Submissions

Author Guidelines

Please use our templates when submitting your work, found below.

Author Responsibilities

• Originality: Authors must ensure that their work is entirely original, and any work from other authors must be properly cited. Manuscript submissions imply that all material is original, unpublished work and has not been submitted elsewhere.
• Conflict of Interest: Authors must disclose any financial or personal relationships that might bias their work.
• Ethics Compliance: All research submitted to the PHSU Scientific Journal must adhere to the Institutional Review Board (IRB) standards of PHSU. Authors conducting research at PHSU are required to submit their protocols through Streamlyne for IRB review. For manuscripts deemed exempt from IRB review, authors must provide official proof of exemption, such as an IRB exemption letter, at the time of submission. If the research required IRB approval, the protocol number must be included in the submission.Failure to provide the necessary IRB documentation may result in delays or rejection of the manuscript.
• Errata and Retractions: Authors are responsible for notifying the journal of errors and cooperating to issue corrections or retractions promptly.
• Data Availability: Authors must make supporting data available upon request.
• Authorship Criteria: Authorship is limited to contributors who meet ICMJE authorship criteria, ensuring accountability and substantial contribution to the work. Non-authors who contributed may be acknowledged with their consent. 

Manuscript Preparation 

General formatting: Manuscripts must be prepared following the specified formatting guidelines. 

Article Types

Original Article 

Original articles represent the predominant article type featured in journal publications, constituting primary literature that unveils novel research discoveries. Retrospective studies, accounting for case series with six or more cases, must be submitted as original articles and abide by the formatting requirements of such. Click here for our Original Article Template.

Review Article 

Review articles offer a comprehensive examination of the current literature within a particular field, frequently pinpointing specific challenges or concerns and presenting a balanced analysis based on the existing published work on the subject. These articles furnish an all-encompassing summary of research related to the chosen topic, offering a perspective on the current state of the field and its anticipated direction. Broadly categorized, review articles come in two main types: literature reviews and systematic reviews. Click here for our Review Article Template. 

Case Report 

Case reports provide detailed accounts of actual patient cases observed in medical or clinical practice. These cases may significantly contribute to the existing knowledge within the field, whether they present novel findings or less unique results. The report is expected to thoroughly cover the signs, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of a particular disease. The primary aim of case reports is to alert other researchers to the potential occurrence of specific phenomena. Any case series involving five cases or fewer should be submitted as a case report. In cases where MRI/CT/X-ray/scan images are mentioned, inclusion in the article is necessary unless the images depict nothing of interest. Articles combining a case presentation with a literature review should be submitted as case reports. Autobiographical case reports require a physician as an author or co-author. Click here for our Case Report Template. 

Clinical Pearls 

A clinical pearl refers to a concise, practical piece of information or insight derived from clinical experience that has educational or diagnostic value. These pearls are often based on real-world observations and may offer valuable lessons, tips, or recommendations for healthcare professionals. Clinical pearls serve to enhance the understanding and application of medical knowledge in a practical context. Click here for our Clinical Pearls Template. 

Innovative Imaging 

Innovative imaging consists of photomicrographs, gross pathology, radiographs, CTs, MRIs, polysomnography, lab setups, etc, accompanied by a small description of the submitted images and techniques used to capture them. A statement affirming the images have not been previously published is required for submission. Additionally, if identifiable images are used, patient consent for image usage is also required for submission. Click here for our Innovative Imaging Template. 

Research Letter 

A research letter is a concise and focused communication that reports on a specific and often preliminary finding, observation, or result. Research letters are shorter than full research articles and are typically used to rapidly share noteworthy or interesting findings with the scientific community. They serve as a means of quickly disseminating information without the extensive details and formal structure required in a complete research paper. Click here for our Research Letter Template.

