Submissions

Author Guidelines

Published Monthly (12 issues in a calendar year), Precision Medicine and Health Journal (PMHJ) accepts manuscripts prepared in accordance with the ‘Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing, and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals’ as approved by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) available at www.icmje.org. Authors are advised to read the ICMJE recommendations and follow instructions carefully before submitting their manuscript to PMHJ. Authors must upload a Study Approval/Ethics Approval Letter (IRB/ERC/REC/IEC) at the time of submission—this document is required. For more information about Study Approval/Ethics Approval Letter read Ethical Approval Policy section below.

All material submitted for publication should be sent exclusively to Precision Medicine and Health Journal. Work that has already been reported in a published paper or is cited in a paper sent or accepted elsewhere for publication should not be submitted to PMHJ. Multiple or duplicate submission of the same work to other journal falls into the category of ‘Publication Fraud’ liable for disciplinary action, including but not limited to reporting to Pakistan Medical & Dental Council and Higher Education Commission. A complete report following publication of a preliminary report, usually in the form of an abstract, or a paper that has been presented at a scientific meeting, if not published in full may be submitted. In this case, a copy of the published material should be included with a manuscript for editors’ consideration.

Aim and Scope of the Journal:

Precision Medicine and Health Journal publishes scholarly work from medical and allied subjects (all basic medical sciences and related clinical subjects) including medical education as well as from biological, biomedical, and social sciences. The manuscripts submitted for publication may be in the form of an original research (randomized controlled trial, metanalysis, quasi experimental study, case control study, cohort study or cross-sectional analytical study), review article, case report, book review, recent advances, new techniques, debates, adverse drug reports, current practices, audit report, evidence-based report, short communication or a letter to the editor. While PMHJ promotes publication of scientific work, studies more than five years old at the time of submission as well as simple descriptive and KAP (knowledge, attitude, practice) studies are not entertained. Precision Medicine and Health Journaldoes not accept multiple studies/multiple end publications gathered/derived from a single research project or data (wholly or in part) known as ‘salami slices’. The Journal discourages submission of more than one article dealing with related aspects of the same study.

Submission process:

All submissions to Precision Medicine and Health Journal are online through ‘Open Journal System (OJS)’ at ‘https://pmhjournal.com’. All authors and co-authors must provide details such as their full names, designation, mailing address, telephone/cell numbers and email addresses on undertaking certificate (author certificate) as well as in Metadata. The undertaking certificate should be signed by all authors and the sequence/order of authors on the certificate once submitted shall not be changed at any stage. Undertaking certificate can be downloaded from ‘make a submission’ page. It is mandatory to provide approval letter of institutional review board/ethical review committee or exemption thereof from all institutions separately where research has been conducted, with all the research articles. Dissertation/thesis approval letter from relevant authority is also acceptable.
After the manuscript is received it undergoes preliminary editorial review. Decision whether the manuscript will be processed for publication or it is unsuitable for publication in PMHJ will be intimated to the corresponding author. Manuscripts found suitable for publication undergo peer review process which may take variable time depending upon the Reviewers' response (usually minimum two weeks to four months). Each manuscript is sent to at least two peer reviewers. Suggestions given by the peer reviewers are intimated to the corresponding author for necessary corrections. After this, the manuscript undergoes final editorial review, an email is sent to author(s) about 'acceptance' of the article for publication and submission of a nominal 'publication fee' to cover the cost of publishing, and the script enters the composing process. The processed manuscript is sent to the corresponding author for proofreading before declaring it ‘camera-ready’. After receipt of the publication fee, the manuscript is placed in queue for publication. The average time taken from submission to publication is approximately six months, depending upon the response from peer reviewers and the authors.

Peer review process:

This journal operates a double anonymized review (Double anonymized peer review guidelines - PMHJ ). All contributions will be initially assessed by the editor in chief for suitability for the journal and then by the speciality section associate editor. Papers deemed suitable are then sent to external reviewers to assess the scientific quality of the paper. We endeavour to secure at least two external reviewers to access the scientific quality. However, in exceptional circumstances the second reviewer could be one of the associate editors, to avoid long delay in making the final decision. The decision as to whether your article is accepted or rejected will be taken by our editors.

Precision Medicine and Health Journal follows double blind peer review process. Each manuscript is sent to at least two peer reviewers of the speciality to which the original article belongs. Usually only a single manuscript is sent to any reviewer at a time. The editors do not serve as peer reviewers. The manuscript is sent to a third reviewer in case any of the reviewers declares it unfit for publication. In case of conflict or disputed articles, the matter is discussed with the Chief Editor and finally with a third-party ombudsman as nominated by the Chief Editor. Authors have the right to inform the editor about the reviewers to whom their manuscript may not be sent for review.

