JNMA Formatting Guidelines
Current Version 1.0
Version History V1.0, Date: Apr 2024
Format
A. All the text should be in Times New Roman with Font size 12.
B. Line spacing “Single”, remove space before and after paragraph
C. Left alignment
D. Margin 2.5cm from all four sides
E. Word limit for original article
➔ Original article: at least 2000 words excluding abstract of 250 words
➔ Case Report: at least 1000 words excluding abstract 150 words
➔ Review: At least 3000 words excluding abstract of 250 words and references (>50 and usually <100)
➔ Medical Education: Up to 1500 words excluding abstract of 150 words
➔ Viewpoint: Up to 800 words excluding abstract of 100 words
➔ Letter to the editor: up to 400 words
➔ Short communication: Up to 3000 words excluding abstract 150 words
Avoid abbreviations in the title and abstract of the manuscript and limit their use in the text.
Language, Grammar and Numerals
❖ Uniformity in the language: US English
❖ Spell out numbers one through nine, except
➢ for measurements. Eg. 5 cm, 7 g
➢ for common fractions or phrases. Eg. The Twelve Days of Christmas, one in fifteen people
➢ for fractions, ratios, and percentages. Any number used for data and statistics (75%, 6:1) should use the numeral form
➢ for sums of money, dates, ages, and time. Eg. 3 dollars, 7 years old
❖ For a mixture of numbers in one sentence, use a consistent number style. Example: The sample included 34 men with type A blood,
15 with type B, and 3 with type AB
❖ Use different number styles when putting two numbers next to each other. Example: Thirteen 50 kg women, NOT 13 50 kg women
❖ Always spell out numbers at the beginning of a sentence if the sentence cannot be rearranged to avoid starting with a number
Example: Fifty students were…
❖ Avoid repetition of the same words and waste words.
Eg: In this study, the prevalence of coronary artery bypass graft in patients undergoing cardiac surgery was 49 (53.2%; 95% CI:
43.12-63.42) and while representing mean 5+2 cm (95% CI: 4-7 cm)
● There should be no space between a numeral and a percent sign: 48%
● Use a zero before a decimal point, e.g.0.28 ml
● When writing a range or series, give the unit after the final item: BAD: 25 mg–30 mg, GOOD: 25-30 mg
● Spell out fractions that modify nouns: Half the cases showed…, A two-third majority…
● Do not insert a space on either side of an en-dash (–)
● Use a virgule (/) for proportions, and a colon (:) for ratios
● Use a space between a numeral and a unit of measurement: 178 mm. BMJ
● For scientific names write as Genus Species (complete). Eg Mycobacterium tuberculosis
● Generic names of drugs should be used
● Use lowercase for measurement of units. Example: ml, dl NOT mL, dL
● g/dl not gm/dl
● Spell out uncommonly used units:
Example: femtoliters [fl]
● Uses of tenses in:
➔ Introduction: Present tense
➔ Methods: Past tense
➔ Results: Past tense
➔ Discussion: Present and past tense
➔ Conclusions: Present and future tense
Title
1. Titles should be concise, specific, and informative with no unnecessary words
2. Title should be easy to understand, and conveys the important aspects of the research.
3. Running title provided (not more than 50 characters)
4. All Caps in the text except
i. Prepositions: in, at, of, by, on, with, at, for and
ii. Conjunctions: among, of, in, a, and, nor, but
5. Capitalise letter after the colon (:)
➔ Eg. Case Report Title: A Case Report
➔ Letter after hyphen is in small case
➔ Do not give space before colon (:)
( : A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study)
6. No full stop, comma, / or any other symbols in the title
7. For setting, name of the institution should not be disclosed/specific in the title rather be general
➔ Use= Tertiary Care Center, Tertiary Care Hospital, Medical College, District, a Province
➔ Use of = of Nepal’/ ‘Himalayan District of Nepal’ / ‘a Province of Nepal’) only if it has significance
8. Title must include: Outcome of Interest, study population and study design
9. For scientific names write as Genus Species (complete); Do write in italics in title
10.Don’t use abbreviations in titles. (except COVID-19 and similar standard terms)
Author Name
a. Name Middle name Surname,superscript Name Middle name Surnamesuperscript (Eg. Ram Krishna Mishra,1 Krishna Murari Adhikari2)
b. Full middle name (For e.g don’t write Sarad P Acharya, Correct format: Sarad Prasad Acharya)
c. No designation (Dr., Mr., Mrs., etc)
d. No full stop at end
Author Affiliation
superscript
a. Department, Institution, Name of Place, Name of District, Name of Country, superscriptDepartment, Institution, Name of Place,
Name of District, Name of Country, and so on.
