Author Instructions

Author Instructions: Axis Journal of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (AJHRS)

  1. Overview of Submissions

The Axis Journal of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (AJHRS) is a premier, double-blind peer-reviewed, open-access publication dedicated to disseminating high-quality research. We welcome submissions across a range of categories that contribute original knowledge to the fields of health, medicine, and rehabilitation. All manuscripts must be original works that have not been published previously and are not under consideration by any other publication.

  1. Categories of Manuscripts

AJHRS accepts the following types of contributions:

  • Original Research Articles: Empirical studies presenting novel findings. (Max 2500 words, excluding abstract and references).
  • Review Articles: Comprehensive, critical surveys of existing literature on a defined topic. (Max 3500 words, excluding references).
  • Case Reports: Detailed analyses of unique clinical cases with educational value. Must include Abstract, Introduction, Case Presentation, Discussion, and Conclusion.
  • Short Communications: Concise reports of preliminary findings or innovative methodologies. (Max 1250 words).
  • Letters to the Editor: Brief commentaries on articles published in AJHRS (within 4 weeks of publication) or on general topics of interest.
  1. The Submission Procedure

All manuscripts must be submitted electronically through the AJHRS online submission management system.

  1. The Corresponding Author must register for an account or log in to an existing one.
  2. Follow the structured five-step submission process outlined on the portal.
  3. Critical: To ensure a double-blind peer review, the main manuscript file must be thoroughly anonymized. All author names, affiliations, and any identifying information must be removed from the text, figures, and document properties.
  4. Author details must be provided exclusively in the dedicated metadata sections of the submission system.
  5. Supplementary files, such as datasets, ethical approval documents, or copyright permissions, should be uploaded separately.
  1. Guidelines for Manuscript Preparation

Language and Formatting:

  • Language: Manuscripts must be written in clear, concise English, consistently following either British or American spelling conventions.
  • Font and Layout: Use Times New Roman, 12-point font size. Text should be justified with single line spacing throughout.
  • File Type: Submit the main manuscript in a Word document (.doc or .docx) format.

Structure for Original and Review Articles:

  • Title Page: (Submitted separately in the metadata) Include a concise and informative title, author names and affiliations, and complete contact information for the corresponding author.
  • Abstract: A structured abstract (Background, Methods, Results, Conclusion) is required for Original Research articles, not exceeding 250 words. Review Articles may require an unstructured abstract of up to 300 words.
  • Keywords: Provide 5-10 keywords, preferably selected from the U.S. National Library of Medicine's Medical Subject Headings (MeSH).
  • Main Text: Organize the manuscript using the IMRAD structure:
    • Introduction: Establish the context, state the problem, and define the study's objectives and hypothesis.
    • Methods: Describe the study design, participant characteristics, data collection procedures, and statistical analyses in sufficient detail to allow replication. Clearly state that ethical approval and informed consent were obtained where applicable.
    • Results: Present your findings in a logical sequence using text, tables, and figures. Report key statistical values and significance levels.
    • Discussion: Interpret the results, discuss their implications, and compare them with existing literature. Address the study's limitations and suggest directions for future research.
    • Conclusion: Provide a brief summary of the primary conclusions and their clinical or theoretical significance.
  • References: See section F.
  • Tables and Figures: These must be embedded within the text near where they are first mentioned, not grouped at the end. Each must be numbered and have a descriptive caption or legend that allows it to be understood independently.
  1. Ethical Policies and Declarations
  • Originality: Submissions must be the original work of the authors. Plagiarism in any form is unacceptable.
  • Ethical Approval: For studies involving human or animal subjects, authors must provide the name of the institutional review board or ethics committee that granted approval and the reference number for the approval.
  • Informed Consent: Manuscripts reporting on human subjects must include a statement confirming that informed consent was obtained from all participants.
  • Conflict of Interest: All authors must disclose any financial, personal, or professional relationships that could be construed as influencing the work. This includes funding sources for the research.
  • Patient Anonymity: In Case Reports, authors have a strict ethical responsibility to protect patient privacy. Identifying details must be omitted or anonymized, and specific consent for publication must be obtained.
  1. Reference Style

AJHRS adheres to the Vancouver (Numbered) citation style.