General instructions:

The manuscript should be composed of a single Microsoft Word file with tables and figures placed at appropriate places within the text instead of putting at the end. The text should be single-spaced, single column in Times New Roman font and 12-point font size. Manuscripts should be written in English in British or American style/format (same style should be followed throughout the whole script), in past tense and third person form of address. Sentences should not start with a number or figure. Present decimal digits up to 2 decimals only, e.g., 0.07 instead of 0.074. Use the full form of an abbreviation initially in the text before using the abbreviated form. Avoid capitalization except where it is grammatically required and for proper nouns. Inappropriately long or short sentences should be avoided.

Ethical Considerations:

Authors are advised to read carefully the publication guidelines available at ‘Committee On Publication Ethics’ (COPE) website ‘https://publicationethics.org/’.

If tables, illustrations or photographs already been published are included, a letter of permission for re-publication should be obtained from author(s) as well as the editor/publisher of the journal where it was previously published. Written permission to reproduce photographs of patients, whose identity is not disguised, should be sent with the manuscript; otherwise the eyes will be blackened out as partial face masking.

If a medicine is used, generic name should be used. The commercial name may, however, be mentioned within brackets, only if necessary. In case of medicine or device or any material indicated in text, a declaration by author(s) should be submitted that no monetary benefit has been received by any author from the manufacturer/importer of that product.

In case of experimental interventions, permission from ethical committee of the hospital should be taken beforehand. All interventional studies submitted for publication should carry Institutional Ethical & Research Committee approval letter. Ethical consideration regarding the intervention, added cost of test, and particularly the management of control in case control comparisons of trials should be addressed: multicentric authors’ affiliation may be asked to be authenticated by provision of permission letters from ethical boards or the heads of involved institutes.

Any conflict of interest must be disclosed.

Types of publication material

Original research article:

The word count of original article should not exceed 2,500 words excluding abstract and references. It should contain a structured abstract of not more than 250 words. Three to 10 keywords should be given from MeSH (Medical Subject Headings). There should not be more than 4 tables and/or figures. The number of references should not exceed 25. Fifty percent references should be from last five years from the date of submission.

Reporting guidelines available at ‘http://www.equator-network.org/’ should be followed while writing the manuscripts depending upon the specific study design. Reporting of all the RCTs must be based upon CONSORT statement. Reporting of observational studies should be based upon STROBE guidelines. Studies involving animals should follow ARRIVE guidelines. Clinical trials submitted for publication must be registered in international registry and the authors are required to provide the registration number. Unregistered trials will not be published.

Review article:

It should consist of critical overview/analysis of some relatively narrow topic providing background and the recent development with the reference of original literature. It should incorporate author's original work on the same subject. The length of the review article should not be more than 10000 words with maximum 100 references. It should have unstructured abstract of 150 words with 3–10 keywords. An author can write a review article only if he/she has written a minimum of three original research articles on the same topic.

Case report:

These reports must be of academic and educational value and provide relevance of the disease being reported as unusual. Brief or negative research findings may appear in this section. The word count of case report should be 800 words with a minimum of 3 keywords. It should have a non-structured abstract of about 100–150 words (case specific) with maximum of 5–6 references. Not more than 2 figures and one table shall be accepted.

Evidence based report:

The report must have at least 10 cases and word count of 1,000–1,200 words with 10–12 references and not more than 2 tables or illustrations. It should contain a non-structured abstract of about 150 words.

Short communication:

It should not be more than 1,000 words, having a non-structured abstract of not more than 150 words with maximum two tables or illustrations and not more than 5 references.

Letter to Editor:

Letters should normally not exceed 400 words, with not more than 5 references and be signed by all the authors-maximum 3 are allowed. Preference is given to those that take up points made in contributions published recently in the journal. Letters may be published with a response from the author of the article being discussed. Discussions beyond the initial letter and response will not be entertained for publication. Letters to the editor may be sent for peer review if they report a scientific data.

Editorial:
Editorials are written upon invitation from the Journal Editor. 

General manuscript requirements

TITLE PAGE

In addition to having title of the manuscript at the top, the title page should also include complete name, designation, postal address, office/mobile phone numbers and email address of all the authors. Corresponding author should be clearly mentioned. Information regarding word count of abstract, word count of the body of manuscript, number of tables and figures, number of references, declaration of conflict of interest, grant support and financial disclosure should also be given on the title page. Specimen of title page can be downloaded from ‘make a submission’ page. The title page should be uploaded as a separate file and should not be merged as a first page of the article file. Please do not state the author’s name, affiliation or contact details anywhere on the manuscript. Such details should only be provided through online journal system in designated fields or on the undertaking certificate. Precision Medicine and Health Journalfollows double-blind peer review process and the author details are not shared with the peer reviewers within the manuscript or by any other means.

