1. Scope and Aims

GHU Open is an international peer-reviewed open-access journal that publishes original research across all areas of the health sciences. The journal welcomes contributions in fields including, but not limited to:

• Internal medicine, surgery, and clinical specialties
• Public health, epidemiology, and global health
• Nursing and allied health professions
• Pharmacy, pharmacology, and clinical therapeutics
• Dentistry and oral health
• Rehabilitation medicine, physical therapy, and sports medicine
• Mental health, psychiatry, and behavioral sciences
• Health policy, health economics, and healthcare management
• Medical education and health professions education
• Digital health, telemedicine, and AI-integrated healthcare
• Biomedical sciences and translational research

The journal especially encourages interdisciplinary research, translational studies, and work with clinical or public health relevance.

2. Article Types and Word Limits

Note: Editorials are typically by invitation but unsolicited submissions on timely topics will be considered.

3. Manuscript Templates

4. Manuscript Preparation

File Format

• Submit as Microsoft Word (.docx). PDF submissions are not accepted for initial review.
• Use a single-column layout with continuous line numbering.
• Double-spaced, font size 12 pt (Times New Roman or Arial).
• Pages numbered consecutively starting from the title page.
• Margins: 2.54 cm (1 inch) on all sides.

Title

• Full title: maximum 150 characters (including spaces), approximately 10–15 words. Informative, not declarative.
• Running title: maximum 50 characters (including spaces).

Language

• Manuscripts must be in clear, scientific English (American or British, used consistently).
• Non-native English speakers are encouraged to use professional editing services before submission.
• Use sentence case for article titles and headings (capitalize only the first word and proper nouns).

Numbers and Units

• Use SI units throughout (e.g., kg, m, s, mmol/L).
• Spell out numbers below 10 in narrative text; use numerals for 10 and above and for all measurements.
• Decimals: use a leading zero (0.05, not .05).
• Report exact P values to 2–3 decimal places (e.g., P = .03; P = .001). For values below .001, write P < .001.
• Report effect sizes with 95% confidence intervals where applicable.

5. Title Page Requirements

The title page (separate from the main manuscript) must include:

1. Full title of the article (≤ 150 characters including spaces; informative, not declarative)
2. Short running title (≤ 50 characters)
3. Authors: full names, highest academic degrees, ORCID iDs (required for corresponding author, recommended for all)
4. Affiliations: department, institution, city, country for each author
5. Corresponding author: name, full mailing address, telephone, email
6. Word count: abstract and main text separately
7. Number of tables and figures
8. Funding statement (or "None" if applicable)
9. Conflict of interest disclosure for all authors
10. Author contributions (using CRediT taxonomy is recommended)
11. Acknowledgments (non-author contributors, with their permission)
12. Trial registration number (for clinical trials)
13. PROSPERO registration number (for systematic reviews)

6. Abstract and Keywords

Structured Abstract (Original Research, Systematic Review, Short Communication)

Use the following headings:

• Background / Importance
• Objective (single sentence stating the primary aim)
• Methods (design, setting, participants, intervention, main outcome)
• Results (key findings with effect sizes and 95% CIs)
• Conclusions (concise, supported by results)
• Trial Registration (if applicable)

Unstructured Abstract (Narrative Review, Case Report)

A single paragraph summarizing the topic, key points, and implications.

Keywords

Provide 3–6 keywords below the abstract, drawn from the MeSH (Medical Subject Headings) vocabulary whenever possible. Separate with semicolons.

7. Main Text Structure

Original Research (IMRaD)

1. Introduction — Background, rationale, knowledge gap, study objective/hypothesis
2. Methods — Study design, ethical approval, participants, procedures, outcome measures, statistical analysis. Sufficient detail for replication.
3. Results — Findings in logical order; do not interpret here.
4. Discussion — Interpretation, comparison with prior literature, mechanisms, strengths and limitations, implications, future directions
5. Conclusion — Brief, evidence-based

Systematic Review / Meta-analysis

Follow PRISMA 2020 guidelines and submit a completed PRISMA 2020 checklist as a supplementary file.

Narrative Review

Flexible structure with: Introduction, thematic sections, Discussion/Synthesis, Conclusion.

Case Report / Case Series

Follow the CARE guidelines.

Short Communication

Compressed IMRaD structure for preliminary findings.

Editorial / Commentary

Free-form structure with clear thesis, supporting argument, and conclusion.

8. References (AMA 11th Edition)

Use AMA Manual of Style, 11th Edition (2020). References numbered consecutively in order of appearance, using superscript Arabic numerals.

In-Text Citation Rules

• Place superscript numbers outside periods and commas, but inside colons and semicolons.
• For 3+ consecutive references, use a hyphen: ^4-7. For non-consecutive: ^1,5,9.
• For narrative citations: "Smith et al³ reported..." (no period after "al").

Authors

• Up to 6 authors: list all.
• 7 or more: list the first 3 followed by "et al" (no period).
• Format: Surname Initials (no periods between initials). Example: Smith AB, Johnson CD.

