Submission Guidelines

Submission Guidelines for Authors

The Journal of Community Medicine (JCM) welcomes original, high-quality submissions from researchers, academicians, postgraduate students, and public health professionals. Manuscripts must align with the journal’s scope and uphold ethical standards in publication.

 1. Types of Manuscripts Accepted

• Original Research Articles - This type of article is your typical research study. Manuscripts of up to 5,000 words are accepted. Must include an abstract. Word limit excludes abstract, table of contents, references, tables, and charts.

• Review Articles - This type of submission is a compilation of information that considers the critical points of current knowledge including substantive findings, as well as theoretical and methodological contributions in the field of public health. Submissions should not exceed 2,500 words.

• Short Communications - Concise reports presenting new ideas, preliminary research findings, or novel public health observations. These should be focused and informative, not exceeding 1,500 words

• Case Reports / Case Studies - Detailed descriptions of unique or instructive cases relevant to community medicine or public health. These submissions should highlight diagnostic or management challenges, innovations, or lessons learned, and should not exceed 2,000 words.

• Letters to the Editor - Brief, constructive comments on recently published articles, relevant current issues, or emerging public health concerns. Letters should be succinct (not more than 800 words) and may include one table or figure.

• Public Health Practice Reports - Field-based accounts of innovative practices, interventions, or program implementations in community settings. Emphasis should be on practical application, impact, and lessons learned. Submissions should not exceed 2,000 words 

• Best practices - This type of article showcases a best practice within a program or organization. This could include "how-to" innovations, practical applications related to any issue associated with teaching-learning program or any public health practice. These submissions should not exceed 2,500 words.

 2. General Formatting Guidelines

• Submit the manuscript in Microsoft Word format 

• Font: Times New Roman, Size: 12 pt, Line spacing: 1.5

• Margins: 1 inch on all sides

3. Manuscript Structure

For Original Articles, the manuscript must include:

1. Title Page: Title, author names, affiliations, corresponding author contact - separate page

2. Abstract: Max 250 words (structured: Background, Methods, Results, Conclusion)

3. Keywords: 4–6 keywords

4. Introduction including objectives

5. Materials and Methods

6. Results

7. Discussion

8. Conclusion

9. Acknowledgments (if any)

10. Conflict of Interest Statement

11. Funding Disclosure

12. References  - Use Vancouver style for references

13. Figures and tables must be clearly labeled and attached separately
    
    

4. Ethical Guidelines

• Research involving human subjects must include institutional ethics committee approval

• Studies must conform to the Declaration of Helsinki

• Plagiarism or data fabrication will lead to rejection and blacklisting

• Authors must declare any conflict of interest

 5. Authorship & Copyright

• All authors must meet ICMJE authorship criteria

• Upon acceptance, authors must sign a copyright transfer form 

 6. Submission Process

• Submit manuscripts via our https://forms.gle/afYTD2meS9d9YwVJA

• or email to editorjcmodisha@gmail.com

• Include a cover letter with the manuscript.

• All authors must sign the Copyright Transfer Form.

• Clearly declare any conflicts of interest.

• Mention funding sources, if applicable.

• Acknowledgment of receipt will be sent within 3–5 working days

• Peer review process typically takes 6 - 12 weeks
  
  

7. Open Access & Publication Charges

• The journal is an open-access publication with no article processing charges (APCs) or submission fees

8. Plagiarism Policy

The Journal of Community Medicine maintains a strict anti-plagiarism policy. All manuscripts must be original and properly cited. Plagiarism—including verbatim copying, improper paraphrasing, and self-plagiarism—is not tolerated.

All submissions are screened using plagiarism detection software. A similarity index above 15% (excluding references and standard phrases) will not be accepted.

If plagiarism is confirmed:

• The manuscript will be rejected or retracted.

• Authors may be barred from future submissions.

• Institutions may be notified.
  Authors are responsible for ensuring ethical writing and appropriate citation. The journal adheres to COPE and ICMJE guidelines.