ARTICLE TITLE

The title should be clear, comprehensive, and concise. The length of title should not exceed 20 words. Do not capitalize the first letter of each word in the title unless it is a proper noun. Do not use abbreviations in the title.

ABSTRACT
Structure of an abstract should be in accordance to the article type. A structured abstract should consist of the following headings: Background, Objective, Methodology, Results, Conclusion, and Keywords. An unstructured abstract should also follow a logical sequence. Methodology must contain type, place and duration of study in addition to brief data collection details. Do not use abbreviations and references in abstract. Write the clinical trial number after the abstract in case of randomised controlled trials.

Abstracts must be followed by 3–10 Keywords from MeSH. Use appropriate terms from MeSH database to increase search-ability of your study.

INTRODUCTION
It presents a background and rationale for the study and is not the review of literature. It includes global, regional and local reports where appropriate. Cite only strictly pertinent references. State the purpose or objective of the study in the last paragraph without sub-headings. Explain the hypothesis and the requirement of the research. Do not include data or conclusions from the current study.

METHODOLOGY
Do not use sub-headings in this section. Describe the methodology in an organized manner with paragraphs. Components of the methodology which need to be mentioned as applicable are: Permission from institutional review board, ethical review committee certificate as per declaration of Helsinki, study design, study setting, study duration, inclusion and exclusion criteria, sample size calculations with references, sampling method, randomization process in case of RCTs and follow-up period. Identification of the methods and apparatus (provide the manufacturer’s name and address in parenthesis) and identification of all drugs and chemicals are the mandatory requirements. Any equipment used in the study should give the manufacturer’s name and address. Procedures should be clearly described so as to facilitate others to reproduce them easily

The statistical methods should be described in a simple manner to enable the reader to judge the correctness of the analysis and results. State the statistical software package used along with the version. References should be included where appropriate. Authors submitting review manuscripts should include a section describing the methods used for locating, selecting, extracting and synthesizing data. These methods should also be summarised in the abstract.

RESULTS
Present the results in a logical sequence in the text, tables and illustrations. Do not repeat all the data of the tables or illustrations in the text. Emphasize or summarise important observations. Frequencies and percentages both should be mentioned, for example, there were 16 (3%) women. Exact p values should be reported. Mean should be with standard deviation. Medians should be with inter-quartile range.

Tables:
Data should be placed clearly and concisely to enable the reader to comprehend easily. Do not repeat the results stated in tables in the text. Tables should be numbered consecutively and cited in the results. Arabic numerals should be used. The title should be short and explanatory and written on top of the table. The columns of the table should have a short heading. Footnotes should elaborate on the abbreviations. If any data or table has been included from a published article, the source should be given.

Illustrations:
Figures and pictures should clarify and augment the text. The selection of sharp, high-quality illustrations is of paramount importance. Figures of inferior quality will be returned to the author for correction or replacement. For x-ray films, scans, and other diagnostic images, pictures of pathology specimens or photomicrographs, high-resolution photographic image files are recommended. Titles should be placed below the figure and detailed explanations should be given as legends and not on the illustrations. Figures should have consecutive numbers and should be cited in the results accordingly in the text and written as ‘Figure’. Arabic numerals should be used. Original illustrations should be submitted; previously published illustrations are not preferred. If a figure is taken from a previous publication, the source should be given as a reference. Written permission from the publisher should be provided by the author on submission of the manuscript. The legend should include the following: (Reprinted by permission of Ref. X).

Photomicrographs should have internal scale markers. Symbols, arrows, or letters used in photomicrographs should stand out on the background. The internal scale should be given, and the method of staining in photomicrographs should be identified.

Any symbols, arrows, numbers, or letters used to identify parts of the illustration should be explained clearly in the legend.

Units of measurement:

System International (SI) Unit measurement should be used. Imperial measurement units like inches, feet etc are not acceptable.

DISCUSSION
The discussion should begin with a summary of the main results. These are then discussed with results of other published studies. Any new findings of the research should be emphasized and the relevance should be stated. These can be used for future research or clinical practice. Details of methodology or introduction should not be included in the discussion. Do not repeat in detail data or other information given in other parts of the manuscript, such as in the introduction or the results section. Limitations of the study and future recommendations should be stated at the end of the discussion in a separate paragraph.

