Author Guidelines

Scope

The Pakistan Journal of Rehabilitation (PJR) publishes original contributions in the field of rehabilitation sciences, including but not limited to physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, audiology, prosthetics and orthotics, nutrition, and podiatric medicine. Multidisciplinary studies and ethical, clinical, educational, or policy-oriented manuscripts relevant to rehabilitation are also considered.

Article Type                                                                                  

PJR accepts manuscripts that fall within the journal’s scope, including original article (Experimental, Observational), Review article (Systematic Review, Meta-analysis, Narrative Review), Case Study (Report, Series), Letter to the Editor, Short Communication, Commentary, and Conceptual Paper from the scope of the journal.

Manuscript Structure

All research article should follow IMRAD structure: Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion. Include Title page, Abstract and Keywords, Conclusion, Acknowledgements, Conflict of Interest, Funding disclosure, and Use of AI Tools.

RCTs must be prospectively registered and include trial registration number. Reviews should also be registered.

Title Page

Length of the title should not be more than 10-15 words. Running title should be mentioned subsequently. Title page must contain

  • Article title
  • Running Title
  • Article category
  • Abstract word count
  • Manuscript word count
  • Number of references
  • Number of tables and figures

Abstract

Structured abstract (250 words) should include Background, Methodology, Results, and Conclusion. Unstructured abstracts (150 words) area acceptable for case studies and short articles.

Graphical Abstract

Authors are encouraged to include a graphical abstract with a title and brief description of not more than 40 words.

Methodology

The method section should be unstructured and must include all relevant and appropriate information, including the study design, study setting, inclusion and exclusion criteria, sample size, data collection and analysis procedures. Authors are required to provide a statement of ethical approval of the study along with the trial registration number (where applicable). In addition, authors must confirm that Informed consent was obtained from each participant and documentation of the consent process must be clearly stated.

Figures, Tables, and Illustrations

  • Images must be in JPEG format with 300 DPI.
  • Tables or charts should be submitted separately in the editable Excel or PowerPoint files.
  • Caption of tables must be specified above the table
  • Figure or illustration caption must be placed below the respective figure or illustration.
  • All figures, tables, and illustrations must be numbered sequentially in numerical order.

References

Follow the Vancouver referencing style (AMA References 11th edition) for both in-text and end-text strictly. In-text reference should be in Arabic numerical and in superscript. Ensure more than 60% of references are from the last five years. For further guidance, please check About Vancouver referencing style - Vancouver (AMA) referencing style - Library Guides at University of Queensland Library.

Reference manager software’s like EndNote, Mendeley should be used for citing references.

Authorship Criteria

PJR follows ICMJE authorship criteria. Each author must provide an authorship contribution statement and ORCID ID.

  1. Substantial contributions to the conception or design of the work; or the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data for the work; AND
  2. Drafting the work or reviewing it critically for important intellectual content; AND
  3. Final approval of the version to be published; AND
  4. Agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.

All contributors who do not meet the authorship criteria, should be mentioned in the ‘Acknowledgement’ section.

Note: The Pakistan Journal of Rehabilitation strictly adheres to the ICMJE and COPE guidelines for ethical publication and does not support ghost or gift authorship. If a manuscript is found to include such authorship, the individual's name will be moved from the list of authors to the Acknowledgement section.

Plagiarism Policy

PJR has zero tolerance for plagiarism, any manuscript found to contain plagiarized content will not be proceed and immediately declined. If plagiarism is identified after publication, the article will be retracted in accordance with COPE Retraction Guidelines and remain permanently linked to the article on the journal website.

Similarity Index

The total similarity index must not exceed 15% with no single source contributing more than 5%. Manuscripts exceeding this limit will be returned for revision.

Submission Requirements (via OJS)

The following documents must be submitted at the time of submission of manuscript:

  • Title page
  • ERC/IRB letter
  • Manuscript in docx. format
  • Blinded manuscript in docx. Format
  • Table/ Figure file
  • Permission letter for reusing published material (if applied)
  • Conflict of Interest form
  • Funding Disclosure form
  • Author's Contribution form

      * Mention '*’ in front of Corresponding Author

Authors should be listed with positions (e.g., first, second, third) that are jointly agreed upon, ideally reflecting each author’s contribution to the manuscript.  For each author, details including, Complete name, Designation & Affiliation, Email address, Contact number, and ORCID IDs must be provided

Language

Manuscripts submitted in languages other than English language will not be accepted. The language used in the manuscript should be inclusive. For reporting sex and gender, the SAGER guidelines should be considered.