Letter to the Editor 

A letter to the editor is a brief, formal communication directed towards the editor of a scientific journal. It addresses a published article in the journal, providing comments such as critiques, clarifications, additional insights, or alternative perspectives. The letter can be used to express agreement, highlight errors, suggest improvements, or discuss the implications of the research. It typically includes a title, an introduction referencing the article, a detailed body with the main points and supporting evidence, a conclusion, and author information. It offers a platform for scholarly dialogue and can contribute to the advancement of knowledge in the field. Click here for our Letter to the Editor Template. 

Sections

1. Title: The title must be concise, informative, and comprehensible to readers outside the field. Titles should be written in sentence case, first letter capitalized and subsequent letters in lowercase. Authors should avoid specialist abbreviations if possible. Common abbreviations such as AIDS and COVID- 19 are permitted.
2. Author Information:  All authors and their affiliations must be included. Affiliations include department(s), institution(s), organization(s) and their location, including city, state/province, and country.
• The corresponding author should be identified. The corresponding author's contact information (email address and phone number) should be listed on the title page.
• The contribution of each author must be noted in accordance with ICMJE guidelines in order to be listed as an author. The submitting author will be prompted during the submission process to select contributions for each listed author. Any contributor who does not meet the criteria for authorship may be listed in the Acknowledgements section with their consent.
3. Keywords: Only 3-10 keywords per article submission, regardless of its category/type. Keywords must be as specific as possible and best represent the field or sub-field of study.
4. Abstract: The abstract should describe the study's purpose and summarize the most important results and their significance. Do not include citations in the abstract. Do not include specialized abbreviations if possible. 
5. Introduction: The introduction sets the stage by offering background information, contextualizing the study, and articulating the research problem or question. It also involves a review of relevant literature, identifying gaps in knowledge and justifying the need for the current study. 
6. Methodology: This section provides a detailed account of the research design, including procedures, materials, and any specific methodologies employed. This section should be thorough enough to allow for the replication of the study by others and may include subsections like Participants, Instruments, and Procedure. 
7. Results: The results section is where the findings of the study are presented objectively. This section often includes statistical analyses, tables, and figures, providing a clear and concise overview of the data.
8. Figures and Tables: All figures and tables must be appropriately labeled and included within the text at suitable points. Authors must ensure that all figures are of sufficient quality to be clearly legible. Figures and Tables should be included in the intended text positions in the submitted manuscript. Each figure and table must be mentioned in the text and in numerical order.
• Media is not permitted in the abstract, introduction or conclusions sections of any article type. The only exception is the introduction section of a review article. Each article is permitted up to 25 media items.
• Figures or tables containing acronyms, initialisms or labels must include a full list of definitions in the legend field.
• Capitalization and punctuation for media titles and legends must be consistent throughout the article.
• Figure and table legends may contain a maximum of 2,000 characters (including spaces).
9. Discussion: In the discussion section, the results are interpreted and contextualized in relation to the research question. This section compares the findings to existing literature, discusses implications, acknowledges limitations, and suggests potential avenues for future research. It is a space for critical analysis and reflection.
10. Conclusion: The conclusion summarizes the main findings, restates the study's importance, and may suggest directions for further research. This section serves as a concise wrap-up of the study's contributions.
11. Supplementary Materials: May include additional figures, tables, datasets, or multimedia files that support the findings of the manuscript but are not essential to the main text. These will be published online alongside the article.
12. Author Contributions: This section should specify the individual contributions of each author to the manuscript (e.g., conceptualization, methodology, data collection, writing, supervision) in accordance with ICMJE authorship criteria.
13. Funding Statement: Authors must disclose all sources of financial support received for the research, including grant numbers and the full name of the funding agencies. If no funding was received, please state: “This research received no external funding.”
14. IRB Statement: For studies involving human participants, animals, or sensitive data, include a statement confirming approval from an Institutional Review Board or Ethics Committee, along with the protocol number. If exempt, provide the exemption letter or justification.
15. Informed Consent Statement: For studies involving humans, include one of the following: “Informed consent was obtained from all subjects involved in the study,” “Patient consent was waived due to [justification],” or “Not applicable.” If identifiable individuals are included, state: “Written informed consent has been obtained from the patient(s) to publish this paper.”
16. Data Availability Statement: Indicate where the data supporting the findings can be accessed, including links to repositories if applicable. If no new data were created or data cannot be shared due to restrictions, a statement is still required. 
17. Acknowledgements: This section may include individuals, institutions, or organizations that contributed to the work but do not meet authorship criteria. Include acknowledgements of technical assistance, writing support, and funding agencies as appropriate.
18. Conflict of Interest Statement: Authors must disclose any financial or personal relationships that could be perceived as influencing the research. If no conflicts exist, please state: “The authors declare no conflict of interest.” 
19. References: Every reference cited in the text must be provided in the reference list in citation order. Acceptable references are published works or accepted for publication. DOIs (Digital Object Identifier) must be provided for all references.
20. Disclaimer/Publisher's Note: A disclaimer must be included in all manuscripts stating that the views expressed are solely those of the authors and do not represent those of PHSU Scientific Journal or its editors. The journal disclaims responsibility for any harm resulting from the content.

