Author Guidelines

The Praxis Journal is committed to maintaining high academic, ethical, and publishing standards. Authors are requested to follow the instructions below carefully to ensure smooth peer review, professional presentation, and compatibility with indexing standards such as those required by PubMed and MEDLINE.

1. Manuscript Formatting Requirements

All manuscripts must be submitted in Microsoft Word format (.doc or .docx).

The text should be written in Times New Roman font, size 12, with double line spacing throughout, including references and figure legends. Margins should be set at 2.5 cm on all sides. Pages must be numbered consecutively. The text should be left aligned and not fully justified. Automatic hyphenation should be avoided.

Headings should be clearly structured using a consistent hierarchy (e.g., bold for main headings and italic for subheadings). Authors should avoid excessive formatting, embedded text boxes, or decorative styles.

Abbreviations should be written in full at first mention, followed by the abbreviation in brackets. Thereafter, the abbreviation may be used consistently.

2. Structure of the Manuscript

Original research articles should include the following sections in order:

Title page
Abstract
Keywords
Introduction
Methods
Results
Discussion
Conclusion
Conflict of Interest Statement
Funding Statement
References
Figure legends

The title page must contain the full title of the article, the full names of all authors (without degrees), institutional affiliations, corresponding author details (including email), total word count, and ORCID iD where available.

3. Reference Style (Vancouver Style)

The Praxis Journal follows the Vancouver referencing style, which is widely used in biomedical publishing and compatible with indexing systems such as PubMed.

Citation in Text

References must be numbered sequentially in the order they appear in the text. Numbers should appear as superscript or in brackets, depending on formatting consistency, and should correspond exactly to the reference list.

Example within text:
Surgical outcomes have improved significantly in the last decade.¹

Each reference number should be used only once and repeated if cited again later in the text.

Reference List Format

References should be listed numerically at the end of the manuscript in the same order as cited in the text.

Journal article format:

Smith JA, Brown R, Patel M. Title of the article. Journal Name. 2024;12(3):123–130. doi:10.xxxx/xxxxx

Book format:

Green T. Title of Book. 2nd ed. London: Publisher; 2022.

Website format:

National Health Service. Workforce statistics 2024. Available from: https://www.websiteaddress.co.uk. Accessed January 2026.

Where available, Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs) must be included. Authors are responsible for ensuring accuracy and completeness of all references.

Excessive self-citation should be avoided. References should primarily reflect peer-reviewed and reputable sources.

4. Figures and Images

High-quality images are essential for professional publication standards.

All images must be submitted as separate files and not embedded within the Word document.

Minimum technical requirements:

• Resolution: At least 300 DPI

• File formats accepted: JPEG, TIFF, or PNG

• Colour mode: RGB

• Size: Clear and legible at publication scale

Each figure must have a corresponding figure legend provided at the end of the manuscript. Legends should explain all symbols, abbreviations, and arrows used.

Clinical photographs must not contain identifiable patient information. Written patient consent is mandatory for any identifiable image.

Graphs and charts should be professionally prepared. Avoid low-resolution screenshots. Ensure axis labels and legends are readable.

5. Tables

Tables should be created using the Word table function and not pasted as images. Each table should be numbered consecutively and include a descriptive title. Footnotes should explain abbreviations used within the table.

6. Font and Language Standards

Manuscripts must be written in clear, professional British English. Authors should ensure grammar, spelling, and punctuation are accurate before submission.

Font requirements are:

Times New Roman
Size 12
Double spacing
Black text only

Do not use coloured fonts within the manuscript body. Bold text should be reserved for headings only. Italics may be used for scientific names (e.g., Homo sapiens).

7. Ethical and Reporting Standards

All research involving human participants must state the approving ethics committee and reference number. Informed consent must be declared.

Case reports require written patient consent.

Clinical trials must include a trial registration number.

Where appropriate, authors are encouraged to follow recognised reporting frameworks (e.g., CONSORT, PRISMA, STROBE, SQUIRE).

8. Plagiarism and Originality

All submissions must be original work and not under consideration elsewhere. Manuscripts will undergo similarity screening. Plagiarism, duplicate publication, or fabricated data will result in rejection and possible notification to relevant institutions.

9. Word Limits by Article Type

Original Research: 3,000–4,000 words
Review Articles: 3,500–5,000 words
Case Reports: 1,500–2,000 words
Clinical Audit/QI: 2,000–3,000 words
Editorials/Commentary: 1,000–1,500 words
Newsletter Articles: 800–1,200 words
Letters to the Editor: 400–700 words

Word counts exclude references, tables, and figure legends unless otherwise stated.

