Vaidyaratnam Journal of Ayurvedic Medicine

Types of manuscripts

All article types should include a title, authors, structured/unstructured abstract as specified, keywords, main text, acknowledgements, declarations, references, and any supplementary files.

A. Editorial

• Content: Perspective pieces by the Editor or invited guest editors.
• Word limit: up to 1,000 words.
• References: up to 10.
• Abstract: Not required.

B. Short Communication/ Brief Report

• Content: Invited or submitted viewpoints on policy, education or topical debates.
• Word limit: 2,000 -2300words(Including abstract and references)
• Abstract: unstructured, up to 250 words.
• References: up to 30.

C. Original Research (Full-length)

• Content: Original clinical, preclinical, pharmacological, epidemiological, translational or interventional studies.
• Word limit: up to 5,000 words 
• Abstract: Structured (Background, Objectives, Methods, Results, Conclusion) - up to 250 words.
• Tables/figures: up to 8 non-text items (at the appropriate place or at the end of text).
• References: typically up to 70.
• Must include sample size/power calculations, statistical methods, ethical approval, trial registration (if applicable).
• Adhere to established guidance for guideline developers (equator-network.org)

D. Systematic Review & Meta-analysis

• Word limit: up to 6,000 words.
• Abstract: structured up to 250 words.
• Must follow PRISMA (https://www.equator-network.org/reporting-guidelines/prisma/) and include search strategy, eligibility criteria, risk of bias assessment and flowchart.

E. Narrative Review / Book review

• Word limit: up to 4,000 words.
• Abstract: unstructured up to 250 words.
• Book reviews should include a jpeg image of the cover (uploaded separately).

F. Case Report

• Content: Unique clinical observations, novel therapeutic outcomes, adverse events, or new diagnostic challenges.
• Word limit: up to 3,000 words.
• Abstract: non-structured up to 250 words.
• Reporting: Authors must follow the CARE guidelines and include patient consent for publication of clinical information/photographs. Protect patient identity. (CARE Case Report Guidelines)

G. Case Series

• Word limit: up to 3,000 words and abstract up to 250 words.
• Should include consecutive cases, clear inclusion criteria, outcomes and limitations.

H. Pedagogy / Education Article

• Word limit: up to 3,000 words.
• Content: Curriculum development, teaching methods, historical-linguistic studies relevant to Ayurvedic education. Abstract optional depending on content.

K. Practice Guidelines / Consensus Statements

• Word limit: usually up to 4,000 words (varies).
• Must detail methodology for guideline development (stakeholders, evidence synthesis, grading of recommendations).
• Adhere to established guidance for guideline developers (EQUATOR toolkit). (equator-network.org)

L. Conference Report and Correspondence

• Word limit: up to 1,200–2,000 words depending on type.

 

Originality, Prior Publication and Plagiarism Policy

• Manuscripts must be original and not under consideration or published elsewhere. If related work has been previously published (e.g., preprint, conference abstract), authors must disclose this at submission with copies or links.
• All sources must be cited; verbatim quoting should be minimal and in quotation marks with citation.
• VJAM uses plagiarism detection tools; manuscripts with substantial overlap or duplicate publication will be rejected or retracted per COPE guidance.
• Submissions must also disclose any overlapping submissions (e.g., large dataset split across several papers) and justify overlap.

 

Manuscript Preparation - Detailed Formatting Instructions

General layout

• Document format: MS Word (.doc/.docx) preferred; RTF accepted. Do not submit PDF as the primary manuscript file.
• Page setup: A4 page, margins 2.5 cm on all sides.
• Font: Times New Roman, size 12 for text. Headings may be bold; main headings 14–16 pt.
• Line spacing: 1.5; include page numbers in footer.
• All pages numbered consecutively beginning with the Title Page.

Title page / First page file (separate file, non-blinded)

Provide:

• Full title (concise and informative).
• Running title ( up to 50 characters).
• Full names of all authors (surname/family name last), academic degrees, institutional affiliations (department, institution, city, country).
• The corresponding author’s postal address, telephone number and e-mail address.
• A short author contribution statement (use Credit roles if possible).
• Source(s) of funding and grant numbers.
• Declaration of conflicts of interest.
• Acknowledgements (if any).
• Trial registration number (if applicable).

Blinded main manuscript file

• Remove all author names, affiliations and identifying information (including institution names in methods) for the blinded file. Do not include acknowledgements or funding statements in the blinded file.
• The main manuscript should begin with the title (short), abstract and keywords, and then the main text.
• File size: individual file up to 10 MB recommended; compress images separately.

Title

• Concise, informative; avoid abbreviations where possible.

