Author Guidelines

Submission and preparation

Submit through the SJFM online submission system. The editorial email is for enquiries, not a substitute for an OJS submission record. SJFM considers original research articles, case reports, narrative reviews, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, mini-reviews, and book reviews.

  • Prepare an editable manuscript in English using clear academic language, 12-point Bookman Old Style text, and consistent formatting.
  • Upload a separate title page containing the title, authors, affiliations, corresponding-author details, and relevant acknowledgements and disclosures. Include ORCID identifiers where available.
  • Provide an anonymized manuscript for double-blind review. Remove author names, identifying acknowledgements, and identifying file properties; do not omit scientifically necessary references.
  • Supply an abstract of up to 250 words and three to five keywords. Use a structured abstract for original research and an appropriate concise abstract for other article types.

Article structure

  • Original research: Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion, and Conclusion, with adequate information about design, participants or materials, analysis, and ethics.
  • Case reports: background, anonymized case presentation, relevant findings and management or investigation, discussion, and consent for publication.
  • Systematic reviews and meta-analyses: a reproducible search strategy, eligibility criteria, selection process, quality or bias assessment, and synthesis methods; report protocol registration where applicable.
  • Narrative reviews, mini-reviews, and book reviews: a clear focus, transparent selection or interpretive approach, critical analysis, and appropriate source attribution.

Tables, figures, and references

Number tables and figures in the order they are cited and provide informative titles or legends. Submit legible original files and explain abbreviations. Normally use no more than five tables and figures in total unless the editor agrees that additional material is necessary. Obtain permission for reused material when required and protect confidential information.

Use Vancouver-style references, numbered in order of first citation and cited consistently with superscript Arabic numerals. Check every reference against the source and include a DOI where available. Do not include references that have not been verified.

Required declarations

  • Ethics approval or a justified exemption, including the responsible committee and identifier where applicable.
  • Consent to participate and, for identifiable information or case material, consent for publication as applicable.
  • Author contributions, competing interests, funding and the funder’s role.
  • Data Availability Statement and repository or accession links where applicable.
  • Disclosure of substantive use of generative AI, and any related preprints or publications.

Reporting standards

Use a reporting guideline appropriate to the study design, such as CONSORT for randomized trials, STROBE for observational studies, PRISMA for systematic reviews, and CARE for case reports. Explain design-specific limitations and avoid conclusions that exceed the evidence.

Review, charges, and publication

Manuscripts passing screening undergo double-blind review by at least three independent reviewers. Submission is free. The APC policy states the publication charge, payment timing, and absence of waivers. Acceptance is independent of payment. Authors retain copyright and published articles use the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0) license.

See the Journal Policies and Publication Standards before submitting.