10. Final Submission Checklist

Before submitting, authors should ensure:

The manuscript follows the correct font and formatting guidelines.
References are in Vancouver style and correctly numbered.
All figures meet 300 DPI resolution requirements.
Ethics and consent statements are included where applicable.
Conflict of interest and funding declarations are provided.
Author names are presented consistently for indexing accuracy.

Tables – Preparation and Formatting Guidelines

Tables must be prepared carefully to ensure clarity, scientific accuracy, and compatibility with indexing and digital archiving standards.

1. General Principles

Tables should present data concisely and clearly without duplicating information already described in the text. Authors should use tables to summarise numerical data, comparisons, or structured information that enhances reader understanding.

Tables must be created using the Microsoft Word table function only. Tables must not be submitted as images, screenshots, or embedded graphics. Image-based tables cannot be properly indexed, tagged, or reformatted for electronic databases.

Each table must be placed at the end of the manuscript after the references, with a clear indication in the main text such as:

“(Table 1)”

Tables should be numbered consecutively in the order in which they are cited in the text.

2. Table Titles

Each table must have a concise but descriptive title placed above the table.

The title should:

• Clearly explain what the table shows

• Include population or sample size where relevant

• Avoid abbreviations unless universally recognised

• Not contain references or citations

Example:

Table 1. Baseline Demographic Characteristics of Patients Undergoing Elective Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy (n=120)

Titles should not be overly long but must be sufficiently descriptive for independent interpretation.

3. Table Structure

Tables should be structured in a simple grid format with clearly defined columns and rows.

Formatting standards:

• Use Times New Roman, size 10–12 within tables

• Use single line spacing within table cells

• Do not use vertical gridlines

• Use horizontal lines only where necessary (top and bottom borders preferred)

• Do not merge cells excessively

Column headings should be clear and include measurement units in brackets where applicable.

Example:

Age (years)
BMI (kg/m²)
Length of Stay (days)

Units must not be repeated in every row.

4. Data Presentation

Numerical data should follow these conventions:

• Use consistent decimal places throughout

• Report percentages with corresponding absolute numbers where appropriate

• Clearly define statistical values (mean ± SD, median [IQR], etc.)

• P values should be written as: p = 0.03

• Use leading zero before decimal (e.g., 0.05 not .05)

Avoid excessive precision (e.g., do not report p = 0.0000001 unless scientifically justified).

5. Footnotes and Abbreviations

All abbreviations used in a table must be explained in a footnote placed directly below the table.

Footnotes should be indicated using superscript letters (a, b, c) rather than numbers to avoid confusion with reference numbering.

Example:

BMI = Body Mass Index; SD = Standard Deviation

Statistical tests used should also be stated in the footnote where relevant.

6. Statistical Reporting

If statistical comparisons are presented, the following must be included:

• Name of statistical test used

• Exact p-values

• Confidence intervals where appropriate

• Definition of significance threshold (e.g., p < 0.05 considered significant)

Tables presenting statistical models should include:

• Adjusted and unadjusted values

• Confidence intervals

• Clear variable labels

7. Large or Supplementary Tables

If a table is extensive (e.g., raw datasets or extended statistical models), authors may submit it as supplementary material.

Supplementary tables must:

• Be clearly labelled (Supplementary Table 1)

• Be referenced in the main manuscript

• Follow the same formatting standards

8. Ethical and Confidentiality Considerations

Tables must not contain:

• Patient names

• NHS numbers

• Hospital numbers

• Dates of birth

• Any identifiable personal data

Small sample sizes (e.g., n < 5 in specific categories) should be presented carefully to avoid indirect identification.

9. Technical Indexing Considerations

For journals aiming to maintain compatibility with indexing systems such as PubMed, tables must be:

• Structurally clean and editable

• Free of embedded images

• Properly captioned

• Sequentially numbered

• Submitted in a format compatible with XML tagging

Complex formatting (coloured shading, decorative borders, nested tables) should be avoided because these elements may not translate correctly into digital indexing systems.

10. Common Errors to Avoid

Authors should avoid:

• Repeating identical data in both table and text

• Inconsistent decimal formatting

• Unexplained abbreviations

• Overcrowded tables with excessive variables

• Submitting tables as screenshots or PDFs

Editorial Recommendation

Tables should be self-explanatory. A reader should be able to understand the key findings of the table without referring extensively back to the main text.

Clarity, simplicity, and consistency are the guiding principles.