and manufacturer, Provide original, unaltered images on editorial request. AI-generated artistic images, cover art, or illustrative figures are not permitted unless approved in advance by the editorial board.

Data Confidentiality Authors must ensure that AI use complies with data protection, intellectual property, and patient privacy standards. They must not enter patient identifiers, hospital details, or unpublished data into AI tools. Violations may result in manuscript rejection or retraction.

Editorial Oversight and Peer Review Peer reviewers and editors are not permitted to upload submitted manuscripts into public AI tools for review, critique, or summarization, as this breaches author confidentiality. All editorial AI assistance used (for plagiarism screening, language checks, or reviewer matching) will be in-house and privacy-compliant.

Editorial Decision and Policy Rationale The editorial team understands that AI-detection tools currently lack scientific validation. No AI detector claims 100% sensitivity or specificity. Therefore, the presence of AI-generated text is not, by itself, a reason for rejection.

Editorial decisions are based on scientific validity, originality, patient confidentiality, and adherence to evidence-based medicine. Manuscripts demonstrating sound methodology, accurate reporting, and ethical compliance will be considered regardless of AI assistance.

Summary of What Is Allowed and Not Allowed

• Language editing (grammar, clarity) — Allowed with no disclosure needed. Using AI to polish grammar, sentence structure, and readability is acceptable without requiring a formal declaration.
• Idea generation and structure support — Allowed with disclosure. Authors may use AI to brainstorm or organize content, but all AI-generated ideas must be independently verified. Using AI output without verification is not allowed.
• Reference formatting — Allowed for organizing and formatting citations. However, fake, fabricated, or unverifiable citations generated by AI are strictly not allowed.
• Image enhancement (brightness and contrast only) — Minor adjustments to brightness, contrast, or sharpness are allowed. AI-generated or materially altered medical images that could misrepresent clinical findings are not allowed.
• AI-generated text — Allowed only with thorough human review and a formal declaration of AI use. Unverified, fabricated, or plagiarized AI-generated content is not allowed.
• AI listed as author or co-author — Not allowed under any circumstances. AI tools cannot meet the criteria for authorship, including accountability and consent.
• Uploading patient data into AI tools — Strictly prohibited. No identifiable, de-identified, or potentially re-identifiable patient information should be entered into any AI platform.
• AI use disclosure — Mandatory whenever AI has been used for drafting, summarization, idea generation, or any substantive contribution. Omission of significant AI use constitutes a breach of publication ethics.

Final Statement

Our journal encourages responsible use of AI as a tool to support but not replace human expertise. We do not reject manuscripts solely based on AI detection results, recognizing the limitations of current detectors. Editorial decisions will always rest on whether the manuscript aligns with principles of evidence-based medicine, ethical integrity, and scientific accuracy.