  • Number references consecutively in the order they first appear in the text.
  • The reference list at the end of the document should be numbered correspondingly.
  • For journal articles with six or fewer authors, list all authors. For seven or more authors, list the first six followed by et al.
  • Journal titles should be abbreviated according to the standards set by the Index Medicus/Medline.
  • It is the authors' responsibility to ensure the accuracy and completeness of all references.
  1. The Peer Review Process

The Axis Journal of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences employs a rigorous double-blind peer-review process. This means the identities of both the authors and the reviewers are concealed from each other to ensure objectivity and impartiality. The editorial decision (accept, revise, or reject) is based on the reviewers' assessments of the manuscript's scientific validity, originality, clarity, and significance to the field.

 

  1. Publication Ethics and Integrity

The Axis Journal of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (AJHRS) is committed to upholding the highest standards of publication ethics. We expect all authors, reviewers, and editors to adhere to the core principles of integrity, honesty, and transparency throughout the publication process.

  • Research Integrity: Manuscripts must report original research accurately and objectively. Data fabrication, falsification, plagiarism, or image manipulation constitute unethical behaviour and are unacceptable.
  • Authorship Criteria: Authorship should be limited to those who have made a significant intellectual contribution to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the reported study. All listed authors must approve the final version of the manuscript and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.
  • Conflict of Interest: All authors must disclose any financial, personal, or professional relationships that could be perceived as influencing their work or the review process. This includes funding sources, affiliations, and financial interests in products mentioned in the manuscript. A declaration of interests form will be provided upon acceptance.
  • Ethical Oversight: For studies involving human participants or animals, authors must confirm that all procedures were performed in accordance with relevant ethical standards and must provide formal approval from an institutional review board or ethics committee.
  1. Post-Acceptance Policies
  • Open Access Policy: AJHRS is a fully open-access journal. All published articles are distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. This ensures maximum visibility and impact for your work.
  • Data Privacy: AJHRS is dedicated to protecting the privacy of its authors, reviewers, and readers. Personal information collected during the submission and publication process will be used exclusively for stated purposes and will not be made available for any other use without explicit consent.
  1. Article Processing Charges (APC) and Waiver Policy

To sustain the high-quality, open-access publication of peer-reviewed content, AJHRS levies an Article Processing Charge (APC). This fee is essential for covering the costs associated with copyediting, typesetting, digital archiving, and online publication.

  • Fee Structure:
    • The APC is requested only after a manuscript has been formally accepted for publication.
    • There are no charges for submission, editorial assessment, or the peer-review process.
    • National Authors (Pakistan): PKR 30,000
    • International Authors: USD 150
  • Subscription Model: In alignment with our open-access mandate, AJHRS does not charge readers or institutions any subscription fees. All content is immediately and permanently free to access and download from our website.
  • Waiver Policy: We firmly believe that financial constraints should not be a barrier to the dissemination of scientific knowledge. Therefore, we offer a full or partial APC waiver to corresponding authors who can demonstrate a genuine financial need.
    • Requests are assessed on a case-by-case basis, with priority given to researchers from low- and middle-income countries and those without grant or institutional funding.
    • To apply, authors must submit a detailed waiver request to the editorial office during the submission process, including a rationale for the request.
  1. Disclosure of Funding Sources

Transparency in research funding is crucial for maintaining academic credibility and allows readers to assess potential influences on the research.