b. If a medical student is an author, the format is the same except do not mention the name of the department.
c. End with a full stop.
d. Refer to the standard Webpage for the name of the institution or department
For e.g.: BPKIHS vs B.P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences - Check official website
Kathmandu Medical College and Teaching Hospital vs Kathmandu Medical College Teaching Hospital and P. Ltd.
e. Affiliation (Job title) at the time the paper was written, give one job position for each author
f. For more than 2 authors: Separate each author affiliation and address with a comma (don't use a separate line for each)
Correspondence
a. Correspondence: - Bold, Rest - Normal text
Designation. Full Name, Department, Institution, Name of Place, Name of District, Name of Country. Email:
[email protected],
Phone: +977-0000000000.
Example:
Correspondence: Dr Prabhat Khakural, Department of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery, Manmohan Cardiothoracic Vascular and
Transplant Centre, Maharajgunj Medical Campus, Institute of Medicine, Maharajgunj, Kathmandu, Nepal. Email:
[email protected],
Phone: +977-9800000000.
b. Remove hyperlink in email address
c. Dot after designation
d. Check country code for foreign author, for Nepal: +977
e. Only one corresponding author per article.
f. Latest contact address for corresponding author
ABSTRACT
a. For original article: Structured
Introduction:
Methods:
Results:
Conclusions:
b. Word count: Original and Review = 250 words, Case report, Medical education and Short communication = 150 words, View point =
100 words
c. For other articles: Unstructured
d. Do not use abbreviations, footnotes or references in the abstract
Introduction (ABSTRACT)
a. Should provide the context or background for the study and should state the study’s objective
b. The objective/aim of the study should be mention in past tense: The aim of the study was/ The study was aimed to find out the
c. Do not use words like: assess, evaluate, know
Methods (ABSTRACT)
a. Methods should be written in the past tense
The methods section must include:
b. Study design
c. Study place: Do not disclose the name of the Institute
For example: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in Janaki Medical College conducted from January to March,
2022.
d. Study period/duration
e. Ethical clearance with reference number
f. Sampling method and sample size
g. Data entry and analysis (software and software version)
For SPSS: Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version xx
Microsoft Excel
h. Statistical analysis:
For Binary data: Mention “Point estimate at 95% Confidence Interval was calculated along with frequency and percentages for binary
data.”
For continuous data: Mention “Point estimate at 95% Confidence Interval was calculated along with mean and standard deviation for
continuous data.”
For both types of data: Mention “Point estimate at 95% Confidence Interval was calculated along with frequency and percentages for
binary data, and mean and standard deviation for continuous data.”
i. Date format (if used):
1st January, 16th February, 2nd March
March 2, 2019
Results (ABSTRACT)
a. Start with “Out of total/Among (sample size), then follow with the main result first along with 95% Confidence Interval
b. Subgroup analysis: Secondary findings within the outcome of interest will be included in the result section, others will be removed.
Example: Out of 1284 babies delivered over a six months period, 47 (3.66%) babies were asphyxiated
c. Example for confidence interval: 5 (10%; 95% CI: 5-15) or 5+2 cm (95% CI: 2-4 cm).
Do not put percentage after y
d. Mean+SD
Example: 37.57+2 weeks
Do not use space before and after ‘+’
e. n (%) Example: 47 (3.66%)
Use space between n and (_%)
Do not use space between numeral and percentage
f. Use of two digits after decimals and maintain uniformity throughout.