Submission Procedure 

Online Submission: Manuscripts must be submitted through the designated online portal on the journal's website. The journal adopts a continuous publication model to ensure timely dissemination of research. 

Cover Letter: A cover letter outlining the significance of the work must be included. The cover letter should outline the study's contribution and relation to the existing scientific literature, specify the type of submission (research article, case report, systematic review, clinical trial), and list the names of referees the authors would like excluded from the reviewing process. The submitting author may suggest a maximum of 3 reviewers as part of their submission process.  

Revisions: Once the Review Board returns the submitted manuscript to the corresponding author, the corresponding author may be given the opportunity to revise it in accordance with any reviewer comment(s). Reviewers or Editors that partook in the revision process will outline the changes they would like to see made and the authors will have two weeks to resubmit. Authors must submit tracked and untracked revised manuscripts along with a detailed letter addressing each Reviewer comment.  

Submission Timing 

Deadlines: Submission deadlines will be established by the Board and will be notified via Call-to-Action bulletins available on the journal's website.  

Resubmission: Once the manuscript with reviewer comments has been sent to the corresponding author, they will have 2 weeks to make any revisions/corrections suggested. Upon resubmission, the author will receive the Board's final decision within 4-6 weeks. 

Review Process 

Peer Review: This system is used to assess the quality of a manuscript before it is published, carried out by independent experts in the relevant research fields. The PHSU Scientific Journal is a single-blind peer review publication. In a single-blind peer review, the reviewers know the names of the authors, but the authors do not know who reviewed their manuscript. 

PHSU Scientific Journal reviewers, all experts in various research areas, are in charge of evaluating submitted manuscripts. The submitting author may suggest a maximum of 3 reviewers as part of the submission process. The submitting author must provide evidence nulling any conflict of interest with any suggested reviewer. 

Decision Timing: Upon manuscript acceptance, the Board will inform the corresponding author of their decision for publication within 4-6 weeks.  

Appeals Process: It is important to know when it is appropriate to appeal a journal's decision and when to submit to another journal. Any appeals made must be supported by compelling evidence or new data in response to the reviewer's comments. The author must submit an appeal letter to the Editorial Board and describe in detail why they disagree with the decision. They must provide specific responses to any of the comments that contributed to the rejection. Additionally, they must provide evidence if it is believed one of the reviewers made a technical error in the assessment of the manuscript.   

Copyright  

Copyright on any open-access article published in the PHSU Scientific Journal is retained by the author(s). 

Once an article is accepted and published in the PHSU Scientific Journal, the authors agree not to submit or publish the work in any other journal or platform. This ensures the originality and integrity of the journal's content. 

Permission must be obtained for the use of copyrighted material (including material from the internet).