Reference Examples

Journal article with DOI:
Salim Virani S, Newby LK, Arnold SV, et al. 2023 AHA/ACC guideline for management of chronic coronary disease. N Engl J Med. 2024;390(18):1681-1696. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa2401234

7 or more authors:
Patel R, Williams S, Johnson T, et al. Global burden of cardiovascular disease in adults aged 30–70 years. Lancet. 2024;403(10428):1129-1142. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(24)00112-7

Book:
Kasper DL, Fauci AS, Hauser SL, Longo DL, Jameson JL, Loscalzo J. Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine. 21st ed. McGraw-Hill Education; 2022.

Book chapter:
Hall JE. Cardiac muscle: the heart as a pump. In: Hall JE, Hall ME, eds. Guyton and Hall Textbook of Medical Physiology. 14th ed. Elsevier; 2021:113-126.

Website:
World Health Organization. Noncommunicable diseases. Updated September 16, 2024. Accessed January 10, 2026. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/noncommunicable-diseases

Preprint:
Nguyen H, Brown D, Kumar S. Effectiveness of GLP-1 receptor agonists. Preprint. Posted March 15, 2025. medRxiv. doi:10.1101/2025.03.15.25324567

Clinical Practice Guideline:
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Hypertension in Adults: Diagnosis and Management. NICE guideline NG136. Updated November 21, 2023. Accessed April 12, 2026. https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng136

Use journal title abbreviations from the NLM Catalog. Italicize journal titles.

9. Tables and Figures

Tables

• Number consecutively (Table 1, Table 2, …) in the order cited.
• Provide a brief, descriptive title above the table.
• Define all abbreviations in a footnote.
• Use editable text (no images of tables).

Figures

• Number consecutively (Figure 1, Figure 2, …).
• Submit each figure as a separate file.
• Format: TIFF, PNG, or high-resolution JPEG (≥ 300 dpi photos; ≥ 600 dpi line art).
• Vector formats (EPS, SVG, PDF) preferred for charts and diagrams.
• Color figures published free of charge.
• Include figure legends on a separate page in the manuscript.

10. Ethics, Consent, and Reporting Guidelines

Ethical Approval

• All human research must have prior IRB or ethics committee approval.
• Include approving body and approval number in the Methods section.
• Animal studies must follow ARRIVE 2.0 guidelines.
• Studies must conform to the Declaration of Helsinki.

Informed Consent

• State that informed consent was obtained from all participants.
• For case reports: written consent for publication is mandatory.

Trial Registration

Clinical trials must be registered before enrollment in a WHO ICTRP-recognized registry (ClinicalTrials.gov, EU CTR, ISRCTN). Provide registration number in abstract and Methods.

Reporting Guidelines

See the EQUATOR Network for the full list.

Data Availability

A data availability statement is required for all original research. Specify whether data are publicly available, available on reasonable request, or restricted. Sharing data via OSF, Zenodo, Figshare, or Dryad is encouraged.

11. AI Tool Disclosure

GHU Open requires transparent disclosure of any use of AI, LLMs, or generative tools in manuscript preparation.

• AI tools cannot be listed as authors.
• If AI was used, describe its use in Methods or Acknowledgments.
• Specify tool name, version, manufacturer, and purpose.
• Basic grammar/spelling checkers and reference managers do not require disclosure.
• Authors are fully responsible for accuracy of all AI-assisted content.

Example disclosure: "ChatGPT (OpenAI, GPT-4) was used to refine the language of the Discussion section. All scientific content, references, and conclusions were verified by the authors."

12. Authorship and Conflicts of Interest

Authorship Criteria (ICMJE)

All authors must meet all four criteria:

1. Substantial contributions to conception/design OR data acquisition/analysis/interpretation;
2. Drafting or critical revision for important intellectual content;
3. Final approval of the version to be published;
4. Agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

Author Contributions (CRediT)

Specify each author's contribution using the CRediT taxonomy.

Conflict of Interest

All authors must disclose financial or non-financial conflicts within the past 36 months using the ICMJE Disclosure Form. If none: "The authors declare no conflict of interest."

Funding

Disclose all funding sources and grant numbers. State if no funding was received.

13. Submission Process

Submissions are made through the GHU Open online submission system. Prepare:

1. Cover letter to the Editor-in-Chief.
2. Title page (separate file).
3. Anonymized main manuscript (for double-blind review).
4. Tables (embedded at end or separate file).
5. Figures (separate files, high resolution).
6. Reporting guideline checklist.
7. Ethics approval document.
8. ICMJE disclosure forms for all authors.
9. Supplementary materials, if any.

14. Publication Fees

GHU Open is a fully open-access journal. All articles are immediately available under CC BY 4.0, with authors retaining copyright.

15. Copyright and Licensing

• Authors retain copyright of their work.
• All articles are licensed under CC BY 4.0.
• Authors are responsible for obtaining permission to reproduce third-party material.

Standard copyright statement for published articles:

Questions? Contact editor@ghuopen.org