5.66%, 7.38%, 88.3%, 54.543%
Conclusions (ABSTRACT)
a. The conclusions should be clearly linked with the objectives of the study
b. Avoid unqualified statements and conclusions that are not supported by the data.
c. No numerical value
Keywords
a. Use 3-5 keywords
b. Use words lowercase in italics separated by semicolon (;) with a full stop at the end which should also be in italics.
c. Lower case (except for nouns)
Keywords: case report; COVID-19; Nepal.
d. Words must preferably be present in the MeSH browser or Mesh NCBI
INTRODUCTION
a. The 1st paragraph should answer ‘What is this (topic of research)?’ “Background’
b. Second paragraph should answer ‘Why?’ or ‘Rationale for the study’.
c. The third paragraph should answer the ‘Objective/Aim of the study’, written in past tense.
d. Word Limit:
For the Original Article: 150+10%
For Case Report: 100+10%
For Medical Education: 100+10%
For Review Article: 150
For Viewpoint: 100
For SJNMA: 150
For Short communication: 100 words
e. In the objective of the study, do not use words like ‘assess, observe, evaluate, study, know’, etc.
The aim of a descriptive cross-sectional study is to find out the prevalence/mean of a single topic/condition/situation (the one for
which sample size has been calculated).
Example: The aim of the study was to find out the prevalence of neonatal asphyxia among newborns in a tertiary care centre.
f. Expand all abbreviations at first mention in the text. The spelled-out abbreviation followed by the abbreviation in parentheses
should be used on first mention unless the abbreviation is a standard unit of measurement.
METHODS
a. Mention the information in the order of:
Study design, Study population
Study site
Study duration
Ethical Clearance (with reference number)
Inclusion/ Exclusion criteria: Define specific conditions or characteristics that make it appropriate or inappropriate to enrol a patient/
participants into a study. This applies for the selection of the study participants not for choosing the outcome of interest.
For simple random sampling: Mention sampling frame and how participants are selected
Sample size calculation
b. Sample size calculation formula for descriptive studies:
For binary data
n= (Z2 x p x q) / e2
= (1.962 x 0.05 x 0.05) / 0.052
Where,
n= minimum required sample size
Z= 1.96 at 95% Confidence Interval (CI)
p= prevalence of …., p%superscript (prevalence taken as 50% for maximum sample size calculation)
q= 1-p
e= margin of error, a%
N.B.: The expected prevalence from the previous similar study is the prefered one. But if you could not find the similar study then
you could take p= 50% for maximum sample size calculation.
For continuous data:
n= Z2 x σ2 / e2
Where,
n= minimum required sample size
Z= 1.96 at 95% Confidence Interval (CI)
σ= standard deviation taken from published literaturesuperscript
e= margin of error
Take the reference from similar descriptive cross-sectional studies which have measured the same outcome of interest in the similar
study population.
Here n is Cochran's sample size recommendation, N is the finite population, and n' is the new adjusted sample size.
Adjusted Sample Size (n') = n / [1+{(n-1) / N}]
= 384.6 / [1+ (384.6 - 1) / 472)]
= 212
Type of Sampling (Example, Convenience sampling, Simple random sampling)
c. Follow the following formatting rules for the sample size calculation part:
Correct Format Incorrect Format
n= (Z2 x p x q) / e2 n= z2 x p x q/e2
= (1.962 x 0.05 x 0.05) / 0.052 = (1.96)2 x 0.05 x 0.05/ (0.05)2
= ………………… = …………………
= ………………… = …………………
➔ The ‘=’ must be aligned vertically
➔ To maintain uniformity, use the same text for p, n, Z, e
➔ Use uppercase for Z and lowercase for n, p, e
➔ Put the numerals by rounding off the calculated sample size
d. Showing calculation of non response rate is not necessary
e. Mention total sample size taken in text as well
f. Mention bias and how they were minimised if any
g. Criteria for measuring outcome of interest with references (For example: Diagnostic criteria from standard guideline)
Example: Defining hypothyroidism, end stage renal disease
h. Mention data collection tools and techniques in details
➔ If any techniques or apparatus was used then give the manufacturer’s name and address in parentheses, and procedures in
sufficient detail to allow other workers to reproduce the results
➔ Give references to established methods, including statistical methods; provide references and brief descriptions for methods
that have been published but are not well known; describe new or substantially modified methods, give reasons for using
them, and evaluate their limitations.
