Pakistan Journal of Physical Therapy (PJPT) welcomes contributions relevant to the science or practice of physiotherapy and other allied health sciences.

Manuscript preparation guidelines for authors

 Essential title page information

Title: Concise and informative. Titles are often used in information-retrieval systems. Avoid abbreviations and formulae where possible. Running title: Write a short running title on the title page
Author names and affiliations: Please clearly indicate the given name(s) and family name(s) of each author and check that all names are accurately spelled. Present the authors' affiliation addresses (where the actual work was done) below the names. Indicate all affiliations with a lower-case superscript letter immediately after the author's name and in front of the appropriate address. Provide the full postal address of each affiliation, including the country name and, if available, the e-mail address of each author.

Corresponding author: Indicate who will handle correspondence at all stages of refereeing and publication, also post-publication. This responsibility includes answering any future queries about Methodology. Ensure that the e-mail address and contact number are given and that contact details are kept up to date by the corresponding author. The corresponding author details should be included on the title page. The email address should be institutional and include the name of the corresponding author.

Present/permanent address: If an author has moved since the work described in the article was done, or was visiting at the time, a 'Present address' may be indicated as a footnote to that author's name. The address at which the author did the work must be retained as the main, affiliation address. Superscript Arabic numerals are used for such footnotes

The title page should not be added to the manuscript file. It should be uploaded separately along the manuscript. 

Abstract: The abstract should comprise the following: Background, Objective, Methodology, Results, and Conclusion. A concise and factual abstract is required (not more than 250 words). The abstract should state briefly the purpose of the research, the principal results, and major conclusions. An abstract is often presented separately from the article, so it must be able to stand alone. For this reason, References should be avoided, but if essential, then cite the author(s) and year(s). Also, non-standard or uncommon abbreviations should be avoided, but if essential they must be defined at their first mention in the abstract itself.

Keywords: Immediately after the abstract, provide a maximum of 6 keywords, using Australian / British spelling and avoiding general and plural terms and multiple concepts (avoid, for example, 'and', 'of'). Be sparing with abbreviations: only abbreviations firmly established in the field may be eligible. These keywords will be used for indexing purposes.

Units and Abbreviations: This journal does not favor abbreviations in the text. However, 95% CI, SD, OR, RR, MD, and such commonly used terms do not require spelling out in full at first mention (they would usually appear within parentheses), but even when presented outside of parentheses these do not require defining. The journal uses an approved list of units and abbreviations.

Introduction: State the objectives of the work and provide an adequate background, avoiding a detailed literature survey or a summary of the results. Close the Introduction chapter by specifying the rationale and significance of your study at the end of the introduction without heading. 

Material and Methods: Provide sufficient details to allow the work to be reproduced by an independent researcher. Methods that are already published should be summarized and indicated by a reference. If quoting directly from a previously published method, use quotation marks and cite the source. Any modifications to existing methods should also be described.

Mention the study design, sampling technique, study duration, and where data were collected.
Mention sample size calculation with reference.
Mention the study selection criteria.
Add trial registration number if there’s a clinical or controlled trial study.
Mention the manuscript's research ethics committee registration number and provide the REC letter during submission to the journal.
Specify the study tool/ outcome measure and its authenticity with reference.
Add your statistical analysis procedure at the end of materials and methods with enough information that a reader can understand and relate to the results.
Results:  Present your results logically in the text, tables, and illustrations, first giving the main or most important findings. Do not repeat in the text all the data in the tables or illustrations; emphasize or summarize only important observations. When data are summarized in the Results section, give numeric results not only as derivatives (for example, percentages) but also as the absolute numbers from which the derivatives were calculated, and specify the statistical methods used to analyze them. Restrict tables and figures to those needed to explain the argument of the paper and to assess its support. Use graphs as an alternative to tables with many entries; do not duplicate data in graphs and tables.

Figures: Ensure that each illustration has a caption. Supply captions below the figure. A caption should comprise a brief title and a description of the illustration. Keep text in the illustrations themselves to a minimum but explain all symbols and abbreviations used. Include the number of figures on the title page. The maximum number of figures or images is 4.