  • Requirement: Authors are required to explicitly disclose all sources of financial support for the research presented in their manuscript. This includes the full name(s) of the funding agency(s) and applicable grant numbers.
  • Rationale:
    • Promoting Transparency: It allows the editorial team and readers to identify any potential conflicts of interest.
    • Formal Acknowledgment: It ensures that funding organizations are properly credited for their support.
    • Mapping Research Impact: It aids in understanding funding trends and priorities within the health and rehabilitation sciences.
  1. Final Manuscript Preparation Checklist

Before final submission, please ensure your manuscript adheres to the following:

  • Scope: The manuscript falls within the journal's Aim & Scope (health, medical, and rehabilitation sciences).
  • Originality: The work is original, unpublished, and not under consideration elsewhere.
  • Formatting: The text is in Times New Roman, 12 pt. font, single-spaced, and justified.
  • Anonymization: The manuscript is blinded for review, with all author identifiers removed.
  • Structure: The appropriate structure for the article type (e.g., IMRAD for research articles) has been followed.
  • Abstract & Keywords: A correct abstract (structured or unstructured) and 5-10 MeSH keywords are provided.
  • References: The Vancouver (numbered) citation style is used correctly and consistently.
  • Figures & Tables: All are embedded in the text, are of high resolution, and include descriptive legends.
  • Ethics: Statements on ethical approval, consent, and conflict of interest are included where applicable.
  1. Online Submission Procedure

To ensure a streamlined and efficient editorial process, all contributions to the Axis Journal of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (AJHRS) must be submitted through our dedicated online manuscript management system. Adhering to the following steps will facilitate a smooth submission.

  • Submission Portal Access: Manuscripts are to be submitted exclusively via the AJHRS online submission portal. The corresponding author is responsible for the submission and must provide complete and accurate contact information for all co-authors during the account registration process.
  • Mandatory Declarations: As part of the submission process, authors will be required to complete several critical ethical declarations. These include:
    • A confirmation that ethical approval was obtained from an appropriate institutional review board for studies involving human participants and that informed consent was procured from all subjects.
    • A statement confirming adherence to established principles of animal welfare and ethical treatment for studies utilizing animal subjects.
    • A comprehensive conflict of interest disclosure statement for all authors, declaring any potential financial or personal relationships that could be perceived as influencing the work.
    • A data sharing statement indicating the authors' willingness to make the anonymized raw data supporting their findings available to other researchers, upon reasonable request, while respecting privacy and ethical constraints.
  1. Summary of Fees, Waivers, and Review
  • Fee Policy: AJHRS is committed to keeping barriers to submission low. Therefore, there are absolutely no charges for the submission, initial editorial processing, or the double-blind peer review of a manuscript.
    • Article Processing Charge (APC): To support the long-term sustainability of our open-access model and cover the costs associated with professional copyediting, XML typesetting, digital preservation, and online hosting, an APC is applied only upon formal acceptance of the manuscript for publication.
      • National Authors (Pakistan): PKR 30,000
      • International Authors: USD 150
    • Waiver Policy: We offer a transparent and equitable waiver program to ensure that a lack of funding does not prevent the publication of high-quality research. Authors facing genuine financial hardship may apply for a full or partial APC waiver. Requests must be submitted formally and include a compelling justification alongside any supporting documentation. Priority is given to early-career researchers and authors from low- and middle-income countries, with all decisions made on a case-by-case basis by the editorial management.
  1. Editorial Review and Publication Pathway
  • Peer-Review Model: AJHRS employs a rigorous double-blind peer-review system, where the identities of both the authors and the reviewers are concealed from each other. This process is fundamental to maintaining impartiality, objectivity, and fairness in our editorial decisions.
  • Editorial Decision: The final decision on a manuscript (Accept, Revise, Reject) is made by the Editor-in-Chief based on the academic recommendations of the assigned peer reviewers and the Associate Editors. Authors of manuscripts requiring revision will receive detailed feedback to guide their resubmission.
  • Publication: Once accepted, manuscripts undergo professional proofreading, final formatting, and publication preparation. They are then published ahead-of-print and assigned to a specific issue, becoming immediately and permanently accessible online.
  1. Copyright and Licensing Information
  • Open Access Commitment: AJHRS provides immediate and unrestricted open access to all published content, believing that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge.
  • Licensing: Published articles are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0). This license permits others to share, copy, and redistribute the material in any medium or format, and to adapt, remix, and build upon the material non-commercially, provided they give appropriate credit to the original author and source.

For a comprehensive guide and to begin your submission, please visit the AJHRS Submission Portal. Our editorial team is also available to assist with any queries.