➔ Identify precisely all drugs and chemicals used, including generic name(s), dose(s), and route(s) of administration.
i. Data entry software with version. Example: Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 20.0, Microsoft Excel 2016
j. References not used in methods section except:
➔ Prevalence from article
➔ Standard deviation from article
➔ Standard questionnaire
➔ Criteria for measuring outcome of interest
k. We can mention that the data was collected retrospectively or prospectively but do not mention ‘Retrospective or Prospective’ as
study design
RESULTS
a. Mention main finding followed by subgroup analysis
The main outcomes of the study should be reported and quantified, including the final included/analysed sample.
b. Main result example:
Out of 1284 babies delivered over a six months period, 47 (3.66%) babies were asphyxiated
Out of 358 patients, the mean subpubic angle was 120.42±22.27°
118.02-122.81 at 95% Confidence Interval).
c. Use units after ± , For eg: Correct: 120.42±22.27° Incorrect: 120.42°±22.27°
d. Use table of main finding before tables of other findings such as socio demographic findings
e. Where scientifically appropriate, analyses of the data by variables such as age and sex should be included
f. If the sentence starts with a number, spell it out
g. Use in n (%) format
Example: In 3 (20%) newborns, …
… was found.Three (20%)
h. Mean±SD. Example: 37.57±2 weeks. (no space before and after ‘±’)
i. Use median for unequal distribution median, eg, 6 cm (IQR: 5-7 cm)
j. Total number of figures and tables should not exceed more than 5.
k. While mentioning units, add a space after the number (Example 5 g).
l. Avoid:
➔ non-technical uses of technical terms in statistics, such as “random” (which implies a randomising device), “normal,”
“significant,” “correlations,” and “sample.”
➔ Terms like association, comparison, causes/risk factors,
➔ Inferential statistics like P-value, Chi square test, T test, logistic regression, multivariate analysis
m. Restrict tables and figures to those needed to explain the argument of the paper and to assess its support. Do not repeat in the text all
the data displayed in the tables or illustrations. Only important observations should be emphasised or summarised.
Use table and figure no (In ARABIC numbers not ROMAN) at the end of the sentence
For example: (Figure 1). (Table 1).
● Figure legends provided (not more than 40 words)
● Label both the axis in the table
● Label as n (%) in the table
● Put units of measurement if appropriate
● Bold the descriptive titles of the tables and figures
n. Follow up (if available). Example: In a study of neonatal asphyxia, follow up could be for complications.
o. Indicate footnotes to tables in lowercase and use symbols separated by comma in the sequence of *,†,‡,§,||,¶,**,††,‡‡
p. Avoid use of terms like ‘more than..’, ‘nearly two third..’, ‘the most common…’.
State only results in terms of n (%), no comparison or analysis should be done in result section.
DISCUSSION
a. Start with statement of principal findings from own study
b. Compare and contrast, support and refute your findings with existing literature similar to your study design
c. Why might there be a difference in the results, if any?
d. Meaning of the study: possible explanations and implications for clinicians and policymakers
e. Avoid unnecessary explanations or extensive description of someone else’s work
f. Mention strengths and weaknesses in relation to other studies, discussing important differences in results
g. Mention unanswered questions and suggestions for future research, if any
h. Explore the implications of the findings for future research and for clinical practice
i. Mention the limitations of study as the last paragraph taking into account sources of potential bias or imprecision. Discuss both
direction and magnitude of any potential bias
j. Each word whose removal will not change the meaning should be taken out from the text
k. Emphasise the new and important aspects of the study and the conclusions that follow from them. Do not repeat in detail data or other
material given in the Introduction or the Results section
l. In the last paragraph, discuss the limitation of the study and also provide recommendations.
CONCLUSIONS
a. The conclusions should be clearly linked with the objectives of the study
b. Provide only conclusions of the study that are directly supported by the results. Avoid unqualified statements and conclusions that are
not supported by the data
c. Give equal emphasis to positive and negative findings of equal scientific merit
d. Do not mention numerical results or percentage values
e. Authors should avoid making statements on economic benefits and costs unless their manuscript includes the appropriate economic
data and analyses.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
a. Acknowledge the persons/institution who have helped in the study
b. Just name the individual or organisation and their contribution in the research process but do not use literary words to praise them
c. Use passive voice
d. Use CREDIT guideline
Conflict of Interest
a. Mention if any
b. Example:
Conflict of Interest: Yuan Gao1* has a commercial interests in one of the products (Micro-Retrieve & Repair system). He
designed and invented the Micro-Retrieve & Repair system for the retrieval of broken instrument and repair of root canal
complications.
c. If none, use following format
Conflict of Interest: None.