Abstract and Keywords

• Original research: Structured abstract (Background, Objectives, Methods, Results, Conclusion), up to 250 words.
• Other article types: unstructured abstract up to 250 words unless otherwise specified.
• Keywords: 4–6 keywords. For Ayurvedic technical terms, use consistent transliteration and italicize (first appearance should include the approximate English meaning).

Main sections (for original articles)

1. Introduction (background & objectives)
2. Materials and Methods (detailed enough for reproduction).
3. Results (concise, with tables/figures)
4. Discussion (interpretation, comparison with literature, strengths, limitations)
5. Conclusion (brief)
6. Acknowledgements
7. Funding and Conflicts of Interest statements
8. References

Abbreviations and units

• Spell out abbreviations at first use. SI units preferred. Numerals from 1–10 may be spelled as words where appropriate (follow consistent style).

Article Sections

• Manuscripts should be divided into clearly defined and consecutively numbered sections. Main sections should be numbered as 1, 2, 3, and so on. Subsections should be numbered 1.1, 1.2, with further subdivisions as 1.1.1, 1.1.2, etc.
• Authors must use this numbering format when making cross-references within the manuscript and should avoid vague references such as “the text” or “above.”
• Each subsection may be provided with a concise heading. All headings should be placed on a separate line and clearly indicate the content of the section.
• The Abstract should not be included within the section numbering and must appear separately at the beginning of the manuscript.

 

Figures, tables and supplementary material (technical requirements)

Figures / images

• Format: JPEG or TIFF preferred for images; EPS or PDF for line art.
• Resolution: minimum 300 dpi for color/greyscale images; 600 dpi for line art.
• File size: each image  up to 4 MB preferred; maximum per submission as per web portal limits.
• Number each figure in Arabic numerals; provide figure legends (up to 40 words each) at the end of the manuscript file (in the blinded file, include legends but not images).
• For clinical photographs, remove identifying marks; obtain and upload written patient consent for publication of images.

Tables

• Submit tables in editable format (MS Word table). Number consecutively (Table 1, Table 2, ...).
• Each table must have a clear title and footnotes explaining abbreviations and statistical measures.

Supplementary files

• Data tables, extended methods, questionnaires, video or large datasets can be uploaded as supplementary material. Authors should state data availability and whether data can be shared upon reasonable request.

Language, Transliteration and Sanskrit Terms

• Manuscripts must be written in clear, scholarly English. VJAM accepts British or American English but requires consistency.
• Sanskrit and Ayurvedic terms should be italicized at first occurrence, followed by an English equivalent in parentheses. Use consistent transliteration throughout the manuscript.
• Diacritical marks are permitted only if supported by the journal’s website and typesetting system. If such support is unavailable, authors must use a commonly accepted transliteration without diacritics. Original-language text (e.g., Sanskrit ślokas, Tamil verses, or other classical scripts) should not be included in the main manuscript. Where necessary, a standardized transliteration and/or brief glossary may be provided.

 

 

Declaration of Generative AI Use

Authors must disclose the use of generative AI or AI-assisted tools in the preparation of the manuscript at the time of submission. Such tools may be used to support tasks such as language improvement or content organization but must not replace human judgment or scholarly responsibility.

Authors are fully accountable for the accuracy, originality, and integrity of the manuscript, including verification of any AI-generated content. AI tools must not be listed as authors or co-authors.

If generative AI tools have been used, a declaration must be included in a separate section before the References at the time of initial submission. The declaration is not required for basic tools used solely for spelling, grammar, or reference checking.

 

Ethical Requirements - Human Participants, Animals, Clinical Trials

Human participants

• Manuscripts reporting human research must include a statement in Methods describing:
  • Name of the ethics committee that approved the study (with approval number).
  • Statement that research adhered to the Declaration of Helsinki and local/national regulations.

Clinical trial registration

• Prospective clinical trials must be registered in a publicly accessible registry (e.g., CTRI, ClinicalTrials.gov) prior to recruitment. The registration number and registry name must be provided in the Title Page and Methods. Trials should be reported according to CONSORT. (equator-network.org)

Systematic review registration

• Systematic reviews and meta-analyses should be prospectively registered in a publicly accessible registry such as PROSPERO. The registration number and registry name must be provided in the Title Page and Methods section. Reviews should be reported in accordance with PRISMA guidelines.

Animal research

• Animal experiments must include details of ethical approval(with approval number), adherence to national/international guidelines (e.g., CPCSEA for India ARRIVE, https://arriveguidelines.org/), housing and care, analgesia/anesthesia, and humane endpoints.

Patient privacy

• Remove patient identifiers from figures and images. For any potentially identifying information, written informed consent for publication must be obtained and a statement included.