CONCLUSION
Conclusion should be a brief resume of the study. Do not use any finding which has not been shown in the results. Do not over-emphasize the results. Do not state any benefits which have not been studied. A new hypothesis may be included if determined by the research. No speculations should be included.

ABBREVIATIONS

Provide a list of abbreviations used in the manuscript, in alphabetical order, after the main text and before the acknowledgments. Each abbreviation should be defined at first mention in the text.

Example of format:

ABBREVIATION	DEFINITION
bDMARD	Biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drug
BMI	Body mass index
CI	Confidence interval
COPD	Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Note: Statements for this section are already included in the manuscript template. Please download the official template and ensure that this section follows the format provided.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:
Contributors who do not meet all the four criteria for authorship (given in relevent section below), but helped in the study, may be listed in the acknowledgement section. These may be named and their contribution should be described, for example, ‘scientific advisor critical review of study proposal’, ‘data collection’, or ‘participation clinical trial’. Such persons must have given their permission to be named. Authors are responsible for obtaining written permission from person acknowledged by name, because readers may infer their endorsement the data and conclusions. Technical help should be acknowledged in a paragraph separate from those acknowledging other contributions.

Note: Refer to the manuscript template for the standard acknowledgment statement. Please download and use the template for consistency.

AUTHORSHIP

All named authors must meet the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) criteria for authorship, take responsibility for the integrity of the work, and approve the final version for publication.

Note: The authorship declaration statement is already provided in the manuscript template. Please download the template and ensure this section is included exactly as indicated.

AUTHORS’ CONTRIBUTIONS AND DECLARATIONS

AUTHORS’ CONTRIBUTIONS

List each author’s contribution clearly, selecting appropriate roles from the categories below. Use the following format style in your manuscript:

Example:

• A.B. conceptualized and designed the study.
• C.D. collected and analyzed the data.
• E.F. drafted the manuscript.
• All authors reviewed and approved the final manuscript.

Select applicable roles from the following list:

Conceptualization, Methodology, Investigation, Formal analysis, Data curation, Validation, Visualization, Software, Resources, Supervision, Project administration, Funding acquisition, Writing – Original Draft, Writing – Review & Editing.

DECLARATIONS

• Conflict of Interest: Authors must declare any conflicts of interest. If none, state “None.”
• Funding: Specify funding sources, if any; otherwise, write “None.”

Note: Statements for this section are already included in the template. Please download and use the official manuscript template.

CONSENT FOR PUBLICATION

If applicable, authors must confirm consent for publication from participants, patients, or institutions.
If not applicable, simply state: “Not applicable.”

Note: Please follow the statement already included in the manuscript template.

AI USE DISCLOSURE

Authors must disclose any use of generative AI or AI-assisted tools in the writing, editing, or figure creation process. AI cannot be listed as an author. Authors remain responsible for the accuracy, integrity, and originality of all content.

Examples:

• Disclosure example: “Portions of the writing were assisted by [Tool, version] to improve language clarity. The authors reviewed and edited the content and are responsible for the final manuscript.”
• Figures/images: Do not use generative AI to create or alter scientific images unless it is part of the research methodology. If used, provide the tool name, version, and detailed workflow, and retain all original images.
• No AI use: “The authors declare that no artificial intelligence (AI) tools were used in the writing, editing, or preparation of this manuscript.” Or simply write “None.”

Note: The AI disclosure statement is already available in the template. Please download and follow the provided template.

REFERENCES

Submit references per the following instructions:

• Use the Vancouver Reference Style for all citations and reference formatting.
• List references double-spaced in a separate reference section immediately following the text.
• Verify all references prior to submission.
• Number references sequentially in the order cited in the text; do not alphabetize. Remove automatic numbering and linked citations; number references manually.
• Do not cite personal communications, unpublished observations, and submitted manuscripts. Reference to a paper accepted but not yet published can be listed as "in press." “In press” references must be updated by the authors as soon as publication data are available.
• Provide names of all authors in a reference when there are six or fewer; if there are seven or more authors, list only the first three, followed by "et al."
• Authors are responsible for the accuracy and completeness of their references and for correct text citation.

Vancouver Style, dummy examples

Collins FS, Varmus H. A new initiative on precision medicine. N Engl J Med. 2015;372(9):793–5.

Ashley EA. The precision medicine initiative: A new national effort. JAMA. 2015;313(21):2119–20.

Johnson JA, Cavallari LH. Pharmacogenetics and cardiovascular disease—implications for personalized medicine. Pharmacol Rev. 2013;65(3):987–1009.