Funding
1. The article has been funded by NHRC Grant….
2. If there is no funding, do not mention the heading.
Ethical
1. Declare that all author has verified that there is no plagiarism, dual submission, dual publication, falsification, fabrication
Conflict of interest
1. Declare if there are any conflict of interest
Last Check
1. Check word count
2. Order of References in the manuscript and cross-check number of references in manuscript and the list of references
3. Spacings in-between paragraphs, justify
4. Except for units of measurement, abbreviations are strongly discouraged; the first time an abbreviation appears, it should be
preceded by the words for which it stands.
5. Remove double spacing in the article (Ctrl+H Find- Double space, Replace with: Single Space)
Table and Figure Sample
1. Limit of five figures and tables (total) per manuscript
2. The table and figure must be mentioned at least one in the text preceding them.
3. In tables and figures, a conversion factor to SI should be presented in the footnote or legend. Link
4. Use two point decimal
5. Do not use space between number and percentage: n(%) e.g 5(23.76%)
6. Provide full form (at the bottom of the table or figure) in each table or figure if abbreviation is used in table
7. SI Unit: (If units other than SI units used then mention SI conversion factor)
SI conversion factors: To convert cholesterol to mmol/L, multiply values by 0.0259.
8. Only First letter of the Characteristics are capitalised.
For eg: Vaginal delivery : Correct Format
Vaginal Delivery: Incorrect Format
9. If the result is zero then use dash i.e. (-) and it should be in middle alignment.
Eg: 0 (0) Incorrect format
- Correct format
Table 1. Socio-demographic characteristics (n= ).
Characteristics
Indicate footnotes to tables in lowercase and use symbols in the sequence of *,†,‡,§,||,¶,**,††,‡‡
[IMAGE]
Figure 1. Image description.
Units of Measurement, Abbreviations and Symbols
➔ Measurements of length, height, weight, and volume should be reported in metric units (metre, kilogram, or litre) or their
decimal multiples
➔ Temperatures should be in degrees Celsius [°C]. Blood pressures should be in millimetres of mercury
➔ Author should report laboratory information in both the local and International System of Units (SI). Drug concentrations
may be reported in either SI or mass units, but the alternative should be provided in parentheses where appropriate.
➔ Use only standard abbreviations; the use of non-standard abbreviations can be extremely confusing to readers. Avoid
abbreviations in the title. The full term for which an abbreviation stands should precede its first use in the text unless it is a
standard unit of measurement. Do not use abbreviations like @, & in the text
Word
American British
Acknowledgment Acknowledgement
Center Centre
Color Colour
Paralyze Paralyse
Leukemia Leukaemia
Maneuver Manoeuvre
Pediatric Paediatric
UK English to US English Converter
For Short Communication: Revised Guidelines for Short Communications: Elsevier
a. These are research article which doesn't fit exactly into a research article but findings are interesting
b. The paper contains ABSTRACT, INTRODUCTION, SUBTITLES, CONFLICT OF INTEREST, ACKNOWLEDGMENT,
REFERENCES.
c. Short Communications are limited to 3000 words and are not subdivided.
JNMA COLOURS
Colour name Colour code Colour Remarks
Deepskyblue #00b9f2 To be used as primary colour
rgb(0,185,242) for bar diagram
Deepskyblue #1ac0f4
rgb(26,192,244)
Deepskyblue #0cbcf3
rgb(12,188,243)
Lightskyblue #6fdaf8
rgb(111,218,248)
Paleturquoise #c6effc
rgb(198,239,252)
Lightcyan #d1f2fc
rgb(209,242,252)
InDesign
1. Sort files in different folders (as : Original Article, Case Report, Review Article, Student JNMA, View Point, Short
Communication, Editorial, Medical Education, NMA Views, Notice and so on…) before sending to Jyoti ma’am
