Publications in Health Professions Education generally follow the guidelines of the American Medical Association (AMA) Manual of Style: https://www.amamanualofstyle.com. Please check these while preparing a manuscript for publication.

An alternative is using the guidelines provided by our Sample Manuscript. The journal generally only accepts manuscripts that are formatted according to these guidelines.

Please review these guidelines carefully. Failure to adhere to these guidelines may result in either delay in manuscript processing or rejection of your article.

Abstract Guidelines

• Structured Abstract: The abstract must be structured and clearly delineated into sections.
• Word Limit: The maximum word count is 300 words.

Section Headings:

• Purpose: Clearly state the research question or objective of the study.
• Methods: Briefly describe the methodology, including study design, participants, and any instruments used.
• Results: Summarize the key findings with sufficient detail, quantifying results where possible to enhance clarity.
• Conclusions: Provide a concise summary of the implications of the findings, highlighting their significance in the context of health professions education.

Additional Recommendations

• Clarity and Precision: Use clear and precise language. Avoid jargon unless it is widely accepted in the field.
• Consistency: Ensure consistency between the abstract and the main manuscript. All significant findings discussed in the abstract should be supported by data in the full paper.
• Avoid New Information: Do not introduce new data or concepts in the abstract that are not covered in the main text.
• Use of Keywords: Consider including a list of keywords (3-5) separated by semicolon at the end of the abstract to enhance discoverability.
• Formatting: Follow any specific formatting guidelines provided by the journal, including font size and style, to ensure uniformity across submissions.
• Review and Revise: Authors should draft their abstracts after completing their manuscripts to ensure that they accurately reflect the content and findings of their studies.

Accepted Article Type & Requirements

Original Research Articles: Original research articles present new, unpublished findings from empirical studies or theoretical work.

Word limit: 3,000-4,000 words
Figures and tables: Up to 06 combined
Abstract: Required (300 words, structured)

• Present a comprehensive introduction
• Describe methods in detail
• Report results thoroughly
• Discuss findings and implications

The word limit excludes the abstract, references, tables, and figure captions.

Review Articles (including systematic and meta-analysis): Review articles provide a comprehensive overview and critical analysis of existing literature on a specific topic.

Word limit: 4,000-7,000 words
Figures and tables: Up to 08 combined
Abstract: Required (300 words, structured)

• Provide an in-depth overview of the topic
• Critically evaluate multiple studies
• Discuss trends and gaps in the literature
• Draw meaningful conclusions

Mini Reviews: Mini reviews offer a concise summary of recent developments in a specific area of research.

Word limit: 3,000-4,000 words
Figures and tables: Up to 04 combined
Abstract: Required (300 words, structured)

• Focus on key points
• Highlight emerging concepts
• Discuss controversies and research gaps
• Suggest future directions

Case Study: Case study describe unique or noteworthy educational cases/situation, providing valuable insights for health professions educators.

Word limit: 1,000-2000 words
Figures and tables: Up to 05 combined
Abstract: Required (200 words, unstructured)

• Describe the case thoroughly
• Discuss relevant literature
• Highlight the significance of the case

Practice Briefs: Practice briefs provide practical guidance and recommendations for implementing research findings in real-world setting.

Word limit: 1,200-2,500 words
Figures and tables: Up to 3 combined
Abstract: Required (200 words, unstructured)

• Describe the practice paradigm
• Discuss relevant literature
• Highlight the significance of the clinical practices

Short Reports: Short reports present preliminary findings or limited-scope studies in a concise format.

Word limit: 1,000-2,000 words
Figures and tables: Up to 2 combined
Abstract: Required (200 words, structured)

Perspectives: Perspective articles offer expert opinions on current trends, controversies, or future directions in the field.

Word limit: 1,000-1,800 words
Figures and tables: Up to 2 combined
Summary: Required (200 words, unstructured)

Commentaries: Commentaries provide expert insights and opinions on specific topics or recent publications.

Word limit: 1,200-1,800 words
Figures and tables: 1 figure or table (if necessary)
Abstract: Not required

Letters to the Editor: Letters should be brief and to the point, focusing on a specific issue or recent publication within past four month.

Word limit: up to 800 words
Figures and tables: 1 figure or table (if necessary)
Abstract: Not required

Technical Notes: Technical notes describe new methodologies, techniques, or tools relevant to the field.

Word limit: 1,500-2,500 words
Figures and tables: Up to 3 combined
Abstract: Required (300 words, structured)

Editorials: Editorials are invited either from editorial board members or renowned experts in the field only; no student editorials will be entertained.

Word limit: up to 1,200 words
Figures and tables: Up to 2 combined
Abstract: Not required

Language

Manuscripts must be written in academic English. It is highly recommended for non-native English speakers to have their manuscripts professionally proof red before submission.

Studies in Humans and Animals

If the work involves the use of human subjects, the author should ensure that the work described has been carried out in accordance with The Code of Ethics of the World Medical Association (Declaration of Helsinki) for experiments involving humans. The manuscript should be in line with the Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals and aim for the inclusion of representative human populations (sex, age, and ethnicity) as per those recommendations. The terms sex and gender should be used correctly.

Authors should include a statement in the manuscript that informed consent was obtained for experimentation with human subjects. The privacy rights of human subjects must always be observed.

All animal experiments should comply with the ARRIVE guidelines and should be carried out in accordance with the U.K. Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act, 1986 and associated guidelines, EU Directive 2010/63/EU for animal experiments, or the National Research Council's Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals and the authors should clearly indicate in the manuscript that such guidelines have been followed. The sex of animals must be indicated, and where appropriate, the influence (or association) of sex on the results of the study.

Copyright

Articles submitted to the journal should not have been published before in their current or substantially similar form or be under consideration for publication with another journal. Authors submitting articles for publication warrant that the work is not an infringement of any existing copyright and will indemnify the publisher against any breach of such warranty.

This is an open access journal. All works are published under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0), which means that all content is freely available without charge to the user or his/her institution. Users are allowed to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of the articles, or use them for any other lawful purpose, without asking prior permission from the publisher or the author.

Declaration of Interest

All authors must disclose any financial and personal relationships with other people or organizations that could inappropriately influence (bias) their work. Examples of potential competing interests include employment, consultancies, stock ownership, honoraria, paid expert testimony, patent applications/registrations, and grants or other funding. Authors must disclose any interests in two places:

1. A summary declaration of interest statement in the title page file (if double anonymized) or the manuscript file (if single anonymized). If there are no interests to declare then please state this: 'Declarations of interest: none'.
2. Detailed disclosures as part of a separate Declaration of Interest form, which forms part of the journal's official records. It is important for potential interests to be declared in both places and that the information matches.

Submission Declaration and Verification

Submission of an article implies that the work described has not been published previously (except in the form of an abstract, a published lecture or academic thesis, see 'Multiple, redundant or concurrent publication' for more information), that it is not under consideration for publication elsewhere, that its publication is approved by all authors and tacitly or explicitly by the responsible authorities where the work was carried out, and that, if accepted, it will not be published elsewhere in the same form, in English or in any other language, including electronically without the written consent of the copyright-holder. To verify originality, your article may be checked by the originality detection service Crossref Similarity Check.