Submissions

Author Guidelines

Author Guidelines and Submission Process

1. Types of articles accepted:

• Original Research Articles
• Review Articles (including systematic reviews and meta-analyses)
• Case Studies
• Short Communications
• Book Reviews

2. Submission process (step-by-step):

Step 1: Prepare Your Files

Before submission, ensure that you have prepared all required documents carefully:

• Main Manuscript: An anonymized file (without author names, affiliations, or identifying information) prepared for double-blind review.
• Title Page: A separate file containing the paper title, all authors’ names, affiliations, ORCID iDs (if available), and the corresponding author’s email address.
• Cover Letter: A brief note highlighting the significance and originality of the paper, and confirming that it is not under consideration elsewhere.

Step 2: Submit Your Files

• Place all these files into a single ZIP folder and name it clearly (for example: FirstAuthorName_PaperTitle.zip).
• Submit the folder by email to rimt.journal@rimt.ac.in

3. Manuscript preparation and formatting:

• File format: Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx)
• Font: – Title: Times New Roman, 14-point, Bold – Main text: Times New Roman, 10-point – Abstract, Subheadings, captions, tables, and figures: Times New Roman, 9-point
• Margins: Top and Bottom (5.2 cm), Left and Right (4.4 cm)
• Page numbers: Bottom-Left, consecutively numbered
• Abstract: Structured abstract, 150–250 words (Background, Methods, Results, Conclusion).
• Keywords: 4–6 keywords.
• File naming: Use a clear naming convention: ManuscriptID_Title.docx (if assigned an ID) or Surname_Title.docx.

Word counts (inclusive of abstract, references, tables, figures):

• Original Research Articles: 5,000–8,000 words
• Review Articles: 6,000–10,000 words
• Case Studies / Short Communications: 2,000–3,500 words

Referencing and style:

• Citation style: APA, 7th Edition or discipline specific style. In-text citations: (Author, Year). A full reference list must be provided at the end of the manuscript.
• Spelling: Authors may use British or American English but must be consistent throughout.

Figures, tables, and supplementary files:

• Provide high-resolution figure files (separate from the main manuscript) as TIFF, PNG, or JPG for images and Excel for data tables if requested.
• Supply captions and table titles in the main manuscript file.
• Indicate supplementary data files on submission and upload them as separate files. Copyright & licensing:
• Copyright is retained by the RIMT University, Mandi Gobindgarh unless otherwise stated. Manuscript template:
• A downloadable manuscript template (RIJMR Manuscript Template .docx) is available: [Insert download link here].

4. Peer Review Policy

RIJMR operates a double-blind peer review process: authors and reviewers remain anonymous to one another.

Peer review workflow:

1. a) Initial editorial screening (desk check) - Editor-in-Chief / editorial office screens for scope, adherence to guidelines, language, ethical compliance, and plagiarism (see plagiarism policy). Manuscripts failing this stage are desk-rejected with reasons.
2. b) Assignment to Associate Editor - Manuscripts that pass screening are assigned to an Associate Editor with appropriate expertise.
3. c) Reviewer selection - A minimum of two independent expert reviewers are invited. Reviewers are selected for subject expertise, publication record, and absence of conflicts of interest.
4. d) Review - Reviewers receive the anonymized manuscript and provide a detailed, constructive report assessing originality, methodology, clarity, validity of conclusions, and ethical compliance.
5. e) Editorial decision - The Associate Editor evaluates reviewers’ reports and issues a decision. The editor’s decision is independent of reviewer recommendations. Reviewer comments are anonymized and shared with the authors.
6. f) Revision and final decision - Authors submit a revised manuscript with a point-by-point response. The Associate Editor may request re-review. The Editor-in-Chief makes the final acceptance decision.

Decision criteria: Manuscripts are judged on: significance and originality, methodological rigor, clarity of presentation, ethical soundness, and fit with the journal’s aims.

Timelines: Provide realistic estimates here (example): average time to a first decision is 8–12 weeks; time from acceptance to publication depends on production schedules. (Replace with your actual expected timelines.)

5. Ethical Policies and Malpractice Statement

RIJMR adheres to international best practices in publication ethics and follows guidelines from bodies such as COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics), Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), World Association of Medical Editors (WAME); International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE); National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Authorship and contributions: Authors must meet accepted criteria for authorship: substantial contributions to conception or design, drafting or revising the work, and final approval of the published version. All authors must agree to be accountable for the work’s integrity. Contribution statements (e.g., “A.B. conceptualized the study; C.D. performed experiments…”) are required.

Plagiarism: All submissions are checked with plagiarism detection software (e.g., Drillbrit/Turnitin). Acceptable similarity is judged case-by-case; typically, similarity scores above 10% require careful review and may lead to desk rejection. Direct copying without proper quotation and citation is unacceptable.

Conflicts of interest: Authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose any potential conflicts of interest (financial, personal, or professional). Declarations must appear in the manuscript at submission and in published articles.

Data sharing and reproducibility: Authors are encouraged (and in some article types required) to make underlying data, code, and materials available in public repositories or as supplementary files, unless restricted by ethical or legal constraints. Data availability statements must be included.

Human and animal research ethics: Manuscripts reporting human or animal research must include ethics committee approval statements and informed consent information as appropriate. Clinical trials should include registry numbers.

Retractions, corrections, and expressions of concern: RIJMR follows COPE guidance for handling corrections, retractions, and expressions of concern. Corrections will be issued for honest errors; retractions will be used in cases of serious errors or misconduct. Notices will be linked to the original article.

Complaints and appeals: Authors may appeal editorial decisions or lodge complaints by contacting the Editor-in-Chief. Appeals must present new evidence or demonstrate procedural concerns. The journal will investigate and respond within a reasonable timeframe.

6. Journal Content, Access, and Archives

Current issue and archives:

• A dedicated Current Issue page presents the latest issue and articles.
• A searchable, well-organized Archives page provides access to all past issues.

Article page contents:

Each article’s page includes: Title; Authors and affiliations; Abstract; Keywords; Full-text PDF; DOI (once assigned); Submission/Acceptance/Publication dates; and supplementary materials/data links where applicable.

7. Archiving

Institutional repository

8. Production and Post-Acceptance

Copyediting and proofreading: Accepted manuscripts undergo professional copyediting for language, formatting, and style. Authors will review proofs and return corrections within the specified timeframe.

Article metadata and indexing deposit: Upon publication, article metadata (title, authors, abstract, keywords, affiliation) is deposited at Institutional repository.

9. Transparency and Integrity

RIJMR commits to transparency at every stage: clear policies, disclosure of editorial roles and processes and adherence to recognized ethical standards. Queries about policies or editorial matters should be directed to the editorial office: (rimt.journal@rimt.ac.in)

10. Sample Peer Review Policy

Peer Review Model: Double-blind peer review.

Reviewers per manuscript: Minimum two independent experts.

Reviewer criteria: Originality, methodology, clarity, validity, and ethics.

Plagiarism screening: All submissions will be screened.

Appeals: Authors may appeal decisions by contacting the Editor-in-Chief with supporting materials.