2. Please use the same version of InDesign version (Currently used version is Adobe InDesign 2019)
REFERENCES
1. References should be in order
2. The reference must be in sentence case
3. Month and year of publication must be mentioned in reference.
4. Use reference at the end of the sentence after the full stop in superscript format
5. References should be in superscript without brackets after with/without comma (,) or full stop (.)
6. If more than two references then separate them by commas with no space in between.
7. If >3 references and it is in the order, then use dash. For example, 3,4,5 can be written as 3-5.
JOURNAL
Chudal D, Shrestha S, Shrestha R, Paudel V. Rupture Uterus in a Tertiary Care Centre: A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study. J Nepal
Med Assoc. 2021 Apr 30;59(236):392-5. [PubMed | Full Text | DOI]
Basic Structure for Reference
Author Name, Author Name, Author Name, Author Name, Author Name, Author Name, et al. Article Title. Journal Title
(Abbreviated as in NLM catalogue). Date of Publication;Volume(Issue):Location(Pagination).
Author Name
a. Order must be same as in the article,
b. Surname is written first followed by initials of first name and middle name (if present),
c. Capitalization must be same as it appears on the document
e. Mention only 6 authors and use et al.
Example [Rana K, Pradhan A, Shahi M, Bhusal S, Pandey R, Neupane A, et al.]
Article Title
a. Enter the title of an article as it appears in the publication
b. Capitalise first word of a title, proper nouns, proper adjectives, acronyms, and initialisms
c. Colon and space to separate title from subtitle
d. [Translate non-english title to english]
e. End title with period (unless question mark or exclamation is already present)
Journal Title
a. Journal title is in the original language,
b. Cite the journal name that was used at the time of publication. For example, Cite articles from 1987 and earlier as Br Med J, not
BMJ.
c. Abbreviate significant words in a journal-title (see Abbreviation rules for journal titles, NLM Catalogue)
d. Capitalise all remaining title words, including abbreviations.
e. End the journal-title with a period.
Date of Publication
a. Include the year, month, and day of publication in that order. For example: 2004 May 5,
b. Convert roman numerals to arabic numbers, such as MM to 2000,
c. English names for months and abbreviate them (such as Jan - 3 letters),
d. End date information with a semicolon.
Volume Number
a. Omit "volume", "vol.".
b. Use arabic numbers only. (LX or Sixtieth to 60)
c. Separate multiple volumes by a hyphen, such as 5-6 or 42-43
Issue Number
a. Omit "number", "no.", etc,
b. Use arabic numbers only,
c. Separate multiple issues by a hyphen,
d. Parentheses,
e. End issue information with a colon.
Pagination
a. Do not repeat page numbers unless they are followed by a letter. For example: 123-125 becomes 123-5, but 124A-126A is correct.
b. Include a letter (often S for Supplement or A for Appendix) when it precedes the page number. For example: S10-8.
c. End pagination information with a period
Special Characters and accents:
Terraza Núñez = Terraza Nunez
BOOKS
Author 1, Author 2. Title of the Book. Edition. Place of Publication (Country Code): Publisher; Date of Publication. Page number.
Available from: link. [Full Text]
Eg:
Shapiro BM. Awaking of the invertebrate egg at fertilization. In: Mastoianni L, Biggers JD, editors. Fertilization and embryonic
development in vitro. New York: Plenum Press; 1981: x p.
OFFLINE BOOK
WEBSITE
Author 1, Author 2. Title of Website [Internet]. Place of Publication (Country Code): Publisher; Date of Publication (e.g. 2015 May
5) [updates year month date; cited year month date]. Available from: link with full stop. [Full Text]
Example:
World Health Organization. Tuberculosis [Internet]. Geneva (CH): World Health Organization; 2021 Oct 21 [cited 2022 Jan 24].
Available from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/tuberculosis. [Full Text]
Department of Health Services. Annual Report- 2076/77 (2019/20) [Internet]. Kathmandu (NP): Government of Nepal Ministry of
Health and Population; 2021 Jul 6 [cited 2022 Jan 24]. Available from: https://dohs.gov.np/annual-report-2076-77-2019-20/. [Full
Text]
Mention updated date only if available
Referencing rules: Same as it is for the journal.