HUMAN AND ANIMAL RESEARCH

All research involving humans and animals must have been approved by the authors' institutional review board or equivalent committee(s), and that board must be named by the authors in the manuscript.

For research involving human participants, informed consent must have been obtained or the reason for lack of consent explained, and all clinical investigations must have been conducted according to the principles expressed in the Declaration of Helsinki. The Methods section of the paper must state whether informed consent was written or oral. If informed consent was oral, it must be stated in the paper: (a) why written consent could not be obtained, (b) that the IRB approved the use of oral consent, and (c) how oral consent was documented.

Authors may be required to submit, on request, a statement from the research ethics committee or institutional review board indicating approval of the research. We also encourage authors to submit a sample of a patient consent form, and may require submission in particular instances.

For studies involving humans categorized by race/ethnicity, age, disease/disabilities, religion, sex/gender, sexual orientation, or other socially constructed groupings, authors should, as much as possible,

• make explicit their methods of categorizing human populations;
• define categories in as much detail as the study protocol allows;
• justify their choices of definitions and categories, including for example whether any rules of human categorization were required by their funding agency;
• explain whether (and if so, how) they controlled for confounding variables such as socioeconomic status, nutrition, environmental exposures, etc.

In addition, outmoded terms and potentially stigmatizing labels should be changed to more current, acceptable terminology. For example, “white” should be used rather than “Caucasian” and “patients with cancer” should be used rather than “cancer patients” or “cancer victims”.

Precision Medicine and Health Journal publishes few animal studies but will consider animal studies of two kinds:

1. Translational studies that establish a novel explanatory mechanism for a significant clinical problem, to an extent that will directly inform specific clinical approaches. Such papers must include or refer to human data that is sufficiently compelling to establish clinical relevance of the animal model.
2. Models relevant to the treatment or prevention of major health problems, in which the interventions cannot be tested in humans for ethical reasons, but will provide compelling justification for specific changes in the design of subsequent clinical trials.

All animal work must have been conducted according to relevant national and international guidelines. In addition, Precision Medicine and Health Journal requires that animal research follows the ARRIVE guidelines. In accordance with the recommendations of the Weatherall report, The use of non-human primates in research, we specifically require authors to include details of animal welfare and steps taken to ameliorate suffering in all work involving non-human primates. The institution that approved the study must be named, and it must be stated in the paper that the study was conducted adhering to the institution's guidelines for animal husbandry.

ETHICAL APPROVAL POLICY

Requirement of Ethical / Study Approval

All research manuscripts submitted to the journal must include a valid Study Approval or Ethics Approval document. This requirement complies fully with the ethical standards and guidelines of the Higher Education Commission (HEC), Pakistan and the Pakistan Medical & Dental Council (PMDC/PMC).

Authors are required to upload the approval letter at the time of submission. Manuscripts lacking this document will not be processed.

Accepted Types of Approval Letters

The journal accepts all recognized forms of ethical approval in accordance with HEC and PMDC/PMC standards, including but not limited to:

• Institutional Review Board (IRB) Approval Letter
• Ethical Review Committee (ERC) Approval Letter
• Research Ethics Committee (REC) Approval Letter
• Institutional Ethics Committee (IEC) Approval Letter
• Administrative/Scientific Review Board (ASRB) Approval Letter
• Departmental Ethical Approval Letter
• Head of Institute Approval Letter (for institutions without an IRB/ERC)

All these approval types are valid, recognized, and accepted under national research ethics regulations.

When Ethical Approval is Required

Ethical approval must be obtained for studies involving:

• Human participants
• Clinical trials
• Patient data (retrospective or prospective)
• Biological samples
• Interviews, surveys, or questionnaires
• Sensitive or identifiable information
• Any procedure with potential ethical implications

For studies using publicly available data, an ethical exemption letter or justification may be required.

Format and Content of the Approval Letter 

The approval letter must include:

• Name of the approving committee or authority
• Reference/approval number (if issued)
• Date of approval
• Title of the research or project
• Official stamp and/or signature of the authorized body

Unsigned or unofficial documents will not be accepted.

Responsibility of Authors

Authors are solely responsible for ensuring:

• Ethical compliance of their study
• Accuracy and authenticity of the approval document
• That approval was obtained before conducting the research

Any violation may result in rejection, retraction, or reporting to relevant authorities.