Tables: Please submit tables as editable text and not as images. Tables can be placed either next to the relevant text in the article, or on separate page(s) at the end. Number tables consecutively following their appearance in the text and place any table notes below the table body. Be sparing in the use of tables and ensure that the data presented in them do not duplicate results described elsewhere in the article. Please avoid using vertical rules and shading in table cells. Write captions below the table. Include the number of tables on the title page. The maximum number of tables to be included is 4.

Discussion: This should explore the significance of the results of the work, not repeat them. Avoid extensive citations and discussion of published literature. Compare the results of your study with the literature some in support of your results and some in contrast. I think references should be cited and the first author's name with year of publication should be mentioned with every study to be compared with your results. Enclose the discussion section with the limitations of your study and future perspectives of research in that particular area. You should provide recommendations regarding the problem you dealt with or the treatment technique you described. 

Conclusion: The study's main conclusions should be presented in a short paragraph, keeping in mind the study's objective. Avoid irrelevant information and duplication of results here. Link the conclusions with the study’s goals but avoid unqualified statements and conclusions not adequately supported by the data. Avoid claiming priority and alluding to work that has not been completed—state new hypotheses when warranted.

Declarations:

Competing interests: If any conflicts of interest exist, mention the statement in the manuscript. If not, mention that there is no conflict or competing interests.

Funding: Mention the funding statement if there were any funding supports. If not, mention that there was no funding source involved.

REFERENCES

(a) General Considerations Related to References

Utilize review articles selectively for literature guidance; prioritize original papers with key references. Avoid abstracts and ensure proper citations for unpublished or in-progress works. Use personal communications only when crucial and attain permission. Follow Uniform Requirements style, referencing NLM guidelines and PubMed for retractions. Number references sequentially and abbreviate journal titles per Index Medicus style.

(b) Reference style
Indicate references in Vancouver style with superscript numerals in the order in which they appear in the text. A full stop will be added before the reference, and references will be without parenthesis. The numerals will be used outside periods and commas, inside colons, and semicolons. The referencing style used by the journal is the Vancouver style, which can be found as a standard referencing style in EndNote.

Journal Article: Author(s) Last Name Initial(s). Article Title. Abbrev. Title of Journal. Year; Volume(Issue): Page numbers.

Example: Smith AB, Jones CD. The Role of Physical Therapy in Rehabilitation. Abbrev. J Phys Ther. 2019;5(2):112-120.

Book: Author(s) Last Name Initial(s). Title of Book. Edition. Place of publication: Publisher; Year.

Example: Miller EF. Principles of Physical Therapy. 3rd ed. Karachi: XYZ Publishers; 2020.

Website: Author(s) Last Name Initial(s). Title of Webpage. Name of Website. URL. Published Date. Updated Date. Accessed Date.

Example: Johnson G. The Importance of Exercise in Physical Therapy. PhysioHealth. http://www.physiohealth.com/exercise-therapy. Published 2018. Accessed January 5, 2023.

Conference Proceedings: Author(s) Last Name Initial(s). Title of Paper. In: Editor(s) Last Name Initial(s), editor(s). Title of Conference Proceedings. Place of publication: Publisher; Year. Page numbers.

Example: Anderson P. Innovations in Physical Therapy Techniques. In: Johnson M, editor. Proceedings of the International Conference on Rehabilitation Therapies. Islamabad: ABC Publishers; 2021. p. 45-52.

Thesis or Dissertation: Author(s) Last Name Initial(s). Title of Thesis/Dissertation [Type]. Place of publication: University; Year.

Example: Carter R. Efficacy of Exercise Programs in Geriatric Rehabilitation [PhD thesis]. Lahore: University of Physical Therapy; 2018.

Online Journal Article: Author(s) Last Name Initial(s). Article Title. Abbrev. Title of Journal [Internet]. Year; Volume(Issue): Page numbers. Available from: URL. Accessed Date.

Example: Davis K. Advances in Neurological Rehabilitation. Abbrev. J Neurol Rehabil [Internet]. 2022;8(2):78-85. Available from: http://www.neurorehabjournal.org/advances. Accessed March 10, 2023.

Article length

Manuscript length (not including title page, abstract, references, tables, or figure legends) depends on the type of study:

Systematic reviews: up to 5000 words
Clinical trials, experimental and qualitative studies: up to 3500 words
Observational studies: up to 2500 words

Editorials and Guest Editorials

Pakistan Journal of Physiotherapy (PJPT) publishes two editorials on scientific or professional issues of physiotherapy practice and other health-related matters and innovations in each issue. Editorials are usually commissioned; however, anyone wishing to write an editorial should contact the Journal Editor for discussion about the topic. Editorials should be no more than one page with a maximum of one author and 2-3 references. Commissioned editorials are not formally peer-reviewed, but may be subject to informal review. Non-commissioned editorials will be formally peer-reviewed.