Some important points are:
Place of publication
➔ Look at the top, bottom, or sidebar of the first screen or the bottom of the last screen of the homepage
➔ If it is not in one of these locations, try to obtain it from a link within the site, usually under a "contact us" or
similar link
➔ Look in the source code for the homepage if it is displayed by the Web browser
➔ Put the words "place unknown" in square brackets if it is not possible to infer or otherwise locate the city
Publisher
a. Can be Individual or organiser issuing the home page
b. Write as it is present
c. Determining publisher:
- Present at top, bottom or side bar of the home page.
- Or name after the copyright statement. e.g. copyright by American Heart Association.
- Or linked with contact us
- Or website is maintained by…
- If not found then write publisher unknown in square bracket. e.g. [unknown publisher].
Date of publication
a. Mention the date in which the website was first placed on the internet.
b. If the date of update or revision is given, mention it.
c. Mention the date of citation.
e.g. [update 2009 Mar 3; cited 2015 May 4]
Availability for home page
a. Write at the end beginning with the phrase- Availability from:
b. Then insert the website URL
c. End with the full stop if the website URL ends with / otherwise no full stop is given
Points to be noted:
● Author name: Written in the same format as in a journal.
● Title: Written as it is. The non-english title is followed by a translation in square brackets.
● Edition: The edition is NOT written in superscript. {Eg: 3rd is not written, 3rd is written} Followed by “ed” and a full stop.
● Place of publication: City in which the book was published is mentioned.
● Publisher: Written as it is in full form.
● Date: Written in year.
● Page: If reference of the whole book is given then the page number is followed by a small p. {Eg: 213 p.} If referencing of
specific pages is done then page number is given as in Journal citation. {Eg: 213-5.}
Numbers and numerals checklist
Numbers expressed in words
● In general, use words to express numbers zero through nine
○ For example; There were five nurses on duty.
Use words for numbers
Cases Example
Numbers that begin a sentence, title, or heading (when possible, Fifty per cent of the students received the intervention, and the
reword the sentence to avoid beginning with a number) other 50% were part of a control condition.
Twenty people enrolled in the class, but 15 dropped out.
Common fractions one-fifth of the class
two-thirds majority
Certain universally accepted phrases Twelve Apostles
Five Pillars of Islam
Numbers Expressed in Numerals
● Use numerals to express numbers 10 and above
○ For example; The study had 40 participants
Cases in which to always use numerals for numbers
Cases Example
Numbers that immediately precede a unit of measurement 5 mg dose
3 cm
Statistical or mathematical functions multiplied by 2
Fractions or decimals (except common fractions) 1.5
2.27
Percentages 50%
75–80%*
Ratios 4:1 ratio
Percentiles and quartiles the 5th percentile, the 95th percentile
the 3rd quartile
Times and dates (including approximations of time) 30 s
10 min
3 hr
2 days
approximately 4 months
2 years
about 6 years ago
3 decades
12:30 a.m.
6 p.m. (or 6:00 p.m.)
Ages 5 years old, 18 years old
5-year-olds, 18-year-olds
5-year-old children, 18-year-old adults
Scores and points on a scale scored 6 on a 7-point scale
Exact sums of money $10
$50 in U.S. dollars
Numerals as numerals the numeral 2 on the keyboard
Numbers in a series
● Number comes after the noun (e.g., Step 1).
The number after a noun Number before a noun
Year 5 The 5th year
Grade 5, Grade 11 The fifth grade, the 11th grade
Step 1 The first step
Level 4 The fourth level
Items 3 and 5 The third and fifth items
Question 2, Questions 25 The second question, the 25th question
Table 2, Figure 5 The second table, the fifth figure
Column 8, Row 7 The eighth column, the seventh row
Chapter 6, Chapter 14 The sixth chapter, the 14th chapter
Spacing
● Generally, in the life sciences there should be no space between a numeral and a percent sign: 48%.
● Use a space between a numeral and a unit of measurement: 178 mm.
Decimals
Use a zero before a decimal point, e.g., 0.28 mL, except when reporting P values: P = .04.