Ethical Compliance Statement

Authors must include an Ethical Compliance Statement within the manuscript, clearly mentioning:

• The name of the approving body
• Approval number (if applicable)
• Confirmation that informed consent was obtained (where required)

Journal Rights

The journal reserves the right to:

• Request additional documentation
• Verify the authenticity of approval letters
• Reject manuscripts that do not meet ethical requirements

AUTHORSHIP

The journal follows the ICMJE definition of authorship, which indicates that authorship be based on the following 4 criteria:

• Substantial contributions to the conception or design of the work; or the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data for the work; AND
• Drafting the work or revising it critically for important intellectual content; AND
• Final approval of the version to be published; AND
• Agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.

In addition to being accountable for the parts of the work he or she has done, an author should be able to identify which co-authors are responsible for specific other parts of the work. In addition, authors should have confidence in the integrity of the contributions of their co-authors.

All those designated as authors should meet all four criteria for authorship, and all who meet the four criteria should be identified as authors. Those who do not meet all four criteria should be acknowledged. These authorship criteria are intended to reserve the status of authorship for those who deserve credit and can take responsibility for the work. The criteria are not intended for use as a means to disqualify colleagues from authorship who otherwise meet authorship criteria by denying them the opportunity to meet criterion #s 2 or 3. Therefore, all individuals who meet the first criterion should have the opportunity to participate in the review, drafting, and final approval of the manuscript.

ADDITIONAL AUTHORSHIP OPTIONS

Joint first or senior authorship: In the case of joint first authorship, a footnote should be added to the author listing, e.g. ‘X and Y should be considered joint first author’ or ‘X and Y should be considered joint senior author.’

Group authorship may be appropriate when a group of researchers has collaborated on a project, such as a multicenter trial, a consensus document, or an expert panel. Group authorship may be used in either of two ways:

1. Authorship may be attributed to an entire group (eg, Pediatric Oncology Group) when all members of the group meet the criteria for authorship previously outlined. In this case, the name of the group is located on the title page in the place of authors; each member of the group is listed in a footnote and his/her authorship acknowledged.
2. When specified authors assume responsibility for an entire group (eg, Jane E. Doe, John L. Smith, Mark F. Jones for the Pediatric Oncology Group), only the specified authors must meet the criteria for authorship previously outlined. All members of the group may be listed in a footnote but are not acknowledged as authors. In this case, the corresponding author must state in the cover letter that she/he has written permission from each group member to list her/his name as a member of the group.

AI AUTHORSHIP POLICY

Our journal does not permit artificial intelligence (AI) tools or AI-assisted systems to be listed as authors on any submitted manuscript.

Authorship requires intellectual contribution, accountability, responsibility, and the ability to approve and defend the work—criteria that AI tools cannot fulfill. AI lacks independent reasoning, moral responsibility, and the capacity to respond to questions or ethical concerns regarding the research.

While authors may use AI tools for limited support (e.g., language improvement, grammar correction, or data visualization), such use must be fully disclosed in the “AI Use Disclosure” section of the manuscript. Responsibility for the accuracy, originality, and integrity of all content remains entirely with the human authors.

USE OF AI-ASSISTED TECHNOLOGIES

PMHJ has adopted the following policies, as specified by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (https://www.icmje.org/), on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in preparation of material to be submitted for publication in PMHJ.

• Authors must disclose at submission of the manuscript whether AI-assisted technologies (such as large language models, chatbots, or image creators) were used to produce the submitted work. If so, both the cover letter and the submitted work should include a description of the technologies used and what was produced.
• Because the authors of a manuscript are responsible for the accuracy, integrity, and originality of the work, chatbots or other AI-assisted technologies cannot be listed as authors.
• Authors should carefully review and edit all materials produced through the use of AI, to prevent the submission of authoritative-sounding output that is incorrect, incomplete, or biased.
• Authors should be able to assert that there is no plagiarism of text or images in materials produced by AI. Authors must ensure that all quoted material is properly attributed, including full citations.
• Citation of AI-generated material as a primary source is not acceptable.

GENERATIVE AI IMAGES

The fast moving area of generative AI image creation has resulted in novel legal copyright and research integrity issues. As publishers, we strictly follow existing copyright law and best practices regarding publication ethics. While legal issues relating to AI-generated images and videos remain broadly unresolved, PMHJ are unable to permit its use for publication. 

Exceptions:

• Images/art obtained from agencies that we have contractual relationships with that have created images in a legally acceptable manner.
• Images and videos that are directly referenced in a piece that is specifically about AI and such cases will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
• The use of generative AI tools developed with specific sets of underlying scientific data that can be attributed, checked and verified for accuracy, provided that ethics, copyright and terms of use restrictions are adhered to.