Acknowledgement

Those contribution to the research that does not meet authorship criteria, should be mentioned under ‘Acknowledgment’. All individuals acknowledged must have given their consent to be named.

Ethical Considerations

PJR follows COPE, WAME and ICMJE standards for ethical publishing. Research involving human or animal subjects must include ethical approval and comply with the Declaration of Helsinki.  Informed Consent (wherever applicable) must be taken and documented appropriately. Permissions for third-party content e.g., figures, tables, or extensive quotations must be obtained and provided on request. Any figures or images with potential identifying features must be properly anonymized, masking only eyes are insufficient.

Conflict of Interest (COI)

All authors must disclose any potential conflict of interest (COI) that could influence the interpretation or presentation of their research. A COI may include, but is not limited to financial relationship, personal relationship, institutional affiliations or intellectual property interests. If no conflicts exist, authors must explicitly state: “The authors declare no Conflict of Interest.”

Funding Disclosure

All authors must explicitly disclose the source and type of funding received for the research. This includes grants, institutional support, commercial sponsorship, or any other financial contributions. If no funding was received, authors should state: “This research did not receive any grant or financial support from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-Proft sectors.” 

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Tools

  • The use of AI tools must be transparently declared. PJR acknowledges the growing role of AI but emphasizes integrity and transparency and follows WAME AI may be used for grammar correction, language polishing, or formatting. Disclosure is not required for this. However, AI tools cannot be listed as authors or co-authors, as they cannot take responsibility for scholarly work.
  • If AI tools are used for generating text, analyzing data, translating content, or creating images/figures, this must be clearly declared in the manuscript. The name of the tool and its role must be specified.
  • Authors remain fully responsible for validating all AI-assisted content. Any factual errors, plagiarism, or ethical violations remain the responsibility of the authors.
  • Failure to disclose substantive AI use will be considered misconduct and may result in rejection, retraction, or reporting to relevant authorities. 

Copyright and Licensing

All type of manuscripts published under the Creative Common License (CC BY 4.0).
Upon acceptance, copyright is transferred to the Pakistan Journal of Rehabilitation (PJR). PJR, as the copyright holder, maintains the right to publish, disseminate, archive, and license the article in print and electronic formats, as well as to deposit it in national and international indexing and archiving services. If the manuscript is rejected, the copyright ownership returns to the authors.

Right of Authors

Author is permitted to share preprints or accepted versions of their manuscripts in institutional repositories, provided proper citation is included. However, simultaneous submission of the manuscript to another journal is strictly prohibited while it is under review by PJR and awaiting decision from the Editorial board.

1. Right to withdraw

Authors may request withdrawal of a manuscript prior to acceptance, with a written explanation. Once a manuscript is accepted or published, withdrawal is not permitted. Requests for withdrawal after acceptance are reviewed by the Editor-in-Chief and must be supported by all co-authors. Unjustified or repeated withdrawal requests may lead to sanctions, including temporary or permanent refusal of future submissions.

2. Right to Appeal

Authors have the right to appeal on manuscript rejection or any ethical concern that would be raised. Appeals must be submitted in writing to the Editor-in-Chief within 30 days of the decision, with detailed justification. Each appeal is reviewed by a senior editorial board member who was not involved in the original (challenged) decision. The outcome will be communicated in writing within a reasonable timeframe, and the decision will be final. Formally rejected manuscripts will not be reconsidered as new submissions.

Article Processing Charges (APC)

PJR does not charge any fees for submission, processing, or publication of articles. All accepted manuscripts are published free of cost.

Manuscript Formatting

  • Font Style: Times New Roman
  • Font Size: 12 (for text), 14 (for headings), and 16 (for the title).
  • Line and Paragraph Spacing:1.5
  • Figures:  300 DPI in JPEG format
  • Tables: Plain Table (editable, preferable in excel)
  • Referencing Style (In-text and End-text): Vancouver

Manuscript Categories and Word Limits