 

GENERAL GUIDELINES

 

Human and animal rights

Suppose the work involves the use of human subjects. In that case, 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; Uniform Requirements for manuscripts submitted to Biomedical journals. 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 Institutes of Health guide for the care and use of Laboratory animals (NIH Publications No. 8023, revised 1978) and the authors should indicate in the manuscript that such guidelines have been followed.

Conflict of interest

To prevent the information on potential conflict of interest for authors from being overlooked or misplaced, that information must be part of the manuscript. It should therefore also be included as a single line on the title page.

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, that it is not under consideration for publication elsewhere, and 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 any other language, including electronically without the written consent of the copyright holder.
If additional papers have or will be published with any overlap of the current dataset, it is the authors' responsibility to notify the editor at the time of submission.

Changes to authorship

Authors are expected to consider carefully the list and order of authors before submitting their manuscript and provide the definitive list of authors at the time of the original submission. Any addition, deletion, or rearrangement of author names in the authorship list should be made only before the manuscript has been accepted and only if approved by the journal Editor. To request such a change, the Editor must receive the following from the corresponding author: (a) the reason for the change in the author list and (b) written confirmation (e-mail, letter) from all authors that they agree with the addition, removal or rearrangement. In the case of addition or removal of authors, this includes confirmation from the author being added or removed. Only in exceptional circumstances will the Editor consider the addition, deletion, or rearrangement of authors after the manuscript has been accepted. While the Editor considers the request, publication of the manuscript will be suspended. If the manuscript has already been published in an online issue, any requests approved by the Editor will result in a corrigendum.

Clinical trial results

The policy of PJPT regarding clinical trial registration is consistent with the position of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors(ICMJE). Results may be posted in the same clinical trials registry in which primary registration resides. This will not be considered to be a prior publication if the results are posted in the form of a brief structured (less than 500 words) abstract or table. However, divulging results in other circumstances (e.g., investors' meetings) is discouraged and may jeopardise consideration of the manuscript. Authors should fully disclose all posting in registries of results of the same or closely related work.

Reporting clinical trials

Randomized controlled trials should be presented according to the CONSORT guidelines. At manuscript submission, authors must provide the CONSORT checklist accompanied by a flow diagram that illustrates the progress of patients through the trial, including recruitment, enrollment, randomization, withdrawal, and completion, and a detailed description of the randomization procedure.

Registration of clinical trials

Registration in a public trials registry is a condition for publication of clinical trials in this journal following ICJME recommendations. Trials must register at or before the onset of patient enrollment. The clinical trial registration number should be included at the end of the abstract of the article. A clinical trial is defined as any research study that prospectively assigns human participants or groups of humans to one or more health-related interventions to evaluate the effects of health outcomes. Health-related interventions include any intervention used to modify a biomedical or health-related outcome (for example drugs, surgical procedures, devices, behavioural treatments, dietary interventions, and process-of-care changes). Health outcomes include any biomedical or health-related measures obtained in patients or participants, including pharmacokinetic measures and adverse events. Purely observational studies (those in which the assignment of the medical intervention is not at the discretion of the investigator) will not require registration.

Authorship Letter

The corresponding author has to submit an authorship letter at the time of submission of the manuscript, duly signed by all co-authors along with a description of their contributions, affiliations, and email addresses. Declaration of any potential conflict of interest, transfer of copyrights, and funding will also be mentioned in it.

Informed consent and patient details

Studies on patients or volunteers require ethics committee approval and informed consent, which should be documented in the paper. Appropriate consents, permissions, and releases must be obtained where an author wishes to include case details or other personal information or images of patients and any other individuals in PJPT publication. Written consents must be retained by the author but copies should not be provided to the journal. Only if specifically requested by the journal in exceptional circumstances the author must provide copies of the consents or evidence that such consents have been obtained.

Submission

Manuscripts should be submitted online through the OJS portal of PJPT. Register as an author and after successfully creating your account, follow the manuscript submission steps.