*All exceptions must be labelled clearly as generated by AI within the image field.

As we expect things to develop rapidly in this field in the near future, we will review this policy regularly and adapt it if necessary.

NOTE: Examples of image types covered by this policy include: video and animation, including video stills; photography; illustration such as scientific diagrams, photo-illustrations and other collages, and editorial illustrations such as drawings, cartoons or other 2D or 3D visual representations. Not included in this policy are text-based and numerical display items, such as: tables, flow charts and other simple graphs that do not contain images. Please note that not all AI tools are generative. The use of non-generative machine learning tools to manipulate, combine or enhance existing images or figures should be disclosed in the relevant caption upon submission to allow a case-by-case review.

PUBLICATION ETHICS

Plagiarism is completely prohibited. According to HEC, the total similarity index must be 19% or less. This small percentage represents only the necessary overlap with previous knowledge, while at least 80% of the work should be the author’s own original writing. Also, no more than 5% similarity is allowed from any single source. Teachers or subject experts may explain and justify any similarities that appear in the report. The similarity index only shows matching text, and it must be carefully interpreted to decide whether the content is actually plagiarized.

PMHJ uses Similarity Check to screen submitted content for originality and to detect instances of overlapping and similar text. To find out more about Similarity Check visit crossref.org/services/similarity-check/. Authors are also encouraged to review the Office of Research Integrity’s definition of self-plagiarism, which can be found at ori.hhs.gov/plagiarism-13. 

We investigate all instances of alleged scientific misconduct identified in submitted manuscripts and published papers (including, but not limited to, plagiarism, manipulation, fabrication, falsification, and duplicate publication). As Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) members, we follow the Core Practices in managing investigations of possible misconduct. Depending on the outcome of our investigation, we may reject the manuscript, publish a correction, or ask the authors to retract their paper. In instances of rejection or retraction due to misconduct, the corresponding author’s institution and funding agency will be notified, per COPE’s Core Practices. The corresponding author will be notified if PMHJ forwards any manuscript or materials to the institution or funding agency. 

MISCONDUCT: 

Misconduct in publishing takes many forms, including but not limited to plagiarism, fabrication or falsification of data, duplicate publication, misuse of confidential information, failure to disclose conflicts of interest, or the inclusion or exclusion of authors in a manner that does not reflect their contributions. PMHJ takes all allegations of misconduct seriously, and reader or author concerns should be addressed to our editorial office at editor@pmhjournal.com.

PMHJ is committed to ensuring that any allegations of misconduct are handled in a timely and impartial manner. After reviewing allegations, the journal will determine if there is sufficient evidence to warrant an investigation. All investigations will be held to strict standards of confidentiality and fairness, and will adhere to the guidelines and principles outlined by COPE (http://publicationethics.org/resources) and ICMJE (https://www.icmje.org/recommendations/browse/publishing-and-editorial-issues/). A final determination will be communicated to all parties involved, including individuals and institutions. A finding of misconduct may result in the rejection of articles under consideration, the retraction of published articles, the notification of individuals’ home institutions, or prohibiting individuals from submitting to or otherwise participating in PMHJ or other PMHJ Group publications.

APPEALS AND COMPLAINTS

PMHJ strives to provide a safe and transparent platform where feedback is welcome from authors, reviewers, and the broader research community. The Journal’s standard operations provide regular opportunities for feedback during and after review and production, and critical feedback is welcomed as we continue to improve our author and reviewer experience.

Individuals who wish to formally appeal Editor or Journal decisions may submit an appeal letter to the editorial office at editor@pmhjournal.com. Letters should explain clearly the basis for a disagreement with a decision or outcome, and should provide any information or evidence that the Journal should consider for the appeal. All appeals will be considered in a timely manner, notwithstanding the need to conduct additional review or gather further information from the appellant, and a final determination will be communicated to the appellant as soon as is feasible.

Complaints about publication ethics, processes, or outcomes should be addressed to the Editor via the PMHJ editorial office at editor@pmhjournal.com. The procedure that follows will depend on the basis and nature of the complaint. Complaints about processes may produce feedback to improve peer review or manuscript production; complaints regarding ethics may result in formal misconduct investigations. Regardless of the selected procedure, the Journal will provide feedback and a planned course of action to the complainant in a timely manner.

ORCID iD

The journal requires authors to provide their ORCID iD during the submission process. ORCID (Open Researcher and Contributor ID) is a unique digital identifier that distinguishes individual researchers and ensures proper attribution of their scholarly work.

Registering for an ORCID iD is free, quick, and easy. Authors can register at https://orcid.org/register and obtain a persistent 16-digit identifier.

By including an ORCID iD, authors enable better visibility, accurate linking of publications to their profiles, and improved discoverability of their research contributions.

Requirement: At least one corresponding author must provide an ORCID iD. Co-authors are strongly encouraged to link their ORCID profiles as well.

PUBLICATION PROCESS AFTER ACCEPTANCE

Accepted Article Received in Production

When an accepted article is received by PMHJ production team, the corresponding author will receive an email asking them to login or register with PMHJ Author Services. The author will be asked to sign a publication license at this point.

Proofs

Once the paper is typeset, the corresponding author will receive an email notification with full instructions on how to provide proof corrections.

Please note that the author is responsible for all statements made in their work, including changes made during the editorial process – authors should check proofs carefully. Note that proofs should be returned within 7 days from receipt of first proof. Correspondence regarding proofs should be directed to PMHJ Production stage.

PUBLICATION CHARGES

Once the manuscript is accepted for publication, the authors are required to pay publication charges as under: 

Pakistani Rupees 20,000 (US$150 for overseas) for 3 to 5 printed pages. For each additional or colour page, Pakistani Rupees 200 (US$10 for overseas) will be charged.

Printed Copy:

The corresponding author will receive one printed copy of the relevant PMHJ issue, but this is subject to an additional charge of Rs. 5,000 (US$ 100 for overseas authors). Authors can purchase extra copies for Rs. 5,000 per copy (US$ 100 for overseas orders). Please ensure payment for all copies is added to your publication charges. All fees include the handling and postage.

Subscription Fee:

Rs. 5,000 per copy or Rs. 60000  per anum (12 copies) for inland, (US$ 250 inclusive of packing/handling and postage for foreign locations). If an institution acquires subscription for 3 years then any subsequent rise in subscription rates will not apply for the ongoing subscription period. Foreign subscription is offered only on annual basis.

Payment Options:

1. Bank Transfer:
   Account Title: Yasir Akbar 
   Bank Name: HBL (Habib Bank Limited)
   Account Number: 12087901050403
   Branch Code: 0012
   IBAN: PK71HABB0012087901050403

2. Mobile Wallet (JS Bank):
   Account Title: Yasir Akbar
   Mobile Number: 0334-3513300

Instructions:
- After making the payment, please email the receipt or screenshot to editor@pmhjournal.com along with your manuscript ID.

- Your paper will not proceed to publication until the payment is confirmed by our accounts team.

POST PUBLICATION

Access and Sharing

When the article is published online:

• All PMHJ  articles are freely available without subscription.
• The author receives an email alert (if requested).
• The link to the published article can be shared through social media.
• The author will have free access to the paper (after accepting the Terms & Conditions of use, they can view the article).

CORRECTIONS & RETRACTIONS

Corrections may be issued when a published article contains errors that affect its accuracy, clarity, or completeness, but do not invalidate the overall findings, in accordance with COPE guidelines. Retractions are applied when serious ethical breaches, unreliable data, plagiarism, duplicate publication, or major methodological flaws make the article untrustworthy or unsuitable to remain in the scholarly record. Our journal follows COPE standards to ensure transparency, research integrity, and responsible handling of all post-publication updates. For the complete policies, please visit our Corrections and Retractions page.

COMPLAINTS

The journal provides a formal mechanism for handling complaints related to unethical practices, publication misconduct, or problems in the editorial process. Complaints may include issues such as plagiarism in a published manuscript, duplicate publication, unauthorized use of data or images, authorship disputes, or concerns about the behavior or conduct of authors, reviewers, or editorial board members. Individuals may also report potential ethical violations, conflicts of interest, biased review, breach of confidentiality, or any action that violates publication ethics. All complaints will be reviewed fairly and confidentially, in accordance with COPE guidelines (see COPE Flowcharts & Resources), and appropriate action will be taken based on the findings. To submit a complaint, please email editor@pmhjournal.com.

LICENSE POLICY

 This journal adopts an Open Access policy. All articles published in the Precision Medicine and Health Journal are distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0)

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This license permits any noncommercial use, sharing, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided that appropriate credit is given to the original author(s) and the source, a link to the license is provided, and any changes made are indicated.

EDITORIAL OFFICE CONTACT DETAILS

PMHJ Editorial Office
Bungalow 1154 Gareeb Abad Colony, Nawabshah
Sindh, Pakistan
Phone: 0340-1375191
Email: editor@pmhjournal.com

Please include the manuscript ID with all correspondence (example: PMHJ-27).

Author Guidelines updated October 29, 2025.